There are those who will tell you that money has nothing to do with wealth and that there are other things far more important than money but being rich (money-wise) seems to be the most emphasized attribute required to tag a person as successful (ask Forbes). In simple English, everybody wants to be rich.
So, If you have what it takes to stroll down a typical urban street in Nigeria and strike a conversation about wealth with the random persons you meet. What kind of questions will you ask, and what kind of answers do you think you will get?
Well, I went on that trip and this is what I discovered
Encounter Number 1
How much money will you have before you'd say "I am rich"?
In this encounter, I spoke with a university graduate, about 23 years old. He was yet to land his first professional job and he mentioned that he had never held a casual job.
After he beat about the bush a bit, I asked him to put a number to it. At this point, the young man was speechless for about a minute (47 seconds, I counted). So, I set an initial benchmark by asking if he would consider an amount above N500,000,000.00 (five hundred million naira). With a grin, he nodded and said "yes".
I needed a clearer perspective, so I asked if the N500m was for his expenses or his savings. Well, the young man said "expenses". Now I had to ask, how much will you have in you savings account? He responded saying "Errrr...at least 4 billion". I became the speechless one.
I explained to him that a billion naira would take him (at least) 54 years to finish if he blew 50,000 everyday. N50,000 is the average entry level salary per month for a graduate, so I asked what he would do in order to earn an average daily profit of N100,000 for 28 years in order to get his first billion. Once again he became speechless.
Encounter Number 2
Petrol is N220/litre, What will you do if it rises to N1,000/litre?
"I go trek na",
"Bad as e bad, Na to buy bicycle be that, wetin man go do?"
In this encouter, I spoke with a single 27 year old working-class man, who mentioned that he had just experienced a pay cut. I assumed his last words "wetin man go do?" was for me to answer. So, like Jesus Christ, I answered his question with another question.
Looking back at his initial salary, the price of petrol at N87/litre and the N199 - $1 exchange rate, the current economic reality was harsh in his opinion. So I asked him if trekking or buying a bicycle was just a joke (because we had a laugh when he said so) and not his actual plan for the eventuality of N1,000/litre for petrol. Well, I got that silence again, I guess it wasn't funny anymore.
When I mentioned that NGN-USD rate had always been on the rise since independence, and hope for having it otherwise is diminishing daily, I was told that we would cross the bridge when we get there.
Encounter Number 3
Is it possible to live without debt if the price of petrol rises to N1,000/litre?
"You want make I go thief?"
WWJD? I know, answer the question with another question.
In this encounter, I spoke with a Newlywed man who is the sole income earner in his family. He prays for the the current situation to change as he doesn't believe he will survive if the status quo remains.
I asked why stealing was the only option/possible answer to living debt free in a hypothetical time when petrol is N1,000/litre? Some silence, and then this was said "Na wetin them want make we do na, afterall na wetin them dey do".
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