By Ganiu Oloruntade
You’d be hard-pressed to find a young, Internet-using Nigerian who hasn’t come across the line, “adulthood na scam”. It enjoys as much omnipresence as the “Accept Cookies” option.
The expression originates from the song “Adulthood Anthem” by Omolade Oyetundun, who is better known by her mononym Ladé. Recall the popular Airtel 444 jingle? That’s her.
As Ladé sings in “Adulthood Anthem”, there’s an unmissable cry for help in her voice, as she rants about the bustle of being a young adult. With this post-pubertal territory are never-ending bills, requests for financial aid by loved ones and friends, etc. Ladé becomes a conduit for the millions of youth to hear their struggles given musical expression.
It’s no surprise that the song is racking up huge numbers on streaming platforms. Ladé speaks for us all—young people whose optimism had been dimmed by the tribulations of adulthood, combining infectious melodies and relatable lyricism. The French author and statesman, Alphonse de Lamartine said, “music is the literature of the heart”. Ladé shows us why that is true.
Growing up, we dreamt of the freedom adulthood would give us. Now we know the only freedom adulthood gives one is from parental restrictions, and perhaps the freedom to ruin one’s life. Otherwise, it’s a minefield beset with responsibilities. It’s worse when you are negotiating adulthood in a 3rd world country like Nigeria. It means you are on your own, especially when you managed to graduate from the university after surviving the hurdles of ASUU and landed some 9-5 job. Not only would nobody send you free money (as Ladé submitted)—save those with rich parents—you most definitely have to spend the little you earn on bills, bills, and bills. One moment you are basking in the fantasies of a ‘soft life’ because your salary landed in your bank account, the next you’re losing sleep over frequent calls by your landlord. It gets worse when you realize you probably won’t have people checking up on you. No wonder late American fiction writer, H.P Lovecraft described adulthood as “hell”.
The troubles of adulthood are enough for anyone to wish to become a kid again. As children, we have our parents to cater to our every need. Not to talk of the occasional gifts given to us by visiting relatives. Though the proceeds ended up in the wardrobes of our frugal mothers, the whole experience was still worth it. So if you say adulthood is the worst thing to ever happen to us, you’d probably be right. Give me a chance to escape this glorified scam, I’d gladly jump at it.
Ganiu Oloruntade is a Nigerian journalist and creative writer. You can catch him on Twitter @GaniuOloruntade.
