The Life of a Yahoo Boy, Lessons and Insights
Many of us are aware of this old adage “Even a broken clock is right twice a day”, if this is correct, then I will not be making much mistake if I say there’s no completely bad person.
Yahoo boys are like the rejects in our society from the perspective of a moral Nigerian. They are seen as the bad eggs. These guys have given us a bad name in the international community, they scam and defraud unsuspecting persons of their resources mostly money. Most online shopping websites have blacklisted Nigeria. Our corporate image has been soiled probably beyond repair. No one wants to deal with a Nigerian… so pathetic.
However, there are lots of positives and lessons that we can learn from them. They are not as bad as some of us think, provided we try to view their actions with an open mind. If you read the following, learn from it. Remember “He that has no sin, should throw the first stone (an account in the bible)”
Passion
Someone said “passion is the fuel that drives our vision”, if that is correct, then anything we do without passion will soon wear us out. A yahoo boy has the drive and passion for his trade. He wants to get rich or die trying. His carriage, words, and actions all portray his trade. Little wonder, they can be easily identified in our society. He prides himself in his business and no one can stop him. In some cases he avoids his family members and anyone that decides to talk him out of this dreadful path instantly become an enemy of progress.
Dedication
According to Bishop David Oyedepo, dedication is deadly commitment to a cause. From vocabulary.com dedication was defined as committing yourself to something, like your dedication to marathon training that had you running every single morning for four months. This is what yahoo boys are known for. They are very dedicated individuals, they understand the nature of their business, considering the fact they try to reap where they have not sown; and as such they have to bury themselves into what they do.
Networking
In my opinion, this is the greatest strength of Yahoo boys. They don’t work or strategize in isolation. They have pubs, clubs and places where they hang out regularly to have fun but ultimately network. Sometimes his networks extend to law enforcement agencies especially the police. When a Yahoo boy identifies a new opportunity (a potential victim to be coned or scammed), in other words, when he catches a new maga, he immediately looks inward to see if he has handled similar scenario before. If yes, his experience will make it easier, else, he looks in his network for more experienced person(s), if the deal is successful, every stakeholder shares the proceeds according to agreed terms. In most cases, Yahoo boys live together, eat together, flock together and even trade together.
Hard work
These guys work extremely very hard. They sometimes sit on their computers for as long as 18hrs at a stretch. In most cases these computers must never go off. They labor repeatedly, strategizing and thinking about lies to be told, reading case studies etc. to ensure maga must pay. Much of the time on his computer is also used to communicate with magas, business associates and sourcing for other business leads.
If a maga becomes too tough or gets smart after so much hard work, he quickly moves on to the next. No emotion, no extra attachment, strictly business. He understands that for him to survive, he needs to be up and running. He is in constant motion, and never mixes business with pleasure.
Wasteful
This is rather the most pathetic part of a Yahoo boy’s life. Sometimes it may take him months to make say 10,000 USD but in 24 hrs after making such an amount of money, he might be back to nothing. Greater percentage of whatever he makes is squandered on girls, gadgets, holidays, cars and other stuffs to enhance his swag. He is confident that maga will pay but if for some reason maga gets smarter or refuses to pay, this then takes him to our next discussion.
Consulting
Just like in the business world, Yahoo boys consult. Some consult with veterans of the trade and the very desperate ones consult herbalists and “fake pastors or alfas”. This is also known as Yahoo plus. Sometimes he runs out of ideas, tricks and strategies, this prompts him to source for a way out. In some cases, he repents of his trade, asks for forgiveness and sources for other legitimate means of livelihood; else he consults an herbalist or people believed to have some spiritual powers to enhance his business. Every form of consulting comes with a cost and the costs are always very harsh, the devil does not have any good gift.
Disclaimer: The above are my basic observations of a Yahoo boy. As someone who thinks with an open mind, I don’t think there anything wrong in looking at the brighter side of seemingly dark things. Life is a matter of choice, the decisions we make are products of our choices. Every man will account for his life. If you are into this trade, Please desist and spend your time and energy on something enviable.