Abuja: The Plastic City

I remember sometime in early 2000 when the name Abuja rang like New York in my teenage eardrums. The desire to visit Nigeria’s capital was my utmost concern. We heard about how tall the skyscrapers were embracing the skies, how wide the roads were, and how neat the streets sparkle.

It wasn’t short after my mum got a job at the International Airport Abuja and she had to move down to Abuja in 2004, I was still in secondary school then. Was nearly roasting in one dead school like that far from mama's arms.

Butterflies twerked in my belly when my mum told me to come over to Abuja. My mates from the previous state were looking at me as though I won a lottery outside the country.

“They share money in Abuja” so called myth everyone outside the walls seems to whisper.

On getting to the state it was truly appealing, watching the rocks kiss the entrance to the town and the array of green that blanket every corner.

Present day

My eyes are a lot more open to the mysteries the town beholds that those outside the wall have little or no idea about.

Formerly, people consider Abuja to be a civil servant state. Unfortunately, as times and things have changed, it has become an SME state where almost every civil servant has a business of their own.

Plastic Scenario

No dey live fake life unto say you wan flex for the gram. Notin concine bicycle wit petrol station. Respect your name. Maintain your level. https://t.co/msHGLdhHDF

— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) June 3, 2017

The competitive atmosphere skyrocketed instance pretence. You get to see folks struggle to gain certain favours at all cost.

People borrow flashy cars to submit proposals, some stay in a slump but wear the most delicate perfume that can conjure your loved one when you are around them. Others construct white lies that will move you to grace them with something warm.

My story 1

The day I knew how plastic the town was when I met a blogger who hyped herself to the extent I felt my blogging career hasn’t started. It wasn’t up to an hour I visited her blog and I was it was like where chicken and bull are fighting.

My story 2

Another occasion was when I was handling the social media account of a prominent spa and salon. Based on the nature of how I met the owner, I told her to give me anything she has as payment. To my greatest surprise, one of her staff brought someone else to take over my job claiming to be so called webmaster. The guy's work was so disgusting I erased myself from their wake. I fully know he is charging her high for expensive nonsense lol. 

This was when it dawned on me that Abuja is all about;

I) How much you can market yourself rather than how much you can deliver.

II) How slick your car is rather than how much brain power you can drive with

III) How scented your perfume is rather than how fit you are for the job

IV) Cunning people getting the best jobs and contracts, leaving modest people to eat impartiality.

Wrap up

Just in case you are viewing Abuja from afar and wishing you relocate here, have this at the back of your mind that Abuja is all but a fake city with few real people who have good intention.

As for me, I don’t really care much because I know what works for me. I know I can forge my own path to success and trust me it is working. I don’t plan to give in.

Have you had your own share of how fake Abuja is? Share it with me.

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