The idea that we learn something new every day hit me in a special way recently. So I randomly stumbled on this tweet someone brought to my timeline. See it for yourself below.
5 people tell us about the Nigerian practice of handing first salaries to parents
Did your first ever income go to the black tax bank?
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I was a little shook to find that this was even a thing at all, and then got an extra dose of that ‘mind-blown’ feeling when I saw that an insane lot of people could actually relate with the practice of handing over their first income, either in full or in part, to their parents. Naturally, I reached out to few young people to hear personal accounts, and to see whether their first ever income was paid as black tax. Or not.
Lara
No, I did not drop all of my first salary. All I did was give every significant person in my life a part and I kept the rest for myself. My dad, mum, grandma. My father held on to the money pa. It was little but it was so appreciated. So we went to my grandma’s house that same day, I gave him cash, he wanted to give her money and he brought out of what I gave him, he returned it immediately and said "it is my daughter that gave me this one, I won’t give you out of it. Then he gave her from his own money. I’m so glad I did it.
Fiyin
I was 20 in 2013 when I got my first ever job - as an administrative assistant in a school. The pay was 20k and no, I did not give it to any of my folks. Matter of fact, I am surprised that people do that. I only knew of first fruits – the one people give in church.
Jide
I think my first job (this was before I got admission into uni) I gave my mum or so. All of it. I mean, in retrospect, it was actually small money. Maybe it wasn't so small back then... lol. She actually returned it to me sha, with a lot of prayers to boot.
Damilola
I actually don’t remember how I spent my first income. That was a while ago. I probably spent it on food and transportation to work. Surely didn’t hand it over to my parents. It was 30k and the year was 2015.
Ayo
I didn’t. Lol. How could I have? My first ever job was was in 2005 as a phone booth attendant. Remember that time before phones became popular, when people still used to pay to make calls? Yeah. I did that and got paid #1,500 monthly. I was 14 going on 15 and I definitely didn’t hand over anything to anybody. It ended in tears though, but that’s not gist for here.
Even after Uni and I got a proper job. I still didn’t. I dey send them money sha. That one na standard.
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