There is a running gag among young Nigerians that being a Nigerian in Nigeria is such a hellish experience that no one who has experienced such in life should have to go through the pangs of hell. It is easy to understand the sentiment.
After unnecessarily going through the torment that is Nigeria, that should serve as punishment enough. We should be compensated with a spot in heaven. If not a mansion, at least a boys’ quarter. 

I wish that argument were right, though. Seeing people suffer through life, thanks to no fault of theirs, it is easy to wish that were the end of their suffering. 
Alas, life after death is not determined by how much suffering the person has endured or lived through. 

The mindset of “I’ve lived through hell, I must make it to heaven” is also one that people adopt to life-long consequences. They believe that just because their past was jagged and ugly, their future has to be rosy, smooth, and beautiful. 

All of this while making no concrete plans on how to change their fortunes. They don’t train or educate themselves. Their skills, despite being outdated, aren’t being upgraded. They won’t save or invest for the future. Yet they dream of better days. 

Just as a life in heaven after death is predicated on specific steps to find salvation, before death, so is turning your fortunes on earth around. Creating wealth, growing a business, getting a great job, and every other thing you can wish for is not brought by wishful thinking. 

There are a lot of happenings that are beyond our control.  For example, being born a Nigerian, or the wealth class of our parents. But when we eventually realize that this is what we have been born into, it is up to us to realign ourselves, retrain ourselves, and work towards a better tomorrow. 

Imagine the double jeopardy of experiencing hell on earth just by being Nigerian in Nigeria, then proceeding to spend eternity in hell. It seems unfair, but it is assured for some people. 

So is living a life without plans. It is guaranteed to result in a future of anguish. At one point, you need to start aiming for heaven. Even if life in Nigeria is never going to be heaven on earth, you can make yours as close to one as possible.

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