GAB Community Tackles Generational Gap, Black Tax

Yinka Olatunbosun

Griots and Bards, a community of industry professionals, has expressed concern on the impact of differing generational outlook, social value systems, and economic imbalances within the country last week at its physical monthly meet-up held at Rapjoint, Ikoyi, Lagos recently.

On Tuesday February 3rd, on its digital platform, members also took turns to share experiences and opinions on the stifling effects of the black tax on working-class Nigerians across generations. The digital conversation which started that Tuesday ended on Thursday February 5th, as members took turns to expand the conversation.

Members who spoke in the safe space concluded that while giving and acknowledging parents, guardians, and communities who have invested in one’s life is important, the straining economy, the growing responsibilities, and the deep sense of entitlement raise anxiety, encourage corruption, and frustrate harmony as well as communal nostalgia.

The physical event was moderated by a tech-specialist and one of its founding members, Habeeb Ajijola. The conversation with the theme “Then and Now: Generational Values and the Burden of Becoming” sparked a cross-generational dialogue among participants of both millennial and Gen Z. Referring to GAB’s curatorial statement, the event explored three core areas: the roots of generational differences, the role of economic opportunity, and the impact of the internet on values and identity.

Ajijola stated that the generation gap usually stems from lived experiences, changes in desire, expectation, and growth parameters. For him, my parents wonder how content creators make money, how sustainable remote IT consultancy is, because they had worked in structured and boring organisations during their professional years. He also highlighted the different complaints that crisscross generations, leading to detachment, anxiety, and hatred instead of collaboration and understanding.

Ajijola remarked: “Many Baby Boomers complain about the millennials; they see them as unserious people. Unfortunately, this has made many millennials retreat from involving them in life decisions. To make matters worse, Millennials have a barrage of complaints about Gen Z, leading to haughtiness and disconnection.”

Writer Jim Adie situated this divide within cultural inheritance. He observed that earlier generations lived largely within rigid cultural frameworks and superstitions. However, he argued that dismissing those frameworks entirely would be counterproductive.

“There is wisdom embedded in how the millennials think, and emotional balance is needed to manage these conflicting thought patterns,” he said.

Esther, an engineer, noted that while older generations were shaped by perseverance and long-term endurance, younger people are driven by experimentation and calculated risk, seeking to “take risks and see how things work” rather than simply endure circumstances.

Economic realities also dominated the second focus area, as communications consultant Femi Morgan cautioned against equating income with wellbeing. He observed that “older generations benefited from stronger structures and networks, while younger generations expend increasing effort for diminishing returns, realising that they are doing so much for very little.”

This sentiment was reinforced by Muhammed, who framed generational struggle within global scarcity and population growth.

According to him, “every generation seeks self-definition. Our world today is marked by astronomical population increases and insufficient resources.” He added that this intensifies competition and frustration.

The discussion also touched on morality and access. Yomi, a sales professional, reflected on how informal systems that once granted opportunity through courtesy and respect have collapsed over time. He noted that pathways available to millennials are no longer accessible to Gen Z, pointing to a broken sequence of moral and social exchange.

Offering a contrasting perspective, Funmi Akintola highlighted Gen Z’s growing assertiveness in dismantling rigid structures. “My Gen Z co-workers boldly walked up to my boss and requested a raise in our salary. I could never have been so audacious. But then that action profited me too.”

On the influence of the internet, Tomiwa Adewusi articulated a fundamental shift in digital consciousness, explaining that while millennials viewed the internet as a tool, Gen Z inhabits it as an environment. This shift, she noted, explains why millennials were often conditioned to suffer in silence, whereas Gen Z is more inclined to confront realities openly.

Musician Toni Akintola, known as Toni the Emperor, extended this perspective to education and labour, arguing that traditional systems prioritise service over creativity. “Schools do not empower you to create; it teaches you to serve in an industry. Despite showing early passion for music, my father did not see anything fruitful in it until I went for a degree in history, which I have never used to date.” He emphasised that schools prepare students to serve existing structures rather than create new ones.

Summing up the generational contrast briefly, Chiamaka observed that “millennials were raised on structure, while Gen Z has been raised on exposure.”

Personal experience added further depth to the conversation. Kayo, a sales manager, reflected on how even siblings raised by the same parents can embody different generational values due to changing parenting styles.

She said, “I attended an all-girls boarding school. During the holidays, I was not to visit any friends. It was from beating me that my parents knew how not to beat a child to stupor again. I was then shocked one day when my kid sister hosted her male friends right in our parlour! I feel, with this, that my siblings do not really understand me.”

The intimate but intense session was eased with musical performances by Afrosoul musicians, BR Olorin, Toni the Emperor, and sound artist and folklorist, Jedalo.

The event concluded with a shared understanding that generational divides are less about disrespect or entitlement and more about context. Ajijola said, “They are shaped by economic uncertainty as well as cultural evolution buoyed by rapid technological change. Then and Now ultimately called for empathy, dialogue, and intergenerational listening as society adapts to the burden and possibility of becoming.”

According to its official website, “Griots and Bards (GAB) is a community where the intellectual depth of an Oxford debate meets the raw, real-world insights of street corner conversations. Whether at meetups or in the closed community, the GAB platform engages the energy of its people to create synergies across industries and creative interests, with the transformative impact of a group therapy session. The vibrant, in-the-moment exchanges and virtual community engagements spark reflection, connection, social impact, but more importantly, individual and communal growth.”