Growing Up in Nigeria: What it really feels like

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Hello wonderful people, hope we all had a great day.
Today I just felt like talking about what it’s really like growing up here in Nigeria.

Our experience can be similar but so different, that is how funny life can be.

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For me, growing up in Naija means waking up to the sound of generators buzzing, the smell of my mum’s delicious soups, and neighbours greeting you with “How far?” even if they saw you five minutes ago. It means dodging potholes on the street while buying gala and La Casera from bus windows.

It also means family. Big, loud, loving family. Uncle and aunties visiting unannounced. Cousins everywhere during Christmas. Sharing jokes in pidgin that no one else can quite translate.

But let us be real with our sef , it is not always easy. Power outage? Which is normal scenario. Heat? Better hold your hand fan. School? Stress from teachers who don’t play around, plus waking up at 5 am just to beat traffic. Sometimes it feels like you have to fight so hard to get the opportunities you want.

Yet somehow, there’s so much resilience in us.The current leadership has not been going well with most Nigeria but we still do our best and hope for a better future. Nigerians know how to hustle, how to laugh even when things are tough. We celebrate everything birthdays, promotions, even small wins. Interms of creativity, and sharpness, we have it.

Just finished secondary school, and honestly, I’m proud of how this country shaped me. It taught me respect for elders, how to greet properly, how to value education even when it’s hard. It It taught me hope,that even if things are tough today, tomorrow can be better.

At this point in my life,it looks like I have a lot of choices ,Go to uni ,learn skill, apply for a job ,but honestly the more options it looks like I have the more confused I become, so I guess I should just calm down and know what I real want.

If you grew up in Nigeria too, what was your experience like?.. The good, the funny, the tough?....You are free to Share your story in the comment so we all can relate.

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