Welcome To the Era of ‘NO CHANGE’

I don't have change o. 

For the past two years, we have heard these words more than any other word in Nigeria. If a song was recorded about the struggles of no change in Nigeria, it would become a bestseller in no time. Everybody is lamenting about the absence of change in Nigeria: bus conductors are saying ‘no change’; the attendants at the filling stations are saying ‘no change’; hawkers are saying ‘no change’; market women are saying ‘no change’ and the worst part is, the banks are saying ‘no change’.

Opening your wallet in the morning and realizing you've got only 500's and 1000's makes you feel like you are going to have a crappy day. You have cash on you but you know that's not the currency that's hot out there. Everyone is looking for the 50's and the 100's and without them, you can as well categorize yourself as a person with no money. You know it would be difficult to enter a bus without your change with the bus conductors’ chanting their favourite song “ti o ba mu shenji, ma wo le.” It would also be difficult for you to buy anything and you might have no other choice but to buy more than you need just to make change.

Just last week, on my way to work, I saw this school kid at Ladipo bus stop. The time was 8am, which meant he was running late to school.  It wasn't his intention to be late, he just wasn't allowed to enter any keke because he had N500 on him. I felt really sorry for him and really wanted to help him out but I couldn't, because I didn't have enough 50's on me.

Recently, I was in a bus and the man sitting beside me had his complete change but one of his 20's was ripped and the conductor wouldn't accept it. He had no other but N500 and the conductor wouldn't have that either.  What an impasse?  Fortunately I had 20 to spare and I gave it to him and the outpouring of gratitude I received from him for a 20 was overwhelming.

I remember listening to a radio show and a caller called in to comment and he was telling the government to do something about the issue of change and he made a comment that was very funny but sadly was the truth. He said, is it when someone is killed because of ‘no change’ that the government will realize that it is a serious issue to look into.

A lot of people have been left stranded because of no change, a lot have had to forfeit their change, and a lot have been cheated out of their change. The question then is, where is our change?

 -          Lynda Nwaizu