Let’s set aside what social media shows us and focus on the realistic happenings of an average youth straight out of youth service living in Nigeria.
It’s not new, the present happening in Nigeria. And if you’re not Nigerian, you’ve probably heard about something on the news. It just cannot be avoided. Straight up from secondary school educational level, we’ve all had plans of how life should or would turn out in the adult world. However, more often than not, we get to hear the phrase “make we tell them” from persons already walking that path.
The life of an average Nigerian youth is one filled with 50% trials and tribulations, 20% success rate and 30% “God abeg” at every given time. Usually, what social media reflects is landing a well-paying job a month after moving to a new state, living in an affordable serene environment with no agent bru-ha-ha trouble. Basically, living life on your own terms, with different income means steadily finding its way to your pocket without hesitation.
However, what it really looks like is individuals paying rent with their sanity while living with their families, with Nigerian employers who can be critical of your demands for increment while juggling multiple roles which wasn’t bargained for. The need to stay healthy, when there’s no or little means to, but does when it becomes hospital related. There’s the endless pressure taken to transform self through courses, certifications, and skill acquisition in hopes of standing out.
Still, amidst all these realities, the average Nigerian youth keeps pushing. Every day becomes a survival story mixed with determination, faith, and the hope for better opportunities.
Behind every smile online is someone trying to figure life out one step at a time.The realistic life of an average Nigerian youth is not as glamorous as social media makes it seem, but it is a life filled with resilience, persistence, and the constant desire to build a better future despite the odds.
True