Nurses, Bankers, Amala Sellers: Why Are Nigeria’s Everyday Service Providers So Rude?

There is something about Nigeria that turns ordinary roles into positions of power, and positions of power into opportunities for aggression. The people highlighted in this piece are not “bad”; rather, they are reflections of a society where pressure, survival, poor structures, and a culture of seniority combine to produce behaviour that often feels harsh, impatient, and painfully rude. Explaining each category in detailed paragraphs shows why these behaviours persist and why many Nigerians have encountered them at least once in their lives.

Older Nurses in Public Hospitals

Older nurses in public hospitals are perhaps the most widely discussed. Their rudeness is not just a stereotype; it is a lived reality for countless patients. Many of these nurses have spent decades inside overcrowded hospitals where understaffing, sleepless night shifts, poor equipment and screaming emergencies have eroded emotional sensitivity. Over time, they become hardened. Their tone becomes sharp, their instructions barked rather than spoken, and their empathy dissolved into routine. To them, shouting at a pregnant woman in labour is not wickedness; it is efficiency. To them, ignoring an elderly patient’s complaints is not cruelty; it is the exhaustion that comes from caring for too many people with too little support. And yet, the impact on patients is brutal. A man crying for help may get a scolding. A woman bleeding may be told, “Can’t you see I’m busy?” The environment shapes them, and they in turn shape the harsh experience so many Nigerians fear in public healthcare.

Bank Customer Care Officers

Bank customer care officers are another set of people whose rudeness has become legendary. The stress of retail banking is intense: long queues, malfunctioning systems, impatient customers, targets from management, pressure to upsell products, and the humiliation of being shouted at by people who assume they are superior because they have money in the bank. These officers sit for hours listening to people complain about ATM cards, failed transfers, blocked accounts, wrong deductions and slow networks, issues they did not cause but must take responsibility for. Over time, many of them develop a defensive attitude. Their faces harden. Their tone flattens. They become irritated by even simple questions, because every question reminds them of problems they are powerless to solve. So when a customer asks, “Why did my account freeze?” and a customer care officer replies sharply, it is not because they hate you; it is because they, too, are drowning but must pretend to be in control.

Photographers at Events

Photographers at events behave as if cameras give them divine authority. Their rudeness is rooted in the constant struggle for relevance in a saturated industry. Photographers fight for the best position because one perfect shot can earn them fame or contracts, while one bad shot can destroy their reputation instantly. The anxiety of losing the perfect angle makes them aggressive. They shout at guests blocking their lens. They push fellow photographers aside. They treat journalists like competitors. The camera becomes a sword, and every other person becomes a threat. Their work is physical, fast-paced, and high-stress, and in the middle of a crowded wedding or conference, they easily forget courtesy. To them, shouting “Shift!” or “Move back!” is not rudeness, it is survival in a battlefield of angles, flashes, and deadlines.

Ibadan Amala Sellers

Ibadan amala sellers are a special cultural case. Their rudeness is not entirely negative; in fact, it is part of the amala experience itself. These women operate in hot, smoky kitchens with queues stretching out of the door. Every second matters. If a customer delays in choosing meat, the entire line slows down. So they shout. They insult. They mock indecisiveness. They serve food with speed and attitude. Their confidence comes from reputation, because everyone knows the food will still enter your body despite the insults. The hotter the kitchen, the sharper their tongues. Their harshness is a blend of exhaustion, survival, community banter and the cultural reality of Ibadan food hubs where respect flows in one direction: from the customer to the seller, not the other way around.

NASU Staff in Universities

NASU staff in universities are often the gatekeepers of institutional frustration. They control hostels, electricity complaints, water repair units, access to lecture halls, offices and administrative documents. These roles give them small pockets of power, and in a country where many workers feel invisible and undervalued, even small power becomes a throne. Years of low salary, lack of promotion, and constant disrespect from students and management create bitterness. Many students act entitled, talking down on older NASU workers as if they have no importance. As a result, NASU members respond with coldness. They ignore greetings. They dismiss polite requests. They delay files. They shout at students who ask too many questions. To them, it is not rudeness, it is fairness: “If you don’t respect me, I won’t respect you.” Their behaviour is a mirror of a broken work culture where everybody is angry at somebody.

Orthodox Church Ushers

Ushers in Orthodox churches display a different kind of rudeness, quiet, stern, and coated with religious authority. Their job is to enforce order, discipline, silence and seating arrangements, especially in churches that take liturgy seriously. They deal with latecomers, restless children, distracted youths, and stubborn adults who want to sit wherever they like. Under pressure to maintain decorum, they become harsh. They point with force. They tap aggressively. They block aisles with rigid posture. Their facial expression alone can rebuke a sinner. To them, firmness equals holiness. The ruder they appear, the more seriously they are taken. Their behaviour is shaped by the need to keep services dignified, even though the method often embarrasses worshippers.

Micra, Danfo, Keke & BRT Drivers

Public transport drivers, Danfo, Micra Keke, taxi and even some BRT workers, bring their own brand of rudeness. The roads are rough, the traffic unbearable, the competition stiff, the income unstable, and passengers demanding. Drivers navigate all this while dealing with police, OYRTMA, LASTMA, agberos, fuel scarcity and mechanical breakdowns. By the time a passenger complains or delays in paying, the driver is already mentally finished. Their rudeness is not personal; it is a reflection of a life constantly under pressure. They shout because shouting is the only luxury they can afford.

Market Traders

Market traders are famously harsh because the market environment is chaos personified. Heat, noise, price haggling, competition, and the fear of “customers wey no get money” make traders defensive. When a customer prices an item too low, the trader feels insulted. When a customer hesitates, the trader becomes irritated. Rudeness becomes a shield against losing money, time, or emotional energy.

Fuel Station Attendants

Fuel attendants are shaped by scarcity, heat, arguments over change, suspicious customers, faulty pumps and long queues. Their rudeness is a reaction to the chaos around them. They hiss because customers sometimes cheat. They shout because people pressure them unnecessarily. Their attitude is a survival instinct in a job full of misunderstandings.

Restaurant Waiters

Restaurant waiters deal with impatient, hungry, sometimes entitled customers. They juggle multiple tables, hot kitchens, long hours and low pay. Over time, they lose enthusiasm. They respond with coldness. They forget orders. They treat customers with minimal courtesy. Their rudeness is not deliberate; it is exhaustion disguised as service.