How to politely avoid contributing to yet another office aso ebi

Of course, we know what an office is meant for - to provide a workplace and working environment primarily for administrative and managerial workers.

But somehow, despite fulfilling these tasks, Nigerian workers often get billed for aso ebi, birthday contributions, bridal showers, and random “send forth” parties.

At this point, it begins to feel like your salary is only meant for all these office contributions, because tell me why they're taking so much from the little you're making.

There's only one question that comes to your mind every time they make these announcements in your office - how can you escape this endless cycle of office billing (aso ebi) without looking like a stingy village relative?

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Let's talk strategies.

Hold this one dearly to your heart, because it's your first line of defence in situations like this. When asked to buy that shiny lace or Ankara for someone's wedding, just sigh deeply and give excuses like: “Ah! I would have loved to, but I already have serious financial commitments this month.”

This way, you're politely saying you'll not pay for the aso ebi while coming off as responsible and serious. Nobody wants to argue with commitments, so they'd rather just move to the next person.

You already have a budget plan to meet a personal savings target. Well, that's your escape route. Nigerians know for sure that they should respect hard work and planning. So they'll respect your decision to stick to your plan, even though they'll still side-eye you.

Nobody wants to be the villain who spoils your investment plan.

There'll be times when an outright refusal will feel too harsh. At such times, we recommend offering to contribute a smaller, general cash amount instead of buying the fabric. This way, you're still supporting the event, without draining your bank account.

Here's another tactic that works all the time. While gisting with them, subtly remind them that you've already supported so many others in the office. Refer to the most recent ones and confess how it's still affecting your finances. This way, you'll activate sympathy in them, and they'll have no option but to move to the next person.

If all the strategies listed above fail, it's time to switch to the one tactic that never fails. Tell them you'll get back to them. They'll likely move on to other things and probably forget to check back with you before the event.

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There’s no medal for “Office Giver of the Year.” At the end of the day, you’re the one who will face Sapa alone if you keep saying yes to every fabric and every contribution.

Supporting colleagues is nice and builds relationships, but it shouldn’t put your finances in a coma. Choose wisely and support when you can, not out of pressure or fear of being labelled stingy.