The average bus driver in Lagos has built a house and those that are not very organize spend a lot of money on drinks, parties, women etc. And these bus drivers make sometimes more than 4 times what a typical banker makes and yet works at his own pace and can afford to take a day off unlike the office worker who can only do so when his/her boss says ok.

It seems that some of us are living in denial and find it supremely difficult to realize that those we look down upon may be earning what we may never be able to earn at the moment, this is understandable but will certainly not change the facts on ground.

Afam, You dont need to say more than this.

I tell you ppl in the informal sector e.g Danfo drivers in Nigeria make more money than Bank Managers.

See their spending pattern at nights, weekends and for their concubines and any Bank worker who tries it would be a guest of EFCC

A decent tie wearing job that pays you #40,000 a month while a driver spends that on one night or weekend

Yoighaman:

@ Asha 80: Most eduacated nigerians are blinded by 'coporate work'.

If only we all could wake up to this reality.

Posts that make you go, hmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Fhemmmy:

You will see some undergrad in the western world flipping burgers, some at the factory just doing all they have to do to eat and pay their bills, but Nigerians in Nigeria will not wanna do that, they already assume that such jobs are for people that has never seen the walls of a classrooms, and yet they want Dad to buy them underwear and even steal Mom's money to buy condom . . . .

Funny but true.

It all has to do with prestige.

Education is good when combined with humulity and wisdom. But when combined with arrogance it becomes an obstacle to progress.

A  friend of mine told me how her husband slapped her once upon a time for failing to introduce him properly with his title of Dr.

Humility is something Nigerians learn in the west which is in my opinion a plus.

@dayokanu.i am presently living in nigeria and once crove and 18 wheeler truck plying the lagos abuja route, but the bitter truth is that i am struggling to make my way to the u.s.a. based on internet searches,i learnt i can make 50,000 dollars per annum as a long haul trucker but i will have no time for my self coz i have to work long hours and will live in .the truck .

dayokanu:

Afam, You dont need to say more than this.

I tell you ppl in the informal sector e.g Danfo drivers in Nigeria make more money than Bank Managers.

See their spending pattern at nights, weekends and for their concubines and any Bank worker who tries it would be a guest of EFCC

A decent tie wearing job that pays you #40,000 a month while a driver spends that on one night or weekend

When I tell people you can only get as rich as you want when you start or own a business and make money from it as you can make in an hour what you get paid every month as a salary earner they think I am joking.

I think the major problem is that some of us would rather believe certain things just to feel cool or justify our present positions.

Name any rich man in the world today and I will tell you that the money came from providing solutions to problems and in Nigeria we have many problems that could bring in massive money once you can provide solutions for them.

The single most important factor that can make one rich in Nigeria is our population - thats why pure water producers make so much. Half the population gives them at least N1 every day. But we cant see it! Foreigners are coming to take advantage of our population before our eyes:

Dana Group - indians - Plastics, IV drip for hospitals, drugs, drinking water and a host of other products for the masses
Chi - indonesian - chivita juice, hollandia milk, custard, yoghurt, drinking water
Stallion group - indians - rice, cars (every bank buys from honda place)
De United - Indonesian - INDOMIE

And most of us are still running from pillar to post acquiring useless certificates looking for who will make us their servants. At least the Taxi drivers are doing something with their driving skills and enjoying the fruits of their labour instantly. They're not waiting for pension or gratuity or for the NSE shares they bought with their 'bonus' to rise! And they sure as hell don't live on credit.

@Afam, u have said it all of what needs to be said.  

To add a few points, the reason many Nigerians migrate to Europe or America isn`t to be big oga(big boss) but to have access to better health service, decent education, a decent home, constant electricity, good roads, good security, access to clean water and decent basic wages to live on that pays the bills and looks after the family. If being a cab driver or street cleaner in Europe or America is what it takes to have these basic primary needs of the modern era, so be it.  Pride will not feed ur family or provide these basic needs.

Being educated isn`t about being big oga but more about a mind set. Education is meant to provides us with the necessary tools to reason and contribute positively to the society we live in, it`s not so u can become some big boss. Judging by the comments on this thread it seems like our people only cram books rather than get educated.

I personally know cab drivers, mechanics and builders  here in England that have loads of money. I also know many in these trades that have no money, it`s all about the individual and how driven the person is.  

Big manism is what is killing us in Nigeria, what is wrong with an honest day`s work that pays the bill? We need to learn humility in Nigeria, that is part of being educated.

Did you know that a certain governor in Nigeria use to drive taxi in Chicago

Afam:

The major reason why we have a lot of graduates roaming the streets in Nigeria looking for jobs is because a lot of Nigerians believe that white collar jobs are the way out and in the process ignore many small scale businesses they can get into even with very small amount of money.

The average bus driver in Lagos has built a house and those that are not very organize spend a lot of money on drinks, parties, women etc. And these bus drivers make sometimes more than 4 times what a typical banker makes and yet works at his own pace and can afford to take a day off unlike the office worker who can only do so when his/her boss says ok.

It seems that some of us are living in denial and find it supremely difficult to realize that those we look down upon may be earning what we may never be able to earn at the moment, this is understandable but will certainly not change the facts on ground.

You can make enough money by providing services to people around you and trust me in Nigeria every single problem is an opportunity to provide a solution and in the process make money.

i hv bn following your replies on ths thread and you're really making some good points and that's the real fact.

@okunoba & @Afam
This thread has generated some interesting responses - for the better. I see your main points, but please also keep the following in mind:

1. Life and nation-building is not all about getting rich. Personal satisfaction is paramount. What can happen if progress is measured by how much money, by any means possible, is what we see in Nigeria today. We all know that teachers are among the least paid of all professions, yet are, perhaps, the most important to the future development of a nation. The main reason is that teachers' services are not measurable in terms of money, while taxi drivers', bankers', etc are almost immediately obvious and can be priced.

2. It is good to talk about how much taxi drivers make, but you also have to talk about their costs. For example, most of those driving taxis/buses in Nigeria do not own these vehicles and operate under very exhorbitant repayment plans. It has also been pointed out that this is a long-day and risky job, that leaves not much time for much else, unless you own your own vehicle. Start-up costs are high, and there is only so much room in the taxi-driving market.

3. You mentioned contributing to society below. Note that one of the reasons that a taxi driver gets to keep a lot of his money in Europe and America is by avoiding taxes. That is certainly not contributing to society. I am not calling taxi drivers dishonest, just pointing this out. The European and American societies in which it is possible to drive taxis or do other jobs and build a good life were built on law and citizenship.

4. Finally, it is one thing to take up taxi driving with a Masters or PhD degree due to a lack of jobs in your area of study, due to your specific circumstances, or because it is more profitable, but that is not the way it should be. Your skills should be used to build your nation up. It may be that some would contribute more through taxi driving, but if a nation is ever going to lift its people out of poverty this cannot be a general proposition.

The dignity of every legal work should be recognized, - taxi driving, doctor, teacher, banker. That is what is going to get Nigeria to the "promised" land.

Returning to the original topic of this thread, perhaps the question should have been this: Why do taxis drivers feel the need to brandish their credentials to passengers?

okunoba:

@Afam, u have said it all of what needs to be said. 

To add a few points, the reason many Nigerians migrate to Europe or America isn`t to be big oga(big boss) but to have access to better health service, decent education, a decent home, constant electricity, good roads, good security, access to clean water and decent basic wages to live on that pays the bills and looks after the family. If being a cab driver or street cleaner in Europe or America is what it takes to have these basic primary needs of the modern era, so be it.  Pride will not feed your family or provide these basic needs.

Being educated isn`t about being big oga but more about a mind set. Education is meant to provides us with the necessary tools to reason and contribute positively to the society we live in, it`s not so u can become some big boss. Judging by the comments on this thread it seems like our people only cram books rather than get educated.

I personally know cab drivers, mechanics and builders  here in England that have loads of money. I also know many in these trades that have no money, it`s all about the individual and how driven the person is. 

Big manism is what is killing us in Nigeria, what is wrong with an honest day`s work that pays the bill? We need to learn humility in Nigeria, that is part of being educated.

naijamini:

@okunoba & @Afam
This thread has generated some interesting responses - for the better. I see your main points, but please also keep the following in mind:

1. Life and nation-building is not all about getting rich. Personal satisfaction is paramount. What can happen if progress is measured by how much money, by any means possible, is what we see in Nigeria today. We all know that teachers are among the least paid of all professions, yet are, perhaps, the most important to the future development of a nation. The main reason is that teachers' services are not measurable in terms of money, while taxi drivers', bankers', etc are almost immediately obvious and can be priced.

2. It is good to talk about how much taxi drivers make, but you also have to talk about their costs. For example, most of those driving taxis/buses in Nigeria do not own these vehicles and operate under very exhorbitant repayment plans. It has also been pointed out that this is a long-day and risky job, that leaves not much time for much else, unless you own your own vehicle. Start-up costs are high, and there is only so much room in the taxi-driving market.

3. You mentioned contributing to society below. Note that one of the reasons that a taxi driver gets to keep a lot of his money in Europe and America is by avoiding taxes. That is certainly not contributing to society. I am not calling taxi drivers dishonest, just pointing this out. The European and American societies in which it is possible to drive taxis or do other jobs and build a good life were built on law and citizenship.

4. Finally, it is one thing to take up taxi driving with a Masters or PhD degree due to a lack of jobs in your area of study, due to your specific circumstances, or because it is more profitable, but that is not the way it should be. Your skills should be used to build your nation up. It may be that some would contribute more through taxi driving, but if a nation is ever going to lift its people out of poverty this cannot be a general proposition.

The dignity of every legal work should be recognized, - taxi driving, doctor, teacher, banker. That is what is going to get Nigeria to the "promised" land.

Returning to the original topic of this thread, perhaps the question should have been this: Why do taxis drivers feel the need to brandish their credentials to passengers?

Oga no mind me o, I am only driving this s.hit for a hobby. Actually I have two PhDs, 3 masters, 2 houses each in VI, Knightsbridge, Manhattan and so on. Tell everybody when you return to Naija o. Believe me driving cab is fun,oga. Wallahi may god punish YOU if I dey lie.

@pafun
So you think it is just to show off?

Could it be they also feel the need to put "some passengers" at ease, so they make it clear the passenger is in "enlightened hands" (and not their typical image of a taxi driver - whatever that may be)? That is another possibility.

pafun:



Oga no mind me o, I am only driving this s.hit for a hobby. Actually I have two PhDs, 3 masters, 2 houses each in VI, Knightsbridge, Manhattan and so on. Tell everybody when you return to Naija o. Believe me driving cab is fun,oga. Wallahi may god punish YOU if I dey lie.

naijamini:

@pafun
So you think it is just to show off?

Could it be they also feel the need to put "some passengers" at ease, so they make it clear the passenger is in "enlightened hands" (and not their typical image of a taxi driver - whatever that may be)? That is another possibility.

Yep! It is a loser's tale. I have heard enough of it to last a lifetime from down at luck peeps living abroad. London and NY especially. It is often the prelude to a life of alcoholism.- or something worse

pafun:

Yep! It is a loser's tale. I have heard enough of it to last a lifetime from down at luck peeps living abroad. London and NY especially. It is often the prelude to a life of alcoholism.- or something worse

You don't have a clue, I hope you are not one of those yahoo boys 

frosbel:

You don't have a clue, I hope you are not one of those yahoo boys 

No sir, not yet. When they finally give me a visa to go abroad and see Queen maybe I might get that desperate.
No hard feelings dude.

naijamini:

@okunoba & @Afam
This thread has generated some interesting responses - for the better. I see your main points, but please also keep the following in mind:

1. Life and nation-building is not all about getting rich. Personal satisfaction is paramount. What can happen if progress is measured by how much money, by any means possible, is what we see in Nigeria today. We all know that teachers are among the least paid of all professions, yet are, perhaps, the most important to the future development of a nation. The main reason is that teachers' services are not measurable in terms of money, while taxi drivers', bankers', etc are almost immediately obvious and can be priced.

2. It is good to talk about how much taxi drivers make, but you also have to talk about their costs. For example, most of those driving taxis/buses in Nigeria do not own these vehicles and operate under very exhorbitant repayment plans. It has also been pointed out that this is a long-day and risky job, that leaves not much time for much else, unless you own your own vehicle. Start-up costs are high, and there is only so much room in the taxi-driving market.

3. You mentioned contributing to society below. Note that one of the reasons that a taxi driver gets to keep a lot of his money in Europe and America is by avoiding taxes. That is certainly not contributing to society. I am not calling taxi drivers dishonest, just pointing this out. The European and American societies in which it is possible to drive taxis or do other jobs and build a good life were built on law and citizenship.

4. Finally, it is one thing to take up taxi driving with a Masters or PhD degree due to a lack of jobs in your area of study, due to your specific circumstances, or because it is more profitable, but that is not the way it should be. Your skills should be used to build your nation up. It may be that some would contribute more through taxi driving, but if a nation is ever going to lift its people out of poverty this cannot be a general proposition.

The dignity of every legal work should be recognized, - taxi driving, doctor, teacher, banker. That is what is going to get Nigeria to the "promised" land.

Returning to the original topic of this thread, perhaps the question should have been this: Why do taxis drivers feel the need to brandish their credentials to passengers?

I am sorry but I think you are shifting the goal post here.

The main crux of this thread was to know if the claims made by most of these taxi drivers are true and I believe that quite a number of us have been able to provide information on this for the reading public to draw their conclusions.

If you are allowed to shift the goal post anytime an issue is resolved then trust me we will be on this thread answering questions till next year without any end in sight.

@naijamini
I repeat IT IS A LOSER'S TALE , just like that of people who come to Nairaland brandishing their credentials and phantom fortunes abroad. If many of them are what they say they truly are, they should be either too busy or too proud to come here.Fake !

@Afam
As noted I agree with most of your points. It was the talk of "big manisim" that necessitated this additional response. While there is no doubt that some people look down on others because of what they do, there is also the issue of personal preference and satisfaction.

My earlier summary of the points made on the thread already acknowledge that these stories are true, but I have a suspicion that it is being repeated by other people to which it does not apply as well.

So, I am not moving the goal posts. The issue is resolved - well according to each one's interpretation, but there are certain commonalities.

Afam:

I am sorry but I think you are shifting the goal post here.

The main crux of this thread was to know if the claims made by most of these taxi drivers are true and I believe that quite a number of us have been able to provide information on this for the reading public to draw their conclusions.

If you are allowed to shift the goal post anytime an issue is resolved then trust me we will be on this thread answering questions till next year without any end in sight.

@Pafun, what is a loser`s tale? We have to remember that the World is diverse, we are not all the same, there are those who brag about how rich they are and are truly rich and we have those that also brag about being rich but actually have Nil. U can`t paint everyone with the same brush.

There is no reason to mock an honest day`s work. That is the discipline and integrity that Nigeria needs to move forward, we have to start respecting people that actually work hard instead of only rich people. With such attitude it`s no wonder we have thieving rulers instead of dedicated leaders.

[Pafun has gone offline. Very busy and rich Nigeria-resident guy]

In US if you are not making over $60,000 you are still in the working class
over 99.99% of cab drivers in everywhere else other than newyork fall into this class
New yorkers make more but cost of living reduce that benefit for them.
You guys may want to get a proper definition of rich.
do you know that a $100,000 salary in US is not considered rich

poverty threshold in the US is less than $20K for a family of 4. % of folks making $100K and above less than 10%
so a lot of folks do not make that much money. It's like saying that ever1 lives in Beverly Hills


Are you trying to tell me he paid cash for the trucks from his cab driving? common on!. Anyone can get trailers with good credit. I know a nigerian who has 3 trucks here and uses it for his trucking biz here. He is yet to finish his payment on the trucks
U can get trailers with good credit, but you do not own them. Tittles get kept in the bank's vaults untill they are fully paid. So u cannot ship them overseas without title. I think this false sense ownership thru credit has been accepted, however, u dont own it till it's paid for still applies.

It is becos of racist job discrimination thats why educated Nigerians are driving taxi in US and Canada. White people dont wanna give us good jobs so we do the nasty. We can do better. May God help us.Please people always be good to one another and stay kind.

That can b possible outside

This are just stories not reality, What would you consider rich? Just like @adconline stated, even if you make $100k annually, still not considered rich and yes taxi cabs have to pay income taxes but that depends on how much income they declare. Don't forget that the meter in those taxis are not for decoration, at least the one's in DC area, they are used to record miles driven which shows trip cost which is cumulated for tax purposes. With good credit, you sure can get a good car, house and everything, but as long as "CREDIT" isn't wealth but "DEBT" then that isn't rich.

According to Forbes.com, unless your net worth is up to $10 million or more less debt obviously, then you are considered rich not wealthy.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Rubbish and nonsense!

No need for too much big-stouting and pepper-souping (Patrick Obahiagbon). You lot should get a visa and come over to drive a cab. The reality can be quite enlightening.

Hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!