24/09/2025
The Psychology of Opportunism: A Lesson from Nigeria
I came across a powerful story shared by Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu (Diary of a Traveler), and I believe it carries deep psychological lessons for us all.
He had an appointment at the Russian Embassy in Abuja by 11am. But on getting there, he mistakenly stopped at the UN Office, which had the same paint color. The time was 10:42am, and he was visibly frustrated.
The security guards directed him to some taxi drivers across the road. Immediately, about five rushed toward him.
“Oga, where you dey go?”
“Russian Embassy,” he replied.
“Ahhh! Russian Embassy far o, about two hours drive.”
“How much?” he asked.
“₦30,000,” one answered firmly.
Desperate, he tried to negotiate down to ₦20,000, but the man refused.
Then, a Hausa man selling oranges who overheard the conversation whispered in Hausa:
“If not because you are in a hurry, you can trek to the Russian Embassy.”
He asked Mantu to follow him. Time check: 10:49am.
They trekked a short distance, made two turns, crossed an overhead bridge—and boom! they were standing right in front of the Russian Embassy at 10:57am.
Mantu was so relieved that he hugged the man, even spilling some of his oranges. They chatted briefly, discovered they were both from Katsina, exchanged contacts, and parted ways.
But as he waited to be called into the Embassy, his mind returned to the taxi driver he had been pleading with. Imagine—he was about to waste ₦20,000 because someone tried to exploit his desperation.
💡 Psychological Lessons
Opportunism thrives when people sense urgency and vulnerability. The taxi driver exaggerated the distance to create an inflated price. This is a form of exploitation bias.
The orange hawker, on the other hand, represents empathy and honesty—he had nothing to gain, yet he saved a stranger money, time, and peace of mind.
The truth is, not all of Nigeria’s problems come from its leaders. Many ordinary citizens also exploit opportunities to take advantage of others. Sometimes, the difference between corruption in power and corruption on the street is simply opportunity.
👉🏽 This story reminds us: integrity is not about position, it’s about chara
