When Lecturers Become Tomato Barons
In a stunning twist of fate, university lecturers have taken up tomato farming to supplement their shrinking incomes. If you think tomatoes are just for sauce, think again—they might just be the ticket to financial stability! And because these tomato entrepreneurs are, ironically, educated folks, their long-winded Facebook posts, riddled with grammatical finesse, are genuinely a joy to read amidst the chaos of social media.
About three years ago, I found myself in a Bolt taxi, ready for a thrilling routine trip to the market. The app said Dr. Ali—let’s call him that because, clearly, he’s not the first doctor you’d want to see—would arrive in five minutes or at least as soon as he finished grading some unfortunate students’ scripts. Noticing his title, I couldn’t resist: “Dr. Ali? I’ll report you to the NMA for impersonating a doctor!” to which he smiled and asked, “What’s NMA?” Oh, the irony! Turns out he had a PhD and just a side gig—because you know, teaching pays just shy of a pittance these days.
Dr. Ali was on a mission: a mission to support his life priorities while also juggling multiple side hustles like a circus performer on a unicycle. With a shiny PhD in hand from abroad, he was back to the grind in Kano State University, earning a delightful N240,000 a month. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t enough. So, he supplemented his income by driving a Bolt, farming, and importing electronics—clearly a modern-day renaissance man, albeit one who’s exhausted.
And let’s pause here: at 33 years old, Dr. Ali is already worn out. If he doesn’t develop high blood pressure soon, I’d be shocked. If Sheldon and Leonard from “Big Bang Theory” can’t afford their own places on their fancy salaries at Caltech, what hope do we have? There’s evidence suggesting that academia has transformed into a modern-day “survival of the fittest” arena—except it’s not about physical prowess; it’s about fitting your budget into a can of tuna.
Why, you ask? Well, history! Oh yes, let’s roll back five centuries when formal education began. It was primarily male teachers running the show. Then came women, who might have been waiting for a husband in their spare time, teaching in the few roles available, earning just enough to keep the lights on or maybe pick up some nice jewelry for when “Mr. Right” finally decided to show up. Fast forward to today, and we’re still playing catch-up with an educational model thriving on cultural expectations that cling to the past like a stubborn stain.
These days, far too many Nigerians view education as a pesky inconvenience, best avoided if possible. Even worse, those in power tend to see educated folks like us as a threat. So budget cuts and educational funding? Laughable. Are we to just whine and compose lengthy essays in newspapers? Only if we’re trying to win the gold medal in the “Whine Olympics.” Alas, while the older generation marches on with their strike banners, the younger ones have been quietly cooking up their own survival strategies, which involves ample scoffing at “one source of income.”
Ah, the “japa” strategy! Simply put, it’s academic geopolitics, where aspiring professionals and part-time Uber drivers look to greener pastures—preferably with better salaries. Meanwhile, many young academics dive into the world of side hustles, often earning more on their side gigs than on their main teaching jobs. From selling grains to offering online classes, and even delving into the glamorous world of IT, the creativity shines while the university gets our unqualified attention—because, hey, we are multi-taskers!
In conclusion, welcome to the age of the side hustle. You might have uses for your degrees beyond teaching, like becoming an accidental entrepreneur, or setting up an online market for zobo. Yes, there was a student in Germany selling zobo to friends. It’s not all doom and gloom! Just remember: not all of us are cut out to sell anything or survive a ‘shark tank’—me included. But what we must embrace is the reality that our academic salaries are as outdated as arguing over landlines vs. smartphones. So let’s roll up our sleeves and join the hustle revolution; it’s the new norm, after all!
