Trading brains for buzz and influence?
Lately, I’ve noticed something that’s both interesting and a little worrying.
More and more Nigerian youths are gravitating toward content creation — mostly the non-intellectual kind — and virtual assistant jobs. On the surface, it looks like a win: people are getting creative, making money online, and finding flexible ways to survive in a very difficult economy.
Honestly, I respect the hustle. Nigeria isn’t exactly the easiest place to thrive or survive and I’ll always applaud people doing what they can to make ends meet.
But here’s where my concern kicks in: fewer young people seem to be interested in mainstream academics or intellectually demanding careers. Degrees are getting side-lined, and this is not about the kind of side-lining that comes from critical reflection — it’s more out of frustration and survival.
So what does this mean for us in the long run?
Winning the hustle but losing sight of the bigger picture.
Before I go further, let me be clear: this is not an attack on content creators or virtual assistants. I actually admire people who’ve found ways to thrive in the digital economy. Many of them are creative, hardworking, and resourceful beyond belief.
But I’m also noticing that a large chunk of the content being created today lean heavily toward entertainment and trends — dances, pranks, gossip, and lifestyle hype. While these have their place, they’re not the kind of output that build intellectual capital or challenge how we think. When majority of our youth population start prioritising this over intellectual development, we may be heading into risky territory.
Let’s be honest — it’s easier to go viral for something flashy than for publishing a well-researched article or winning a science competition. Fame and clout are more instantly rewarding than grades or degrees. Academic work involves far more grit and resilience than skits and pranks yet one who excels academically, graduating top of their class, gets far less validation and reward compared to one whose skit or dance video goes viral or better still one who wins BBN or like competitions.
So, What’s Driving This Shift?
Economic Pressure!
Let’s not sugar-coat it — there’s a lot of hardship in Nigeria today. Graduates are doing everything right and still not finding jobs. Those who get jobs are grossly underpaid. These youths come from homes where their parents gave their all to see them through school, yet Nigeria is happening to them. So if someone can earn a bit of money online to make their lives easier, why wouldn’t they?
A Failing Education System!
From the secondary to university level, Nigerian education system is flawed. Students are losing trust in the system. Gaining admission into a Nigerian university seems like an extreme sport. The recent issue with JAMB is a case in-hand. Mainstream education seem to have lost its flavour to the average Nigerian. Many universities in Nigeria haven’t updated their curricula in years. Students get the same academic content year on year. The constant ASUU strikes and lack of real-world relevance in the classroom have left students disillusioned. A 4-yr course could drag on for 6yrs or more. Why would anyone want to get entangled with that only to come out and find no good jobs?
Social Media Validation
Let’s be honest — it’s easier to go viral for something flashy than for publishing a well-researched article or winning a science competition. Fame and clout are more instantly rewarding than grades or degrees. Academic work involves far more grit and resilience than skits and pranks yet one who excels academically, graduating top of their class, gets far less validation and reward compared to one whose skit or dance video goes viral or better still one who wins BBN or like competitions.
So What Can We Do About It?
We need to create a system that makes intellectual growth valuable again — financially, socially, and emotionally by fixing our education system. It needs to evolve. Courses should reflect the digital age. Learning should be digitised, interactive and practical. Schools should work with industries to bridge the gap between digital and intellectual work.
Content creation and academia do not have to be separate worlds. Why can’t a young Nigerian go viral for breaking down public policy or sharing research-backed health tips in a creative way or building a data integration model to centralise our national database?
We need to intentionally and optimally showcase smart role models. Let’s give flowers to people doing intellectually cool work. Analysts, engineers, doctors, and thought leaders who are making impact and income — youths need to see that success can also come from knowledge. Sponsors of BBN and their likes should seek out intellectually cool Nigerians and give them such life lifts so that those fellows can act as mentors to younger Nigerians. We need more initiatives that pair young people with accomplished mentors in high-impact sectors.
Many youths simply don’t know what’s possible because no one has shown them. I know this from my interactions with my clients who are 90% Nigerians.
Like I mentioned at the beginning, this isn’t a “bash the content creators” article— it’s a call for balance. We need thinkers and creators. Hustlers and scholars. There’s no rule that says a young Nigerian can’t be both digitally savvy and intellectually grounded.
So yes, create. Hustle. Build that online brand. But also — read. Learn. Think deeply. Because the Nigeria we dream of won’t just be built by trends. It’ll be built by intellectual minds.
Like I mentioned at the beginning, this isn’t a “bash the content creators” article— it’s a call for balance. We need thinkers and creators. Hustlers and scholars. There’s no rule that says a young Nigerian can’t be both digitally savvy and intellectually grounded.
So yes, create. Hustle. Build that online brand. But also — read. Learn. Think deeply. Because the Nigeria we dream of won’t just be built by trends. It’ll be built by intellectual minds.
Accessibility of Remote Work
Anyone with a smartphone and some basic training can become a VA, run an Instagram page, or edit TikTok videos. These paths are visible, relatively easy to enter, and don’t require years in school. Unfortunately, most mainstream roles in Nigeria are yet to embrace flexible working. This greatly impacts those who have young families or would prefer to work from anywhere but a traditional office.
While these online paths can offer short-term relief, there are long-term consequences we should start talking about:
Loss of Deep Thinkers : Who’s going to solve our public health crises, build tech infrastructure, or rewrite policy if fewer people are engaging with complex, intellectual fields? How do we intend to survive without researchers, intrapreneurs, and intellectuals?
Overdependence on Gig Work : Many VA or content jobs don’t offer stability, benefits, or growth. They do not control their job because if any of the social media platforms where they have majority of their followings crashes or locks them out, they become jobless instantly. Since they might not have developed their content creation into core skills, they struggle to fit into the real world.
Erosion of Knowledge Culture : If we stop valuing education, even in informal ways, we risk losing a culture of curiosity, innovation, and critical thinking. We end up raising people who are alien to intellectual depth but thrive on the euphoria of trends and fame. Fame fades. Trends change. And when there’s no solid skillset, academic foundation or knowledge quest, it becomes hard to pivot when the algorithm isn’t on your side anymore.
Written by Chimdinma Onwuegbu
