Building Your Way Up: How Strategic Relationships Can Open Doors When Qualifications Aren't Enough

By having a contact, it means having certain people who can come through for one in time of need. Most contacts come from close relationships that have been built over years through trust and integrity, and one can confidently say he has people to come through for him at his lowest. They may not be financially buoyant, but they have certain connections in important places that require ease—they may call a friend on someone's behalf, or aid an employment process.

In Nigeria, having a contact is very important. The system works effortlessly here with connections. You'll need to know someone, or know someone who knows someone to gain merit even in something as trivial as an admission to a tertiary institution. While most people born with a silver spoon fall into this category of people who have contacts, a few people from poor and average backgrounds have been able to build relationships that pave the way for them.

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Personally, lack of connection has hindered me from certain benefits where connection was the key factor. Even after graduation, having a job seems like a hard nut to crack. While a few may find it easy, many average individuals struggle to secure a good job, especially in the federal and state sectors. In a country like this, education, which used to be the key, has been buried as a result of greed and selfishness in acquiring wealth.

Whoever desires to seek contact desires a good thing. I've seen parents enroll their children in schools with high costs for the reason that their children might associate themselves with wealthy children for future benefits. This may work for some and may not work for others, but the important thing is that they understand the value of having contact and connection and want to give their children a platform to build one for themselves. We need each other to survive in a country like ours, and when people around you have influence in certain areas, it makes the road an easy one to walk.