As a Nigerian earning #33,000 (Thirty-three thousand) as a minimum wage with a higher cost of living, minimum wages should be higher to accommodate the expenses going on in the land. A family man earning thirty-three thousand to cater for his personal and family needs, should we consider it to be a standard of living? I pay my taxes regularly yet I have no access to good amenities.
I have been working as a government worker for the past eleven years now and my salary has just been increased to about a hundred thousand(100k) monthly. Before now, I can boldly say that the fifty thousand naira(50k) that I was earning then was far more productive than this hundred thousand. Why? The cost of living as at 2015 was far more better than it is now, in terms of foodstuff, Rice was eight thousand five hundred, a crate of eggs was five hundred, pasta was a hundred, fuel was eighty-seven naira, and many others like that. It was not as hard as it is now.
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How are the prices of goods and services compared to others?
Which one should we compare? I was still very little that this slogan of Naija go better has been in the mouth of the elders and we the young started saying that too even till now🤔 let me pinpoint some of the reasons why we are still far behind<<<<<<
Bad governance, Our leaders are very selfish and self-centered, all that they ever care for is about themselves alone and not the masses. We don't have good governance to govern us well. Their children are not schooling here to feel the heat the students are feeling, they don't use the health care system to know they have failed us, they use big generators or big solar system, so, they wouldn't know the heat we face at night, they send their children abroad, so they don't know how many graduates are on the street looking for jobs to earn a living and so on.
Electricity, I was still a little girl when I heard about Ghana and South Africa having stable electricity but in my country,they are busy increasing the tariff on electricity that is on and off. For the past two weeks now there hasn't been light and at the end of the month, you pay high bills on electricity🤔
Water system, when there is no light, there can be water because fuel is expensive and it takes those that have generators as other means of light that can have water. People are suffering for water. People from a far distance looking for water here and there. Water is expensive to use.
Transportation, imagine, a federal road that connects many states is as bad as anything 🤔 no access to a good road network, and fuel is very expensive to buy so we shouldn't be expecting less transportation. Traveling or going to work is too costly, people use their legs as a means of transportation now to avoid too much bills. Yet, our leaders are busy traveling around the world
Education, School is scam that is a ringing tone to many teenagers and youths of nowadays because after graduation, job is not guaranteed. every year or season, we produce graduates but no jobs to accommodate them. I have a friend and many others who are still searching for a job after how many years. The problem is, If you don't know any strong politician, you cannot get a job unless if the grace of God speaks on your behalf. What about students sitting on the floor? There are no chairs and tables for learners, some school's building are delapitated
Shop owners, the majority of the shop owners are closing down as a result of the hike in prices of goods which customers are no longer purchasing like before. A friend of mine who sells frozen food like fish, turkey, chicken, etc closed down her shop just because there are no sales.
Rent, the landlords, and landladies are not helping matters at all. Houses that have been built for many years suddenly increased due to the situation in the country. Cement is on the hike side, agreement and commission can send someone to commit suicide 🤔 So many people are homeless as a result of the increase.
Foodstuff, that alone has turned many people into money mongers, ritualists, and so on, people are hungry, and there's hunger in the land. A lot of families no longer prioritize three square meals that are, breakfast, lunch,and dinner. Children are on the streets begging to be fed. The lowest price of food for the poor can no longer be affordable 🤔 Market women and men are shouting for help🙆🙆
Based on my earnings, I will consider countries with a lower cost of living that may offer more affordable prices for these necessities. However, earnings from my country may fetch me more or less in another country. It depends on various factors such as exchange rates, taxation, and the local economy. I can decide to switch to another well paying well-paying cater for my bills.
Comparing my country with another can not be over-emphasized you pay bills on electricity, it should be 24 hours nonstop, what about water? Good road network? Health care? Infrastructures and amenities? Shouldn't we enjoy what we labor for? labor dear country, the citizens are the ones laboring while the leaders are taking the wealth to another country.
If I was still little when things had been wrong and things are still not better and I'm not getting any younger, then I should not miss the opportunity of rebranding the future of my kids. Here, there's no future as long as you are not rich like them, and not a politician🤔
All I know is if you go through the legal route, there might be no cause for alarm. A colleague of mine left for Canada a year ago, and when we spoke, she was the one mounting pressure on me to relocate. We are just working on these sets of rogues we have as leaders.
My participation on hivelearners community edition on the topic; What is my cost of living?
Thanks for reading my blog today, let's do this some other time.
Yours in 💕💕