So I made another trip up to Launceston to met with Edward, who works for the Northern Tasmanian Development Corporation, to find out a bit about Nigeria and his experiences of settling down in the north of the state, which tends to be a bit less multicultural than Hobart.
I have also previously had some contact with the Nigerian community in Tasmania and so was aware of their interesting community profile - about 200 strong and growing and made up mainly of highly-educated professionals. However, many Tasmanians would be unaware of this community and even less aware of Nigeria and its culture.
One of the pleasures of doing the podcast for me it the opportunity to have stimulating conversations with interesting and smart people who have had a range of life experiences, and learn something new from them, and Edward was no exception to this.
Nigeria is easily the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of around 200 million and so it is nation worth of far more attention that it gets in Australia. It also has a burgeoning music and film industry, known as "Nollywood", which I discussed with Edward after he revealed his childhood ambition to become an actor. I thought I'd just share a little more about what Nollywood is and how significant it is to both the culture and economy of Nigeria.
From multiple interviews now, I've realised that you can't understand the importance of food when it comes to culture. Edward talked about a popular West African dish called Jollof Rice and how an Australian man had challenged him to a "cook off". So I thought I'd better research a bit more about what it and share it with you.
I really hope that Tasmanians listen to this interview and start to get a broader understanding of Nigeria and its culture and the community that resides in Tasmania, which may not match the stereotypes that many may have.
