cococandy:


Girl I’ve seen ladies save up to 200k just to buy human hair. I don’t grudge people on how they spend their money. But if you’re spending millions to buy something that won’t bring returns, your salary or side business and/or whatever else source of income has to match that spending. As long as the money is coming in, buy whatever you like whatever it costs.

But not with your savings and no guaranteed source of replacement.

They say it is better in the long run, because you don’t get to be changing it as frequently as the cheap(er) ones.

Despite his shortcomings, one of the best financial lesson I got was from my former boss. He will tell me “Take your salary, divide it by 21 working days. Ask yourself if you earned today’s own” I apply same rule in spending (whether mine or his ), I check what fraction of my monthly pay it is and advise myself.

Gerrard59:
Actually, the government should not interfere in private people's affairs through reproduction. According to various demographers and in the Lancet link I referenced, high and consistent economic growth will drastically fertility rates through employment of women, education, rising incomes and increase in discretionary income - people will prefer to travel across the world rather than bore another child. It's why birth rates in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam etc., are projected to reduce or at best stabilise. Religion remains a strong factor, however, the richer a society becomes, the less religious her citizens.

Unfortunately, the economic growth is largely dependent on the drastic political changes including constitutional, something our "Mushin vs VI" politicians aren't ready for. It's why individuals should not live things to chance. This is not Vietnam or Myanmar where the leaders are at least concerned about economic growth.

Excellent.
I dey enjoy your comments on this thread, the way I dey enjoy ogi and moimoi on Sunday morning

.

Swissheart:
Village People Factor nko

Exists in your mind only.
Thank me later.

Very good piece. Permission to share please.

.

pocohantas:


They say it is better in the long run, because you don’t get to be changing it as frequently as the cheap(er) ones.

Despite his shortcomings, one of the best financial lesson I got was from my former boss. He will tell me “Take your salary, divide it by 21 working days. Ask yourself if you earned today’s own” I apply same rule in spending (whether mine or his ), I check what fraction of my monthly pay it is and advise myself.

I understand. Only if they can afford it.

Otherwise their own hair is good enough

Klass99:


This........

I cannot for the life of me understand our crazy obsession with having more kids than necessary in this part of the world.

They will tell you that it is God who gives children and you cannot reject them.

And another thing they say is you don't know which one will blow or that there are more children to take care of them.

.

@Gerrard59, that’s an excellent article you put up there. Candid points to note are the issues raised on dysfunctional leadership, and of course ignorant decisions taken by the masses such as emotional investments, birthing kids they cannot cater for e.t.c.

What I find eery is the typical mindset of an average Nigerian. Proud in their ignorance, hypocritical to a fault. Take for example, they’re more than happy to fleece money from their abroad relatives by hook or by crook, and yet still blame their leaders for stealing the nation’s resources.

The leaders and the masses are cut from the same cloth of corruption! Honesty is becoming an increasingly scarce commodity.

I salute the bright and honest ones (which are now becoming the exception rather than the norm) for sticking to their moral values in these trying times.

As for Nigeria, I simply cannot understand how a nation can move forward when the majority of its populace (leaders and the masses) decision making skills are charged with ignorance, emotions and unbridled selfishness/greed.


And you know the sad part? This has been the same old story right from independence! The trend doesn’t make for good reading.

This should be on front page.

My kinda gospel

Preach on

Gerrard59:
Giving birth to children you cannot cater for

I gisted with my mom today about topical issues and she talked about her childhood friend who got seperated from her husband (now residing in the US) but cannot fund the daughter's education to the US (apparently the girl is not a citizen or even holding a PR). In relation to this thread, this friend of hers spent lots of money burying her mom. Which is why I said this:

Gerrard59:
Emotional Investments:

Others include: burial costs (the culture of spending huge amounts of money on burials when there is no economic benefit whatsoever is absolutely ridiculous!), buying of items one does not need etc. My advice remains: you reside in a place bedevilled with dysfunctional leadership (don’t hope for the best, rather prepare for the worst), it behoves on individuals to meticulously plan for themselves. Don’t leave things to chance.

This friend spent hard-earned money on what does not generate interests in whatsoever way. She did this when Nigeria is facing her second recession in less than five years. Unfortunately, this friend has no savings and because she squandered hard-earned resources, she cannot sponsor her daughter's education (an investment) in the US. She then tells this young girl to ask her father who is not even a citizen and is married to another woman over there to help fund her education. Prior to this stoopid decision (spending recklessly on the burial), this woman lived a champagne lifestyle on a beer income. A certain Dr Tayo Oyedeji admonishes one to spend less than they earn. You cannot be earning 10K yet live a lifestyle amounting to 100K. Where on earth will you generate the balance of 90K? I have a certain principle: if I must spend on certain items/indulges, I should increase my earning power to cover them not reduce the present income to satisfy such urges. The culture of spending huge sums on burials is something that should be outlawed. A burial is not an investment.

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I have written about living ridiculous lifestyles by having different women around, worse still when these relationships result in children yet the resources to cater for them are not available. Adultery is expensive esp if it result in a child(ren). My candid advice to men who want to play away matches is to go for vasectomy. It saves you a lot of stress - financially, emotionally, societally and otherwise.


Remember: you reside in a country where the leaders are groomed in "Do you know who I am?". "....but you know na", "look at this Mushin boy, I am a VI boy" etc., ideologies. You are in a place where over 75% of foreign revenue is generated via the sale of crude oil whose prices will not climb to $100 per barrel anytime soon in a place projected to be the third most populated country, where GDP growth rates are way below birth rates.

Can I call you? I need a loan

cc: Lalasticala

The gospel of birthing children one can adequately take proper care of needs to be preached to all Nigerians/Sub-Saharan Africans.

Lovely thread.

Kudos OP.

Gerrard59:
A recent study projects that Nigeria will be the third most populated country₁ by then end of the century (Lagos would have 88M residents₂, yes. Imagine Lagos now and how it will be with 88M residents) and by mid-century (less than 30 years), we would surpass the United States. However, same Nigeria has the highest number of poor people globally₃ and economic growth over the past five years has not gone past 3%₄ for a country with birth rates growth edging past 3.5%. There are more babies born in Nigeria than the whole of Europe₅. Unfortunately, the pandemic has exacerbated things coupled with decline in the price of crude oil. This has resulted in economic hardship all over the world but worse in countries with dysfunctional leadership systems. As someone who was fortunate to be born into a family that planned meticulously over the years, I have interacted with people from all walks of life; rich, middle class and poor. I have observed certain behaviours or acts that make Nigerians to further perpetuate poverty in the country, which I believe if the upcoming generation try to avoid or correct, things might get better. “Might” because there exists a limit to national development in the face of dysfunctional leadership systems.

A country does not develop to second world (not first world o) status with “Mushin vs VI”, “but you know na”, “meningitis is caused by fornication” or “ecumenical centres’ building governors” etc., politicians. No country develops with such kind of politicians but it behoves on individuals to become responsible for their trajectories as the people in-charge don’t care about you (Nigerians deserve the leadership system they get but story for another day). Some people believe by relocating, they won’t face these political cretins, which is true. But the vast vast majority of Nigerians don’t have the financial resources to relocate, that is the fact. So no matter how you fantasise about japaing, most people cannot. The Canada exodus still continues but only the top 10% can do it because of the requirements. Truth is: as low as the price of writing IELTS is, not many people can effortlessly afford it let alone do so 3 or 4 times. Reality is: Nigerians are poor; let’s not sugar-coat it. Which brings me to the aspect of acts that make Nigerians poor irrespective of the dysfunctional leadership (which they deserve anyway).

I dont know who you are,but I'm following you straight up.

This discourse stimulates the innermost IQ .
Thank you

Nice piece and very informative..

I’m following this thread.

If you mention Vasectomy, you've made yourself an enemy to an average thinking Nigerian man.

Marriage is ok. making unnecessary kids is un-ok.

The current practice now is visit and go. don't even stay over night abeg.

Some excerpts from the article:

"The economic impact is also worse than it looks. Because sub-Saharan Africa’s population is growing at 2.7% a year, GDP needs to grow at least as fast, or people will become poorer. Last year the area’s economy shrank for the first time in 25 years. Some 32m people fell into extreme poverty (earning below $1.90 a day), erasing five years of progress against want, says the World Bank. Millions more may have lost their place in the nascent middle class."

"Covid-19 has exposed the weakness of Africa’s biggest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, which generate almost half of sub-Saharan GDP. Nigeria, the continent’s largest oil producer and home to one-fifth of sub-Saharan Africans, faces an “unprecedented crisis”, says the World Bank, which seldom uses such blunt language. More than two in three households are poorer than a year ago. By 2022 the number of Nigerians who are extremely poor is expected to rise by 20m, to 100m".


https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/06/africas-recovery-from-covid-19-will-be-slow

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The future is precarious. As someone residing in Sub-Saharan Africa, you are likely to be poor, un(under)employed than your counterpart elsewhere. It is a not a wish or curse but simple analysis. Nigeria is even having it better, what about folks in Liberia, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Cameroon etc>? Anyone who is smart should either japa, adopt stringent birth control policies and/or postpone childbirth indefinitely.

Gerrard59:
Some excerpts from the article:

"The economic impact is also worse than it looks. Because sub-Saharan Africa’s population is growing at 2.7% a year, GDP needs to grow at least as fast, or people will become poorer. Last year the area’s economy shrank for the first time in 25 years. Some 32m people fell into extreme poverty (earning below $1.90 a day), erasing five years of progress against want, says the World Bank. Millions more may have lost their place in the nascent middle class."

"Covid-19 has exposed the weakness of Africa’s biggest economies, Nigeria and South Africa, which generate almost half of sub-Saharan GDP. Nigeria, the continent’s largest oil producer and home to one-fifth of sub-Saharan Africans, faces an “unprecedented crisis”, says the World Bank, which seldom uses such blunt language. More than two in three households are poorer than a year ago. By 2022 the number of Nigerians who are extremely poor is expected to rise by 20m, to 100m".


https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/06/africas-recovery-from-covid-19-will-be-slow

---

The future is precarious. As someone residing in Sub-Saharan Africa, you are likely to be poor, un(under)employed than your counterpart elsewhere. It is a not a wish or curse but simple analysis. Nigeria is even having it better, what about folks in Liberia, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Cameroon etc>? Anyone who is smart should either japa, adopt stringent birth control policies and/or postpone childbirth indefinitely.

A bulk of Nigerians don't believe in data/science. Religion has taken away their God given ability to reason even at the lowest level.... They'd rather leave everything to higher powers.

Keep writing, I am enjoying your posts.

Front page na