I remember when I first started learning to drive in Nigeria, my driving instructor used tosay,“You have to always consider the Nigerian factor when you’re driving”

I had an experience recently, which made me really think about this thing called the Nigerian factor. In reality, it should be the Nigerian factors because they are plenty!

Today, I will focus on only one.

One of my problems with Nigerians is this, we like awoof too much, but we want the awoof job to be of the best quality. Why?
It really hurts me when I hear Nigerians looking for people who will do great jobs for them but charge next to nothing.
I mean, you will look for a plumber that will charge you next to nothing to fix a problem in your bathroom, and then when two weeks later the same problem develops and you begin to wonder what happened.

We don’t want to pay for quality but we want quality.

But here’s the thing. Quality is expensive. I mean, I know in the current state of the country, everything seems expensive, but the truth is, if you want something that will last, you oftentimes have to pay for it!

We treat people who offer direct services, people who are self-employed as if they don’t deserve to earn a living.

If you go to a school and the school fee’s is too much for you, the normal thing to do is go and look for another school. The same applies if you go to a petrol station, a restaurant, or a hospital. If you can’t afford it, you go to a different place; you don’t start to beg the doctor or the waiter to reduce the money he is charging you or to treat/feed you for free!

You see, the problem with all these awoof jobs is this. When someone does work for you free of charge, if you don’t like the work, how do you complain? How do you say this is rubbish, do it again? Especially when the person is doing it “as a favour to you,” I mean, it’s one thing if the person offers to do it for free, but even then, when someone does something for free, there is always this, “you take what you get” attitude/idea that follows it.

I mean, there will always be someone cheaper, so if someone or something is more expensive than you thought, there is no shame in looking for someone else.

Another thing that upsets me is how we like to use our friends who offer services. I mean, your friend is a tailor, so you will now say, please sew this cloth for me for free. As per we are friends. Or make this design for me for free, and I always say to myself, is it that we don’t appreciate the work they do? Or do we expect them to eat our appreciation?

I mean, friend or no friend. If someone is doing work for you, pay the person! If you can’t afford it, find someone else! Let these people make a living!

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you shouldn’t take free stuff if you’re offered, I’m just saying, if you want good quality, be ready to pay for it! Don’t make your friends do things for you for free. Don’t like awoof so much that even something that is the norm you begin to make noise as if they are extorting you. Give people the money they deserve, put yourself in their shoes once in a while. Not every time price for Africa (especially when you can afford it!)!


http://www.blueink.ng/articledetails.aspx?id=105

http://www.blueink.ng/