Lessons Nigeria Taught Me That Harvard Never Will (What Harvard Won't Teach You)

Lessons Nigeria Taught Me That Harvard Never Will.

Have you ever felt like your life in Nigeria is teaching you things no university could ever prepare you for?

Well, you’re not alone.

Hi, I’m Simon Taki Zaku, founder of IBI Foundry and a proudly Nigerian SEO and digital entrepreneur.

I didn’t go to Harvard.

But I did survive PHCN, haggled with danfo drivers, ran an online business through terrible network, and still made dollars while living in Jalingo.

And you know what?

There are lessons in Nigeria you won’t learn in any Ivy League classroom — not even at Harvard.

I’ve spent years chasing certificates, courses, and consulting contracts. I’ve studied global marketing, freelancing, and SEO.

But nothing — and I mean nothing — has shaped my mind like the raw, unfiltered wisdom that comes from growing up in Nigeria.

And today, I’m sharing some of those priceless gems with you.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

The untold mindset shifts Nigerians master from a young age
Why resilience in Nigeria is worth more than a Harvard MBA
How to apply street-smart Nigerian lessons in your business or personal life
My personal stories navigating life and business in Nigeria
Tools, values, and survival tactics that top schools don’t offer

Introduction
What Harvard Won’t Teach You (That Nigeria Will)
The “Hustle” Curriculum: Surviving Where Systems Fail
Relationship Capital > Financial Capital
Street Wisdom: The Most Underrated Degree
My Payment Gateway Story: When Harvard Doesn’t Help
Final Thoughts
CTA & Resources

I’ll take those Nigerian lessons over any Ivy League classroom, any day.

Let me show you why.

WHAT HARVARD WON’T TEACH YOU (Lessons Nigeria Taught Me That Harvard Never Will)

1. Nigeria taught me resilience, not theory

In Nigeria, you don’t just learn business — you fight to survive it.

In Nigeria, you don’t wait for systems to work.

You become the system.

No light? You improvise.

No data? You find a Sim hack.

Client ghosted you? You pitch or 'bomb' 100 more.

You don’t learn that kind of resilience in Business School.

When I started freelancing 10 years ago, there were no mentors. Just trial, error, and hustle.

I wasn’t taught how to get international clients. I figured it out by emailing hundreds of prospects and getting ignored 97% of the time.

Where someone in Harvard might learn business strategy from case studies, we’re out here living the case study.

2. Nigeria taught me negotiation skills Harvard will never teach

You want to learn negotiation?

Try buying tomatoes in Wuse Market on a Sunday.

I grew up watching my mum beat down prices like a pro.

Now, I close SEO retainers from international clients — because I learned how to read people, adapt fast, and not get played.

In Nigeria, negotiation is survival — not a module.

3. Nigeria taught me how to build from nothing

Let me be honest — most Nigerians don’t start with funding, mentorship, or connections.

We start with hunger and God.

I built my first blog with free templates, no fancy camera, and mobile data.If I had waited for the "perfect" setup, I’d still be unemployed.

Nigeria forces you to use what you have till you can afford better.

4. Nigeria taught me creativity under pressure

When the power goes out mid-Zoom call, you don’t cry. You find your neighbor’s generator. Or switch to WhatsApp voice notes.

Where others see stress, Nigerians see plan B, C, and D.

This ability to think on your feet? Harvard can’t teach that.

5. Nigeria taught me faith that fuels my fire

Let me tell you…You haven’t truly walked by faith until you’ve sent your last N500 to buy data and trusted God to land you a client.

Nigeria taught me that faith isn't weakness — it's strategy.

When everything around you fails, your belief in something bigger keeps you going.

Harvard might give you logic.

But Nigeria teaches you faith and fire.

6. My Payment Gateway Story (When Harvard Doesn't Help)

Back then, I was killing myself trying to find a way to collect payments from foreign clients.

PayPal didn’t work in Nigeria.

Payoneer kept flagging my accounts.

Flutterwave was good, but I wanted something that felt more premium.

Clients ghosted me the moment they heard, "I can’t accept Zelle or PayPal."

One day, a fellow freelancer told me about Paystack.

Boom. That was the game-changer.

Want to start using Paystack to collect payments from anywhere in the world?

Click here to sign up instantly.

Final thoughts: Harvard gives degrees. Nigeria builds destiny.

I respect the education people get abroad. But Nigeria? Nigeria is a different kind of school.

Nigeria teaches you how to survive, thrive, and multiply — even when the odds are 99:1 against you.

Harvard will give you strategy.

But Nigeria will give you scrappiness.

And sometimes, that’s the one thing that truly separates winners.

It will test you, teach you, stretch you, and — if you let it — turn you into something no classroom ever could.

So if you're reading this and you’re in Nigeria, don’t feel less than.

You’re in the most powerful university in the world.

USEFUL OUTBOUND LINKS

Written by:

Simon Taki Zaku,

Founder & CEO, IBIFoundry.com.ng

For ibifoundry.com.ng/blog