HomeTopicalNaijanomics: What It Is, How to Know if You've Been Infected

Naijanomics: What It Is, How to Know if You’ve Been Infected

Relaxxxx, my friend! I know that, just because you saw the word ‘infected’ up there along with Naijanomics, you’re already worried about a new outbreak.

I mean, it’s almost like someone recently opened Pandora’s box of diseases and lost the key. We’ve had Ebola, Lassa fever, the great coronavirus, and monkeypox, to name a few. And these are just the popular kids; there are several others just cruising in the background, either unable to achieve fame or just content to infect the odd John and Jane here and there.

However, I digress, because this is not a medical article on a new disease. There is no new infection out there called Naijanomics. You’re safe, for now at least.

Now that you’ve calmed down a little, you’re now wondering, what the hell is Naijanomics? If it is not a disease, then what is it? Is it a new word? Should you have paid more attention in English Language class? Is it too late to get that dictionary?

Well, even though you don’t know book, you can rest assured that it doesn’t extend to this situation.

Did I say that out loud?

Naijanomics has never seen the printed pages of a dictionary before, because it is a made-up word.

Naijanomics: The Origin

Now, before y’all descend on me for making up a word and trying to confuse you with it, you should know that all words are made up. Never stopped to think about that before, have you? You think the alphabet came pre-arranged like that? Lol.

There is no cosmic dictionary out there; someone came up with the words we use now, and they spread around and became popular. Take any word, and repeat it over and over again while focusing on the syllables, and you find that it loses its meaning quickly.

Yeah, even your name. Almost enough to make you go crazy, right?

Naijanomics: What it is, and How to Know if You've Been Infected - battabox.com

Unfortunately, I’m not here to give you an existential crisis (more’s the pity); we’re here for Naijanomics, remember? Our newest made-up word. Well, it is an amalgamation of two simple words: Naija and economics.

Simply put, Naijanomics means Nigerian economics.

Naijanomics: What it is, and How to Know if You've Been Infected - battabox.com
I know… I too sabi

Naijanomics: The Definition

Naijanomics isn’t that hard to define, once you know what to look for. As mentioned, it is a fusion of the words Nigerian and “economics”, and that, in summary, is the definition.

However, a word is so much more than its definition, isn’t it? Or is it? I have no idea; I am no professor of English, despite my grammatical novelty. What I do know, however, is that when it comes to Nigerian economics, the simple definition of “the economical situation of the country Nigeria” doesn’t do it justice.

Nigeria’s economy is a physical thing, with many layers like an onion. And just like an onion, the more you peel back the layers, the more you cry.

The Sad Tale of Nigeria’s Economy

Once upon a time, Nigeria had about 25% of Africa’s population. Take a moment to visualize that; a continent of 54 countries, and just one had 25% under its belt.

This was in the early days of independence from Britain, when the country showed a lot of promise as a new Republic. The world saw Nigeria then as an emerging economy due to its abundance of fossil fuel. The discovery of oil between the ’70s and ’80s gave the country’s economy a big boost, even more so than the one it was already enjoying from agriculture.

In fact, Nigeria was so economically blessed that Yakubu Gowon once declared that the country’s problem was not money, but rather how to spend it.

However, this blessing turned out to be the country’s economic downfall. In a rather shortsighted move, Nigeria’s leaders started to forget about agriculture and chose to focus on oil alone. They built refineries which soon fell into disrepair, and were soon stuck with having to export the crude oil for refining.

Imagine this scenario: you produce a commodity, export it for processing at a certain price, then buy the refined product back at a higher price. Pretty smart, right?

Dependence on oil alone turned Nigeria into a mono-economic nation, and as the world turns to sustainable energy, Nigeria suddenly finds itself scrambling. To further compound the problem, the military rulers had converted the country from a regional style of government, where every region could develop at its own pace, to a federal system that made everyone dependent on the federal government for survival.

Once hailed as The Giant of Africa, Nigeria has long since lost that title. Because the sad truth is that its economy is nothing to write home about, and Naijanomics might as well be a disease, what with the way it is affecting everyone now.

SEE: Top Richest Countries in Africa by GDP 2022

Naijanomics: How to Know If You Have Been Infected

Earlier on, we mentioned that a word is more than just the sum of its definition, and then we went on to view Naijanomics as a situation. An ongoing crisis, and one that might keep going on unless people use their brains and stop believing the age-old myth that “the winner is already determined before the election and their votes do not count”.

READ: Tribal Politics In Nigeria

Now, it is time to assess Naijanomics as an entity, one with a firm grip on Nigerians living in the present economy. Did I mention earlier that Naijanomics is not an infection?

Well, I lied.

Naijanomics: What it is, and How to Know if You've Been Infected - battabox.com

Everyone knows that, when it comes to Nigeria, things are always a little different. Blue is not necessarily blue; more like lapis lazuli. Shorts or knickers are called short knickers. Every kind of seasoning is called maggi, just like all types of noodles go by indomie.

So no, Naijanomics’ infection is not a make-you-sick-and-puke-your-guts-out kind of infection. It’s not as dramatic as that. Naijanomics instead, makes you do certain things that you won’t be doing under normal situations.

Hence, if you find yourself doing any of these things, congratulations; Naijanomics has you.

Buying Oversized Clothes

The above is not a fashion statement. It is not a trend, or a wave, or whatever it is they call it these days. The Yorubas call it Baambe, which loosely translates to “meet it there”. I don’t know what other languages call it, even English, but the Yoruba word kind of says it all.

What is the logic behind Baambe? Well, due to the effects of poverty, parents would buy oversized clothes for their kids with the reasoning that the kids are still growing and hence, they would grow into it somewhere along the line. They see this as an alternative to having to buy new clothes every few months.

The Art of Managing, raised to the power of nine, Pro Max.

And if you think that it is restricted to clothes alone, you’ve got another thing coming. Those shoes are definitely stuffed with either rags or paper, as they’re probably two or three sizes larger. And it is not limited to kids alone; most Nigerians, when they want to buy apparel, would instinctively go for sizes a tad larger, just in case.

Oh, sapa! Where is thy sting?

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Chronicles of SAPA

Finding it Hard to Save Or Invest

Investing is not for the struggling, because you need to get to a certain level of comfort before you can even think of it. Humans have insatiable needs, yes, but you must satisfy the basic ones first (go open an Economics textbook) before investment becomes a possibility. Pesin wey never chop since morning no fit reason investment.

A lot of us have savings accounts into which we try to throw the odd 5k or 10k every now and then, in case of rainy days. Unfortunately, said rainy days now seem to crop up at least once a week, sometimes more, and we find our savings saving us far earlier than intended.

So, if you can relate to the images above, then congratulations once again; Naijanomics has you in a chokehold.

SEE: 5 Ways to Improve Your Time Management

Managing Everything

This should probably have come with the one on oversized clothes, but then, it deserves its own subheading. Because it covers a lot.

Managing is a good trait, because it helps to prepare for rainy days. However, there is managing, and there is MANAGING.

Here are some examples of MANAGING:

  • Buying oversized clothes (as mentioned above)
  • Applying scissors to your toothpaste when you can’t press it out of the tube anymore
  • Having your generator at a permanent angle, so you can get every last drop of fuel into the engine
  • Cutting open a juice box so no droplet goes undrunk
  • Using your soap until it is no bigger than a fingernail
  • Training yourself to forgo breakfast/lunch, so you only eat twice a day
  • Squeezing out every drop of shampoo from the bottle, including the foam. And then the air

RELATED: 12 Latest Lace Gown Styles for Ladies (2023)

Always Haggling

Okay, I have to be real careful with this one, before a well-targeted Dunlop slippers finds me like…

Naijanomics: What it is, and How to Know if You've Been Infected - battabox.com

Nigerian women are one of the people most infected with Naijanomics, and this right here proves it. Have you ever followed your mom to the market and watched her shop? Trust me, you will feel pity for the vendors when she starts haggling.

I mean, why will a red-blooded human being price meat or yam from N7,500 all the way down to N1,050?

Fear God naa

It’s enough for you to almost take the vendors’ side. Almost.

I don’t think there exists any Nigerian woman that has ever bought something from the market without haggling. Say the seller calls a pair of shoes N7,000 and she doesn’t argue? E no fit happen, no matter how rich she is. That thing is in their DNA.

It is not just in women, though; everyone Nigerian’s first instinct when buying something is to haggle. And, peradventure, if the seller decides to sell at that lower price without putting too much of a fight, the best of us will walk away convinced we’ve been cheated somehow. Some, however, will still attempt to price it lower, at which point you can’t blame the seller if he goes…

Prefer Thrift Shopping

There’s this place in Lagos called Katangwa. Or is it Katangora, or Katangua? I’ve never been able to get the spelling right, but those who know already know, so I don’t need to talk much about that.

Even if you don’t visit Katangwa, if you prefer to buy your shoes and clothes from that vendor by the road (or Agege underbridge) instead of shopping at boutiques, then you’ve got a strong case of Naijanomics. But fear not; there is no shame in thrift shopping.

Rock your Abibas, Nika and Puna with pride.

SEE ALSO: Lucrative Business Ideas In Nigeria 2023

Always Eating Ponmo

Sorry, sorry; I won’t say anything anymore. Moving on.

Rarely Buy Wholesale. Always Retail

Everyone knows that when you shop wholesale, the units come at a lesser price overall. However, you’re paying for all of those things at the same time, which requires a significant amount of money. Money that you don’t have, because sapa is seriously shadow-marking you.

So, if you find yourself always buying stuff as you need them; four indomies (forgive the Nigerian in me; that’s noodles), two eggs, N100 pepper, etc., you and Naijanomics are best buds.

SEE: 5 Apps That Improve Time Management

Buying on Credit

So, apart from people who always go retail, there are some people who indeed shop wholesale. However, this comes with a clause. They have managed to establish a relationship with a vendor in the area that allows them to buy things in bulk, with the agreement to pay later.

Hey! No judgment here. Everyone knows Nigeria is hard. I’m just trying to point out Naijanomics perched on your shoulder.

Naijanomics: The Wrap

So, there you have it! The above listed are but just a few of the signs of Naijanomics; there are several others, but to go into them… well, let’s just not.

Naijanomics has been around for a long while; it just had no name.

Naijanomics: What it is, and How to Know if You've Been Infected - battabox.com

But now it does, and you can now proudly identify yourself with it, because it is not something to be ashamed of. Naijanomics makes you strong financially; it gives you a different and more sensible perspective when it comes to spending money. Even if that little voice in your head is trying to tempt you into spending recklessly, Naijanomics is the other voice cautioning sense.

And to the outsider, Naijanomics helps to offer a better understanding of what Nigeria looks like from an economic point of view. A lens of sorts, if you will.

That being said, should I be expecting an award? I just pioneered a new word, after all.

Jimmy Anisulowo
Jimmy Anisulowo
A couple of unexpected turns in life found Jimmy with a metaphorical pen in hand, churning out content and living in his head so much that he knighted himself the Pen Dragon. He is also an avid reader, gamer, drummer, full-blown metalhead, and all-round fun gi