At a very early stage in my life, I came to a hard truth — life isn’t scripted. There are no rehearsals, no guarantees, no fair edits. Some people are born into comfort, while others must wrestle with survival from the start. It’s as if life is designed to favour a few and test the rest. And somewhere along the line, I stopped expecting fairness from it.

Earlier today, while casually scrolling through the internet, I stumbled upon a post from Peller. It was a call for professional photographers with a jaw-dropping offer of ₦500,000 monthly. Naturally, that caught my attention. For creatives in Nigeria, especially photographers who hustle tirelessly without proper recognition, this sounded like a long-overdue breakthrough.

But my excitement quickly turned to disbelief.

Buried in the details of the offer was a requirement: only degree or master’s degree holders were eligible to apply. For a photography job. Suddenly, this so-called opportunity didn’t feel inclusive. It felt like a glass door – transparent, visible, but closed to many talented people simply because they lacked formal certificates.

And then came the part that truly unsettled me, the interviews were livestreamed. I watched, uneasy, as young men and women stood in front of the camera, vulnerable, hopeful, trying to impress for a chance at a better life. But instead of dignity, what I saw felt more like a reality show audition. The pain in their eyes, the anxiety in their voices all served as content for clicks and comments.

Someone was making money off their struggles and stories.

I couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t just about photography anymore. It was about the commodification of poverty, the performance of pain, and the misuse of influence. There’s a thin line between offering help and seeking clout and this crossed it.

I don’t deny that Peller might have had good intentions. But this entire process lacked sensitivity, structure, and respect. A good heart needs good guidance. He needs proper management, a team to help him turn his influence into real impact, not just spectacle.

We live in a country where talent often drowns in the shadows of paper qualifications. Where you can be excellent at your craft and still be told you’re not “qualified” enough. We cannot keep sidelining gifted hands just because they couldn’t afford formal education. Degrees do not always define competence.

So here we are again watching another scene in this unscripted life. Some get applause, others get played. But for me, this moment was a reminder that even opportunities can be dressed up as traps when empathy is missing.

Life isn’t scripted. And sometimes, it shows in the most heartbreaking ways.