At just 15, while many of his peers were attending extra lessons in preparation for university entrance exams, Solomon Mban was already packing his bags to travel across Nigerian states in search of work. Unlike most teenagers, who lean on their parents for support, Solomon had to step into the adult world early. His mission was simple but demanding—to lift the burden off his parents’ shoulders and contribute to the survival of a large family.
He was not driven by mere curiosity or adventure, but by responsibility. With six siblings—five boys and a girl—and parents who were struggling farmers, Solomon knew the odds were against his family. He understood that inaction would only make things worse. And so, he chose a road less travelled by teenagers: the path of grit, hustle, and relentless sacrifice.
Saturday Tribune found Solomon in the heart of Warri, Delta State, seated at a corner of Ogbe-Ijoh Market. He was energetically haggling over the price of a memory card with a customer. His face, youthful yet hardened by experience, lit up when asked to share his story. With a mixture of pride and vulnerability, he opened up about his incredible journey through states, jobs, and hard lessons.
Solomon Mban hails from Ezzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. He is 19 now, but his journey began shortly after he completed his secondary school education in 2019. “I finished school at 15,” he said, “and I knew I had to do something with my life immediately. I couldn’t just sit back and watch my parents suffer with seven mouths to feed.”
The first chapter of Solomon’s struggle began in Cross River State. There, he joined his brother to learn mechanical skills. However, the dream of becoming a mechanic faded fast. “I couldn’t finish it,” he recalled. “It wasn’t something I liked. I realised I didn’t want to live my life doing something I wasn’t passionate about.”
From Cross River, his path took him to Anambra State. A friend had invited him over, promising a job. Desperate to make ends meet, Solomon didn’t hesitate. But what he found when he arrived shocked him. “The job was begging,” he said, almost with a tinge of shame. “They take sick people to markets to beg. My friend would pose as their relative and collect the money on their behalf, then split the proceeds.”
He reluctantly joined in, despite knowing the deception involved. For 10 long months, he helped lead sick individuals, many of whom had diseases like cancer and sickle cell, through crowded markets, playing the role of a caring companion. “I was earning about N3,000 daily, but I wasn’t happy,” he confessed. “I knew people who could recognise me in Anambra. I was ashamed and afraid they’d tell my parents.”
Eventually, Solomon summoned the courage to leave. He returned to Ebonyi State in 2020 and resumed farming with his father. But the income from farming was barely enough. Not one to stay idle, he later travelled back to Anambra to start pushing wheelbarrows—a labour-intensive job that tested his physical limits.
“Pushing wheelbarrow was very stressful,” he said. “I carried heavy loads for people. Some days I earned N5,000 to N10,000, but I always returned home with aching bones and a breaking body. It wasn’t sustainable.” After about a year, he abandoned it and, once again, returned to his village.
His next break came in 2022 when another friend invited him to Warri. Cautious from his past experience, Solomon asked what the job was all about. “I told him I didn’t want anything that involved begging or deceiving people again,” he said. To his relief, this time, the offer was honest—a small business.
Solomon’s friend lent him N100,000 to start a phone accessories business, with the agreement that he’d repay N200,000 eventually. Armed with determination and basic goods—chargers, memory cards, and cables—he began selling at Ogbe-Ijoh Market. “Everything in this basket is all my stock,” he said, gesturing to the items around him.
The business gave him a new lease on life. On good days, he earned up to N25,000 in profit. But it wasn’t always rosy. “Rainy days are bad for business,” he noted. “When it rains, I stay at home to avoid losses.” Yet, despite the occasional setbacks, Solomon found purpose and profit in his new trade.
His plans now go beyond survival. He dreams of returning to Ebonyi to expand his rice farming, using profits from his business to scale up operations. “I want to farm rice again, but on a bigger scale this time,” he said. “Then I’ll come back here to continue my market business.”
Solomon lamented the high cost of items in 2024 compared to 2023. “I used to buy chargers for N800 and sell for N1,500. Now I buy at N1,800 and sell at N2,500. Life was better in 2023,” he said. His daily profit has dropped from N25,000 to between N10,000 and N15,000, yet he presses on.
His resilience shines through his words, especially when he addresses other young Nigerians. “My advice is simple—hustle. Don’t wait for the government. Nobody is coming to save us. I started hustling early because I knew this,” he said, sounding more like a seasoned entrepreneur than a teenager.
His story is not one of victimhood, but of courage. From being a teenage dropout in a mechanic shop, to a market beggar, then a wheelbarrow pusher and now a growing businessman, Solomon’s journey is a testament to grit and determination.
He has seen the dark side of survival—deception, shame, pain—but refused to let it define him. Instead, he turned every setback into a stepping stone. Today, he stands as a beacon of hope to many youths who think all doors are shut.
When asked what message he has for the government on youth development, Solomon said, “I don’t have anything to say to the government because it is evident that the government does not care about the youths of this country.
“My advice to young people is to hustle. The government doesn’t care about us, so it’s left for us to take our destiny in our hands and make our fortune ourselves. I knew this early that was why I started hustling early,” he declared.
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