91´óÉñ

Everyone believes Spider-Man is New York’s friendly neighbourhood superhero, but we think he’s Nigeria’s. Sure, he lives in Queens, and swings between skyscrapers, but everything about the way Peter Parker moves through life feels oddly familiar. If you’ve ever wondered which superhero would understand the Nigerian experience, the answer has been right in our face all along.

Here are reasons why we think Spider-Man is the most Nigerian superhero. 

1. He’s Broke

With Aunt May gone and no one remembering him, Peter is now poor as hell. Saving New York should have made him rich by now, but his account is in the red. Do you know who can relate to being broke despite working hard? Nigerians.

2. He’s Resourceful 

Like Nigerians, Peter Parker is resourceful, and this is why you would see him making his costumes and webbing himself. It would have been nice to outsource these things, but he does not have that money. 

3. He Deals With Street-Level Crimes

Unlike The Avengers, who primarily face universe-level threats, Spider-Man mostly faces street-level crimes, which Nigeria has plenty of. Just imagine the thought of being able to use your phone while sitting next to a window in a Danfo and not get robbed because all the phone snatchers are afraid of getting their bodies thrown through the wall by Spiderman. 

4. He’s Always Going Through One or Two 

If he’s not finding out that his crush’s dad is The Vulture, he’s getting exposed to the world by a villain, and just when things seem like they can’t get any worse, he accidentally messes up the universe so badly that everyone he loves forgets he exists. Peter Parker can never catch a break, and do you know who else is always going through one or two things? Nigerians. 

5. He Has the Problem-Solving Skills to Thrive in Lagos

Peter Parker knows that moving around any other way, say in a car like Batman or on a bike like Captain America, will leave him stuck in traffic until the crime is over. So, he swings instead. That’s the kind of problem-solving skill Nigeria brings out of you. 

6. He’s Adept at Juggling Different Things at Once 

If he’s not busy fighting crimes or trying to be a present nephew, he’s competing at an Academic Decathlon while crushing on MJ. That ability to juggle different things is a trait many Nigerians know all too well, especially those managing multiple hustles without breaking a sweat.