On work

In one popular song entitled ‘Work,’ by a talented Nigerian musician, Adekunle Gold, people are encouraged to work hard. This is just as God’s inspired word, The Bible, says in Ecclesiastes Chapter 9, Verse 10: that whatever your hand finds to do, do with all your might. Work whether paid or unpaid, is good for our health and well-being.

It contributes to our happiness, helps us to build confidence as well as self-esteem and can reward us financially.

Work is an essential tool through which individuals can achieve their goals, flourish, and live happy, meaningful lives.

One simple definition of work, according to the Cambridge dictionary is an activity, such as a job, that a person uses physical or mental effort to do, usually for money.

Work has different dimensions; work for making a living and work for developing one’s talent and potential. Work is a virtue and necessity, which requires the utilisation of time and energy. Man is in control of his time and energy when he voluntarily and constructively works.

However, there are many issues seriously affecting work and workers in Nigeria today; issues of unemployment, poor remuneration/wages, poor working environment and conditions and casualisation of workers, among others. Many people experience poverty and unemployment through no fault of their own.

Many who are able to work, willing to work hard and even actively searching for work, are still unable to find work. They are unemployed.

Unemployment and poverty are two of the major issues currently affecting Nigeria’s economy and the society. In fact, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data on unemployment, unemployment increased in Nigeria from 21 million in 2018 to 23 million in 2019. Nigeria has also been ranked as the nation with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty, with 93.7 million people measured to be living on less than $1.90 (N684 at the time) per day by June 2019.

This is disheartening and calls for urgent measures to be put in place, in order to reduce the high rate of unemployment and poverty in the country.

Nevertheless, despite the high rate of unemployment, the situation is not necessarily hopeless. People can still find some meaningful work to engage in, even though it may be small. If you are unemployed or cannot find a job in your area of particular interest, it is wise to consider looking for a job in other areas, even if the job is considered ‘menial’ by the standards of some people.

Do not allow false pride to let you look down on a job as beneath your dignity. Any legitimate service that can benefit others, and that people are willing to pay for can be considered as an alternative job opportunity when jobs are scarce.

Whether your work is mostly mental, physical or somewhere in between, recognise that there is benefit in every kind of hard work. Hard work helps us to care for our material needs. Moreover, it contributes to our self-respect.

Daniel Ighakpe

Lagos

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