Chude* believes that working with a private company does not give the kind of job security a government job gives. After trying for five years and getting scammed, he’s still hopeful he’ll get one someday.

How long have you worked?

Eight years; I got my first job immediately after NYSC in 2016. I felt lucky because many of my friends struggled to find their feet after youth service.

The job was an entry-level job, and the pay was fair since the package came with accommodation. I also didn’t mind because it was taking me out of my state. But looking back now, I’m not sure it was the best decision for me. While the job paid my bills, the risks were too high.

I was a loan officer at a microfinance company. I’ve never been that stressed physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had to chase people to get them to take loans, and then chase them to repay the loans.

Debtors are the worst! Especially the aggressive ones. Many of them would avoid you, lie to you, or even threaten you. I can’t count the number of close calls I’ve had with debtors who threatened physical harm.

A debtor once accused me of assaulting her and then called police officers to arrest me. I spent a night in jail. You would think that was an occupational hazard or something, and the company would come to your rescue. Nothing like that happened.

Management didn’t care if you were assaulted or hurt on the job. In fact, sometimes, most of my salary went into paying loans I didn’t collect. It was so frustrating.

For how long were you at the microfinance company?

Three years and five months.

Why did you stay that long?

I was hoping for a promotion to a role like manager that wouldn’t require me to be so involved in loan retrieval. I was told that if I had a consistently high loan collection rate, I’d be considered for the promotion, and I achieved that goal, even if it meant my salary going into it. But it was one story after another, and the promotion did not come.

Instead, I think my results made them keep me in that position.

I kept asking for the promotion, and I was getting told different stories. Finally, I reached my breaking point and resigned.

How did you manage after that?

I had some savings (ajo) that sustained me for a while, but it started getting tough because I tried getting another job, but it wasn’t happening as fast as I wanted it.

I actually didn’t want another job in a private company, so my target was either a state or federal government job because it offers more stability.

After almost five months searching for a job, I decided to learn interior and exterior lighting, and my parents paid for the 12-month training.

We traveled a lot for many contracts because my boss had regular clients, and I got paid for assisting. But after I finished my training and it was time to have my own business, my income flow was no longer consistent. Some months were good, but others were slow. So in 2021, I resumed looking for government jobs.

How did that go?

Actually, I’m still on it. It’s really been tough. Since 2021, I’ve applied whenever there’s an opening. I’ve tried local government jobs and paramilitary jobs too, but nothing has worked out.

To make it worse, I’ve been scammed at least three times in the process. There are some people who will ask you to pay some money and promise to get you a slot. A friend who recently got a placement with the federal government sent one guy my way.

I could have sworn it was genuine since my friend’s job was proof of the guy’s abilities, or so I thought. He charged ₦300k. I didn’t have it, but I borrowed from family and friends. But six months after paying the money, it was one excuse after another.

Turns out he was also a third party in the process. There were no longer openings at that time, but the person he was communicating with kept giving him the assurance. Well, that one went down the drain.

Another time, it was ₦150k. Five of us in a group were promised slots from the quota given to a House of Representative member for a paramilitary job. None of us heard from him again after many excuses.

You know, each time something like this happened, I promised myself I’d be more cautious, but these people always seem to devise new ways to scam desperate job seekers.

I’ve traveled to another state to write a test for a job that doesn’t exist just so they can prove they are working on getting me the job. It’s been really frustrating. But I don’t want to give up.

Why? Aren’t you affected by all you go through?

Well, I am. I’m always ashamed when I have to explain to my family and friends who supported me that I didn’t get those jobs. Also, my hopes were raised with each attempt, but some of those disappointments have brought me to my lowest points in life.

People keep telling me to focus on the skill I learnt or get a job with a private company, but I don’t think I want to do that. I’ll keep surviving with the number of clients I get for now, but I still need something stable. I want job security, and I know I can get it from a government job.

Once I get it, I know that I have something long-term, especially as I get older. So, despite everything, I still apply whenever there’s an opening, but I am more careful now when asked to pay to get these jobs. I still believe I’ll get the job one day.

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