Nigerian Proverbs

Nigerian proverbs weave Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa oral traditions into sharp lessons. Born in riverine trade towns and village councils, they prize respect for elders, humor, and practical wisdom for community life.

Ugliness with a good character is better than beauty. (Nigerian Proverb)
When the mice laugh at the cat, there is a hole nearby. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A mother is gold, a father is a mirror. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A crowd is like a smoldering log which can spark into a flame at any time. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A clay pot of water is never hot-tempered. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
Although the snake does not fly it has caught the bird whose home is in the sky. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
Always hold a true friend with both of your hands. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A fowl does not forget where it lays it eggs. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A fight between grasshoppers is a joy to the crow. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
If there is a character, ugliness becomes beauty; if there is none, beauty becomes ugliness. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
Not to know is bad; not to wish to know is worse. (Nigerian Proverb)
All is never said. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
All lizards lie on their bellies, but nobody knows which of them suffers stomach ache. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
An oil lamp feels proud to give light even though it wears itself away. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A glorious past is the work of a glorious man. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
Allah preserve us from ‘If only I'd known!'. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A person is a guest for one or two days, but becomes an intruder on the third. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
He who waits for a chance may wait for a long time. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
Familiarity breeds contempt; distance breeds respect. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A friendly person is never a good-for-nothing. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A goat owned by two people sleeps outside. (Nigerian Proverb)
A lounging lizard catches no crickets. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A man can not sit down alone to plan for prosperity. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A man that begets a barren cannot have a grand child. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
A man who lives alone is either always overworked, or always overfed. View proverb
Nigerian Proverb
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