Let’s get straight to the point, adulting in Nigeria is not an easy task, and it can drain all that is in you. But how come it was sold to us as the goal during our growing up days?
I mean, remember those childhood moments when you couldn’t wait to grow up so you could sleep whenever, eat whatever, and go wherever you chose?
Fast-forward to now: you’re staring at your screen at 2 a.m., calculating how many cups of rice you need to survive till payday, while battling intense heat because there’s no NEPA light to power your fan. Well, that’s the real fact about adulting in Nigeria. But how come they told us so many lies?
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Today, let’s go back memory lane by unpacking some of the lies they told us and the reality that followed:
Read and Work Now, After School, You Can Rest
This is definitely one of the biggest lies that flew around when we were growing up. Unfortunately, most of us have not seen the said rest since primary school. Those days, we just wanted to read well and do our best.
Today, it has matured to the need to steady hustle. Unfortunately, we may never get the rest we crave for because adulting never stops.
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Once You Start Working, Your Worries will Reduce
This one’s such a blatant lie. Especially not with the bills we’re forced to settle in this country. If anything, these bills compound our worries. By the time your landlord knocks on your door for rent, light bill, or other levies, sleep will disappear from your eyes because, where will you get money from?
You’ll Eat What You Want, When You Want
Eating out every day is cute – until you realize you’re spending ₦4,500 on lunch every day and your account is calling for deliverance.
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Sometimes you open the fridge and it echoes.
Not because it’s empty. But because you’re broke and too tired to lift a spoon. So you’ll just turn to the ever reliable garri and groundnut.
You’ll Get Married by 25
Reality: You turn 25 and realize you don’t even like people that much. Now you’re dodging questions like:
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“When are we coming to eat rice?”
“Do you want to bring shame to this family?”
Meanwhile, your major achievement this week is that you finally washed your bedsheets.
So you see, navigating adulthood is a bigger stress than we ever knew. But, you’re still here, fighting back with laughter, Hustle, and determination. Trust me, everything will make sense soon, as long as you don’t give up.
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