By; Al Humphrey Onyanabo
I am a fantastic and incurable optimist. I believe in miracles, i love looking at the brighter side of things and being hopeful, but two things are sure. We can not run away from reality and I have also realized that God will not do for a man what a man needs to do for himself.
Whatever you do to earn your daily bread: teacher, businessman, lawyer, banker…you must double or triple your hussle to make a do of things. Politicians have thrown us under the bus, we must get ourselves out or suffer.
There is no sugar coating anything anymore. We must say it like it is. The truth is that It is not well with Nigeria. We are in dire straights. And my little prayer is that this season of hardship will help bring out the best in us and help us appreciate what the creator put deposited inside us, and also help us to make our nation greater.
I have also looked critically at the Nigeria situation. Our debts are on the rise and we do not know when we can repay. Every more, we borrow even more. The value of the naira is falling daily while the value of the dollar which is the currency with which things are imported continues to rise. Government has no answer to that. We cannot continue to live on promises. Across the length and breadth of this country people are disillusioned. People are no more sure of getting through from one day to another. They are afraid. They have never faced days like these where prices double within days. You can not expect to buy anything at the same price anymore. Prices can change within hours. It’s not that traders are greedy, although some are, but manufacturers are increasing prices because the dollar just refuses to stay in one place and why should it. Government officials now spend dollars, our naira is too bulky and no more fashionable. The Benjamin’s are what they carry around. The $100 is the most popular. That is where we are now.
Can you blame them? Politicians haven bribed, calojed and lied, sold and borrowed to invest into the process heavily and promised their souls and lives to deities and godfathers to get into office will first seek to please those who put them there and thereafter satisfy their own personal greed and ridiculous acquisition craze before they start throwing crumbs to the masses. They will build over inflated roads and hospitals, repair a few schools and make so much noise and build health centres without x-ray or diagnostic machines. Go back there in a few months, the place will be in darkness and salaries of a the few workers will be in arrears. That is where we are.
There might be changes, but I am not expecting a miracle from our politicians. If you have an uncle or brother in power and you can still have access to him, you might be among the fortunate few but how long can what he throws your way after persistent calls and desperate whatsapp messages last. Can it even pay your children’s school fees or buy food for two weeks plus transportation to work for a week. Things are bad, pretty bad.
Look around you, in every city, yahoo, kidnapping and ritual killing and the love for easy money are on the double. Young girls are flocking into the hook-up business ( a fancy word for prostitution) and the night clubs are filled to the brim, they are doing what they feel is best for them. Some are driven down that path by greed or hopelessness. Everybody has a story. Where are the jobs? They are few with very many over qualified applicants.
Don’t mind what anybody is doing, just face your front and hold on strong. Remember, as long as life exists and we have breath in us, things will change, as day turns into night and into day again and the sun shines, be confident the creator will not forget you. Use the tools he has put in your hands. Refuse to be defeated, dem no born dem. Encourage yourself and those around you daily. There is always a way, find it. There is light, seek it. There is always something in everything happening around you. Look closer, listen and learn. Everywhere around you there are voices speaking, the universe is talking to you, directing you.
You are never alone. Be at peace. Remain hopeful and cheerful. Where you are now is not your final stop. No way. Let’s make progress.
Expose your children early to survival skills. Make them learn something; sewing, baking, hairdressing, typing, graphic arts, web designing, shoe making or barbing…small things they can survive on in school, earning some cash and still reading their books.
If lawyers, doctors and bankers are dropping their fancy jobs and degrees to learn sewing and baking and bead making with grey hair, we all must wake up and be wise. You better push your kids to start early. No matter how small they are, let them go and learn after school and during holidays, you are teaching them responsibility at an early age. Their outlook about life will change, their focus will be distinct. That is how champions are born.
We all must tell ourselves the truth and look inwards. That is where our leaders have put us. Looking inwards is the springboard for our revival. Learn to provide a unique service or product that you can sell to people around you; friends, colleagues, family and church members, something that you can do without traveling very far from home and burning cash on transportation and petrol. Think. Think. Think.
Artificial intelligence, AI is coming fast, it will take most of the jobs away and give it to machines that are one million times faster and smarter. Big business will depend more on machines for the greater part of their productivity and factories. They will lay off millions of people everywhere. We Must Prepare, Prepare and prepare.
Embrace technology, your phone is the most important tool you have. It has more resources than you can possibly imagine. For whatever you are into on this blessed Earth, you can find ways to improve via your phone and the internet. Use your phone and data wisely.
Nigeria is no more like we knew it. Hunger is in the land and it will get worst.
It’s time for us to forget about government and look inward to help ourselves while we think of how to kick them out in 2027. Before then, we must survive, we must stay alive.
Let’s even assume minimum wage is increased to N75,000, what can that do? How many states will agree to pay. The governors will feel the federal government is cutting into their personal spending money. Is this what you will sit down with as the Yorba people will say?
In the Nigeria of today, one income or even two is no longer enough. Minimum wage is slave wage. All is does is pay transport cost for Workers. Everybody indeed must add a thing or two on the side to whatever they are earning. Learn what ever new skills you need to learn this year. Learn to make your own soaps and detergents and airfreshners and bleach. The chemicals are available and cheap. I saw a video recently, with just three ingredients you can make liquid soap. Explore. Explore. Explore. Get knowledge. Get understanding. Be wise. The world is moving on.
You don’t need nafdac, buy bottles, design a label and sell to friends, colleagues and family.
The word will spread.
Sell online, it’s the biggest market place. Your phone is your shop. Your contacts are your first clients. Canvas them. The clock is ticking.
look for where you can buy things wholesale and sell retail at reasonable prices to those around you; shoes, clothes, household items. Seek the importers, buy from them and sell online.
No Gree. No lose hope. Enough of prayer and fasting. It’s time to open your head, think and take action. Most of the things people are praying and fasting about have long been answered. Take a step of faith this year. Be bold. Launch out.
If the amount you spend on transportation daily to work is not justifiable, don’t kill yourself, ditch the job. Do not allow yourself to be a slave to any unprofitable job in 2024. It’s time to start living again.
Do a reappraisal of your skills and talents. What business can you start from home with little capital. Don’t break your head, just get pen and paper and ask for divine inspiration. When the ideas are down. Study and choose what seems most feasible. Then you can think of raising the small funding that you need. Bear in mind in 2024, nothing is impossible. What is a big deal to you is chicken change to someone. Never, ever give up.
I learnt a principle over twenty years ago from Rev Robert Schuller, the American preacher who wrote the best selling book, Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do.
We are indeed in Tough times here, more than ever before in our history. It’s like a war is raging.
Back to the Principle. He called it, Count to Ten and Win. On paper, write down the names of ten people you know who can help you achieve your goal of starting your small business at home.
Follow up on the list one by one and soon, you won’t be jumping all over the city going to a job that is not worth it.
There is help around the corner, closer than you can ever know. Open your mind. Do not allow fear limit you. Everything is possible.
In 2024 Nigeria, survival has become pretty tough. Price of everything is going through the roof like no man’s business. Imagine common Coca-Cola, 6 months ago, it was N150 a bottle, today it is N300 a bottle. I am a lover of Coca-Cola, I just can’t imagine buying a bottle of the carbonated drink for N300. But can you blame the manufacturers, a bottle of water is now N150. The bottling companies add sugar, and other chemicals and sell theirs for N300. It makes sense to them, but it’s driving me nuts. I have been searching the net for zobo making recipe, because Las Las that’s where all of us who love Coca-Cola or carbonated drinks will end up.
Come to think of it. Zobo is absolutely medicinal and contains lots of herbs. You can also prepare it with little sugar . The economy is biting hard. Zobo is a business a lot of people can start doing all over Nigeria. This week, I will produce 10 liters for my personal use. I have empty Coca-Cola bottles at home. I don’t care what anybody says. Enough of me enriching Coca-Cola and Planet Bottling company.
A big loaf of bromate free bread, family size is about N1200 – N1,5000.
It’s time for parents to learn baking if you have an oven at home. If You don’t have, you can buy a small locally made oven that uses gas and charcoal for between 30,000 – 40,000 depending on where you live. With this local oven, you can also dry your own fish or meat.
You can bake bromate free bread that will last your family for a week and even give to friends with about N2,500. You can also bake your own cookies. The recipes are all on youtube. Take the trouble of learning new skills to conserve funds.You can also sell your special bread to friends, church members and neighbors, add fruit, do variety…spice things up….wake up jor, No Gree for village pipu this year.
instead of watching untruthful tiktok videos, search for self improvement stuff that can better your life. No dulling.
There is so much you can plant now if you have a little space in your compound; pepper, tomatoes, onions, garlic, yams, various vegetables, Irish potatoes, you can plant them in empty cement bags and water them daily, place them by the wall, Watch nature do its magic and year round you will have fresh produce. You won’t have to buy many things again. Seedlings are available and cheap. Ask questions. Seek and you will find.
One of the benefits of growing things is that it will bring you closer to nature. Your children will also partake and learn. Nothing gives peace like working the land or taking care of animals like goats or chicken. It opens your mind and understanding to see new things and watch amazing transformations. You will realize that animals and chickens have their own patterns and communicate with each other.
There is healing in getting closer to nature. Time will fly past and your problems will be forgotten as you watch your pepper grow and bear fruit or your onions and garlic start budding.
Daily, it gives you something to look forward to, something to wake up to. You will see visible progress in what you have planted and care for and you can do further research to improve what you are doing.
What’s more, planned efficiently, it can be a side business, you can sell fresh okra, tomotoes and vegetables to colleagues and neighbors, they trust you and know you have not used harmful chemicals to grow them like most of what is in the market today.
While you are at it, get a 500 gallon water tank and start a small fish farm. The fingerlings are cheap. You can also learn online how to take care of them. We all have boreholes these days so you won’t worry about huge water bills. The fish grow fast. You can sell them alive or dry them, more expensive. Everything is money these days. It’s all around your home. Do a bit before you leave for work and the rest when you return. See it like a sport but it’s an investment of time and resources.
Snails are easy to raise. They do not take up too much space. Feeding is cheap. They reproduce a lot. It’s something you can add to your home business. Look it up online. Be your own teacher. There is so much out there. Step out in faith.
You can also add broilers if you have space in your backyard, raise them for meat and for commercial purposes. These days chickens grow fast. In 6 weeks they are up to 2kg and ready for the table. It’s a good business to do once you know the tricks of maximizing their feeding. There are people waiting to buy off you. Again, go online, get knowledge. Try out something new. Be bold. Be confident.
And you can add a few open range turkeys, they eat your kitchen waste and leaves. They fetch good money too. The young ones are cheap and they also grow pretty fast. No gree for anybody this year. Even me a Storyteller, I will do more than storytelling this year.
Friends and family are looking up to you for assistance, you can’t keep telling them stories. Politicians do not care about us. They are having a ball. Everyday for them is Christmas, they have access to the treasury, the till is always open for them. We are all on our own. No need to sorrow and cry. Let your hand find something that you can do around you and start doing it, starting today. Your best days are yet to come. Believe…
By; Al Humphrey Onyanabo (The Storyteller)
Tel: 08109975621
Email, Nigeria360online@gmail.com
