Tony Obasi || Software Engineer

I Love Artificial intelligence, hypeman @saferdevelopers

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

Tech is no longer for the poor.

3 years ago, late 2020, I decided to learn a tech skill, I had no clue what I wanted to do, I just had some tech business ideas in my head and I wanted to learn so as to be able to develop products for myself.

To start, I needed a laptop, I didn’t have a dime, I was just a graduating student driving Uber to feed.

I decided to start small, I made some research and I discovered I needed a MacBook laptop to be able to build applications for Android and IOS platforms using flutter and dart.

Where will I get 200k to buy a Mac? This was a question I didn’t find the answer to, being ambitious, I decided to go with apple iMac, the 2012 model sold for around 60k naira then.

Cons of iMac; consumes heavy power, it’s a desktop so no battery, memory is low, outdated OS. But what other option did I have even with these cons?

I saved up and bought a table for 15k, this table will house the iMac, did I have a generator? No, I will depend on “Nepa” which is epileptic.

I finally stumbled on 200k, story for another day, and bought a MacBook.

Started with UI design, i needed to stay alive while learning so I started some freelance works, social media management, flyers design etc.

It was in the quest for these that I got a US contract job that has been running since then.

3 years later today, I have a startup, a job and and the laptop needed for my work costs 800k and I can afford most basic things I want for myself.

Today, the MacBook I bought for 200k is around 400k, things are more difficult and the economy is harsh, I can’t even wish someone what I went through, I squatted, slept on a cold ground, ate once a day.

The tech atmosphere looks saturated at the bottom right now, I can’t even advice anyone to join tech especially if they have to pass through the route I passed through.

I’m not writing this to encourage fraud, but the road to living legitimately has been bastardized in Nigeria, the PEPT judgment is an instance.

A country without stable electricity, Stable economy and internet connection, it’s funny the supposedly elected president claims we don’t spend USD so he isn’t concerned about that.

To anyone still alive and in Nigeria, do what you have to do to stay alive, while also having a human sympathy.

[空空道人 @Kongkongda5882]

为什么非洲一直没发展起来？我来讲一个实例：非洲第一大国，尼日利亚，人口2.5亿。面积92万平方公里，面积约等于三个华北平原，水土丰茂，一年三熟，降雨量丰沛，全境几乎都是平原和低矮丘陵。介于丛林和荒漠之间，最北的荒漠带边缘，降雨量也和山东相当。

很多人都觉得非洲穷，是因为土地贫瘠、资源匮乏、老天不赏饭吃。但事实恰恰相反，非洲遍地是宝藏，只是很多国家硬生生把一手绝世好牌，打得稀烂。

今天咱们就拿非洲人口第一大国尼日利亚举例，看完它的真实境遇，你就能彻底读懂非洲百年发展困局的核心症结。

毫不夸张地说，尼日利亚的先天条件，放在全球发展中国家里都是天花板级别的存在，完全是老天爷追着喂饭。

这个国家坐拥92万平方公里国土，全境以平缓平原和低矮丘陵为主，没有高山阻隔、没有恶劣戈壁，地形条件远超很多多山国家。

气候更是得天独厚，全境雨水充沛，即便是国土最北端的边缘区域，年降雨量也能持平我国山东。

最让人羡慕的是，这里全年高温无霜，土地肥力出众，一年可以稳定种植三季庄稼，发展农业的自然优势得天独厚。

除了土地和气候，尼日利亚还有最核心的人口红利。全国总人口超2.5亿，劳动力数量庞大、人口结构年轻，完全不缺干活的人力。

靠着这份顶级天赋，早年间的尼日利亚妥妥的农业强国，花生、可可、棕榈油等农产品远销全球，是当时全球知名的农产品出口国，农业基础打得格外扎实。

有地、有人、有气候、有产业底子，按理说这样的国家，就算发展不到发达国家水平，也绝对能让百姓安居乐业、衣食无忧。

可现实狠狠打脸：如今的尼日利亚，早已褪去往日荣光，彻底沦为贫穷、动荡、落后的代名词。

数据不会骗人，目前尼日利亚有超过1.39亿人口深陷贫困线以下。

离谱的是，守着一年三熟的肥沃良田，这个国家居然无法实现粮食自给，每年都要花巨额外汇进口粮食、衣物、日用品等基础物资，无数普通民众连温饱问题都难以解决。

好好的王牌国家，为何会沦落到这般境地？所有悲剧的开端，都源于半个多世纪前的一场“暴富骗局”。

上世纪50年代，尼日利亚境内勘探出大量优质原油，丰富的石油资源让这个国家瞬间看到了“躺赚”的捷径。

在此之前，国家财政、百姓收入全都靠农业支撑；石油被发掘后，海量原油源源不断卖出，巨额外汇轻松入账。

赚钱变得太过简单，让从上到下彻底丢掉了踏实发展的心思。政府直接放弃深耕农业、布局制造业，把国家所有经济命脉，全部押注在石油单一产业上。

全国的资源、政策、人力全部向石油产业倾斜，大片肥沃良田无人耕种、逐渐荒废。普通农民也看清了现实：种地辛苦一年赚的钱，远不如去城市从事石油相关零工赚得多。

于是千万农民放下锄头、涌入城市，传统农业体系彻底崩塌。短短数十年，尼日利亚从享誉全球的粮食出口大国，彻底变成了依赖进口的缺粮国。

产业单一畸形，只是尼日利亚衰败的第一步，治理混乱和分配不公，才是压垮国家的核心利刃。石油产业创造的财富是天文数字，但这些巨额收益，从来没有惠及普通民众。

绝大部分石油财富被少数权贵阶层垄断瓜分，普通人别说分红，连基本的就业、福利保障都得不到。

更讽刺的是，作为石油核心产区的尼日尔三角洲，不仅没靠石油致富，反而常年遭受原油开采带来的污染，土地盐碱化、水源被污染、庄稼无法生长，当地百姓世代承受着环境破坏的恶果，苦不堪言。

巨大的贫富差距、资源分配不公，持续激化社会矛盾，各类武装冲突、地方暴乱此起彼伏。

局势一旦动荡，工厂停工、农田荒废、外资撤离，没人敢来投资兴业，经济发展彻底陷入“越乱越穷、越穷越乱”的死循环。

而制度的严重短板，直接彻底封死了尼日利亚的翻身之路。

当地土地产权极其混乱，全国仅有极少数农民拥有合法土地证，想要发展规模化农业、引进企业落地投产，都会被产权问题卡住，农业现代化根本无从谈起。

同时当地行政体系臃肿低效、办事流程繁琐，腐败问题根深蒂固，营商环境极差。

最基础的民生保障更是缺失，全国电力供应极不稳定，日均供电仅有三四个小时，绝大多数工厂无法正常生产。没有工业支撑，日用品、工业品全部依赖进口，国家彻底丧失自主生产能力。

尼日利亚的教训给所有国家敲响了警钟：自然资源从来不是发展的终极底牌，稳定的制度、长远的眼光、踏实奋斗的心态，才是一个国家行稳致远的根本。

空有绝世好牌，却没有驾驭的能力，最终只会白白浪费天赋，困在贫困落后的泥潭里无法自拔。

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@redditistrsh @kiantrades Omo 😂😂

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@midexsn Make I no catch your for street 🙏

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@thsottiaux Sir Tibo, I use God beg you, please press the reset button, my accounts are down and I need urgent work completed and submitted 🙏

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@thsottiaux Please lord, let it be a reset 🙏

[Ráz @Razthedesigner]

I quit product design.

This is so hard for me to write, design was something I love, was endeared to, and believed very much in.

The last one month has been an eye opener. I became incredibly ill, ran through multiples tests, medications and injections. At first my savings was enough to take care of proceedings, but I grossly underestimated the length of my battle with these illnesses.

I eventually ran out of funds as the need for more testing arose, and I had to depend on family and close friends for support. That’s when I realized the work of my hand was not enough to even sustain my health when I needed it to, at least at this stage and that is not the life I signed up for.

For one month, I couldn’t open my pc to work, doomscrolling became my only activity of the day. I came on here frequently and the AI buzz didn’t help matters. Every tech person is worried about their job security long term, job opportunities has dried up, and it’s a lot tougher when you’re Nigerian, we’re judged before we even make a case for ourselves when an opportunity comes knocking.

I’ve had my fair share of clients and opportunities across different continents, but at this point in my life, I need stability. In a couple of years, I’ll get married and start a family, the volatility of freelancing especially as a Nigerian is not something to carry into building a family or taking care of things within the household.

This is not to discourage anyone who looks up to me, or sees my work as a point of motivation. Everyone’s timeline is different and mine is pushing me somewhere else, design remains an incredible career path but it doesn’t align with my vision for the future.

A time was had, now I have to move on to something bigger. ❤️

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@debbiee__xo Sisi you won’t see 😂

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@SirDavidBent Happy birthday my chief, God bless your new age.

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@drogbag1 @whitenigerian Omo, the one recording is at fault, that a mad man is at the center of the road doesn’t mean you should hit him, that place was a junction and he had time to match the brake but no.

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@callmidavid You are very silly

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@seguncodes Is it launched already? Where is the link?

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@seguncodes Nice one chief

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@TifeOgunbela @yourbroskii2 @_Timini Olodo, English is not your forte, Local means, traditional home grown product and all of them fall in same category you mannerless twat.

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

Omo, everything is not about Nigeria, this simply is a jurisdiction settings.

[Ray 👨🏽‍💻 website & app developer @Raynerdtech]

NIGERIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@yourbroskii2 @TifeOgunbela @_Timini My response is for the lady above me though chief.

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@TifeOgunbela @yourbroskii2 @_Timini So the script you act determines if the movie or the actor will be called local? Maybe you should check out the meaning of the word “local” in the dictionary

[LEYE @leyeConnect]

If your friend is starting a project/company join them, lend a hand, or press money. This is how a lot of people became rich and advanced their careers.

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

I had to leave the comments fast, people are in pain, may God comfort you stranger 🙏

[story lenny tells @iwilsonnonny]

i got a great-paying job in mid-august. the pay was so good that the money i sent my mum from my first salary made her cry and pray for me.

today, it’s october. i’ve been laid off from that job, and i’ve laid my mum at the morgue back home.

how are you doing today?

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@SamVale29 Old coders

[Tony Obasi || Software Engineer @bashanthoni]

@SirDavidBent I’m here, my Dm is open too, so I can share my portfolio