10/10/2026
WHY DOES BEING NIGERIAN SUDDENLY MAKE OUR SKILLS WORTH LESS IN THE GLOBAL WORKPLACE?
This is something I genuinely struggle to understand, especially when it comes to remote work.
You see companies and clients offering freelancers in the US and other countries $20, $50, or even $80 per hour. But when it comes to Nigerians, the budget suddenly drops to $3 per hour, $5 per hour, and, if we're lucky, perhaps $10 per hour.
Many Nigerians end up accepting these low rates because they need the work and the opportunities are not always easy to find. But does that mean our skills are worth less? Does needing a job mean we should have to accept any amount offered to us?
Why should our location determine the value of our work?
Why?
Are we not doing the same work? Are we not bringing the same skills, experience, creativity, time, and effort to the table?
If you ask me NIGERIANS ARE AMONG THE MOST HARDWORKING PEOPLE I HAVE EVER SEEN. We are resourceful, determined, resilient, and willing to put in the work to deliver results. We constantly learn, adapt, improve our skills, and find ways to get the job done, even when the circumstances are far from ideal.
We take our work seriously. We meet deadlines. We solve problems. We go the extra mile because we understand what an opportunity means and how much effort it takes to keep one.
Yet, when it comes to compensation, we are often expected to accept significantly less simply because we live in Nigeria.
And what makes it even more frustrating is that some of the same people who offer these ridiculously low rates will turn around and shame us for being poor.
How do you poor-shame people while offering them wages that make it even harder to improve their financial situation?
Let's even consider the argument that the cost of living in the US is higher than in Nigeria. If a client can afford to pay a freelancer in the US $80 per hour for a particular job, why should a Nigerian freelancer doing comparable work automatically be offered $3 or $5 per hour?
Why can't we discuss rates that are fair, reasonable, and reflective of the skills and value being delivered?
Yes, the cost of living differs from country to country. I understand that. But the cost of living in Nigeria is not zero, either.
WE ALSO PAY BILLS. WE PAY TAXES. WE PAY FOR DATA, ELECTRICITY, EQUIPMENT, AND THE TOOLS WE NEED TO DO OUR JOBS. We invest in training, spend hours developing our skills, and dedicate our time and energy to delivering quality work.
Things are expensive here too, our economy is not smiling at anybody.
So, why should our geographical location become an excuse to undervalue our work?
Imagine being hired for an entire month and offered just $50 for the work you are expected to do. Would that amount fairly compensate you for your time, skills, and effort?
Yet, some people expect Nigerians to accept such offers simply because we are in Nigeria.
HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
We are not asking for handouts. We are not asking anyone to feel sorry for us. We are asking for fair compensation for the work we do.
Being based in Nigeria should not automatically make our skills cheaper. Our nationality should not determine how seriously our work is valued.
If you recognise the value of a person's skills when they live in one country, those same skills do not suddenly become worthless when that person lives in another.
Of course, not every role has the same budget, and rates can vary depending on experience, responsibilities, and the scope of the work. But there is a difference between reasonable differences in compensation and consistently offering people rates that fail to reflect the work expected of them.
YOU CANNOT KEEP PAYING PEOPLE PEANUTS AND THEN TURN AROUND TO SHAME THEM FOR BEING POOR.
If we genuinely want to talk about poverty, opportunity, and economic inequality, we must also be willing to talk about fair pay.
Because people cannot build better lives on determination alone. Hard work deserves a fair opportunity to translate into a decent living.
And being Nigerian should never be a reason to expect less of us while demanding just as much from us.
