In Nigeria today, it is assumed you lack home training when you give or receive anything from someone with your left hand.
The stereotype against the left hand is one Nigerian culture which has been passed down from generation to generation, with none of our parents or elders really offering any factual problem with the left hand.
In 2025, giving with the left hand is still seen as disrespectful in Nigeria.
Stock photos. Posed by models.
Photo Credit: Coffee and Milk, Westend61Source: Getty Images
The ‘hate’ against doing transactions with the left hand is so pronounced that able-bodied people tend to apologise when they are left with no choice but to give things with their left hands.
While it is a common culture across many ethnic groups in Nigeria, the stereotype against the left hand is not exclusive to the West African country. A look at the history of the word ‘left’ offers an interesting insight.
Where did the word ‘left’ come from?
In English, the word left comes from the Anglo-Saxon word lyft, which means weak or broken.
On why ‘left’ was considered evil, Merriam-Webster Dictionary attributed it to the dominance of right-handed people within a population and the awkwardness of motions made from the left side of the body.
It explained that the word ‘sinister’ comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side.” The preference for the left hand at the time was attributed to demonic possession. The dictionary explained:
“…Left-handed people comprise only 10 percent of the population, and the preference for the left hand demonstrated by the popular minority was attributed to demonic possession, leading to accusations of witchcraft.
“In the 20th century, anthropologists and psychologists identified left-handedness as a biological anomaly, one associated with deviancy but that could be corrected away with behavioral reinforcement…”
Many people in Nigeria will see you as disrespectful when you give things to people with your left hand.
Stock photo. Posed by model.
Photo Credit: Daniel GrillSource: Getty Images
Stigmatisation of left-handed people
In its report titled ‘The Myth of the Lef-Handed Ones’, The Guardian asserted that left-handed people have had it tough and are considered evil, devils and spawns in many cultures.
The report also stated that left-handed people are considered less intelligent than their right-handed counterparts and blamed birthing left-handed kids to their mums were stressed during pregnancy.
“…Most people also consider pointing with the left hand to be rude. Pointing, here, includes both gestures that indicate a direction toward a location. Most acts of unnecessity made by any human are considered a leftish move as it is said that ‘people are born left-handed when mothers are stressed during pregnancy’.
“Many people would tell you they were all forced by their parents, aunties, grandmas, teachers, to write with their right hand…” a part of the report said.
Over the years, there is no evidence in the public domain or proven that proves carrying out transactions with the left hand brings bad luck.
It is also noteworthy that left-handed people are among the most successful people on the planet.
Some left-handed celebrities are Prince William, who is the Prince of Wales and heir apparent to the British throne; Oprah Gail Winfrey, American TV producer, actress, author, and media proprietor; and LeBron Raymone James Sr., an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association.
In a related story, TheTalk.NG reported that a man with one hand had become a viral sensation on social media.
Woman discovers her son is left-handed
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG previously reported that a woman had sought help after finding out that her little son is left-handed.
In a video, the woman captured her son writing with his left hand, and she tried to make him write with his right hand. The worried mum asked her TikTok followers if it could be corrected.
The woman’s question sparked mixed reactions, as netizens gave her various answers to her questions. Her video blew up on the social media platform.
Source: TheTalk.NG
