“Na wa o” is a term that I’m certain every Nigerian and wanna be Nigerian has used at least 10times in their lifetime.
It is a Pidgin English exclamation that is used to express awe and disbelief. It is the most likely term of expression a Nigerian would use when he/she is overwhelmed by something, either in a positive or negative way.
The most recent ‘Na wa o’ I heard was earlier today when a guy I know used it.
Sunday is a Security Guard at my office. He is the best of the entire team and also the youngest. His excellent service was rewarded recently by the Company he works for as he was made Supervisor over all his other much older and experienced colleagues.
What sets Sunday apart from the rest is simply his attitude to the job.
He acts as though being a Security guard is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
He is polite, courteous, friendly and helpful to all who he is opportune to interact with.
He runs like the Tasmanian devil is after him, to switch on the generators when there is a power cut, so that we who are in our offices don’t even notice that the power is out.
Sunday, is generally a great guy and the second best Security guard I know. The first still remains our guard at home (will tell you about him another time).
So this morning, Sunday received a surprise gift from an unlikely source. He really wasn’t expecting what he was given and from his reaction it was obvious that it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Sunday was visibly shaken; obviously overwhelmed by what he’d just been given and all he could repeatedly utter was….”Ah…Na Wa O!!!”
My prayer for you in this New Year is that God will do so many great and wonderful things in your life that will overwhelm you so much that all you’d be able to say is “NA WA OOOOOOOOOO!!”
May nothing happen to cause you to use the term to convey any negative feelings. Amen.
MOVING ON
13 years ago
Hi Tari, i havent read past the first sentence of the second paragraph,but i need to post a comment before i finish this article!
ReplyDeleteI misplaced an item and have looked for it and done all sorts to get it..no luck.
Go forward a week later,i have neglected my daily devotional for a quite a while but later decided i really am better off with my daily study.
About 5.30/6ish(pardon my French),i said my thanks and prayers to my greatest lover. picked my devotional and found the item in the very first page i Opened!
Were i a proper Oyibo girl,i would have screamed "Eureka" but i am not! All i could say for lack of words to capture how mysterious and Great GOD is was "NA WA,GOD NA WA. NA WA" and i went postrate on the floor all the while in my state of wondrous awe,bereft of words exclaiming "NA WA,NA WA" and all these happened just this morning!
Na wa,not because HE didnt direct me to find it earlier,but because HE still loves me even when i fail to notice HIM.
GOD NA WA!
Amen just finished the article. May same apply to you as well.
ReplyDeleteGOD must be smilling now as i got into another NA WA state from reading this.
LOL....Amen ooooo!! I'm hoping to say me a 'NA WA OOOOO!!!' today!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for commenting Tsammie!!