There is no constraint on the human mind, no wall around the human spirit no barrier to our progress except those that we ourselves erect. — Roland Rogan

Growing up in Nigeria, there are certain slangs and phrases that we have used and has shaped the way we think about money from how much we’re going to have and how much opportunities that we see around us and if we are going to take advantage of these opportunities.

For so many, the reason why they are poor is not the lack of money or lack of opportunities that is available to them, but because of the mindset they have grown with over the years. This mindset is expressed in their day to day communication, which in the long run keeps them poor and constantly failing to recognizing opportunities that are in front of them.

Here are 5 Nigerian slang that has shaped our money mindset;

1. There is no money in Nigeria

This phrase is mostly used especially when we have things to do financially and we don’t have enough money to do them, then we conclude by saying there is no money in Nigeria, what are we going to do?

Sometimes the reason why I think most people think this way is what the media has portrayed and told us about money in Nigeria and there is no enough of it  and this gives us the wrong assumption that there is shortage of wealth that can go around for everybody.

Most people never get wealthy simply because they are not trained financially to recognize opportunities are in front of them.

So, the next time you’re tempted to say there is no money in Nigeria, why don’t you say there’s so much money in Nigeria and my mind is open to opportunities and ideas that will bring in a lot of this money to me soon about that.

 

2. Follow who know road

The slang means to imitate and follow those who have achieved what you want to achieve.  In order to build a mindset that can achieve anything as a Nigerian, you must learn from those who have already achieved the things that you want to achieve or planning to do.

I know in Nigeria it is  very common for successful people to show off their success and show up your wealth without ever telling you exactly how they did it or how they started; but that is changing already. For example, there’s this Nigerian YouTuber (Tayo Films) that shows the successes of small businesses in Nigeria and also there’s another part that shows businesses in Africa, where people tell their story of how they started and how they created a successful business from catering, shoes making, food, fashion, music etc.

So why not follow those who know road by learning from them, follow them or social media, listen to their interviews, watch why and how they do their business and soon you will be as successful and wealth as they are.

 

 

 

3. SAPA

SAPA means the state of being broke, spending extravagantly.

These are very emotional spenders, when they they feel good they spend, when they feel bad and they need to feel good they spend; they don’t budget and they don’t save.

To build a successful or rich mindset requires two things, consistency and self control; and saving helps you develop these two skills. There is no doubt that saving your money would yield very little profits when kept in the bank and this could somethings discourage you from saving; but as mentioned earlier you will imbibe the habit of consistency and self control and these habits are very important If you want to build a wealthy and a  successful life and business.

So you might ask, where do I start saving from?

Well, some people think that because they don’t  earn enough, that means they cannot save but that’s not true exactly. If you do not earn enough, that’s a good time for you to save because you don’t earn enough. You can start by saving a small percentage of your income, remember it about the habit your form from doing it and not necessarily the savings at the early stage.

You use an app called Piggyvest to help you save. You can download the app on the Google Play Store and Apple apps.

 

4. Ma’Fo

 

This is a Yoruba slag, it means Don’t Break or Resilience.

You see in Nigeria and life in general, there are lots of obstacles could work against us. You see, most successful entrepreneurs or individuals did not break when they are faced with limitations or problems rather, they saw the problem as an opportunity for them to come up with a solution that can be sold as a service or a product.

Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. The goal of resilience isn’t to just survive, but try thrive.

 

5. The Good Old Days

 

You must have heard the saying ‘before when Nigeria was good or when dollar was cheaper than it is today, things were good’.  

This statement is not exactly true because back in those days, people also complained about the economy and how bad things were. So, wishing for the good old days is a mirage and it doesn’t really exist because you see; having this mindset prevent us from seeing the opportunities that are in front of us right now and the possibilities of the future.

Success and wealth belong to those who live in the present and not in the past.

In every age. The good old days when no one ever thought in a good at a time for every age has consisted of crisis that seems intolerable to the people who live through them.