Your Neighbours can either make your mar your experience at home. Living in Nigeria entails knowing how to manage difficult neighbours. You will be puzzled by the types of neighbours you can have in Nigeria. Whether you live in a flat or in a “face-me-I-Face-you apartment, you will encounter them. You will have to learn to manage people by starting with your neighbours.
Below are some unique types of neighbours you can have in Nigeria.
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1. The Over-Cordial Neighbour
These people are too friendly. But they have a mission. They want to subtly enter into your life and have all the details of your family. They want to intrude into your business. They love to stay in your house and wouldn’t even mind helping you out with your daily chores. They don’t know where to draw the line. Most times, they know they can get financial or material rewards from you.
Solution; accept their kind gestures but set boundaries. Bridle your mouth and be careful about the quality of information you let out. In a short time, they will stop visiting you.
2. The Strange Neighbour
This person is quite mysterious. No noise comes from his apartment. The only dialogue you ever had with this type of neighbour probably consists of “Hello!” and “Nice weather today, huh?” This strange neighbour probably comes back home either late at night or early in the morning. And he doesn’t appear to be drunk. You have no idea where he goes, and what he does. At times, you get scared whether you should be worried that he might be a criminal or not.
Solution; You better stick to just ‘hello’ when talking to this neighbour and never ask him anything because you know what happened to the curious cat, right? It became a victim of its really mysterious neighbour.
3. The Copy Cats Neighbour
This is the first category of neighbours I encountered from childhood. They will always want to buy the same types of clothes, shoes, kitchen equipment, generator and everything you buy. They would scan through everything in your flat if invited for a chat and when you go to their house, you will find a perfect replica there. It is not a sheer coincidence – it’s copying.
This class of people love to compare and your pattern of life to theirs. Some extremists will change their children’s schools to the same school your children attend even when they can’t afford it.
Solution; Ignore them completely, there is a form of inferiority complex that makes them act that way. Consider yourself blessed to have people who love to imitate yo.
4. The Borrowing Neighbour
Ah, this person can borrow salt and matches. They can even borrow pepper. The same neighbour who keeps asking you for one thing or another is here again to ask for a bottle of oil. Their watchword is “Help” and they would constantly keep borrowing things from you.
Solution; If you have these type of neighbours consider adding a separate list in your monthly budget called “Neighbours list”!
5. Alcoholic neighbour
This guy keeps late night. You can avoid the loud knock on the gate every night. Even if you are not the one to open it. The noise interrupts your sleep.
Solution; Choose to Sleep or write the landlord.
6. The Party/music Freaks
These are specialised Owambe people. They have possibly tried to invite you to a party once or twice. They love to go out for parties and always invite their friends over for a party in their house. The sound of music and their loud voices is what you get often.
Solution; You may have to walk up to them in a subtle manner to reduce their voices and their music.
7. The Trouble Makers
These neighbours are always ready for a fight. They are just too fussy about everything you do from moving a chair at your home to having a social event at your home. Every single action of yours bothers them. They are the ones who are unhappy about everything about their neighbourhood and would constantly keep bickering.
Solution; Always avoid them. Define your boundaries. Don’t let their actions bother you. If this despite your action, they continue their action walk up to them once and give them a strict warning.
