Nigeria, my country, is a land full of hardworking people. From the early hours of the morning till late at night, you’ll find Nigerians hustling in every corner. Yet, in the end, it still doesn’t show. It’s like pouring water into a basket; no matter how much effort people put in, the result often slips away.
In Lagos, for example, people wake up as early as 3 a.m. just to beat the traffic and make it to work on time. You’ll see young adults and even teenagers running after moving vehicles in the scorching sun, selling bottled water, snacks, or anything just to earn something small for the day. That is the reality of survival here, working tirelessly for little returns.
Even those who manage to find formal jobs are not spared. A graduate might spend years studying, finally get a degree, and still end up teaching in a private primary or secondary school for less than ₦30,000 a month. Imagine teaching almost every subject, marking scripts, attending meetings, and still earning an amount that can’t even feed one person comfortably, let alone take care of a family. It’s heartbreaking to see dreams shrink because the system does not support growth.
The cost of living keeps rising, yet the income remains the same. Food, transportation, rent, fuel, everything is expensive. You work so hard, and when you finally get your pay, you spend it all on survival. There’s rarely anything left to save or invest. It feels like the more you try to climb up, the heavier the weight of the economy pulls you down.
The painful truth is that in Nigeria, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Opportunities seem to favor those who already have connections or money. Many young people with great ideas never get the chance to turn them into reality because there’s little to no support. Sometimes it feels like hard work alone isn’t enough; you need luck, influence, or both to really “make it.
Yet, despite all these struggles, Nigerians remain some of the most resilient and hardworking people I’ve ever seen. We have this never-give-up spirit that keeps us pushing forward even when things look impossible. We find creative ways to survive, from small businesses to online gigs, from side hustles to community savings groups, people keep trying, hoping that one day, things will get better.
So, to answer the question, how easy or hard is it to earn more in my country? It is very hard. Not because we are lazy or lack talent, but because the system itself makes it difficult. But one thing is sure: if hard work alone could make people rich, then every Nigerian would be wealthy by now. Because we don’t just work hard; we work with our hearts, our sweat, and our dreams, even when the world seems to give us very little in return.