We Sell Sachet Water, Ride Motorcycles, Pick Dirt To Feed Families – Nigerian Graduates

Many Nigerian graduates doing menial jobs person narrated their experiences to our correspondents: wherefore they are doing specified jobs; what led them to it; however overmuch they are making; however agelong they person been connected the job, and however they are being treated connected the job.

EBONYI: Graduates enactment arsenic barroom attendants, motorcycle and tricycle riders

In Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State superior and its environs, it has been observed that galore graduates prosecute successful menial jobs specified arsenic barroom attendants, storekeepers, commercialized tricycle and motorcycle operators, and autobus conductors among others.

Some of them who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend said that they decided to instrumentality up specified jobs conscionable to enactment nutrient connected their tables, cater for their younger ones and parents, and besides debar the temptation of getting progressive successful transgression activities, fraudulent acts, prostitution, and different societal vices.

A pistillate postgraduate of Mass Communication, Ebonyi State University (EBSU), Miss Ifeanyinwa Oforbiike, who works arsenic a barroom attendant successful a 2-star edifice successful Abakaliki, said that her take-home wage per period is N30,000 and expressed regret that often, she is owed for a play of 3 to 4 months earlier she would beryllium paid 1 period successful arrears.

She maintained that connected graduation, she sought jobs successful antithetic authorities agencies and backstage assemblage firms but to nary avail.

“I aboriginal went into shoemaking but, regrettably, determination was not overmuch superior to prolong the business. Hopefully, if I americium capable to rise capable capital, I volition spell backmost to the business.”
Miss Oforbiike lamented the harassment, intimidation and maltreatment she faces portion carrying retired her job.
“What we, the young girls, spell done is truthful disheartening and humiliating, and it’s a occupation I don’t privation for immoderate young girl. Young and aged men who people should not speech to america volition harass us, and you can’t kick to debar losing your job.”

‘I marque much wealth driving keke than civilian servants’

Another postgraduate of Ebonyi State College of Education, a commercialized tricycle operator, Mr Celab Ogodo, said, “I don’t spot my enactment arsenic a menial occupation due to the fact that I marque much wealth than those successful the authorities sector.

“Those who spot america riding keke arsenic doing menial jobs should besides cognize that we marque much wealth compared to the minimum wage they are agitating for. A tricycle relation makes a minimum of N15,000 per time aft expenses.”

Miss Chioma Nwagu, a postgraduate of Sociology from Ebonyi State University, works arsenic a storekeeper.
She said: “I get a monthly wage of N25,000. I resume work by 7am and adjacent by 6:30pm. As a storekeeper and salesgirl successful a beverage shop, I person to bring the cartons of drinks extracurricular and instrumentality them wrong each day. The wellness situation is besides a large issue.”

AKWA IBOM: Graduates enactment arsenic autobus drivers, food sellers

Even arsenic an lipid state, underemployed graduates eking their surviving from inadequate net from menial jobs are galore successful Akwa Ibom State, particularly successful the transport, judiciary and petty maritime businesses successful the riverine areas.

Some of them, who are into commercialized proscription business, portion casually sharing their ordeals, lamented that they completed their assemblage acquisition much than 10 years earlier “but with nary amended jobs.”

Ekene Stephen, a Philosophy graduate, said: “I finished astatine UNIUYO (University of Uyo) since 2011, but could get nary prime job. I tried joining the civilian work arsenic a teacher, but nary luck. I was offered a occupation arsenic a backstage schoolhouse teacher astatine God’s Power International School, but with small wage of N35,000, which they can’t adjacent wage regularly.

“That was wherefore I brooked shame, dropped my certificate and took to the proscription sector. Now, I tin spell location regular with arsenic overmuch arsenic N15,000 from the mini autobus I got done a hire-purchase agreement. I person afloat repaid the owner,” helium explained.

For Inemesit Effiong, a postgraduate of English, it was the aforesaid experience.

He conducted backstage tutorials for JAMB and WASSCE candidates earlier venturing into the judiciary arsenic ad-hoc staff, dealing with affidavits and different tiny tasks wrong the Barracks Road, Uyo judiciary office that fetch him astir N130,000 combined net monthly.

ImaAbasi Inyang, a Botany postgraduate of UNIUYO, told our correspondent: “I graduated astir a decennary agone and tried to laic my hands connected civilian work enactment to nary avail. I was surviving connected handouts from household members and friends. I sold a information of my household onshore to spell into food and crayfish concern – from Ibaka and Oron formation to Aba, wherever I commercialized them disconnected for speedy cash.

“I could marque bully currency to the excess of N300,000 monthly depending connected the season, but not each the time, particularly the heavy rainy play erstwhile thunder strikes ever scare food to the basal of the ocean,...