In Nigeria, respect is rented. And the price is money.
The car you drive.
The phone in your hand.
The way you talk.
How loud your “soft life” is.
If you don’t look rich, you don’t get treated like a human. Simple.
Walk into a supermarket and you might be stared at like you’re there to steal. Security trailing you aisle to aisle. Cashiers suddenly forgetting how to smile. Not because you did anything just because you don’t look like you belong.
Being born poor in Nigeria is not a motivational story. This isn’t a place where “work hard and it will all work out” applies cleanly. In America, there’s a system: student loans, public schools, grants things that help you stand on your own feet if you try. Here? You’re on your own.
Nothing is free. Even public schools collect levies. Secondary school becomes a luxury. University? Money to apply, money to enter, money to breathe. Without someone to plug you in or grant you access, your only real hope is pure luck.
In Nigeria, brains alone aren’t enough you need backing. You need connections. You need grace from people higher than you. That’s why money here doesn’t just buy comfort. It buys freedom. You were human before capitalism saw you. And that’s enough.
But wealth also reveals character. In America, the rich can still face accountability. In Nigeria? Money buys silence, delays, and escape. Just look at our leaders: no fear, no shame, no consequences.
And money exposes people.
Take the big three: Davido, Wizkid, Burna Boy.
Davido grew up rich but feels… soft. Kind. Reachable.
Burna Boy? The more money he has, the less patience he carries. Late to shows. No apologies. Kicking fans out for not “vibing.” Saying his music isn’t for everyone code for “if you’re poor, you’re not my audience.”
Wizkid. Quiet. Untouchable. No explanations. Just presence.
Then there’s the girl who took a keke to her makeup appointment. That small story turned into chaos online:
“Why didn’t her husband order a ride?”
“Why can’t she afford home service?”
“Stop romanticising suffering.”
But not everyone lives in Lagos. Not everyone earns in dollars. Not everyone survives on aesthetics and vibes. Nigeria is bigger than Abuja brunches and Lagos soft-life TikToks. While people dragged her online, kids were being kidnapped in the North. Families were skipping meals. People were figuring out how to breathe through the day.
Not everyone can afford home service. Not everyone can call Bolt without checking their balance three times. And nobody should be shamed for that. She showed up the best way she could, moved within her means and that should have been enough.
Life is already hard. We don’t need to make it harder by shaming people for surviving.
Feature story written by Karris Odidi.
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