Growing up in Nigeria.

In buying and selling, common name refers to the actual name that defines the item while the brand name refers to name given to that item by the manufacturer for identity purposes.
In Nigeria, some brands have become so popular that their brand names are now being used as the common name of items. This is not necessarily because the said brand is better than all other brands manufacturing the item. It may be because the said brand was the first to launch such a product in the market, therefore the citizens have gotten used to it before its contemporaries became available in the market. This behavior of Nigerians has passed on from one generation to another to the benefit of the favored brands.

Some Nigerians do not even know the common names of some items simply because of how they have become so used to these brand names. Even when they don’t want that particular brand, they still refer to it with the name of the brand they desire attached to it.

I have listed a few items which their common names have been switched with that of these ‘successful’ brands below. This is how they are referred to by most Nigerians when they walk into a shop or store and in the market.

Instead of saying:	Most Nigerians say:
Petroleum jelly	Vaseline
Tea	Lipton
Noodles	Indomie
Diaper	Pampers
Sanitary pad	Always
Antiseptic disinfectant	Dettol
Paracetamol	Panadol
Deodorant	Sure
Bleach	Jik

It’s funny right? There are lots more and they will be welcomed if you mention them.

If you are a Nigerian and have at one point or the other referred to an item with a brand name instead of its common name say “aye”, if you haven’t say “nay”.