In Nigeria, survival has become an achievement, but somehow, we still find a way to smile through every hardship.
You see, I was talking with a friend today, who works in a nice office and gets a good pay. While I was talking to her, I noticed there was a strange vibe in our conversation and I asked her,
“Miwa, what’s wrong?”
She said nothing at first, but after putting in a little bit of pressure, she told me how frustrating it has been for her. As a young lady in her early 20s working so hard, it’s almost like there is nothing to show for it. She said sometimes she just sits and asks herself if all the stress is even worth it.
Hustling in Nigeria as a whole hasn’t been easy for the young one/ youth. Many people are out there making a name for themselves, some got lucky from generational wealth, others from fraud, while those who are working very hard, hardly have anything to show for it. This has been one of the major concerns for many youth in the country. The more you work to get yourself from the bad place you are, the more things become difficult, like the economy just continues to depreciate daily and your hard work becomes useless in the face of inflation and bills.
You see, sometimes it feels like everyone is in a race to survive, and survival itself has become an achievement. People wake up as early as 4 a.m., sit in traffic for hours just to get to a job that barely sustains them. Some have even lost count of how many side hustles they’ve started, just trying to make ends meet. It’s like the more you try, the more life adds one new bill to your list.
Yet, despite it all, Nigerians somehow still find a way to smile, laugh, dance, and vibe. It’s almost like we’ve made a habit of turning pain into rhythm and struggle into style. You’ll see someone complaining about “sapa” today, but by evening that same person is at a lounge vibing to Burna Boy or Asake like they just got paid. That’s the beauty and irony of the Nigerian spirit, no matter how hard it gets, we don’t lose our vibe. Sometimes I wonder if this is a blessing or a curse.
But deep down, everyone knows it’s not easy. Behind the laughter, there’s a silent cry for better days, better pay, better opportunities, better governance. We’re tired, but we can’t stop. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that nobody’s coming to save us. All man for himself.
So, we keep hustling. We keep showing up. We keep believing that one day, the hustle will pay, and the vibe will finally match the life we’ve been dreaming of. Until then, we move, with faith, with hope, and with that same unstoppable Nigerian energy that refuses to give up.
To all the young people out there, struggling to survive daily and working hard to become something for themselves, hear me “Do not give up, you will get to that place you want to get one day. Keep on pushing, praying and be diligent in what ever you’re doing”
One love to all my country people. To the people of the world, Nigeria are very hard working people, and we love to spend what we earn.
Thanks for reading. My name is fashtioluwa
-