The Day My Destiny Came in a Spoilt Phone
I’ll be honest—when NYSC ended, I didn’t think the small repair skill I picked up back in 300 level would ever matter.
Back then, it was just a side hustle. I’d fix classmates’ phones—mostly changing screens, flashing phones, or resetting passwords. It helped me buy data and shawarma occasionally. Nothing serious.
After NYSC, I forgot about it. I was focused on finding a “real job”—suit and tie, 9 to 5, monthly salary, HR welcome email. I didn’t think tightening screws or replacing charging ports could be my salvation.
But life has a funny way of humbling you—and redirecting you.
The Day the Phone Refused to Come On
That morning, my younger cousin barged into the room looking stressed. Her TECNO phone—less than five months old—just died. No charging, no vibration, no display.
She was panicking because all her school notes, photos, and exam materials were on it. And she didn’t have ₦10k to go to any proper repair shop.
Out of frustration, I said, “Bring am, make I try something.”
I didn’t even have tools—just an old screwdriver set I hadn’t used in a year and a bent SIM tray pin.
Two hours later, after cleaning the charging point, resetting the battery circuit, and switching the charger—boom. It came on.
She screamed. My mum clapped. I just sat there, looking at the screen like it was magic.
The Word Spread Like Wildfire
That same evening, her friend brought her phone. Then another one came the next day. Then my neighbor’s teenage son came with a tablet his father had declared “useless.”
By the end of that week, I had repaired five phones.
And made ₦7,500.
Not a lot—but after four months of joblessness, it felt like my life was shifting.
I Set Up a Mini Workstation
I cleared one corner of the corridor, borrowed a small plastic table from my mum, and placed a cardboard sign:
“Phone Repair & Software Fixes – Fast & Affordable”
No big brand. No flashy banner. Just a boy, a table, and a skill.
People came.
Mostly low-income earners—traders, students, okada men, tailors. They couldn’t afford big repair shops or official customer service centers. But they trusted me.
I charged ₦500 for charging ports, ₦300 for app installs, ₦2,000 for screen replacements (if they brought the screen).
I started buying tools from Computer Village bit by bit. Multimeter, soldering iron, tweezers. Each tool made my work better—and brought in more referrals.
When I Finally Slept With a Smile
After fixing nine phones in one day—my highest record yet—I went to bed with ₦6,200 in my pocket.
That night, I cried.
Not because I was rich, but because—for the first time in months—I felt useful. I wasn’t just waiting for someone to save me. I was saving myself.
I realized that this thing—this so-called “small skill”—could grow if I stayed consistent.
Lessons the Hustle Taught Me
- There’s dignity in labor – whether you wear a suit or a t-shirt with pliers in your hand.
- People don’t care about your certificate if you can solve their problem.
- Your “side skill” might be your main salvation. Never look down on it.
- No knowledge is wasted – That phone repair skill I casually picked up in 300 level saved me post-NYSC.
Wow