President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory at the Supreme Court has sealed his fate as the leader of Nigeria for the next four years. Many Nigerians are worried about what this means for their future and well-being. As a social scientist, I have some advice on how to cope with the ‘Storm Jagaban’ and stay alive.
(1) JAPA/Relocation:
Nigeria is a country that favors the rich and exploits the poor. The poor have little chance of escaping poverty in Nigeria. That is why some religious leaders blame it on ‘village people’. The best option for you may be to leave the country and seek greener pastures elsewhere. Running away is not cowardice. It is wisdom.
(2) Get close to God:
Karl Max called religion the ‘opium of the masses’. He thought it was a way for the workers to find comfort when the middle class oppressed them. But I think religion is more than that. Religion can open doors and give hope in hard times. You will need hope under Tinubu’s administration of trial and error policies.
(3) Learn a skill:
You need to be creative and innovative in these times. I watched Mark Angel’s interview with Teju Babyface. He said he made up to $250,000 monthly from making skits online since 2017 before the market became crowded. That is amazing if it is true. You need to find your own niche and make money from it. It can be anything legal. This is the time to take risks and go all out.
(4) Join APC:
This may sound controversial, but it is not for everyone. My wife laughed when she read this part. Joining the All Progressives Congress, APC may be a good survival strategy. If you can’t fight them, you may have to join them. Look at Tonto Dikeh, who joined APC after bashing them on social media. She knows what she is doing. This is not the time to be rigid.
(5) Build your mental strength:
Hard times can affect your mental health negatively. And when your mental health suffers, so does your physical and social health. You need to be resilient and use your coping skills to stay healthy and happy. As a Psychologist, I recommend Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, CBT. You can research it online and practice it. If you are sad or depressed for too long, you may develop a mental disorder.
(6) Become a religious leader/motivational speaker:
During the Great Depression of the 1930s in the U.S., religious leaders and motivational speakers thrived. They offered messages of hope to people who were desperate and hopeless. History shows that revival-tent preaching was popular in the Midwest and South, as traveling preachers lived on donations. People needed reassurance then, just like Nigerians do now. If Tinubu continues to mess with the fuel price and the naira in this present situation, Nigerians will need more than reassurance. They will need miracles.
