7 ways to cope with Sapa as a student

With the current situation in Nigeria, Sapa is becoming a lifestyle. The term is so common in Nigeria that it has become a joke when it truly shouldn’t be. Have you stayed a day or two without having anything to eat? Do you even know when your next meal will come from? Can you pay basic bills like housing, clothing and feeding? If not, then welcome to Sapa.

Sapa is a term that unfortunately touches the majority of the Nigerian population. If you want to know more about this term, keep reading especially if you’re a student.

Table of Content hide 1What is Sapa? 2How to cope with Sapa as students 2.1Set realistic goals 2.2Create a spending budget 2.3Live according to the budget 2.4Avoid debt 2.5Save some of your funds or pocket money 2.6Avoid money-sucking friends 2.7Have a skill 3Sapa jokes 4Conclusion

What is Sapa?

It is a Nigerian pidgin lingo that means a state of being extremely broke or poor. “Omo Sapa dey” is a common saying in Nigeria to describe the state of being broke for an individual. Sapa or being constantly broke is a common phenomenon in Nigeria which is why this term is not taken so seriously. This is not surprising since many of us have been in situations where we can’t pay certain bills. So we joke about it because we can’t kill ourselves, duh.

How to cope with Sapa as students

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is on strike which means a lot of students are at home enjoying their parents’ food and hospitality. Academic sessions are still ongoing in private schools across the country which means a lot of students have to learn to cope on their own.

Overcoming Sapa is not a child’s play especially if you’re from a family with limited resources. But you can avoid the this fever if you adopt the following 7 ways.

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Set realistic goals

“It’s better to pass through school than for school to pass through you” is a common saying among Nigerian students. Some students have literally taken it to mean living life to the fullest on campus. You may have to re-evaluate that saying if you want to avoid this phenomenon. Set realistic goals on how to use your resources especially if they are limited. But if you choose to party, eat in trendy fast-food joints on campus, or attend events that will dig a hole in your pocket in the name of passing through school, be my guest. Just know that you will be walking under the shadows of Sapa.

Create a spending budget

Having a spending budget enables you to track your expenses to help you avoid Sapa. Create a budget on the amount you will spend in a month for instance. This way, you will be able to track your expenses and plan accordingly. Unless your village people have sworn you will not have sense, creating a spending budget will keep this issue far from you.

Live according to the budget

It’s one thing to create a spending budget, it’s another to follow the budget. Oftentimes, you will be tempted to spend “a little” above your budget. You know, we only live once. However, woe betides you if you keep spending above your budget because you want to enjoy yourself. While you’re enjoying that yummy box of KFC chicken and chips with soft drinks, be preparing your stomach for Sapa.

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Avoid debt

Debt is one of the surest ways of inviting brokeness into your life. One thing about living above your budget is you will keep borrowing to maintain your fake lifestyle. This means your village people want you to be an enemy of your own progress because you can’t build wealth. Yeah, you’re a student and you’re technically not expected to pay your bills. But when you keep borrowing, a time will come when paying up will eat into your funds. Then you’ll begin to hide like a church rat to avoid your debtors, thanks to Sapa.

Save some of your funds or pocket money

There is no better way of running away from Sapa than saving the little funds you have. For instance, if your pocket money is N30k a month. You can save N10k and spend the rest. When you calculate N10k for 12 months, that’s N120k. For a Nigerian student from an average home, that’s a lot.

Avoid money-sucking friends

These so-called friends know all the happening places they want you to check out which invariably means you get to spend money you didn’t plan. My dear, avoid them otherwise your Sapa will be legendary. Your so-called friends will disappear when it turns you into a punching bag.

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Have a skill

As a student, it’s not too early to acquire a skill. Studying and graduating top of your faculty or school is not enough to avoid getting broke. Nigeria is a country where you need lucrative skills to survive. There are no jobs. The best thing to do as a student is to start earning an extra income to add to the pocket money your parents or guardians give you. Many Nigerian students are celebrities today because they had the wisdom to turn their skills into a lucrative income. Join the trend and tell me why Sapa will be anywhere near you.

Sapa jokes

• Those who live in no. 1 Sapa avenue cannot dorime
• Sapa nice one, I boil egg e no get yolk.
• Dorime on Friday, Sapa on Monday.
• Sapa nice one, in my dream I bought fuel for 50 naira per litre.
• The way Sapa hold me no healthy at all. I go my girlfriend house to break up with her. She give me transport back to my house.
• I’m currently using anointing oil to fry eggs, the yoke of Sapa must be broken.
• The way I’m broke these days, I’m thinking of selling my Facebook friends.
• Sapa is the National Anthem, omo is the pledge.
• I’m back at “do I really need two kidneys?” stage of brokeness.
• Shey na every week person go dey open new hole for belt.
• The most used app on my phone for the month is calculator. Sapa dey make me calculate everything.
• I don go for check up, doctor tell me say garri wey dey my body plenty pass the total blood.
• DSTV don dey call people to remind them to renew their subscription. Omo this Sapa na worldwide.

Conclusion

There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t experienced their fair share of Sapa. But you can avoid making it your customer if you focus and follow the steps that have been listed above.

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