Every job comes with its own set of challenges, and one that is particularly prevalent is working from home. Sometimes, as I stay indoors doing my remote tasks, I overhear neighbours speaking in the local dialect, questioning what I’m doing and where I work. To exacerbate matters, when I carry my bag to find an office space to work or a spot to power my system, the community has the perception that anyone carrying a bag, especially a laptop bag, is involved in cybercrime or is a ‘Yahoo boy’ or ‘419.’
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Working from home is very challenging, and convincing people that you are working for a U.S. or Canadian company can be even more challenging. Last year, when I needed a house, most landlords and landladies I came across through house agents asked numerous questions related to my work. Since a significant part of my work happens from home, I knew that might pose a problem. A friend in the compound advised me that if I wanted to stay there, I should be someone who goes out every day. The landlord prefers tenants who go out Monday through Saturday. This is a red flag for me, considering I do a kind of hybrid work, spending some days at home and others on-site.
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I remember telling one house owner that I was a freelancer. He asked, “What is a freelancer?” After explaining, he still wasn’t convinced. Searching for a house often means revealing much of our privacy. Can’t we keep some details to ourselves? Numerous questions arise during the search, from your state of origin to your religion, with the most common being the nature of your work and where you work. While these questions may be asked for security reasons, they sometimes delve too deeply into personal matters. The body language and perceptions that people have toward work-from-home professionals are alarming.
Let me share a story about a guy I heard about from a friend who works with Upwork. His neighbours labelled him an internet fraudster because he seldom goes out, owns various tech tools, and is working and earning dollars. Unable to cope with the pressure of false accusations and gossip from the community, he had to relocate to an environment where content writers and creative individuals reside.
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Another friend narrated a story where people in his neighbourhood requested police intervention to arrest a guy working from home, believing he was involved in internet fraud. Working as a freelancer or remote worker in Nigeria involves encountering different perceptions, especially if you are in the wrong environment. This can negatively impact your creativity if not handled carefully. If you are mentally strong, you may even turn such experiences into content for your content management system and monetize them.
What has been your experience as a freelancer in Africa? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.