No Food For Lazyman: In Nigeria, Lazymen Join Politics, And Eat, While Hardworking Men Starve, by Isaac Asabor

In Nigeria, the adage “No food for lazyman” has long been a moral compass used to emphasize the value of hard work, self-reliance, and diligence. It is the mantra that has motivated generations to pursue an honest living, however difficult it may be. But in today’s political landscape, this saying has been turned on its head, as politics seems to have become the refuge of those who seek to avoid the very hard work the phrase was meant to encourage. In the Nigeria of today, the lazy have found a shortcut: they join politics, accumulate wealth, and live in opulence while hardworking men starve.

Historically, politics in Nigeria was seen as a noble calling. Leaders such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, and Ahmadu Bello were statesmen who served with a sense of duty and a commitment to building a better nation. However, over time, the noble ideals that guided Nigeria’s earliest leaders have eroded. Politics today has become a lucrative industry, a ticket to instant wealth rather than a platform for public service. It has transformed into a game of personal enrichment, leaving hardworking Nigerians, who cling to the ideals of hard work and merit, disillusioned and impoverished.

What makes the Nigerian political class so intriguing is the way they make politics seem like a full-time occupation requiring no qualifications, skills, or even dedication to any discernible cause. As long as you know how to “play the game,” you are in. The system has become such that even individuals with questionable backgrounds or with no history of competence are absorbed into the political machinery and rewarded with immense wealth. All it takes is the right connections, loyalty to the right godfathers, or the ability to manipulate the system.

There is no other profession in Nigeria today that guarantees as much wealth with so little effort as politics. Politicians often spend a fraction of their time in office on governance, leaving the serious work to bureaucrats, while they chase business interests, globe-trot, and accumulate properties at home and abroad. Meanwhile, the hardworking teacher who spends 30 years in a classroom, the farmer who toils under the hot sun, or the civil servant who shows up every day to a poorly paid job, can barely afford to survive.

According to a report by “The Economist”, Nigeria’s lawmakers are among the highest paid in the world, earning more than counterparts in wealthier countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. A Nigerian senator, for instance, earns an estimated ₦13.5 million monthly in “running costs,” aside from their basic salary and allowances. Yet, Nigeria’s minimum wage is a meager ₦30,000, a sum that cannot even sustain an average family in today’s economy.

Where does this wealth come from? For many Nigerian politicians, the answer is simple: contracts, inflated budgets, kickbacks, and in some cases, outright embezzlement. These are the methods by which those who would otherwise struggle to make a living outside politics suddenly become millionaires.

The over-politicization of the Nigerian economy has far-reaching consequences. The over-bloated political class sucks resources away from vital sectors such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure. The system is set up in such a way that hardworking Nigerians are forced to subsidize the lavish lifestyles of politicians through taxes, while the services they desperately need remain underfunded.

For instance, Nigeria’s healthcare system is in a state of disrepair, with poorly paid doctors and nurses forced to strike to demand better conditions. Many of them, frustrated by the lack of opportunities at home, have fled the country in search of better-paying jobs abroad. Yet, politicians have no such worries; they simply board the next available flight to London, Dubai, or New York for medical care, with the costs often borne by the state.

Similarly, in education, public schools are underfunded, and teachers remain some of the most underpaid workers in the country. Meanwhile, the children of the political class are often educated abroad, and when they return, they are slotted into positions of influence, perpetuating the cycle of inequality.

Despite the obvious economic inequalities, Nigeria’s political class loves to pontificate about hard work. Politicians often speak of the need for Nigerians to work harder, be more resilient, and show more patriotism. But the hypocrisy of these statements is glaring. How can a politician who has enriched himself through dubious means tell the struggling worker to work harder? How can a lawmaker who spends more time abroad than in the legislative chambers lecture Nigerians on the values of diligence and responsibility?

This false narrative of hard work is further propagated by a culture of sycophancy in the political arena. Many politicians surround themselves with praise-singers and bootlickers who perpetuate the idea that they have “worked” for their wealth. These praise-singers often themselves hope to be rewarded with appointments or contracts, reinforcing the cycle of political patronage.

While the lazy bask in the spoils of their political positions, the majority of Nigerians live in poverty. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), over 133 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty, lacking access to basic necessities such as healthcare, education, and shelter. These are the people who, despite their hard work, are unable to break the cycle of poverty because the system is rigged against them.

Farmers in rural areas struggle to survive due to poor infrastructure and lack of access to markets. Artisans and small business owners are burdened by multiple taxes and poor electricity supply. Even graduates, despite years of education, cannot find jobs. The average Nigerian works twice as hard to earn one-tenth of what a politician “earns” in a month, yet they are told that they need to be more hardworking.

The question many Nigerians are asking is whether there is any way out of this predicament. Can Nigeria break free from the stranglehold of the political class that seems to have entrenched itself in every aspect of life? The answer lies in systemic reforms. First, there needs to be a re-evaluation of the cost of governance in Nigeria. Reducing the salaries and allowances of politicians would go a long way in discouraging the lazy from using politics as a shortcut to wealth.

Secondly, political offices must be made less attractive. Instead of being positions that offer financial reward, they should be roles that demand sacrifice and service. This could be achieved through greater transparency in governance, stricter anti-corruption measures, and more accountability for public officials.

Finally, there is a need for a cultural shift. Hard work and merit must be valued again. Nigerians must reject the glorification of wealth acquired through politics and begin to celebrate those who genuinely contribute to the country’s development, whether in farming, teaching, healthcare, or business.

In Nigeria, the traditional saying “No food for lazyman” is sadly being rewritten by the reality of a corrupt political class that feeds off the hard work of others. The lazy, through politics, are eating to their fill while the hardworking majority are left to starve. Until this system is dismantled, and real merit and hard work are rewarded, the plight of hardworking Nigerians will only worsen. The lazy may have found a way to eat today, but in the long run, it is Nigeria as a whole that will suffer.