The Invisible Tax of Being Nigerian
When Your Address is Your Biggest Obstacle
There’s an unspoken rule in the global marketplace: You can be talented, skilled, and hungry but if your IP address says "Nigeria," prepare to work twice as hard for half as much.
Early this month:
My LinkedIn was restricted after my engagement grew "too fast" (apparently, Nigerians aren’t allowed to go viral).
My Fiverr account was blocked with no explanation (just a silent "lol, try again" from the algorithm).
Learning platforms I needed were geo-blocked, as if knowledge has borders.
International clients ghosted the moment I mentioned Lagos, Nigeria not because of my portfolio, but my postal code.
This isn’t just about me. It’s about the stigma baked into being Nigerian online.
The "Fraudulent Until Proven Otherwise" Default
Platforms: LinkedIn, Fiverr, PayPal—all quick to flag Nigerian accounts as "suspicious."
Reality: We’re not scammers; we’re hustlers. There’s a difference.
Irony: The same systems that accuse us of fraud steal our opportunities without due process.
The Geography Tax
Blocked resources: From Coursera courses to design tools, we’re locked out for crimes we didn’t commit.
Client bias: "Oh, you’re in Nigeria? Sorry, we don’t work with… uh… remote teams." (Translation: We don’t trust your continent.)
Self-fulfilling prophecy: How can we "prove ourselves" when the tools to compete are gated?
The Nigerian Hustler’s Paradox
We’re expected to:
Be exceptional (average won’t cut it)
Work for peanuts ("It’s good pay… for Nigeria!")
Stay grateful for scraps while systems rig the game
How We Fight Back (Because Giving Up Isn’t an Option)
Build our own tables (see: AltSchool, Flutterwave, etc.).
Document everything—screenshots, contracts, emails—because trust isn’t given, it’s proven.
Laugh to keep from crying (dark humor is a survival skill).
Being Nigerian online is like running a race where everyone else starts 10 miles ahead and the referees keep moving the finish line.
But here’s what they forget: We’re used to obstacles. We’ve been jumping fences since birth.
To my fellow Nigerians: Keep going. Your hustle is valid.
To everyone else: Check your biases. Opportunity shouldn’t have a zip code.
💬 Discuss: "What’s your most ridiculous ‘Nigerian stigma’ story?"