Nigeria, July 31 -- I found myself seated beside an American woman on a flight bound for Nigeria recently. Stephanie (not her real name) was making her second visit to the country, having connected online with a young Nigerian man. This time, she planned to spend several weeks deepening their relationship. Over the course of our nearly 12-hour journey from Atlanta to Lagos, we had ample time to engage in conversation.

Stephanie expressed a genuine affection for Nigeria, a country she hoped to eventually call home through marriage. She spoke admiringly of the irrepressible energy of its people, our entrepreneurial drive, and an almost supernatural resilience in the face of chronic governmental neglect. She was especially fond of our spicy...