Ancient Nigerian Inspirational Proverbs about Life

If your search centers around african proverbs and you are looking out for the best Nigerian proverbs and meanings, funny Nigerian proverbs, funny nigerian proverbs, nigeria proverbs about life, african proverbs about hard times and west african proverbs, then these traditional famous African proverbs are for you.

Truly speaking, Nigerians and African love proverbs so much that there is no saying of the Elders without it. If you are opportune to watch any village scene in  Nollywood movies and that of Gollywood, you would come to terms with it. The funny adages are spiced with wisdom which are sometimes humorous. To spice your day and make it hilarious, here are some funny and amazing Nigerian proverbs.

[1]. It is only a chicken hearted man that is afraid to take risks.

[2]. If your clothes are made of cassava leaves you don’t make goats your friends.

[3]. When a rat challenges a cat to know that a hole is close by. So be careful who you challenge.

[4]. Someone that smiles when he is being robbed, has equally stolen something from the thief.

[5]. A tree that is not taller than you, cannot give you a shadow.

[6]. Anybody who wasn't there when the dead were buried, start digging from the foot.

[7]. Books are as useful to the stupid person, just as the mirror is to the blind.

[8]. It is better for you to live on top of a roof than to live with a wicked woman.

[9]. A knife that lost its handle defiles conventional use.

[10]. Banana said it is because of the greediness of my brother plantain that makes him enter the fire.

[11]. The little opportunity given to a monkey to wear a cloth does not guarantee him to join the dining table.

[12]. Do we have an eighty years old boy in the house? Go and marry and become a man.

[13]. No matter the good you do to a bicycle man he must not go without causing you with his bumbum.

[14]. It's only a stupid person will continue to do the same mistake and expect a different result.

[15]. Cloth Aboki with suit he still remains the same Aboki, pound the fool with pestle and mortar his foolishness still remains.

[16]. When a bird flies without pitching, a hunter shoots without tagging.

[17]. It is better for a hen to find a dead Dog than a Dog to find a dead hen because no one will say that it was the Dog that killed it.

[18]. When you see a rich man that makes his money through hard work and the fear of God, respect him because making money is not a child's play.

[19]. A woman who started cooking before another has more broken cooking utensils.

[20]. The downfall of a man is not the end of his life.

[21]. Don't feel ashamed to fart when urinating. There is no rain without thunder.

[22]. The constant head nodding of an agama lizard does not mean all is well.

[23]. Pussy cat said that to protect what belongs to her that is why she always covers her excreta with sand.

[24]. The cat also said that it is better to take a long distance than to miss its target.

[25]. You cannot push somebody and show the person where to fall.

[26]. No matter how long a dead wood stays inside the river it cannot become a crocodile.

[27]. Marriage is not for boys and girls but for men and woman.

[28]. What a young man will read from afar, an elderly man will have to go close and put on medicated eye glasses before reading.

[29]. The gentle stride of a tigress does not mean cowardice.

[30]. The way to success is very narrow. Be careful.

[31]. It is only when a chicken dies that they can remove the shoes from his legs.

[32]. The thousand dribbling by many players is a slave to a goal scored by one person.

[33]. He that sells his monkey and bought a pussy cat should know that something that is squatting is still in his house.

[34]. He who sleeps with itchy anus will wake up with smelly hands.

[35]. No matter how satisfied a person is after eating, there is always space for meat.

[36]. It is good to meet the bad before meeting the good ones.

[37]. The goat that swallows 10 kobo actually wanted to hear the history on how much they bought her mother.

[38]. A pretty face does not mean a pretty heart.

[39]. The slow movement of the snail does not portray its weakness.

[40]. A man who married a beautiful wife and a man who planted corn by the roadside have similar problems.

[41]. When a child is crying, pointing his finger at a particular place if his father is not there his mother is there.

[42]. When you see a child trying to throw a stone on an adult check behind him there is another man standing.

[43]. A woman who borrows clothes from a person cannot dance well because of the owner of the cloth.

[44]. A jealous woman does better research than the FBI.

[45]. No matter how dry the ground is, the cricket can't sleep outside.

[46]. Favour doesn't mean you shouldn't labour.

[47]. It is only those who have climb an electric pool that can admire a coconut tree.

[48]. A child that is carried on her mother's back doesn't know the distance covered on her way feet.

[49]. A sleeping dog is better than a dead lion.

[50]. A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.

The Nigerian proverbs are so inspiring to the ear. If you love proverbs, then these Nigeria inspirational proverbs for friends and loved ones would reawaken their consciousness and make them strive to do that which is the right thing. If you care about inspiring the people around you, why not share these proverbs with them.

[51]. Never argue with an old man that talks with parables because you will never know when your questions have been answered.

[52]. A monkey that wants to see the hunter's face will one day receive bullets in its face. Give way immediately you sense trouble.

[53]. When you see a man diligent on his way marks him; he shall one day stand in front of kings and not meek men.

[54]. Bitter cola is so bitter yet people eat them with respect. What's good can still be found in a bad person; so stop discrimination.

[55]. You can force the cow to the stream but you can't force him to drink the water.

[56]. Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes.

[57]. The future belongs to the risk takers, not the comfort seekers.

[58]. Do not associate with heavy drinkers of wine or with gluttonous eaters of meat.

[59]. A toad does not run in the daytime for nothing. It’s either, it's running after something or something is running after the toad.

[60]. When you hang around a girl you love without saying anything, soon you will be serving guests during her wedding.

[61]. That a ram takes some steps backward during a fight does not mean that he is afraid. He is only gathering momentum to launch a fresh attack.

[62]. When three men slept with a woman on the day she became pregnant, then the real father of her offspring becomes a matter of investigative journalism.

[63]. A hen that swallows beans will see it in the eyes of it children.

[64]. When a handshake passes the elbow it becomes a wrestling match.

[65]. A mad woman did her sign of the cross both front and back because she doesn’t know where the blessing will be coming from.

[66]. By their fruits, you shall know them. A man is not defiled by what goes into him, but what comes out of him.

[67]. The first experience you should gather in life is that nothing good comes easy; so be courageous no matter what.

[68]. No matter what you do in this world people must talk about you, so do what make you happy and leave it to God to judge.

[69]. When a fowl starts chasing you in the morning, you had better run because you never can tell if it has grown teeth overnight.

[70]. Many people say Chameleon walks too slowly, but Chameleon says it walks step by step and any step it walks it studies the environment.

[71]. The ends they say justifies the means.

[72]. Every garden egg is reddish in colour unless it is not heated by the sun.

[73]. A brave man is not the one who has no fears but he who triumphs over his fears.

[74]. It's said that "When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat".

[75]. When a little boy has made money, the elders will acknowledge and visit him.

[76]. If you want to go fast walk alone but if you want to go far; walk with others.

[77]. Don't judge people by their appearance.

[78]. The toad likes water but not when it is boiling.

[79]. When you see a rat playing with the tail of a cat, you need not ask if the rat want to join its ancestors.

[80]. Never work in the association of mediocre.

Nigerians and indeed African proverbs are believed to be the wise sayings of the Elders which came from many years of life experiences. These proverbs are so amazing and are the words that bring about an early correction in a moment of disperse. For your pleasure and delight, here are some of the wise words of Nigerian Elders that come with it deep meaning for everyday situation of life.

[81]. There is no shortcut to the top of a palm tree.

[82]. It is better to see the dead body of a dog at the house of a fowl than to see the dead body of a fowl at the house of a dog.

[83]. It is not only well you hear the cry of a baby that you would want to breastfeed him.

[84]. Women are like clothes in the market, not the first person that offers a price will later buy it.

[85]. A man who refuses to work hard in life will end up to be a best friend to poverty.

[86]. If you don't stand for what is right why then stand at all.

[87]. A wolf cannot intimidate the sheep when the Shepherd is awake and vigilant.

[88]. All ways are no ways. In life pretending is the worst thing so far but let every man be careful.

[89]. The old age of King Methuselah has nothing to do with the Wisdom of Solomon.

[90]. A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

[91]. There's no way without the Way.

[92]. He who tells you not to border on little things has never slept in a room with mosquito.

[93]. Two heads are better than one but all fingers are not equal. The way you make your bed so you sleep on it.

[94]. A fly that follows the corpse to the grave end up been buried.

[95]. The believer is naturally disposed to all the traits except betrayal and lying.

[96]. Chameleon said, not that he cannot walk faster but he begged the ground before walking.

[97]. Patient is the stepping stone.

[98]. The white pot on firewood has not seen the test of life.

[99]. The road to success is always very busy. You have to clear the bush.

[100]. If you say I am good for nothing therefore you are bad for something.

[101]. You can only give what you have.

[102]. It is only the woman that has not seen trouble that would hold her breast while running.

[103]. What do you gain from asking a leper to clap? It is never fun oppressing those you are better off.

[104]. In a community in which a dog kills a lion, such a community is not fit to live.

[105]. You cannot feature in a future that you did not picture.

[106]. A woman without a husband is like a well dressed person without footwear.

[107]. Even if education is free a rat will never go to the same school with a cat.

[108]. A successful man is the one who makes more money than his wife can’t spend. A successful woman is that woman who finds such a man.

[109]. When you go to sleep with an itching anus, expect to wake up with smelly fingers.

[110]. Don't believe every picture you see because even the salt looks like sugar.