What is achievement?

Today, I want to look at how achievement is constructed in Nigeria and why many Nigerians equate monetary success with it. 

I have noticed that in Nigeria, many people conflate achievement with wealth. My analysis starts with narratives from social media and personal interactions with people. Indeed, if you want to hurt a Nigerian, tell them how poor they are. A typical insult is as follows:

"You have not achieved anything in your life and you are not ashamed of yourself. You are not married, you are jobless".

Nigeria is a place not to be 'poor' even though many people are living below $1 a day. The term 'poor' by many Nigerians correlates to not having access to any luxury in life. I put emphasis on luxury, which by definition some mean to own cars, a house or houses and fly to different countries.  Oh, and also share this lifestyle on social media for all to see. If not, how will people know you are a success? It is not shocking to see pictures of people who have 'achieved in life' with money sprawled all around them and with captions on their pictures such as "Pepper dem". Afte all, what is an achievement, if you are not able to rub your success on the faces of the millions of 'poor' people? You see people commenting on such posts with comments as "I claim this in Jesus name". Hardly any question is asked about the source of the wealth.

Also, there is a timeframe for you to have achieved all these if not, you are still termed a failure. You have to have made millions in your 20s and as a woman, be married in your mid-twenties, if not, you are an old hag. God help the woman if she is in her 30s, no husband or children, then, menopause is used in ridiculing her and she is called different sorts of derisive names from aunty Gwegwegwe to Ashawo.

You see the pressure on young men and women stressing themselves to reach this social construct. You see young girls in their 20s depressed that they have not met any man to marry, young boys stressed they have not 'hammered'. 

The social construct of achievement is unrealistic and could put unnecessary pressure on young men and women or anyone. Do not be in a hurry, there is no time frame for you to achieve anything, you owe it to yourself to be strong and happy, do not get ill trying to live for others. It is OK to go through life learning and growing, life is not a competition, you do not have to conform to society or its pressures, never compromise, live for you. Be you!

I believe that achievement should be much more than monetary success. It can be meeting personal goals that we set for ourselves and it can be from small goals to big ones. 

What do you define as an achievement?