As a result of the many and varied interests in the country, issues such as religion, ethnic, political, economic, and social determines the shape of discussions
Don’t be surprise if a third party cuts into your discussions without invitation to defend his or her interest
Asking after the welfare of one’s family is one way of showing how thoughtful one could be in a country where most of the citizens think government has forgotten them and their plight
always preferable to take a neutral position or simply act as a moderator in such a situation. By so doing one would not be seen as taking sides with any interest group.
people are expected to communicate in much the same way as in Western countries
Culturally, people tend not to gaze directly at their superiors eye-to-eye, which would be seen as confrontational and rude
Therefore gazing at the shoulder level or the forehead is a polite way of avoiding such a confrontation
Touching or making gestures when speaking is very common in Nigeria and should not be interpreted as having any sexual undertone
Public display of affections such as kissing or assuming postures that may be sexually suggestive are commonly frowned upon by some people with strong religious convictions
The Nigeria work attitude is somewhat laid back and dress should be clean, modest and formal or semi formal, depending on the type of job and office occupied
Some people may prefer to dress to work in their African traditional attires, while some others would prefer to stick to the Western style dressing to work.
Respect of time is very important
Gender: The gap between the role of men and women is gradually closing now with more women occupying senior management and ministerial positions
Religion: As a multi- religious country, Nigeria’s constitution allows for freedom of worship and religion for everybody and people expect their religious beliefs to be respected by others
Class: People are generally class conscious. This explains why people are keen on titles and the emphasis on making sure they are addressed as such
Ethnicity: Nepotism and favoritism are a major problem in Nigeria. People from the same ethnic background, school, associations, clubs and religion tend to favor each other at the expense of other people outside their group
Nigeria as a very culturally diverse country with about 263 dialects and almost as many tribes. It is spread across three main ethnic regions namely Northern Hausas, Western Yurobas, and Eastern Igbos. It is hard to point to just one culture.
Language
hello -> Pẹlẹ o
goodbye -> O dabọ
sun -> oorun
water -> omi
moon -> oṣupa
mother ->iya
father -> baba
sister -> arabinrin
brother -> arakunrin
Mauritius
When traveling, dress conservatively
There are some laws that prevent people of the same sex interacting with one another publicly
when traveling, it is important to follow all of their laws and customs
It is customary to ask permission before taking pictures
Mauritius is mainly a combination of English and French culture
The most common religions is Hinduism and Christianity
Language
The most common language spoken on this island is Mauritian Creole
hello -> bonzur
goodbye -> orewar
sorry-> sori
please -> si ouplé
"My hovercraft is full of eels"-> Mo bateau rempli avec anguiles
Religion/Ethnicity
GHANA
Extremely prideful and friendly
Always shake peoples hands
It is an important sign of respect
Get to know a person before passing judgement; discuss the basics of one's personality and life
Learn a few of the local greetings and phrases
Emotion is welcomed and often displayed publicly by those of every gender
casual dress is an unwritten rule, however dress is a way that people show off their wealth
Most Ghanaians are Christian, the rest are either Muslim or traditionalist
God, or Allah, is an intricate part of their lives and is commonly discussed
Gender roles are present
men are responisible for making money and dealing with the families political issues
women are responsible for the children and are there to serve their husband's every need
A few examples of Ghanaians local heroes are:
Queen mother Yaa Asantiwaa (1840-1921) who led the Ashanti rebellion against British Colonialism in 1900 to defend the “golden Stool”.
Nana Prempeh 1 (1870 – 1931): he restored the vanishing glory of the Ashanti Empire and defended its independence against the British. He was latter exiled by the British.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah – led the then Gold cost to independence after a long struggle, and became the first black head of state in Ghana.
Emmanuel K. Kotoka (1926 -1967) he was a member of the National Liberation Council which overthrew the Nkrumah Government in 1966. He was killed near the airport grounds in a follow up coup. The Ghana airport is named “Kotoka international Airport in his memory.
Dr. James K Agree (1875-1927) was an intellectual and missionary teacher who encouraged the education of girls.
Language
The official language of Ghana is English
hello -> hello
goodbye -> goodbye
sun -> sun
water -> water
moon -> moon
mother -> mother
father -> father
sister -> sister
brother -> brother
Religion
The most common religions in Ghana are Christianity, Islam, Protestant