From pushing menial jobs to rising to being a content executive, Franklin Ogude has seen the intricacies of both worlds, and in this conversation, he speaks of his years of adaptation and several detours as he chases financial stability. This is Franklin’s story as told to Godswill Inneh as part of Moveee’s Entrepreneurial Spirit story series.
Life, as they say, has no manual, and that cannot be truer in my case. All my life, I’ve had to hop from one path to another, all in a bid to hack the survival code. I’ve gone as far as frying snacks and screeding walls to make money. I’ve literally done anything, without minding its nature, so long as it’s legit and can meet my basic necessities of life at the time.
My first introduction to the hustling cycle came in 2012 when I worked with Zestuna Waters. As a motor boy, my job was simple: Load and offload bags of pure water daily. Come rain, come shine, the bags had to be transported, and that was my daily routine. The work was physically exhausting, but it paid, and that was all that mattered.
A year later, I moved to Cospharma Relax, where I worked the factory lines, and soon enough, I had to look for something better, which led me to Chuks Tech Aluminium, where I began my apprenticeship in aluminium fabrication. By 2015, I had learned and soon enough launched my own aluminium fabrication practice, Sire Franklin’s Aluminium World. For the first time, I tasted independence, and it was truly liberating. Although the jobs weren’t coming regularly, when they did, they paid enough for me to stock my kitchen, take care of myself, and occasionally help others. It was sweet being independent and being at the helm of my affairs, but I didn’t enjoy this for long.
In 2018, I gained admission into Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. This brought a shift in my hustling. Sticking with my periodic gigs was no longer sufficient, and I had to look for other means to survive. I took up any avenue to make some extra cash and keep myself afloat. When school is in session, I take tutorials where I charge a fee, and during semester breaks, I load buses for QueensMeal Foods. In 2020, I ventured into farming, working for Somas Farms in Umuahia, Abia State.
As much as I was chasing the bag, I didn’t let that affect my primary reason for being in DELSU. I also became a student ambassador for the DELSU work-study scheme. I ventured into journalism first with Oasis Magazine for my SIWES placement towards the end of my undergraduate studies, and later with MMS Plus Media, writing and reporting in a space many people thought was impractical. In all these, these detours weren’t always glamorous or easy, but as long as it was legal and could meet my basic needs, then I’m up for it.
One thing I’ve learned and lived by for the past 13 years, as I’ve begun exploring various means to build my finances, is that integrity matters. Delivering your best, even under the whims and caprices of a difficult boss, builds a reputation that can outlast any paycheck. And most importantly, when income is inconsistent, financial discipline is survival. I planned towards everything I acquired. I didn’t spend like I had a stash somewhere because I didn’t. I saved at my own pace until I could get what I needed.
Money to me is beyond an exchange for physical items. It is a currency-like attitude that gives relationship and life satisfaction.
Running a business gave me financial stability as I didn’t have to be at the mercy of anyone by month end. Now in a structured role as a content executive at BrandSpur Media, I am still a long way off from my desired height. A critical experience I’ve had during my hustling days was dealing with people’s judgment. There have been moments in the past when the weight of other people’s judgment threatened to crush my confidence. When it was becoming overwhelming, I spoke to people I respect and they told me, “whoever is ashamed of you should give you something better. If they can’t, let them rest.” This single injunction shaped how I view external opinions on my efforts. Another mindset I cultivated and constantly reminded myself of was that I had no help aside from God, and if I spent like my friends who had support, I would be continuously living in the same circle I was trying to break out of.
If I could go back in time, I would have started a stronger saving habit earlier, ignored distractions such as parties, and approached education with more seriousness when I was younger. Nevertheless, I won’t live my life dwelling on regrets but will remain focused on achieving my financial goal. For now, I and money are easy-going. It may not always be at my disposal, but when it’s needed for something important, it definitely turns up. One habit I’ve lived by over the years is to strategically plan towards everything I acquire and not just spend like I had money stacked up somewhere. I know I didn’t, so I plan, save up and get whatever I want at my pace.
The constant societal demand for young Nigerians to “figure it out” quickly has done more harm than good. It’s why there’s so much moral decadence, so much fraud. Parents here often fail their children, then try to live out their failed dreams through them- children they’ve barely cared for.
For anyone stuck financially, don’t give in to the pressures and disguised rebukes. People will talk you down. Society will do the same. But pay no heed to them and rather focus on setting your priorities right. Family may only respect you when you start taking on financial responsibilities, then try to drain you. Work and pray. Even if your dream looks opaque, keep at it. You’re only limited if you choose to be.
Entrepreneurial Spirit is a Moveee series focusing on the entrepreneurial pursuit of Africans, detailing their experiences and relationships with building enterprises and how this seeps into their life and work.
