The cost of survival
If I could change just one thing in this world, I would change how expensive things have become in the market. Because right now, life has become too hard for the average person to survive, let alone live comfortably. It’s no longer just about being lazy or careless, even those who are working hard, hustling daily, and doing their best, are still struggling to provide for themselves and their families.
Imagine waking up early every day, doing everything you can learning skills, trying different jobs, staying positive and yet, when you go to the market with ₦20,000 thinking it’s enough to manage, you come back with just a few items. You’re forced to drop some things you need because the prices keep changing, going higher every week, sometimes even every day. That money you worked hard for suddenly feels like nothing. And it hurts.
It’s painful to know that so many people out there are not lazy, they’ve simply been beaten down by a system that makes it harder and harder to survive. There are graduates at home, sitting jobless. Skilled workers with no customers. Mothers skipping meals so their children can eat. Fathers doing odd jobs from morning to night and still not making enough to pay rent or buy food. People have dreams, but they are buried under hunger, frustration, and fear.
It used to be that people said, Go to school and you’ll have a better life. But now, the difference between an educated person and an illiterate is almost gone. In fact, some people who didn’t go to school are doing better, not because they’re lucky, but because they found small businesses or manual jobs that keep them going. Meanwhile, degree holders are left asking, What was the point?. And even when you try to be strong, to stay hopeful, the rising cost of living breaks you little by little.
Many young people have learned skills, hairdressing, tailoring, graphic design, baking, farming, just to have something to do. But when the tools, ingredients, or materials they need are too expensive, they can’t continue. Some are forced to give up. Others push harder, but still come back home empty-handed. And when food becomes unaffordable, nothing else seems to matter anymore. You can’t think, you can’t plan, you can’t hope properly when you’re hungry.
People are truly suffering. People are dying, not just physically, but emotionally. From stress. From hunger. From frustration. From feeling useless even after trying their best. This is not the life anyone deserves, especially not in a country full of potential and talent.
So yes, if I had the power to change just one thing, I would fix this economic hardship. I would make sure food is affordable again. I would create real jobs that pay enough for people to live with dignity. I would support small businesses so people can grow and stand on their own. I would give people a chance to live, not just survive from day to day.
Because people are not asking for too much. We don’t want luxury, we just want to be able to eat, sleep in peace, take care of our families, and have a little hope for tomorrow. But right now, that simple dream feels too far away for many.
It shouldn’t be this way. It doesn’t have to be this way. Something needs to change.
And if I could, I would be that change. Because the world cannot keep ignoring the silent cries of people who are doing their best just to stay alive.