Disclaimer: The author of this article does not encourage, endorse or promote yahoo yahoo or any other form of dishonesty.

NB: Please do not comment on this post unless you have read to the end.

Introduction
Yahoo yahoo is a generic nomenclature used in Nigerian palance to describe the act of defrauding people both online and offline. Those who engage in such act are normally refered to as "yahoo boys" even though it's not limited to boys. Synonyms of yahoo yahoo include but not limited to 419, scammers, G boys, etc.

There has been a tremendous increase in the act of yahoo yahoo in the recent time. In fact, it has become so much widespread and enjoy massive acceptance throughout the length and breathe of the Nigerian society.

Why is this dastardly act so welcomed by all and sundry? What are the short term and long term effects on the sociopolitical landscape of this nation? How can the fire of yahoo yahoo be contained? Read on...

Why yahoo yahoo is so much accepted
The Nigerian society is divided into two contrasting categories - the rich and the poor. The rich are majorly people within the corridor of power. These people and their dependants have surplus money to spend. They do not have separate market where they shop. They shop from the same market where the poor shop. Their spending patterns, especially in hospitality sector and other sectors too, trigger artificial inflation that have significant impact on the low income earners. The higher the inflation, the higher the rate of poverty. Up to a point, the poor only work for survival. At this point, whatever is necessary to survive, is welcome. Yahoo yahoo happens to be the easier way out, it becomes a necessity for survival.

As people started to embrace yahoo yahoo as survival strategy, more money are being brought into the economy without a corresponding production of value. Consequently, inflation goes up to magnitude that legitimate means of income can no longer guarantee the provision of basic necessities, thus, more people embrace the act and the cycle continues till it becomes a lifesaver...

Nobody cares how you made your money. Parents only want you to bring money. Girlfriend wants only money. Wife is interested in only money. Children always have demand for money. Church is after your money. Neighbors, relatives, friends and well-wishers, all they want is money. No one cares where the money comes from. But do you blame them?

Globalization has played a significant role in the growth of yahoo yahoo. Internet giants keep pushing adverts of flashy and luxury items to people all the time. These items are easily gotten no matter your location. Even people who do not have means of income want to feel among by using what others are using too. Also, by being able to afford them, yahoo boys help developed countries get rid of fairly used items from their country.

The short term impact of yahoo yahoo on the economy
The reality is that almost all the sectors of our economy is down. The country does not generate enough value that can sustain the economy. Consequently, people are not generating wealth. As a result, the economy largely depend on the money from Yahoo yahoo to stay afloat. With the high cost of building materials, only few people are capable of building. Majority of building projects currently are owned by yahoo boys. Majority of hotels currently are patronized by them. They are the ones that have the mind to buy cars at their current prices. They are the ones that mostly patronize electronic sellers etc. So in the short term, FOREX from Yahoo yahoo to a large extent is what is lubricating the economy at this difficult time.

Now imagine what would have been the plight of building materials traders, hotel owners, furniture traders, real estate owners etc in this harsh economy without the huge amount of money being spent by these guys.

On several occasions I've seen members of NDLEA searching people's phones. What are they looking for? They want evidence to tag you a yahoo boy and then extort you. Almost every security agencies now are after yahoo boys. Why? Because the money they make from extorting them is good enough to compliment their salaries.

Now imagine what the country would have turned to in the face of hyper inflation without yahoo yahoo? Armed robbery would have been widespread to the extent that the police would have been overwhelmed. Now imagine widespread armed robbery and kidnapping at a time when we are battling with terrorism and banditry coupled with massive protests because most people won't have been able to feed let alone pay hospital bills. The country would have just exploded.

The long term impact of yahoo yahoo
The Nigerian society has produced a lot of millionaires who cannot point at something and say, "this is the source of my income". We spend a lot of money even when we do not create values. Money is reward for value. When there is money without a corresponding value created, money becomes valueless. The more valueless money becomes, the more useless and ultimately results in a hyperinflation.

The prevalence of yahoo yahoo has caused the death of every other form of value. Creating values that results in wealth are no longer obtainable. If nothing is done urgently, we might get to a level where we will not have doctors in our hospitals, we will not have accountants, engineers etc because the quest to get rich quick is the only thing that matters, every other thing like school, learning trade, acquiring skills etc, no longer matter.

ICT is the future of the world. Without sound education in areas like AI, quantum physics, biotech etc, we might just go oblivion. But those who are supposed to bend down and acquire the academic competence are busy doing yahoo yahoo. Do you blame them? Individuals provide their own electricity, they provide security for themselves, they provide education for themselves at high cost, they provide potable water for themselves and communities maintain their roads by themselves. How can they Concentra and study while they're yet to provide basic amenities for themselves? The politicians are busy with election embezzling even the future of 39 generations yet unborn.

Sadly, the political leaders do not realize that without a"home", no matter how much you have, you will never enjoy the money. If yahoo yahoo is not curbed, Nigeria will get to a point of no return and there will be no place called a "home" for anybody.

Conclusion
The politicians used to drag inflation with their extravagant spending, it is now the turn of yahoo boys. They have dragged the price of house rent to a point that no salary earner can now rent a three bedroom apartment within my neighborhood. They pay any amount for any clothes they like. They run all the bars and carry all the beautiful girls. But they are equally the ones giving out contract so that oil can touch the lips of a common man. Are salary earners done with exogenous expenses let alone having savings for capital project? So we reject yahoo yahoo with our lips while signalling them to come with our gestures. What an irony!


Please note: I left school since 7 years ago. If you find it hard to understand what I wrote, kindly read again because I dropped pen after school and picked up measuring tape


Cc Seredebe

If you guys had just stopped at yahoo yahoo maybe we could have understood the hunger or poverty excuse but you guys have now turned to ritual killers and destiny stealers. Rumor in town is that only few of you really have the brain to do fraud that involves critical thinking, the others na just love scam or plain ritualist.
Bottomline, you guys should repent, learn a digital skill and still remotely earn that forex you are bragging about without the attendant devastating effect you guys are having on innocent victims.

When you go write story about bandits, kidnappers,the real Yahoo men's(politicians)...make ena allow us rest about Yahoo boys dis and day,Sabi na oyinbo Dem de scam,d politicians scamming ena face to face,talk about them na!

The OP is analytic
But nothing justifes sin
Like you said money without value generated...

uthlaw:
When you go write story about bandits, kidnappers,the real Yahoo men's(politicians)...make ena allow us rest about Yahoo boys dis and day, Sabi na oyinbo Dem de scam, d politicians scamming ena face to face,talk about them na!

@ the bolded, they don't scam only oyibo. In fact, the number of yahoo boys that focus on scamming locals is almost the same as those that scam oyibo. You may not understand how badly things have gone until the day you would want to rent a new apartment, you will come back here and wail

9jatriot:
If you guys [/b]had just stopped at yahoo yahoo maybe we could have understood the hunger or poverty excuse but [b]you guys have now turned to ritual killers and destiny stealers. Rumor in town is that only few of you really have the brain to do fraud that involves critical thinking, the others na just love scam or plain ritualist.
Bottomline, you guys should repent, learn a digital skill and still remotely earn that forex you are bragging about without the attendant devastating effect you guys are having on innocent victims.

I hope you're not indirectly calling me a yahoo boy

uncleck:

I hope you're not indirectly calling me a yahoo boy

Don't mind him. Either he didn't read your write up or he didn't understand what you wrote.

Nice read

Seredebe:
Nice read

Thank you

Yankee101:
The OP is analytic
But nothing justifes sin
Like you said money without value generated...

Sin is sin

Thanksful:


Don't mind him. Either he didn't read your write up or he didn't understand what you wrote.

Thank you

God bless the writer. Lalasticlala this topic should see greener pastures.

Nice write up

[s]

helinues:
Nice write up

[/s]

WhizdomXX:
God bless the writer. Lalasticlala this topic should see greener pastures.

Bless you too

helinues:
Nice write up

Thanks