This edition of Portraits of the City features Faith*, a chartered accountant juggling two ongoing undergraduate pursuits while navigating Lagos never-ending craziness. In this conversation, she discusses her academic pursuits amidst life in Lagos – the low points, high points and everything in between.
What’s your connection with Lagos?
My life started in Lagos. I was born here and had my early education here. When I was 7, my parents needed to relocate and they chose Ota, Ogun State, which was where I later completed my primary and secondary education. Immediately after secondary school, I wrote JAMB for 2 years with no admission. I came back to Lagos in 2018 and I’ve been here ever since. I have spent more of my life in Lagos than in any other state.
Interesting. What’s a typical day like for you in Lagos?
Well, I move around primarily by buses and as you can expect, it’s quite hectic. But I’m lucky as I usually have to take only one bus to and from school as opposed to jumping multiple buses at different bus stops, which works in my favour. My typical day always involves me being outdoors. I barely spend my day indoors. If I’m not at work, I’m at school and after school, I’ll help out at the shop. I never spend my days at home, even on weekends. I usually wake up around 6 am, and I get home at 9 or 10 at night.
That’s a full plate. How do you combine your academics with all of that?
Well, over the past 2 years, I’ve had to juggle a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting at Yabatech with a part-time degree program at Ajayi Crowther University in Oyo State. And truth be told, it hasn’t been easy at all.
Two Concurrent Programs. What made you make that decision?
It was mainly because of the nature of our job market over here. The discrimination from recruiters and hirers against HND holders is alarming. Even before I completed my HND program, I had already been hearing that most companies would only consider BSc holders, despite the fact that I’m a Chartered Accountant.
Here in Nigeria, the fact that you attended a University gives you an edge over an applicant who attended a Polytechnic. So at some point during my program, I just had to apply because I didn’t want anything to hold me back when I was done. I didn’t want any barriers to getting a good job and while it was a risky thing to do, I had to take that bold step. I even had to hide it from my coursemates and lecturers because there were days I missed a whole week in school because of my other exams, and I’d have to lie using something else as a cover-up. I had to always find a different excuse.
I had to hide it because obviously, lecturers shouldn’t know that you’re pursuing another degree in another school. I don’t know whether it’s wrong to do something like that but I knew they’d probably try to use it against me, because which lecturer would be comfortable with the fact that they’d be in class teaching and I’d be somewhere else entirely? I was able to pull it off because I had my ICAN certification. Most of my mates are just applying for their BScs now that we are done. So I have an advantage in that regard.
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Was having an ICAN Certification a requirement for your degree?
It wasn’t a requirement, but it’s a substitute for an HND certificate. So I used my ICAN to apply to Ajayi Crowther to get a BSc certificate and secure my degree. If I had waited, I would just be applying now. I’m currently in 400 Level, but I’d just be starting 300 Level if I had waited.
What was it like preparing for ICAN while also dealing with the challenges and pressure of living in Lagos? How did you find your balance?
Firstly, I was realistic. There was only so much I could do to make it all work. My ICAN program clashed with my full-time program at Yabatech at some point because I was preparing for my exams at the time. I had to take a couple of weeks off before resuming lectures in school to prepare properly for the exams. Again, after I had secured the admission via my ICAN certification, I had to forfeit attending lectures at Ajayi Crowther for a while. We had lectures on weekends and a few virtual sessions on weekdays but I forfeited all entirely to stay in Lagos and attend my full-time lectures. Then during exam periods, I’d gather materials and read up to prepare. Luckily, attendance at Ajayi Crowther is very flexible and not at all compulsory, because it’s a part-time programme that isn’t on campus; they have lecture centres, so no one was forced to attend. There were times I wanted to give up, but I just couldn’t because I held everything I’m involved in with so much value. None of these processes were easy to start, so it wouldn’t speak well of me to drop everything halfway. I had to see it to the end, and make tough decisions when needed.
This one time, Yabatech’s exams actually clashed with Ajayi Crowther’s. Both exams had been slated to start in the same week according to the calendars. Letting go of Ajayi Crowther came to mind because it was my Final Exams at Yaba, and I couldn’t leave my finals for a normal semester exam. But then, I didn’t. Somehow, by God’s grace, it worked out. They shifted the exams by a week, so I had to go to Oyo to write the exams, and came back the following Monday, and started Yabatech’s papers. I didn’t really have that much time to prepare, so you can understand how hard that was for me. It was a lot.
Have you ever felt like giving up on school or pausing your studies? What kept you going during those moments?
Yes, I have. At some point, when my school project was stressing me so much, I started asking myself the point of it all because I’d be getting a BSc from Ajayi Crowther, making my HND less significant. I had to pick myself up because I know it is significant, and this is Nigeria. Despite an HND being as valuable as a BSc, it is still condemned, but in the real sense, it’s essentially the same thing. The idea of standing out amongst thousands of other graduates at the end of the program kept me going.
Can you describe a specific place in Lagos that holds a lot of meaning for you? Maybe somewhere that reminds you of something or someone significant?
There are lots of places but there’s somewhere in particular that gives me PTSD. I had my phone stolen from me twice in the same spot. It was at Onipanu Bus Stop. There’s usually a crowd there on most mornings trying to catch a bus to work, and there are limited buses, so there’s always a significant rush.
The first incident was a day after my birthday. My phone was in my tote bag, and my earpiece was plugged in. So while I was struggling to enter the bus, I noticed that my music had stopped, but I waved it off, thinking a call had come in or something. I just thought I’d settle in the bus and return the call. But when I checked my bag, my phone was gone. It has been removed from the bag. I told the driver to stop, crossed over to the other side where the bank I use is situated, went inside, and blocked my account. I cried so much because I saved for months to buy that phone, and it didn’t even last a month before it was stolen. I couldn’t go anywhere else, I just borrowed someone’s phone to call my mum, who then called my sister to go home to be with me.
A few weeks later, I had gotten another phone, and this time, I was at that same bus stop with a friend waiting for a bus. I had a different bag this time, it was a cross bag, which was closed. Again, the thief had removed the phone already, but wasn’t able to get away because a woman behind me spotted him and screamed at him. I was so thankful because if the woman hadn’t seen him, he would have been able to get away with the phone. He wasn’t even some tout; he had corporate clothes on like he was going to work, which was obviously an act to blend in. Since then though, I always have my phone in my hand whenever I’m out. I have learned my lesson. I’m always extra careful there now because of what I’ve had to experience in that bus stop.
Have you ever had a Lagos commute that made you cry, laugh, or rethink your whole life?
I have had several reasons to rethink my life. Lagos makes me question everything at times, even my future goals. Recently, I was coming from work, and after a hectic work day, I was on the bus to Obalende for more than an hour because of traffic. I was extremely stressed and angry. I was like “is this really how I’d be living my life every day?”, and knowing that I wasn’t even going home to rest immediately. It’s almost always like that. Sometimes the traffic can be less, sometimes more. I always say to myself during these times, “God, please, I need a car.”
Where/When in Lagos have you felt the most alone, and where have you felt most connected?
I can’t pinpoint a particular location but I feel alone sometimes. I often put it down to my emotions and these feelings pass within days. I feel very connected when I’m back home with my parents at Ota. I never feel alone at home. Although my visit is always very short because my whole life professionally is in Lagos, even these short moments are needed, and I try to take advantage of any break I can get.
Have you ever broken down in a public space? What happened?
Definitely, with these several theft incidents. There was a time I was around Fadeyi, I was on my way back from school, and I was accosted by some guys who claimed I was a cultist and I was there to spy on them. One of them wore red, but I was wearing a wine round neck shirt. I couldn’t run, I was scared, and they looked huge and scary. They threatened me, and asked me to show them proof that I wasn’t a cultist, and I was actually coming from school, so they asked me to show them my phone, and they refused to give it back, until I bought gin and a couple of other things for them. I couldn’t even scream for help because it was by the expressway and cars were just whizzing past.
In the end, they asked one of them to follow me across the road to get these things from a shop, and that upon getting the things, he’d give me back my phone. When I got what they asked me to get, it was as if they vanished into thin air. I couldn’t find them anywhere. The one with me ran as well, with my phone. He literally disappeared. I was dazed. I don’t even know how I walked up to a moving vehicle and asked them for help to call my mum. I was crying, and shaking. This was even before the bus stop incident. I have definitely been through a lot in Lagos.
Oops. Sorry about that. You’ve indeed had your fair share of the Lagos Shege Bundle. Let’s look on the brighter side now. What role has the city played in your relationships—romantic or otherwise?
This one gets me a bit down at times because if I really think about it, the decision to focus on my education and career has meant giving up on having a social life and pursuing genuine romantic relationships. Most times, people no longer invite me to parties and nights out anymore because they know I won’t attend. I never find the time. All my friendships have taken a hit because of my availability, and it just feels like I haven’t been able to build anything solid with anyone in a romantic sense. I know all that will soon be over, sha, and I’ll have romantic interests and a good social life. Now that I earn a bit more, and one degree is in the bag, I can afford to go out a bit more, and I actually look forward to exploring Lagos and truly enjoying these experiences.
Are there particular things you struggle with? Do you have a support system to help when things get difficult?
The hectic and breathless schedule is one thing, but financially, and by way of motivation, I’m really grateful for my family. They really came through for me, and I felt that support every step of the way, especially when things got too difficult and the pressure was choking. I don’t know where I’d be without my parents and siblings. Things are much better now that I have a job and I don’t have to worry about money as much, but I know that if ever I have to call home, I have support when I need it. I’d like to thank my Aunty, she made staying in Lagos conducive by providing accommodation and feeding too. She’s a major support system as well. Making my siblings, aunty and parents proud was a huge source of motivation for me. It made it even harder to give up, even during the darkest of times.
In what ways do you feel Lagos has shaped who you are right now? What parts of you would be different if you lived somewhere else?
So many ways. Lagos fed my dream. I think about what my life could have been like if I hadn’t studied Accounting in Yabatech, or if I hadn’t been born in Lagos at all. I feel like Lagos has shaped me to be very driven and ambitious, and to always have something to pursue. One of the reasons I was able to complete my ICAN certification and become a Chartered Accountant at 22 is because I saw so many ambitious people in school.
People juggled full-time jobs with a part-time degree and ICAN on the weekends, and being an accountant is something I have always wanted to do, so just being in the company of the same minds motivated me to take these steps early. Lagos comes with its own unique pressure but that pressure can shape you into your best version of yourself. Things may very well have been different if I didn’t get to experience living in Lagos or schooling here, but I’m grateful for everything. I feel like it’s all part of God’s grand design.
If Lagos were a person you had to describe with a word or sentence. How would you describe it?
Nonstop. This the best word I can use to describe Lagos. It simply does not stop.
What’s next on your bucket list?
More qualifications. I want to skill up and learn more. I never want to stop applying myself. I’m looking into taking courses on Data and Financial Analysis, and having that as a career option, should I want that path. Hopefully before the end of the year, I can get started on that journey as well.
What’s the one thing you’d like to say to young people finding their way through Lagos?
You should know that Lagos will shape your mentality, and it’s up to you to decide on whether that will be for good or bad. In Lagos, you pick up so much about life and you will have to make your choices. For me, I had to choose between fun and getting quality education so I can build a thriving career for myself. I chose the latter, and now after some years of rigorous discipline, I can afford to go out more, have varied experiences and enjoy my youth some more. These are some of the hard choices most people will have to make, especially if you’re coming from a background where money is in abundance. There are phases we all have to go through, and it won’t always be comfortable or rosy so you need to make the hard decisions now so you can enjoy later.
*Name has been changed to protect anonymity
Portraits of the City is a Moveee series exploring the relationship people have with places and how these relationships affect their personal lives and career.
