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When the Odds Are Against You: Choosing Grit Over Surrender
By Samson Balogun
There comes a time in every person’s journey when the walls seem to close in, when life throws punches faster than we can dodge. In Nigeria, this happens more often than we care to admit. One day, you’re full of hope and ambition; the next, the weight of economic hardship, toxic systems, failed structures, and personal betrayals press down on your chest like a boulder. The phrase “when Nigeria happens to you” has become a dark but familiar joke, a phrase that captures the raw, unfiltered experience of striving in a country that often feels like it’s set up to drain your strength.
But it is precisely in these moments—when the odds are stacked, when everything seems to scream “give up”—that grit matters most.
The Silent Battles We Fight
You may wake up every day to chase your dream, only to be mocked by those around you. Some will beat you down—not with fists, but with words that slice through your spirit. They will look down on your hustle, dismiss your ideas, and reduce your worth to your current bank balance or social status. Others will bully you into conformity, insisting that “you too must cut corners” or “everyone is doing it.”
And then, there are those who will brainwash you into believing you’re not good enough. They’ll mask their insecurity as advice. They’ll tell you to lower your expectations, to settle, to give up before you embarrass yourself.
But here's the truth: Grit is what separates those who give up from those who eventually rise.
Grit is not loud. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t trend on social media. Grit is that quiet decision you make at 3am to try again tomorrow, even after failing today. It’s that moment you show up when you have every reason not to. It’s refusing to let a bad environment, a corrupt system, or other people’s doubts define your worth.
Nigeria Will Test You, But Don’t Fail Yourself
Living in Nigeria is an extreme sport. The system can frustrate the honest and reward the corrupt. Opportunities can be limited not by your potential, but by politics, nepotism, and plain injustice. Yet, many still rise. Not because the road is easy, but because they chose not to surrender.
When you stay true to your goals, when you wake up every day with resilience—even if it's just 1% more effort—you’re declaring to the world: “I will not back down.”
Choosing grit means:
Applying for that job, scholarship, or grant, even when you’ve been rejected ten times before.
Working on your side hustle after a long, draining day.
Saying no to shortcuts, even when they seem like the only way forward.
Believing in yourself—even when no one claps for you.
It’s not easy. But it is worth it.
Lastly, your journey won’t be perfect. You will be tested. You will be mocked. You will feel alone. But your grit will carry you.
So, when the odds are against you—when life, Nigeria, and everything in between seems determined to break you—choose grit over surrender.
Not because it’s easy, but because your dreams are worth the fight.
And so are you.
Samson Anuoluwapo Balogun
Samson Anuoluwapo Balogun
Samson Balogun - Mc Captain