It is quite an eye sore the way our people spend hours of their productive time just queuing at the banks these days…just to have a few naira notes in their palms. Many even go as far as getting into brawls, tongue lashing and of course jokes bantering while they while away time in the name of waiting to pick cash. Many people who come to the bank for more important reasons get crushed in this madness. Imagine the frustration we have to live with daily because many of us have refused to adjust. Most of our people who subject themselves to this ordeal almost every day do so, not because they cannot do without cash, but because they are having a hard time weaning themselves off the habit of carrying cash about.
But we have to adjust. We need to make the necessary adjustments if we wish to survive this cashless Nigeria. Some persons are still wishing this new Nigeria away. They have allowed their businesses to get into a crunch because of this sheer obstinacy.
I was at the fruit market the other day. I needed some fruits for my family. But alas, after haggling over the price of some fruits and coming to a mutually favourable price, I asked her to give me her account number so I could transfer the said amount and she replied in Igbo, “Adi m emekwa ihe transfer.” (Meaning, she doesn’t do transfer kind of transaction, meaning, it is either I am paying cash or I should face where my back is.) I left with my two left legs.
Fast forward to this evening as I was taking my evening stroll, I happened on the same lady standing by the road comparing notes with her friend on how bad business was and how she no longer sells as she used to. I almost barged into their conversation with the words, ‘But you refused to explore other payment systems to keep your business afloat, daughter of man!’ But I minded my business and continued on my way. Some people’s state of consciousness needs upgrade, no doubt. And trying to do it would be like trying to install iOS 16 in an iphone 6s.
As I continued on my way, I recalled I had shared my ordeal with that fruits ‘stone age’ woman with a comrade and he told he only bought fruits from Mama Ejima at Ukwuorji, Government House. ‘My brother, i buy all my fruits from Mama Ejima. I just transfer 10k to her and tell her the fruits I need and she supplies me.’ That was how he put it. And I thought to myself, ‘this is the same Ukwuorji fruit market where this our stone age woman has her stall. Imagine how this Mama Ejima’s fruit business world be thriving while our ‘onye oke UCHE’ Stone Age Woman would keep a front seat at the complaining desk. Pity.
And if you extrapolate this line of thought a little further, you will find out that it is because of stone aged traders and business people around us that we have remained stuck to spending valuable manhours just struggling to enter the banking hall or the ATM machine hall to withdraw paltry sums to pay those who have refused to make the necessary adjustments to life.. We tend to forget, albeit, trivialize the Darwinian theory of evolution. ADAPT OR DIE.
I was at a bank today to rectify a transaction problem. I was at the bank by 7:30 am. The bank was not open yet but the tally number I got from someone who I later understood was number 1, was number 459. No kidding.
I spent an excruciating 6 hours there, and I experienced all the spectrums of emotion there are, without blowing my top, because I had to join some other advanced souls in the crowd to acclimatize, making jokes to soften countenances and dissolve animosities and make our wait less hell than it already was.
So, how can you survive in this cashless Nigeria? By adapting, adjusting, acclimatizing. This has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with the networks of life you are dulling by your inclination to be stiff necked. No matter your business, you need a POS machine. For consumers, start buying in bulk.
There are modern supermarkets that sell all those things you need cash to buy from local markets and trust me, the price difference is not much. It helps you save cost. There is nothing wrong with walking some distance more than you used to because you don’t have cash to pay for a short trip. It is good exercise for your body. There is nothing wrong with cutting down your spending. Your economic space will look more beautiful as a result. Adapt or die.
