African proverbs

Chinua Achebe (1930-2013), one of Africa's and Nigeria's most celebrated sons said it best, "Proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten." Referring specifically to Igbo culture, and indeed in many Nigerian cultures, palm oil is used to make the meal sweeter. In the same way, our conversations are enriched by the proverbs we use. Here are a few wonderful African proverbs that should get you thinking. Some are straightforward. And some are not. And as every African child knows, the latter were not intended to be, and will have to be learned through experience, and over a lifetime.