In what many have described as a shocking but painfully hilarious reflection of Nigeria’s unemployment crisis, popular entrepreneur and politician, Honourable Shina Peller, has revealed that no fewer than 20 Master’s degree holders showed up at his residence applying to become his personal cameraman, a job offering a whopping ₦500,000 monthly salary.
The revelation, which Peller shared on his social media page, left many Nigerians stunned and others in stitches over the irony of graduates — some who spent over five years in higher institutions — now scrambling for a job behind the camera for a man often mocked for not holding a formal degree.
“Imagine bagging a Master’s degree just to come and beg Peller, whom some of you used to drag for not going to school, for a cameraman job,” one social media user commented.
Since the news broke, the story has gone viral across platforms, triggering debates about the widening gap between Nigeria’s formal education system and employability, and how certificates no longer guarantee livelihood in a country where even Master’s holders now jostle for menial roles — so long as the pay is attractive.
Social media has been flooded with reactions, with some mocking the situation, others expressing sympathy, and many more highlighting the painful realities of the Nigerian job market, where talent and paper qualifications are frequently sidelined for survival opportunities.
The incident has added fuel to calls for urgent reforms in Nigeria’s labour market, a renewed focus on practical skills, and a reassessment of the nation’s over-reliance on formal certificates as the sole route to success.
