The life we’re made to live, the perception friends and even foes have of us is an illusion, the more you look, the less you see. Those were the words of Rachael Kada as I asked about her job and monthly earnings in one of Nigeria’s foremost multinational Oil and Gas companies.

Irrespective of being a mid-management staff of a renowned multinational Oil and Gas company, Rachael is a restless entrepreneur with 3 flourishing small businesses and intent to invest in more. For what we know or perceive of the average Nigerian oil worker, they are comfortable enough to avoid the headaches of the entrepreneurial life. Depending on the company, average industry salaries starts at $45,000 to $140,000 per annum, this is enough to make them an envy in a country like Nigeria.

For so long, Nigerian Oil and Gas workers have been the uber-loved citizens of any Nigerian community or city, they are our favorite aunty and uncles, the ones whose advice our parents will gladly take at the expense of their own wisdom, their children were a delight to the teachers in school, they are seen as the most enlightened in our villages, benevolent spirits, they paid the fees of most members of their extended family, every one looked up to them for survival and livelihood, they received the most respect, were accorded highest privileges and positions in churches. They were easily accorded the positions of deacon and deaconess in church than other members, donation and fund raising events usually would be put off if they happened to be unavailable. They lived the good life everyone else desired, they are the ones who fly abroad often for vacation, their kids attended the best of schools, when they die, everyone who crossed their path during their lifetime ensures to attend their funeral. Even in death, they enjoyed the privileges of reverence.

Somehow they happened to live longer and healthier than anyone else, they stayed longer on their jobs, some putting in twenty five to thirty years before retiring. Job security is usually guaranteed or so we were made to believe.

Rachael thinks those were the good old days, she says everything we think or know about the current generation of Oil workers is a hoax. “They rather envy you and would love to be in your shoes, hustling with certainty that it’s your money at the end of the day”. She argues that this current crop are not staying longer on their jobs because of Job security but because they are bound by loans that need many years to service, they no longer interact freely or even let you know where they work because they are burdened with outstretched arms asking for support from their salaries. They no longer want to be the benevolent spirits we once knew and here is why:

You get this job, everyone thinks it’s fantastic. It actually is, especially if you look around you and consider the economic situation and unemployment rate but its only fantastic for the first 5 years so you start out, making millions every year, opportunity to travel the world, free food from the office cafeteria. For men; girls following you, for women; men afraid to follow you.

You have this career built up in your head, and you plan on working hard to achieve it, then your family members start making demands, you have social, community and even spiritual demands etc. Cost of living continues to build up (only for you), you get married, have children and need a good car for yourself, wife and a good house that befits your ‘status’ and dreams

Then you notice you cant cough out 15 million to buy a land to build house because even if your salary is N1m per month and allowances are another 6 to 8m annually, you have living expenses and so you don’t have bulk money.

This is the point where cooperatives and banks cash in on you. They tell you to take loans to achieve these dreams, Don’t forget, the guy that married needed to spend at least N5m on the wedding, he needs to set up a business for his wife, have girlfriends with expenses in addition to having a wife.

Back to the issue of housing, you finally get the loan to buy a land and you are under pressure to build. Don’t forget that you also need to rent an apartment, pay for 2 years and furnish. Suddenly, you realize that to buy a car for yourself and your wife plus build up the house, you need a second loan probably more than N15m so you try to get N30m so u can build, furnish and buy cars. Your parents and siblings will possibly be on standby with problems and most times, their problems will eat into these loans or your salary, then you have your church and social commitments always on standby.

At this point you are indebted to a bank and Coop for a total of 50m which will take you at least 5 to 7 years to pay off if you are strict (with an Interest rate of 20%.)

With this, you have a picture of the first 10 years of the life of an oil worker, let’s move on to phase two.

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

Just when you think you are about to rest, you have to make bigger commitments. You may be transferred to another city and may need to get a house there. Some may want to build in the village, others want to invest in properties etc, and so you take the next set of loans… another 8 to 10 years hustle.

After 15 to 20 years, you suddenly realize that you have only been working to pay off loans and live an average life. If you want to travel abroad on vacation, that’s another topic.

You remember that career I told you about? The initial plan?

At this point you realize that the kind of politics you need to play to get it may overwhelm you or even change you to someone else. You may also need to spend some more money and invest a lot of emotions and still will not get there. All these while, you were boxed into a small community, an illusion, thinking you’ve attained elite status, cut off from the reality of the outside world, 20 years after, you realize you will soon retire but then your kids start getting into college so you have to double up, you start getting frustrated.

For most people, it always ends like a sad movie, you turn to look around you and your friends on the outside who hustled for the first 10 years of his or her life can afford to give you a loan, they’re more relevant in their communities than you are, better satisfaction and fulfillment because they are in touch with reality. There is a high probability that we die soon after we retire due to our inability to readjust to a normal life.

This is the life of today’s ‘oil worker’, it’s the reason I’m neck deep in running small businesses aside my job in a multinational.

*Rachael Kada: Real names substituted to conceal her identity.

http://thenerveafrica.com/7491/the-illusion-of-big-pay-nigerian-oil-gas-workers-aint-exactly-what-you-think/

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Nobody is exactly what you think

Oliviaxx:
Yea.still...I wanna be an oil worker!

Yeah, everyone does. But then, there are so many other silent money spinning jobs out there.

Hard Truth. We all thought we could do better. Yes while some are very disciplined, you still have to do a lot of things based on financial power and status. You want the best schools for kids, you want the best areas to live at. You dont want to be driving a range rover home in Ajegunle.

And, wow, 20 % interest on cooperative Loan? Which Oil Company is that? They must have raised their own capital. No, boss. In ours they get it for that from the bank and add their own interest of about 2-5 percent. Making it between 22 to 25 per cent for the loan.

While, I will not discourage anyone from getting a job in the industry whether as Regulator, Contractor or Operator, they must plan their lives properly.

At the beginning you buy clothes and sew new natives,you buy shoes etc. After a few years you wear 1 shirt for 2 years. You spend more on people than on your self. It is to take solace in the fact that one has helped people in need at least.

It is why I swore I must delve into business. A lot of workers have damned the conflict of interest bla bla bla and gone ahead to set up business establishments. "We cannot come and go and die"

The grass always looks greener on the other side.
Sometimes the reason we struggle with insecurity in our lives is because we compare our behind-the-scenes circumstances with everyone else’s public highlight reel.

Oye worker is still the most lucrative job. Just let me get is 1st worry about the responsibilities attached to it !!!

Biko, i deserve an explanation frm my muslim brodas and sisters...


you mean dem no day kill ram for dis celebration

Oliviaxx:
Yea.still...I wanna be an oil worker!

No mind the OP ooo.



Cars , houses illusion.

Everybody wants the illusion.

Oliviaxx:
Yea.still...I wanna be an oil worker!

oh baby i concur.

Issorite...Thanks for the info, all those one wey u talk nah for your pocket. I'll gladly jump at it if offered a job with a Oil MNC

joedams:
Depending on the company, average industry salaries starts at $45,000 to $140,000 per annum, this is enough to make them an envy in a country like
You have this career built up in your head, and you plan on working hard to achieve it, then your family members start making demands, you have social, community and even spiritual demands etc. Cost of living continues to build up (only for you), you get married, have children and need a good car for yourself, wife and a good house that befits your ‘status’ and dreams

Then you notice you cant cough out 15 million to buy a land to build house because even if your salary is N1m per month and allowances are another 6 to 8m annually, you have living expenses and so you don’t have bulk money.

To overcome this challenges is simple discipline and discretion. One person's palaver does not mean it will happen to his neighbours.
Infact it is Because they spoilt you that you have to paste rubbish. Because you earn above N1m per month does not imply you buy land worth N15m when there are affordable lands scattered all over the country.
and you don't have to rent a mansion to show you are an oil worker.
As for spiritual demand, I don't know which witch still dey follow you and wey still allow you to dey remain as oil worker

Gbam

True but I still want a job there

I still want the Job in any oil company even with all u have said

after all said and done, i still wanna be an oil worker. Shikena

U don spoil my mind abt my uncle now

Oliviaxx:
Yea.still...I wanna be an oil worker!

@Oliviaxx you dey vex !

Oya receive it !

Op . . .

Oliviaxx:
Yea.still...I wanna be an oil worker!

good 4 u

oyel worker i still want to be

Please who has 50million naira to pay back 80million in 10years?

Well, she couldn't manage. And not everybody may end up that way.

These are stories...

A lot of persons are still achievers no matter what... Oil firm or not, those who make things happen will keep at it.

This is what a friend told me about Saraki.

Saraki is cursed by his father that's why he's going through all these. I'm here working my ass out, and no father's curse. If this is what a father's curse does, then I want to be like Saraki.

Whether you work in oyeh kompini or not, life's equation of demand and supply still holds. Sheekaynah

"For men; girls following you, for women; men afraid to follow you".....what an irony!

You dont ve wat to say, how many Nigerians earns up to 1m a month? Anyone who ends up to a million naira a month and cant plan his life to achieve basics of life without resulting to loan should check hmself well. Life is not how much u earn but how much u plan. So if u see the next oil job, abeg call me,even if its for 6 months

Really?? :oo
But it's still better than staying at home or being underemployed
#eledaspeak

This write-up is too fictional.Why would any sane salary earner obtain humongous loan for marriage?Why can't I own a house with the figures mentioned?I still want to be an oil worker!

Truth is 90℅ of Nigerians would kill to live the lifestyle op just described # fact.

The illusion is a good illusion, better than no job.