Discover deep African and Nigerian proverbs that offer timeless life lessons and cultural wisdom to inspire growth and meaningful living.
African and Nigerian proverbs carry timeless wisdom passed down through generations, offering profound insights into life’s challenges and opportunities. These short, meaningful sayings encapsulate values, culture, and practical advice that guide behavior and decision-making. They teach important life lessons about patience, resilience, community, and humility, encouraging individuals to grow both personally and socially.
The beauty of these proverbs lies in their simplicity and depth. A single phrase can inspire reflection and provoke a deeper understanding of complex situations. Nigerian proverbs, for instance, often emphasize the importance of hard work, respect for elders, and the interconnectedness of community life. They serve as reminders that personal success is often linked to collective well-being and that wisdom is earned through experience and humility.
Applying these proverbs in daily life can nurture patience, perseverance, and empathy. They encourage people to approach life with a thoughtful mindset, appreciating the lessons hidden within struggles and successes alike. Using such traditional wisdom provides guidance to navigate challenges, build strong relationships, and achieve lasting personal and communal progress.
Deep Wise African and Nigerian Proverbs
[1]. The gentle movement of a tiger does not mean the tiger is timid.
[2]. He who has been bitten by a bee would always be scared when he sees a fly.
[3]. When you crush a mad man with a car, then you know he has relatives.
[4]. The bend is never the end keep going you must surely get to your destination.
[5]. No matter how big a penis is, you can never use it to harassing an old woman.
[6]. You can never cut a man’s head on his absence.
[7]. Kola nut lasted in the mouth of those that values it.
[8]. The little opportunity given to a monkey to wear cloths does not guarantee it to join the dining table.
[9]. Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyed kings.
[10]. The court is made for only two friends, Lies and Truth.
[11]. A tree that doesn’t know how to dance will be thought by the wind.
[12]. When oppression becomes a law then self-defense will be a duty of all citizen.
[13]. Nobody knows everything but everybody knows something. It is better to be late than never.
[14]. A woman who sleeps with her wrapper at night means something for the husband.
[15]. A slow movement of a lion is not a mistake but a calculated accuracy.
[16]. If you marry the right woman you marry a prayer mate, but if you marry the wrong woman you have a prayer point.
[17]. A woman can be a counterfeit only if she indulging in voluptuous life.
[18]. The more you learn the truth about life, the less you make mistakes.
[19]. No matter how they gather they can't fight one man who carry Grace.
[20]. You don't fight a man under grace, grace will disgrace you.
[21]. A big head without brain is a heavy load to the neck.
[22]. No matter how fast a criminal is, he cannot rob a naked man.
[23]. He that fights and run away lives to fight another day.
[24]. Lack of trust leads two scabies patients to have handshake with their scratch-sticks to avoid body contact.
[25]. A Nymph aspires to grow tremendously but not to the size of an elephant
[26]. An intelligent enemy is better than a stupid friend.
[27]. A man with a protruded tooth, when he is dying, it will look as if he is laughing.
[28]. Christianity is free but you must buy your Bible.
[29]. Free education is real, but you must pay your acceptance fee.
[30]. A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
[31]. Whatever a child climbs up to see, His father will sit down to see.
[32]. How can we keep struggling for peanuts while the maggots feed fat on our sweet?
[33]. If you think education is expensive try ignorance.
[34]. Always try to become the first person, because the second person is the first looser.
[35]. It is only a fool who doesn't know the potency of a herbal charm that calls it a mere vegetable.
[36]. The fools will multiply if the wise keep quiet.
[37]. You cannot shave a man's head in his absence.
[38]. He who swallows a coconut should be able to trust his Anus.
[39]. Girls are like mangoes while some are waiting for them to ripe, others are eating them with salt.
[40]. I am yet to see a man whose stomach does not move when he laughs.
[41]. No matter the economy of the jungle the lion will never feed on grass.
[42]. No matter the matter that matter the matter, what must be must be.
[43]. War does not determine who is right but who is left.
[44]. The absence of the cat makes the mouse brag.
[45]. A word is enough for the wise.
[46]. A river doesn't not flow without bringing down the trees.
[47]. An erected penis has no conscience.
[48]. The gentility of a leopard is not the symbol of its kindness.
[49]. To love someone who doesn't love you in return is like shaking a huge Iroko tree to make a tiny dew drop falls which is impossible.
[50]. No army ever marched off to battle without a plan for victory.
[51]. A great man without Christ is like a beautiful jeep without fuel to start it.
[52]. A man does not run away from his bottoms.
[53]. Don't believe every picture you see because even the salt looks like sugar.
[54]. Two truths do not appear in court.
[55]. People do not appreciate what they have until they lost it.
[56]. The battle of this world is a battle of words.
[57]. Vision without provision is equals to television.
[58]. It's better late than never.
[59]. All that glitters are not gold.
[60]. What do you gain asking a leper to clap? It is never fun oppressing those you are better off.
[61]. A river does not flow backwards.
[62]. Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it alone.
[63]. When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to the branches.
[64]. Even the best cooking pot will not produce food.
[65]. A man who uses his teeth to cut a thorn is wise, but a man who uses his head is wiser.
[66]. When the lion walks, the hunter hides.
[67]. Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.
[68]. The child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.
[69]. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
[70]. A man who pays respect to the great paves the way for his own greatness.
[71]. Rain does not fall on one roof alone.
[72]. No matter how long the night, the day is sure to come.
[73]. The fool speaks, the wise man listens.
[74]. When the heart is full, the eyes overflow.
[75]. A single bracelet does not jingle.
[76]. If the lion doesn’t tell his story, the hunter will.
[77]. One does not become a king without killing a king.
[78]. The child who is not taught by its mother will be taught by the world.
[79]. The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.
[80]. A bird will always use another bird’s feathers to feather its own nest.
[81]. He who learns, teaches.
[82]. It takes a whole village to raise a child.
[83]. The sun does not forget a village just because it is small.
[84]. The fool who knows he is a fool is wise at least to that extent.
[85]. No matter how tall a tree grows, it must bow to the wind.
[86]. When a man is wealthy, he does not see the hardship of others.
[87]. A man who runs after two hares will catch neither.
[88]. He who digs a pit for others falls into it himself.
[89]. The river that forgets its source will dry up.
[90]. Not every ear that listens hears.
[91]. A good name is better than riches.
[92]. If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents.
[93]. When the cock crows at the break of dawn, the hen lifts her head and says, “My time has come.”
[94]. The wise create proverbs for fools to learn, not to repeat.
[95]. Even the best dancer on the stage must retire sometime.
[96]. You do not teach the paths of the forest to an old gorilla.
[97]. A tree cannot stand without its roots.
[98]. He who is destined for power does not have to fight for it.
[99]. A man who uses force is afraid of reasoning.
[100]. The crab does not give birth to a bird.
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