In Africa, a popular saying on family life and child upbringing that has transcended ages is that it takes a community to raise a child. Put differently, ‘a child is owned by all’.
Although this has been interpreted to mean that raising a child is the responsibility of all members of a community, it has also become a huge weight on the backs of African children, who feel indebted to the community which joined hands with their immediate family to raise them.
Some even go over and beyond to make sure that, in success or squalor, they provide immense support, not just to their nuclear family, but to the village.
The term, ‘black tax,’ originated in South Africa, denoting the financial support black professionals and higher-income individuals provide to their parents, siblings, and other family members.
A deep-seated sense of responsibility towards familial obligations often drives this financial assistance.
A family life expert and women’s rights activist, Mrs Funmi Goke, noted that black tax referred to the financial responsibility placed on individuals, usually young adults, to support their extended family members, including parents, siblings, and sometimes even distant relatives.
According to her, this phenomenon is prevalent in many African countries, including Nigeria, where cultural norms emphasise communalism and collective responsibility within families and communities.
In Nigeria, black tax manifests in various ways, reflecting the socio-economic realities and cultural values of the society.
They can come in the form of financial support. Many young adults are often expected to contribute financially to their families’ upkeep, including paying bills, providing for basic needs, and assisting with educational expenses.
This burden, experts have noted, may extend beyond immediate family members to include relatives such as aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Also, young people are often expected to prioritise supporting their families over pursuing their own educational and career goals, thereby sacrificing their personal dreams for their family’s bigger goals.
They may forego higher education or delay entering the workforce to work and earn money to support their families’ needs.
Goke identified emotional pressure alongside financial obligations as another way black tax can be seen.
She said, “Alongside the financial obligations, individuals may also experience emotional pressure to fulfill their familial duties. They may feel a sense of guilt or obligation to support their family members, even at the expense of their well-being and aspirations.
“Nigerian culture places a strong emphasis on family and communal ties, with the expectation that individuals will support their relatives in times of need. Failure to meet these expectations may lead to social stigma or strained relationships within the family and community.”
Speaking on interdependence, Goke said, “Black tax perpetuates a cycle of interdependence within families, where individuals rely on each other for financial support. This can create a sense of mutual obligation and solidarity but may also reinforce patterns of dependency and inhibit individual autonomy.”
Overall, for her, black tax reflects the complex interplay between sociocultural norms, economic conditions, and familial expectations in Nigeria.
While it fosters a sense of communal support and solidarity, it also poses significant challenges for young adults striving to achieve financial independence and pursue their dreams and aspirations.
Addressing the root causes of black tax requires systemic changes, including economic empowerment initiatives, social welfare programmes, and cultural shifts that prioritise individual autonomy and well-being alongside familial obligations.
Root
The causes of black tax are multifaceted. Economic instability, inadequate social welfare systems, and cultural norms that prioritise family obligations over individual aspirations all contribute to its prevalence.
In a country where unemployment rates soar and access to quality education remains elusive for many, young Nigerians often find themselves thrust into adulthood prematurely, burdened by the weight of their family’s financial struggles.
For Tolu Ogunshe, a 25-year-old banker in Lagos, navigating black tax requires resilience and resourcefulness.
She recognised that while she could not change her family’s circumstances overnight, she could take proactive steps to manage her responsibilities effectively.
First and foremost, she learnt to set boundaries and communicate openly with her family members about her financial limitations. By establishing clear expectations and boundaries, she avoids feeling overwhelmed and burnt out.
Moreover, Tolu seeks opportunities for personal growth and development, knowing that investing in herself is crucial for breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
She pursues additional education and skills training, equipping herself with the tools needed to secure better job prospects and higher income potential. Through continuous learning and self-improvement, she expands her opportunities for financial stability and independence.
In addition to personal development, Tolu explores alternative sources of income to supplement her earnings. She harnesses the power of technology and entrepreneurship, leveraging social media platforms to market her skills and talents.
Whether it’s freelance writing, graphic design, or tutoring, she discovers creative ways to generate extra income while balancing her familial responsibilities.
Furthermore, Tolu seeks out support networks and community resources to alleviate the burden of black tax. She connects with other young Nigerians facing similar challenges, sharing advice, and strategies for coping with familial expectations.
“It is really difficult for me because I am very young and my parents sometimes do not understand when I say I do not have to give. It puts me under so much pressure to always want to sacrifice my good for theirs,” she added.
A historian and professor at the University of Texas, United States of America, Toyin Falola, in an article, “Black Tax: Family charges and mandatory payment”, said that like the brown tax in the Latino communities, the black Tax spread across Africa as a general description of family relations for every black.
“It is seen as an obligation, and the person who sends it must do something as a necessity. Those who are the beneficiaries sometimes develop a sense of belonging and claim over the income of the individual,” he added.
The Mikel Obi experience
Drawing from his personal experiences and those of fellow Nigerian footballers, renowned midfielder and former Super Eagles player, Mikel Obi, vividly portrayed the considerable mental and financial strain imposed on those paying the ‘black tax.’
Obi emphasised the difficulty of striking a balance between achieving one’s own goals and meeting material demands, many of which are accompanied by a worrisome sense of entitlement. He stressed cases where unidentified extended family members frequently took advantage of family ties for their own self-interest and personal benefit, even threatening the ‘payer’ when they tried to refuse their requests.
The former Chelsea star described how some family members felt their lives were predetermined by their relationship with him, emphasising how some of them who came from large families tacitly assigned him the role of caregiver to their children.
His situation is not unlike that of French football player, Paul Pogba, whose avaricious relatives landed him in hot water with the law.
Obi said, “You get threatened by your own blood, your own. When you come from Africa, and this is something I don’t think we speak a lot about, when you make money, it’s not your money.
“You have all these relatives, cousins, whatever you call it. Yeah. You know, and your sisters, they go off and they get married to some guy who just wants to get married to John Obi Mikel’s family because my life is sorted. And then you start looking after this guy.
“Before you know it, you’re looking at them. They keep having so many kids and so many kids, and you look at it, okay, you’re having this many kids, who’s going to look after them? It’s you.
“For them, you owe them that. So, sometimes, you have to be strong and say, ‘You know what? Guys, enough is enough; I don’t care.’ They give you this thing whereby, if you don’t do it, we’re going to go to the press. Oh, wow. After all I’ve done for you guys. But this happens a lot.
“In Africa, I’m telling you, not everybody comes out and speaks about it, because we’re thinking, how are we going to talk about this?”
As expected, the interview generated mixed reactions from Nigerians on the Internet, with many accusing the retired star of egocentrism in the face of poverty in the country and others drumming support for him.
The discussion with Obi, according to several commentators, illuminated the larger problem of entitlement, which is the idea that one should receive benefits or special treatment not based only on merit.
If clarified, the idea of ‘unmerited favour’ frequently stems from a lack of empathy and a failure to recognise the work that went into obtaining the riches the recipient wishes to have in their hands.
Obi emphasised how persistent financial demands have an emotional cost and that people are reluctant to acknowledge their weakness, which feeds into the cycle of entitled behaviour.
According to a psychologist, Usen Essien, a refusal to admit when help is needed and a need to maintain one’s sense of superiority can give rise to entitlement.
He added that examining hidden feelings like vulnerability and guilt might shed light on the actions linked to entitlement.
“When people take advantage of victimisation and poverty, believing that these circumstances entitle them to unjustifiable benefits, this entitlement can materialise. Societies that view poverty as a virtue are prone to this inclination, which makes victimisation desirable.
“This is demonstrated by the large number of beggars in Nigerian streets who make significant daily incomes and friends and family who feel that because they know someone, it gives them the right to collect financial help from them whenever they need it.
“Also, for any contribution made to one’s finances in one’s struggling period, family members and friends feel entitled to the proceeds of the success,” he added.
However, Obi was not the first to air his view on black tax.
In 2017, a former Arsenal and Togolese striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, revealed that he was driven to suicidal thoughts because of how his family attempted to “manipulate money out of him”.
“I felt like killing myself so many times. I kept this to myself for years and years. I am disgusted that things reached this stage, but I feel relieved to have talked about it”.
Another footballer, Victor Osimhen, who plays for Napoli football club and the Super Eagles, was in the news for a similar situation with his brother-in-law.
Though Osimhen has not opened up to the media about what happened, it would not be bad to assume that many African football icons may be going through serious bullying and other manipulations from their families and friends which should be condemned entirely.
An author and social commentator, Cheta Nwanze, lending his voice, noted that entitlement often manifested when a dedication to consumption exceeded one’s capacity for productivity.
He said, “The imbalance between virtuous restraint and pronounced greed can lead to a tipping point. The persistence of this behaviour, regardless of its origin, is driven by the anticipation of some form of reward, making negative reinforcement a potential means for behavioural change.
“Usually, individuals may lack awareness of the emotional toll associated with giving, mainly when results are not evident. Thus, cultures that fail to cultivate empathy tend to experience higher incidences of entitled behaviour.
“While acknowledging the negative aspects of entitlement, it is imperative to approach the discourse on black tax with nuance and balance. One must consider instances where poor people have been helped to access lifesaving or life-changing resources such as education, healthcare, housing, or trade funding.”
According to him, there have been notable instances of positive outcomes resulting from black tax, indicating that the concept should not be dismissed outright.
He added that black tax extended beyond the exchange of money, adding that it also involved the transfer of intangible resources such as skills and insights derived from successful professional and financial experiences.
“A good example in this context is the American billionaire, Robert F. Smith. He has generously contributed a substantial portion of his estimated $4.4bn fortune to his community, including $34m for student loan debt forgiveness.
“Many beneficiaries of his generosity have achieved remarkable feats, partly attributed to the alleviation of financial burdens he provided.
“In Nigeria’s context, the prevalence of black tax reflects a distorted social contract, where responsibilities traditionally assigned to impersonal institutions, such as the government, are shifted onto individuals who cannot bear such responsibilities sustainably,” he said.
“A significant portion of the country can trace more of its success to the input of kinsmen than to any direct input from formal governance structures, which might be a foundational element of the problem.
“This distorted social contract places an undue burden of governance on the helper, affording them some level of authority over the group. This deviates from the conventional principles of a fair social contract, wherein the government is designated the responsibility and authority over resources, decision-making, violence, and other pertinent aspects.
“The inclination to rely on personal relationships instead of institutional structures hampers the adoption of a more structured and practical approach to social welfare and governance,” he added.
For a sociologist, Fortune Obi, putting the onus of ensuring well-being on individuals may turn attention away from broad ideals and toward the whims of particular individuals.
He added, “People who believe that they only have social contracts with their kinsmen are more likely to fight to have resources placed at their kinsmen’s disposal rather than a government, which is one of the reasons our politics are often polluted by tribalism.
“This phenomenon is the outcome of an unsuccessful shift from the monarchist to the contemporary nation-state era. Because solid institutions were not established throughout this transition, a system of disproportionate influence on individuals rather than ideals has persisted.”
Also speaking on the matter, Prof Falola averred that the African social system was unarguably built on the premises and strength of family and responsibilities.
“Society is built on collective responsibilities that spread even to every member of society at large as a unit. This is why persons from the same village, like Umuahia, would always refer to their kinsmen as brothers or sisters merely because they have come from the same village or area.
“It is the sense of responsibility that bonds the African society that has been spelt out so eminently. But the question in this piece is not about the collective nature of the African communities but the responsibilities that follow from the family relationships, either for those within the same blood or the ‘village family.’ The issue is of ‘black’ tax; black here is not a racialised category.”
He further added that the modern exposure had allowed questions raised on whether the cultures were of necessity or mere subjections that had resulted in the slow pace of individual developments or castigated some Africans’ invisible slavery.
The historian added, “When there is just one successful person in an extended family, the act of giving moves from mere social responsibilities to social burdens.
“We must understand that new cultures and the contemporarily subscribed behaviours born out of overbearing cultural diffusions gotten from excessive universalism have been gradually killing the bonds that the African societies have for each other. It has increased selfishness and made the act of philanthropism, which was initially a social necessity, become out of the ordinary.
