Nigerians Have Special Gene That Makes Them Happy (Video)

A new research has apparently proven or postulated that Nigerians posses some special genes that make them happy.

In a video already going viral on social media, a researcher could be seen explaining to a group how the mutated gene is common among Nigerians and some other nations.

According to a journal published by Science Daily, Michael Minkov of the Varna University of Management (formerly International University College) in Bulgaria, and Michael Bond of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University weighed up genetic and various external factors to might contribute to national differences in happiness.

Minkov and Bond used data from three waves of the nationally representative World Values Survey (2000 — 2014). They calculated the average national percentages of respondents who unambiguously reported being “very happy.”

Their calculations also included population genetic data from an allele frequency database maintained by population geneticist Kenneth K. Kidd of Yale University as well as climatic information about the harshness of summers and winters, the historic prevalence of pathogens and World Bank economic data, since national differences in subjective well-being are thought to depend on socioeconomic and climatic factors in addition to genetic factors.

The authors found a strong correlation between a nation’s happiness and the presence of the A allele in the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) gene variant rs324420 in its citizens’ genetic make-up. This allele helps prevent the chemical degradation of anandamide, a substance that enhances sensory pleasure and helps to reduce pain.

Nations with the highest prevalence of the A allele are quite clearly also those who perceive themselves happiest. These include Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa, and northern Latin American nations, such as Mexico and Colombia, whose citizens are of Amerindian or mixed Euro-American descent.