Few months ago, I was the head of the digital department at Nigerian SLF in Lekki Free Zone, Lagos marketing pet bottles, detergents, and plastics via online means.
Firstly, my work was from 7am to 7pm. Crazy, right? In three weeks, I generated over 100 conversions for the company, and took our handles to over 6k membership with organic growth. Few weeks ago, I now see some of the products in Osun, and as far as Ondo State! Happy I know this right.
When I talked of resignation, the company added 50k to my salary, making it 200k. I only waited a week after the ad hoc increment. In my last week, I ran several campaigns for the company in NGN1.2 million revenue with the sales department headed by my Chinese boss. Here is it, you can work well in a company, but lack the space for personal development.
I wish the government could intervene to the situation of workers in the free zone. From Ibeju Lekki to Free zone was 300. But from the free zone gate to the company is 200, which is very close compare to the long distance from Eleko, Magbon area to the gate.
You can never make that fortune working for any Chinese company in this free zone area if you are simply an office worker and not an affiliate distributor or a head of the branch in another place in Lagos.
I remember writing to the company to ask for their plan for me, asking for a space to take care of myself and never back down. I didn’t get any reply. I seemed to be different asking for such and then, the company feels like I wouldn’t be a forever worker. I said, listen, I’m a passionate individual about media who’s always ready to learn and become a man of myself.
If freedom is the goal, hybrid work in Lagos will not save you. Though remote one will make you seem stupid at some time, let your time worth it. We are potential global talents who have been sent further backwards because of our country. We are trained to become freelancers and workers and not holders, shareholders and initiator of a potential large economy.
If this system is wired in a way that you see yourself as inferior to your employer, buyer and hybrid MD, then there is a problem to that so called freedom because it gradually becomes a fleeting illusion.
If you’ve experienced any of these especially in the Free Zone, please let your voice to this awareness so that the relevant body can come to the rescue of the workers. They deserve better life! If I could escape this by resigning from my position, tens of hundreds of Nigerians cannot, and some are still there. They don’t see the day at all.
When I was here, I only see the day on Sundays. I would leave home as early as 5:50am, sometimes 6am after Fajr prayer and get to work by 6:40am or 7:30am lately. A minute after 7:30am would attract a question or query to my boss who would in turn talk to me and asked me why I came late.
Vehicles for workers from the gate are not enough and also very expensive. After running a month, 200k salary would remain 25k to 30k naira savings or even less.
There should be a body that will come for Nigerian workers in these companies. These companies are doing well in terms of salary payment, but these workers have no single minute to take care of themselves. They chase survival, day in, day out.
My experience here is golden and I will forever appreciate learning digital skills in the past which makes me open to opportunities and can easily hustle for my income via LinkedIn, Upwork or Fiverr.
We are in big trouble and nobody is saying anything. Nothing is working and we are no longer workers, but digital slaves. This is not an expansion of a celebrated economy but a reflection of an abject poverty plundering the nation. You are not a digital guru if there is no freedom!
Who will come to our rescue?!
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