Dear Young Nigerian, There’s More To Life Than Clothes, Slaying, and “Assurance”
I know you struggle with a lot of challenges due to the state of the nation.
This message is not to judge you but to give you some ideas to think hard about.
Read every line and let it sink in.
You are graduating or have graduated from your higher institution.
Getting a job in this country is quite daunting without connections sometimes even with the connections. Don’t give up, keep learning and trying new things.
Table of Contents
1). Creating Income Online
What did you learn during school years aside your coursework?
Did you learn any craft work? If you didn’t, please go now and learn one marketable skill.
Start with one product. Post them on your social media account.
Instead of posting irrelevant comments and photos on social media, post your crafts, designs, and products. If you are starting or thinking of starting a business, Read this book ”The Entrepreneurial Mind by Kevin D. Johnson”.
Money is on the internet, but if you don’t know, you don’t know.
Now, go and read my previous post on 10 Legitimate Ways To Make Money Online here.
Thank me later.
2). Following The Trend
When you are young, you want to follow the trend.
You want to wear the latest.
You want to be the #slayqueen, #slaymama, and #slaying everything.
You want to be the most talked about guy or babe.
And belong to the #slaynation, #slayer, #pepperthemgang, #sweetboysassociation
Your best clothes will become rags tomorrow and be outdated.
You will be chasing shadows if you plan to keep up with buying the latest fashion accessories.
You want that Rolex watches, latest iPhone, Gucci or Chanel designer shoes and bag.
You want that boy or man with the “Assurance” bank account.
While it’s good to be fashionable, it is also good that you give a good thought to the future value of your money.
3). Investing
If you’ve started earning an income, congratulations!!! Now let’s talk about your spending.
For the girls/ladies:
Have you ever thought about investing all that money you spend in every Aso Ebi that come your way?
How much have you spent this year on clothes, shoes, make-up, human hair, pieces of jewelry, eyelashes, nails, hip and bum enhancers? Do you really need all of that many stuff to survive? Set your priorities right.
For the boys/men:
How much do you spend on eating out and closing down the drinking bar with friends which you pay for?
How much have you spent on your girlfriends’ iPhone, when the battery in your mother’s phone is being held with a rubber band?
When do you plan to retire? Has that ever crossed your mind?
How much will take care of you at retirement? You are going to be around till 2050 or more if everything goes well.
How much do you know about growing money aside putting it in your savings account? Grow your money but beware of fraudsters.
I recommend these books to enlighten yourself about growing money:
4). Building Our Communities
Your community is anywhere you call home.
There is more to life than you think and desire to have.
Outside where you live in this same world, people are thinking, people are doing, people are creating positive changes in their cities. I am very proud of the very many young Nigerians who seek to find ways to affect their communities.
One idea can spark many more.
Start with one person within your reach.
Start with the waste bin in your area.
Start by cleaning up around your house.
Start by not dropping groundnut pills, pure water bags, empty water can or litters on the streets
Have you heard of volunteering? Not just being the Church Usher or Chorister or the like. (Don’t get me wrong, I know you are serving in your Father’s house of worship).
Start by volunteering in your village or town or city. (Note** It doesn’t have to be only in your church or mosque). Community service should not end after youth service. Go out periodically with one or two of your friends to add value to your community. This may kick off a chain reaction of good work in the country.
Think of one good thing to do for one person or a less privileged people around you.
5). Keep Learning
Even if you hate your current job, at least it puts food on your table. It is your passport to your next better job.
What you do with the time left after your day job ends every day will determine how and where you’ll be in future. Have you heard or read about the story of Jack Ma, the founder of alibaba.com who was once a poor English teacher in his town? He studied after work and see the difference.
I want to be like him when I grow up.
Choose one;
- Learn new skills today and change your status tomorrow for the better.
- Learn nothing new and get stuck in your current job or business.
I trust you would make the right choice.
Read my post on How to Upgrade Your Skills With Online Free and Paid Courses
As you are reading this message today, almost 2 billion young people are engaged in different activities to find their purpose in life by studying, working, helping, and learning. The growth will definitely happen. What you do in future with what you learn today will bring the change we all want. Don’t stop learning.
Learn craft work to make our country beautiful with designs from natural materials.
Learn more languages so you can communicate better.
Learn communication skills.
Learn art.
Learn science.
Learn history.
In addition to everything you learn, please learn the following:
1. Kindness
2. Respect for the views of others.
3. Accommodate people’s differences and beliefs. (Fact** Because the other person’s religious or political belief is different from yours doesn’t make you better than them)
4. Good work ethics.
5. Time Management. Let’s throw away African time. It puts all of us in a bad light.
6. Be responsible and honest in every area of your life.
7. Cultivate an excellent attitude. If your attitude stinks, you won’t get too far in life. Someone once said that a bad attitude is like a flat tire in your life’s vehicle. Read Attitude is Everything by Keith Harrel to learn how to positively change your attitude.
8. Leave a place and a person better than you met them. It’s just as simple as it sounds.
9. Always strive to avoid making judgments or decisions by hearing only one side of a story.
6). Work Ethics
Fact** Because your supervisor or boss is not watching you at work does not mean you have to leave your work to gossip or you should do less than expected of you.
Do the work you are being paid for. Don’t facebook and chat at work.
The countries you admire today, built their great economy using good work ethics. Work time is work time.
I will always remember what Professor Wumi Iledare said in my Petroleum Economics class in IPS, Uniport, “I don’t want to get paid for the hours, I didn’t teach. I have been paid to teach you for 8 hours today. We must complete the hours. My conscience will judge me if I don’t”. I respect as many Nigerians as think this way and would like the young people to follow such examples. It will change a lot of conditions in our nation.
Bad work ethics among our people in many public institutions starting from the leaders to the least employee is the main reason why the situation of our country is the way it is now.
Bad work ethics is the reason your transcript or certificate is not yet ready after several years of graduation.
7). Social Media
We love social media. Use it wisely.
Post cautiously. Keep your private business off social media.
Reduce the time you spend on social media. Spend that time on reading books, creating, and doing valuable activities.
Don’t be on social media during work hours except for your break time.
Being an internet bully and starting social media wars will not benefit you in any way. In future, your potential employer or political opponent (you may go the political route) may dig up the trash you posted today and use it against you.
One bad post today may ruin all the good work you will be doing in the future. It can stop you from becoming the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria tomorrow.
Don’t be intimidated by the excessive show of wealth by some people on the internet. They may or may not have worked for the wealth. Do your part and be contented with what you have.
Don’t believe everything you see or read on the internet.
Don’t learn bad writing habits when chatting with your friends. Read this post on Why They Think You’re Half-Baked here.
Stay relevant. We are obsessed with money and class in our nation but this Albert Einstein’s saying is what truly matters.
“Strive not to be a success but rather to be of value”.
8). Be Informed
Have you heard of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations? Go learn about it here.
Young people around the world are creating and doing great things. Let’s start today.
See how you can help your city achieve one of them. Start with one or two of your friends.
One reformed youth will influence the next and the next. Before you know it, we will have the country we all wish to live in.
Send this message to as many young Nigerians as cross your path. Share on your WhatsApp groups, Facebook, Twitter.
Share your thoughts in the comment section, let’s rub minds together. Visit this page regularly to read more of our exciting articles. One Love!!!
