What’s your earliest memory of money?

In JSS 3, I was a part-time apprentice learning how to make aluminium windows. Sometimes, clients would drop amounts like ₦1k for the apprentices to share. I can’t remember how much I usually got, but it was enough for snacks. That was the first time I got extra money — my family was quite poor —so it was a big deal.

Tell me more about your family’s financial situation

I grew up in the north, and everyone was pretty much content with what they had. I only realised we were poor when I became older. 

My dad was an okada rider, but when the state government banned okadas, he lost that income source. Then, he had a stint cleaning at a general hospital and farmed for food. 

My mum also did several things for money; she sold kerosene, firewood, uncooked pap and ground pepper for people with her grinding machine.

I’m the first child, and learning a trade while still in school was my parents’ way of making sure I had skills that could lead to money in the future. I didn’t just learn how to make windows; I also learnt photography and electrical installations. Those didn’t exactly bring money— except on the random occasions when clients dashed the apprentices’ money. I did get a chance to make money when I got into the polytechnic in 2017.

How did that happen?

So, at this point, I was living with my uncle. His son and I schooled in the same area, and I remember him giving us foodstuff and ₦500 each, then explaining that was all he had after saving for two weeks. It was very clear I needed to figure something out.

My mum sent me my first school fees — around ₦62k, but instead of paying my fees, I teamed up with my girlfriend and used the money to start a plantain chips business. We’d wake up at 4 a.m. to buy plantains at the market for insanely low prices, fry and pack in small plastic buckets, which we then gave to people to sell in school. 

We didn’t turn a profit at first, but I made my school fees back.

Phew. That could’ve turned out badly

That wasn’t the last time I used my school fees for business. We sold the chips for about a year and used my school fees as the capital for the most part. We stopped after a year when school authorities banned students from selling on the premises.

Around the same time, my landlady sent me and my guys packing, so I used everything I’d saved from the business to rent a new room. My guys never refunded me, and that’s how that money went. 

I finished my OND in 2019 with distinction and got a ₦50k cash gift from the state governor. I used the money to buy an Infinix phone someone eventually stole.

Yikes.

Anyway, my internship came next, and I secured an intern technician role at a company that sold inverters, batteries and other energy products. My salary was ₦15k/month, which mostly only covered transportation. 

Whatever was left went into financial self-help books. I think my financial situation really started to hit me, and I just wanted to learn everything I could about making money. I also started a liquid soap side hustle with the guys I lived with.

We made the soap in 5-litre kegs and sold each at ₦1k. We stopped when we ran out of customers. Then, we moved to coated peanuts. A friend’s sister sold zobo, so I went to her for used zobo bottles. We washed the bottles and used them for our peanuts. I can’t remember how much we sold the peanuts because sales weren’t consistent. We just shared whatever profit we made.

That’s how I managed my ₦15k salary. At some point, my employers increased it to ₦20k, but I didn’t enjoy that for long because my two-year internship ended three months later. 

Two years?

It was supposed to be one year, but I waited an extra year to return to school for my HND because of my girlfriend. Our school had some delays with the HND programme, and I didn’t want to leave her behind. Funny enough, she got a scholarship to study at a private university, and I returned to school alone.

But before I returned to school, my girlfriend and I decided to take the coated peanuts business seriously and make it a professional venture. We registered the business as a company and got NAFDAC approval in 2021. That was around the time Vice President Osinbajo offered a discount for people to register companies, and I spent less than ₦20k.

What was the NAFDAC approval process like?

Pretty seamless. I went to their office to get the requirements, and it took us about two months and about ₦100k from start to finish. That included the cost of fumigating the kitchen space we used for production and settling other requirements the NAFDAC officials gave as conditions for the inspection before finally getting the approval. We started selling before the approval came, though. 

My girlfriend took the peanuts to different banks on Fridays, and we also approached several supermarkets. We made the peanuts in 200 and 500 grams bottles and sold each at ₦1500 and ₦3k, respectively. Again, sales weren’t that consistent, and we put most of what we made back into the business. 

Marketing reduced when I resumed school. Since my girlfriend had transferred schools, I had to do it alone. So, in 2022, I dialled down on production and turned to writing for extra cash.

How did that go?

The money wasn’t great, but I survived. Although it was inconsistent, I charged ₦15k to write and print projects for students. Even when the gigs came, a project could take about three to six months to complete. 

Naturally, I was exploring other opportunities. A few friends in school had access to the SUG buses and used to get periodic solar installation gigs, so I tagged along since I had installation experience. The first time I went with them, we installed 12 panels in about four different places, and they paid me ₦45k. That was the biggest lump sum I’d ever received as personal income. I was so excited. 

Subsequent gigs paid ₦15k, but I absolutely loved it. I spent practically nothing on transportation and got fed whenever we went for gigs. It was like free money for only three hours of work. After a few months, I started getting the gigs myself and sharing the work with a friend. The first huge gig I got was in 2023, during NYSC. ₦1.3m for solar panel installations.

Mad o

That wasn’t only profit o. I still had to buy the panels and other materials. Even though I brought two friends on the project, I made ₦200k in profit. But that ₦1.3m was the biggest amount to ever enter my account. It was surreal.

Besides the occasional income from the solar installation gigs, I also got ₦53k/month from NYSC — ₦33k stipend and ₦20k from my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA). I served in the same polytechnic I graduated from, and I did everything from being a personal assistant to a lecturer to helping him teach classes within and outside the school. 

In addition, I got some side income helping students write project reports, which brought ₦30k on average. Plus, I received random ₦10ks here and there from students who were being supervised by the lecturer I worked with. The lecturer was super strict with projects, and some students gave me money to help with their projects or make sure they got approved. 

I made good money during my service year, and when it ended in October 2024, the money was pretty much used to set up my life. I got a ₦150k/year self-contained apartment and furnished the place with some furniture and other essentials. I even splurged ₦280k on a fridge and got a new laptop for ₦370k. In all, I spent about ₦1m.

What’s your income like post-NYSC?

I’m currently unemployed with no consistent income. Right now, I have only ₦900 in my account. Solar panel installation gigs don’t come as often anymore, and I can’t be sure of when or how much money will enter my account. The last gig I got was about a month ago, and it paid ₦220k. I used that to buy half a bag of rice and some other provisions because I might not get another gig for another month or two. 

I still run the coated peanut business, but I don’t earn from it. My girlfriend and I broke up in 2023, and I haven’t had much time to focus on growing the business. I have a manager who I pay ₦30k/month to handle the end-to-end process of producing and packaging the peanuts whenever we have orders from a supermarket. 

Whatever we make is returned to the business to pay the manager and other workers involved in production. The orders don’t come every month, and I have to pay the manager out of pocket most of the time, like I did in the last two months. I hope to give more attention to the business in 2025 and see how I can grow it.

Out of curiosity, does your unstable financial situation come with some anxiety?

Definitely. I get anxious, but I anticipated this as I was rounding up NYSC. I just make sure to always have food at home so I don’t add hunger to the pressure of not having a job. That way, I can keep a clear head and explore how to pursue my dreams and turn my business around.

I also have some money invested. Out of the ₦220k I made last month, I invested ₦110k in a friend’s cassava farm. I’m supposed to put in ₦350k, so I’ll spread the balance over the next few months. I expect to make a ₦245k profit added to my initial investment after harvest at the end of the year. 

So, when I feel bad about asking someone for ₦2k data like I did last night, I remember that I still have something to look forward to. I also have the bulk of my money invested into my business. It reminds me that while I don’t have money right now, I didn’t exactly waste it when I had it.

Right. Sounds like you’re not exactly job-hunting

I think about getting a job sometimes, but I want one that’ll give me time to pursue other interests and maybe explore a writing career. I don’t want to be stuck at a 9-5 that’ll keep me in a cycle. I’m not looking for a job just to survive.

I’ve turned down offers. The person I work with on solar installation projects offered me ₦100k/month to come work with him full-time, but I refused because I’d have to go everywhere with him and possibly work 24/7. I don’t want that. If I find a remote job that allows me flexibility and creative control of my time now, I’d definitely take it.

I notice you haven’t really mentioned your family, but you’re the firstborn. Do they have financial expectations of you?

My dad and I are not on great terms. Nothing serious; he just doesn’t know whether I’m surviving or not since I was in the polytechnic. My mum doesn’t ask me for money, but she put me through school. So, whenever I have money, I send her between ₦20k – ₦30k, or as I earn. For my siblings, I support them when I need to. I’m not under black tax pressure to handle anyone’s expenses.

Talking about expenses, what are your recurring monthly expenses like?

I buy food in bulk when money enters my account, so I don’t spend on food monthly. The only food items I buy outside bulk shopping are bread and the occasional pepper for stew.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

I’m quite self-sufficient, so it makes me plan my money right down to the last kobo. I don’t like begging or asking for salt from neighbours, so I think ahead for whatever I might need and plan accordingly.

I also like to invest. I know if I spend everything that comes to my hand, I’ll suffer for it soon. But by investing, I have something to look forward to. 

Is there something you want right now but can’t afford?

A washing machine. I’ve become very lazy to do my laundry. The last one I checked cost ₦177k, and I’ll probably get it next year from the proceeds of my cassava investment. 

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 – 10?

5. I don’t have all the money I need, but I’m content that I’ve utilised the opportunities I had to the best of my ability.

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

We published 51 Naira Life stories in 2024, sharing important insights into how Nigerians navigate money. 

Before January 2025 arrives in a few days, we curated a list of the Naira Life stories from this year everyone should absolutely read. If you’ve read it before, read it again. It might give you added insight and the push to improve your relationship with money in 2025.

1. #NairaLife: She Endured Financial Abuse for 7 Years. Now She Earns ₦700k+/Month

This was my favourite Naira Life story this year, and I still remember the range of emotions I felt while interviewing the subject.

Her story is one of resilience. She talks about enduring financial (and physical) abuse in her marriage, eventually leaving with her two children and solely providing for them through several employment phases — from joblessness to juggling three jobs and then finding a ₦45k/month job. Thankfully, things are better for her now, and I hope things only go up from here.

2. #NairaLife: The 21-Year-Old Who Went From $5k in Debt to Multi-Business Owner in Two Years

Spoiler alert: After you finish reading this story, you’ll probably ask yourself if you’re doing the best you can.

The subject is a 21-year-old who thought he’d make it big trading crypto but ended up in a $5k debt and almost dropped out of school.

But that was in 2021. 

In three short years, he’s settled his debts, built a full-time career and created two businesses, all before graduation. How did he do it?

3. The #NairaLife of a 45-Year-Old Living Her Best Life Driving Cabs

It’s not every day you find a middle-aged woman behind a cab’s wheels in Lagos, but the woman in this #NairaLife is making it work. 

After losing her bank job in 2010, she started a fabrics and home decor business and tried several other hustles while raising her kids. She’s finally found stability with cabs, and with a >₦250k/week income, she doesn’t plan to stop soon.

4. The #NairaLife of a Baker Who’s Tired of Living on Handouts

This Naira Life was sad but also wildly relatable. From losing money to a romance scam to becoming homeless and surviving multiple depressive episodes, the subject has been through a lot

Her friends are the one constant in her life. They’ve always come through for her financially, but she’s at a point where she wishes she didn’t have to depend on them as much as she does.

5. The #NairaLife of a Corps Member Who’s Stripping to Pay Off Her Debt

This was yet another Naira Life that reminded readers how tough life gets. A series of unfortunate events pushed the corps member in this story into a cycle of debt, and she’s done many things to escape it, including stripping and bikini dancing. Her primary goal was to settle her debts so she could find work she actually wanted to do. 

Fun fact: Some readers reached out after this story was published and graciously cleared her debt. We love stories that end well!

6. The #NairaLife of a Pastor Navigating Guilt and a Marketing Career

Some background on this story: I was curious about pastors and how they make money, so I searched and searched until I found this man.

He’s a youth minister who also moonlights as a marketing professional, and while he’s done other regular jobs, he’s convinced his current marketing job is affecting his relationship with God. Why? You’ll have to read it to find out.

7. #NairaLife: What Does Navigating Infertility for Over a Decade Look Like?

Since I started writing Naira Life in 2023, I’ve wanted to speak to someone struggling with infertility. I’ve seen friends and family go through it and had an idea of how expensive it was. I also knew many Nigerians didn’t know how draining infertility can be on wallets, so I pursued the story. However, it was a different ball game convincing people to speak to me. I finally found a willing subject this year.

The subject has been trying to conceive for 13 years, and for Naira Life, she shared how her journey has changed her perspectives and affected her finances. Sending baby dust her way.

8. The #NairaLife of an Engineer Who Survived Homelessness and a ₦40m Debt

This Naira Life is the very definition of “Never give up.” In 2016, the 36-year-old subject made wrong investment choices, which led to losing his home and drowning in debt. He thought it was over, but his story changed again in less than a year, and he’s back chasing investments like the past few years didn’t happen.

9. #NairaLife: The Fear of Retrogression Cured Her Spending Problem

This was the first Naira Life story in 2024. I found it interesting how the subject’s spending habits changed completely from “laulau” spending to prudent saving. She also dropped a few gems about freelancing with foreign clients. You should read it.

10. The #Nairalife of a Couple Dating on Unstable Freelance Incomes

This Naira Life was one of the first couple #NairaLife editions we did to mark lovers’ month in February. I distinctly remember how cheesily in love these subjects were during the interview. 

They’re in a long-distance relationship, but that isn’t stopping them from working through their different spending habits and coming through for each other during bad financial periods because of their income instability as freelancers. God, when?

PS: We now have a flagship focused completely on exploring how money moves in relationships. It’s called Love Currency, and it’s published every Tuesday at 9 a.m. We’re currently closed for 2024 to resume in January, but you can read past editions here.

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

Enjoy a December to Remember with Yellow Card this Christmas!

Trade at least 35,000 Naira on Yellow Card today for a chance to win $50 in Yellow Card’s $4000 Christmas giveaway. Don’t miss out on your chance to win!

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2024 was an interesting year for Nigerians living in Nigeria and spending the naira. Inflation hit all-time highs, and we had to continuously find creative ways to manage our money to meet the increasingly high cost of living.

Like we’ve done since 2019, we sought out Nigerians to share their financial journeys and look out for similarities and differences between how they’re making (or losing) money and how it affects their lives.

As the year comes to an end, let’s take a look back at the ten #NairaLife stories you loved the most and just couldn’t get enough of.

1. The #NairaLife of a Sex Worker Who’s Securing Her Siblings’ Future

“The 24-year-old in this story left home at 18 in search of a better life. She’s achieved that goal. Now, as her family’s breadwinner, her new focus is building an even better future for her siblings.”

I found her story fascinating. She’s focused on achieving financial freedom and doesn’t care that people judge her unconventional job; frankly, I respect it. 

2. #NairaLife: The Software Developer Picking Himself Up After Losing $500K in Seven Months

I screamed inwardly several times during this interview. The 41-year-old in this story has had a rollercoaster financial journey. He built considerable wealth over a 10-year career and was on his way to achieving his dreams of a second passport when he lost his life savings to a botched crypto project and cryptocurrency exchange in 2022.

He’s rebuilding his savings and investment portfolio now, but how can someone ever recover from a $500k loss?

3. #NairaLife: The Investment Analyst on Track to Grow Her Liquid Assets to ₦100m in Three Years

“This 30-year-old has found a steady career rhythm but feels like she lost precious years trying different paths, hoping one would stick. Now, her focus is clear: making up for lost time by obsessively growing her wealth. Her goal? ₦100m.”

This #NairaLife was a masterclass in growing wealth. And yes, I took personal notes. Who doesn’t want to grow wealth?

4. #NairaLife: This HR Babe Pays Black Tax Out of Goodwill

“She could have been a lawyer, but this 34-year-old HR specialist stuck to her guns and now takes home ₦2.5m a month. Her biggest struggles, though? Impulse spending and black tax obligations to a mum she feels doesn’t deserve it.”

Many of our readers related to her black tax dilemma: wanting to help your parents but also resenting having to spend so much on them. Unfortunately, black tax can be a lifelong responsibility.

5. The Conflicted #NairaLife of an Adult Content Creator With Financial Anxiety

“This 21-year-old stumbled into adult content creation after a series of unfortunate events. One month in, she’s earning more than she ever imagined — but she’s already crafting an exit plan for a future beyond the industry.”

This #NairaLife was both sad and a little inspiring. It was interesting to see how she’s picking herself up after life dealt her several bad hands. I hope she’s able to make good on those exit plans.

6. #NairaLife: The Researcher Who Had to Start Afresh After Getting Disowned

Before interviewing this subject, I thought disownment was a thing that mostly happened in Nollywood movies and was the only outcome of extreme situations when they occurred in reality. Imagine my shock when I heard that this subject’s dad disowned her at 24 for getting pregnant. 

She had to start afresh, but eight years later, she’s now a financially stable mother of two — thanks to her ₦1.5m/month salary. How did she get here, and what’s next for her?

7. #NairaLife: This Tech Bro Survived Two Layoffs by Working Multiple Jobs

The 28-year-old mobile engineer in this #NairaLife went through the nightmare of every 9-5er: He was laid off twice in seven months. Now, he’s navigating the insecurity that comes with working in the tech industry.

Thankfully, he’s had better luck in his relationship with money. He’s gone from careless spending to building an impressive $80k safety net by living below his means. Not bad at all.

8. #NairaLife: This Freelancer Once Drove Cabs. Now, She Makes $3k/Month

This 32-year-old freelance project coordinator is what you might call a late starter. Things haven’t always been rosy for her, from waiting five years to enter uni to driving cabs after a job loss.

However, she’s now on the road to financial freedom. Well, as soon as she figures out money management.

9. The #NairaLife of a Stay-at-Home Wife Who Isn’t Joking With Her Safety Nets

When asked if she’d ever return to the workforce, this 29-year-old stay-at-home wife responded, “What for?” I get it. She’s making just as much in the comfort of her home.

She doesn’t regret abandoning her career to start a family in 2020, but she’s now building something just as important: buffers and safety nets.

10. #NairaLife: She Earns Almost ₦2m/Month, but Is Considering Indefinite Unemployment

Following her big break in 2021, this 32-year-old sales manager’s income has been on an upward trajectory. The only problem? She’s now navigating burnout and thinks starting over might be the fix.

An excerpt: “I’ve worked nonstop since 2015, and it’s starting to catch up with me. Nowadays, I find myself increasingly disillusioned with the need to work and gather money. Like, is the point of my life to go from one meeting to the next trying to upsell people and pretend I’m passionate about one fintech product or the other?”

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

Enjoy a December to Remember with Yellow Card this Christmas!

Trade at least 35,000 Naira on Yellow Card today for a chance to win $50 in Yellow Card’s $4000 Christmas giveaway. Don’t miss out on your chance to win!

Join Yellow Card today

What’s your earliest memory of money?

One time, in 2000, our landlord came looking for my dad to ask for the house rent, and my dad told me to tell the landlord he wasn’t around. Guess what I said?

“My daddy said he’s not around?”

Worse. I told him my dad was inside. My Sunday school teacher had used one film about hell fire to traumatise me the week before, and I wasn’t about to go to hell for lying. The landlord disgraced my dad that day and said things like, “If you don’t have money, go and sleep under the bridge.”

I was 8 years old, and I concluded that not having money equalled turning into an agbero. Of course, my dad punished me too.

Of course. What was growing up like financially?

The rent incident opened my eyes to our financial situation: we were broke. My dad was a mechanic who didn’t make great money, so unpaid house rent and our landlord coming to shout were regular incidents. 

To make things worse, my dad had two wives and nine children, and we all lived in a two-bedroom flat. My mum was the younger wife whom he married because the first wife didn’t have a child. Ironically, the first wife started popping kids out the minute he married a second wife— children he didn’t have money to provide for. 

My mum was a tailor, and she pulled most of the financial weight for her children’s education. The only thing my dad did was drop ₦1k for food every three days. There were days when my mum would cook a pot of soup, feed the children and hide the remaining soup in her cupboard so my dad wouldn’t find and finish it. 

There were a lot of fights between my parents and the first wife. Even us children fought each other too. It was a toxic situation, and I didn’t like going home. After school, I hung out with my friends and ate at their houses or ran errands for their parents for ₦20 here and there.

Speaking of, when was the first time you made money?

I didn’t make any actual money until after I graduated from secondary school in 2008. I got a job teaching primary one students for ₦3500/month. During the weekends, I took serving and cleaning gigs at events for ₦1k – ₦3k. I was making money but didn’t feel the impact because my dad insisted I submit my income to him.

You say?

The man argued that I was living in his house and eating his food — which was actually my mum’s food — so I had to give him what I made. I initially refused, but my mum convinced me to give him the money for peace to reign.

This stopped when I moved out to go to uni in 2010. I didn’t get any allowance from home except for the foodstuff my mum managed to get me when I visited home. I survived by doing several things for money. 

I continued serving food at events and lived on the ₦5k it brought weekly in my first two years in school. Then, in my third year, I started selling sneakers. A friend introduced me to the business; all I had to do was show people the pictures of the sneakers, then buy the shoes after they paid and deliver to them. I made at least ₦3k in profit on every pair of sneakers sold.

Not bad

By final year in 2015, everyone in my department knew me as the guy who sold good sneakers. I could sell six sneakers and make up to ₦25k in profit in a week. I was handling my school expenses and feeding myself comfortably. I also started sending ₦10k to my mum when she complained about my dad not dropping money. 

The business dipped when I went for NYSC in 2016. Till today, I have little regrets about not working my service year to the same state I schooled in. That way, I’d have held on to my customers. Instead, I went to a northern state and served in a school. No one bought sneakers in the north.

The school paid ₦5k, and I got ₦19800 from the government. It felt like a downgrade. Me, who was balling on almost ₦100k monthly now had to manage ₦25k.

Would you say your quality of life also reduced with your income?

My reduced income just led to me cutting off certain excesses. Back in uni, I bought food every day and changed clothes when I liked. But during my service year, I remembered I knew how to cook. I didn’t like having to tell my mum I didn’t have money, but I didn’t have a choice.

I returned home in 2017 and got an operations role at a finance institution. My salary was only ₦80k/month, but I was really excited about it. I knew several people who struggled to get jobs after NYSC, and I’d just gotten one without stress. It felt good.

I was squatting with a friend when I started the job, but I planned to get my own space. I reasoned that if I saved half of my salary monthly, I could rent a decent room within a year. I ended up squatting with that friend for four years.

What happened?

My family happened. As soon as my mum learnt I was working, she started complaining about the situation at home, and I had no choice but to give her money. 

My dad started asking for money, too. I mostly ignored him, but then he’d complain to my mum and pick a fight with her, accusing her of turning his son against him. My mum, ever the peacemaker, would call me and beg and beg until I agreed to send money to my dad. 

When I made the mistake of visiting home, my half-siblings would descend on me for help too.  At one point, one of my half-siblings was in a federal university, and I was paying his school fees.

An outsider looking in would’ve assumed I was one rich man with the way I kept giving my family money. But I couldn’t stand hearing them complain if I could help. That’s where all my savings went during the three years I spent at the operations job. My eyes cleared in 2020.

Tell me about that

The lockdown happened, and my employers laid off non-essential staff. I fell into that category. I found myself jobless and with zero savings. 

My dad and siblings kept calling for help, and they never understood when I said I didn’t have money. When the calls became too much, I stopped taking them entirely. One day, my dad sent me a text message saying, “Thank you for refusing to help me, but remember I’m still your father. Your child will do the same for you.”

Ah

I was so angry. This was someone who was never there for me growing up. I didn’t hold on to that and had helped him financially several times. Just the one time I didn’t, he was swearing for me. 

It became a whole issue. I called him back, and it descended into a full-on shouting match. I told him never to call me again. My mum tried to intervene days later by summoning me to the house for a physical meeting so I could apologise to my dad. 

The physical meeting also became heated, and several of my half-siblings took my dad’s side and insulted me too. These were children I spent my money on and contributed to their school fees. I felt betrayed. I also concluded they had the audacity to talk to me the way they did because I’d stopped giving them money.

It was a wake-up call. There I was, bending myself backwards to help my family, but they saw me as an ATM card that had no value once there was no money in the account. I felt used.

Sigh. I can imagine

My friend was the only reason I didn’t starve or become depressed. He kept encouraging me and also convinced me to learn project management. He told me it was lucrative and I could get a remote job with it; that was all the encouragement I needed. 

I took a couple of free online courses and started putting “Project Manager” on my CV and LinkedIn like I had actual experience. Fortunately, an opportunity came in the middle of 2021: one of my former bosses at the finance institution helped me get back my operations job. I’d been pestering him to help me get back in, and I didn’t even think he took me seriously until I got the call to resume. 

This time, my salary was ₦100k/month. The money was a welcome change from months of relying on my friend’s kindness, but my primary goal was to get project management experience.

How did you do that?

I started shadowing the project managers on my team and asking them to give me some of their work. A lot of it was about monitoring compliance, risk management strategies and countless meetings.

Thankfully, I had an understanding manager who liked the work I was putting into gaining enough experience for a career switch. When a spot opened up in the project management team in 2023, she recommended me, and I got the role. My salary bumped up to ₦250k.

Whoosh. How did that feel?

It felt great. I’d actively pursued something and gotten it. The salary increase was also timely. I had moved into my own apartment in 202,1 and my landlord increased the rent from ₦350k to ₦500k/ year. Thankfully, the new role came around the same time.  

I also became more intentional with my finances, saving at least ₦30k/month. Since I realised how much my family drained me financially, I stopped checking on them. I haven’t even visited home since 2020. I can’t afford to go home because I know the billing and sad stories that await me if I try it. 

My dad still does his emotional blackmail, but I make sure to start every call with a made up narration of how I’m also suffering so I have an excuse when he inevitably asks for money. I don’t pick anyone else’s calls except my mum and her kids; I try to send her at least ₦30k/month. I know she probably gives some of her allowance to my dad, but that’s her business. As long as I’m not giving him anything other than random recharge cards and rice during festive seasons.

What are your finances like these days?

I got my current job in April — still a project manager, but my salary is now ₦400k/month.

I plan to get married next year and will need to move into a bigger apartment. So, I still live like I earn ₦250k so I can save ₦150k/month. I currently have about ₦950k in savings, but I’ll need double that if I want to achieve both goals to a reasonable extent. I’m starting to think aggressively saving alone won’t get me there, considering how terribly high the price of everything gets by the minute.

I’m also considering side gigs to increase my earnings. The same friend who introduced me to project management recently linked me to a remote job site for freelance and contract job opportunities. But I’ve been applying to jobs without much success. The one that seemed promising was going to pay $30/hour for a week, but my network during the interview was terrible, and they didn’t reach out afterward. I hope I find something soon.

I hope so too. Let’s talk about your typical monthly expenses

What’s one thing you want to be better at, concerning your finances?

I need to hack the making money bit. I’m not a big spender, but I had a really late start in my financial journey, and I haven’t made the best decisions. Maybe if I’d been more intentional with managing money, I’d have a bigger safety net and would even be able to consider investments like my mates are doing.

Right now, I can’t afford to tie money down because I’ll need it in the near future. Maybe after that’s settled, I can start researching investment options like stocks and crypto. 

I’m curious. What’s an ideal income range for you?

I’d say ₦800k/month for my current professional level. However, I know I’m still a junior level project manager, so that may not be possible yet. But I intend to keep upskilling and applying to more opportunities. I believe it’s only a matter of time before my earnings match that amount.

What’s one thing you want right now but can’t afford?

A car. I work from the office only twice a week, and I’ve been toying with the idea of driving cabs whenever I’m free. If I had my own car, I could do that on my own time and park somewhere if I had meetings. Plus, it’d help me with mobility. Anyway, that’s just a wish. A good car costs at least ₦5m now, and I don’t have anything up to that.

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

6. I feel like I wasted so much time trying to save my family and sometimes, it feels like I’ll never get that lost time back. It’s my biggest regret.

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When did you first realise the importance of money?

That was in JSS 1, and I’d just moved back in with my dad. I’d previously lived with my aunt and didn’t lack anything with her. There was food at home, and she gave me ₦50 to school daily, too. 

But we struggled to eat or do other basic things at my dad’s. The ₦50 reduced to ₦20, then the ₦20 stopped coming. It made me hyper-aware of what a lack of money could do.

Why were you living with your aunt?

My mum passed away when I was four, and my dad shipped me off to live with my aunt. He was a builder who had periods of plenty money and then no money at all. I think my mum was the one who managed his money when she was alive. When she passed, he started blowing money on alcohol, cigarettes and whatever else he wanted.

My aunt often complained about my dad not sending money for my care when I lived with her. It was when I went back to live with him that I saw the extent of the situation. It’s safe to say I saw shege. I wouldn’t eat all day and developed an ulcer in less than a year. At some point, I used firewood to cook.

I couldn’t even buy detergent to wash my school uniform, and people stared pitifully because I wore dirty clothes. I had to start boiling my uniforms in water so they’d look a bit presentable. But that made them look rough and wear out quickly. I also owed school fees a lot. It was all embarrassing. 

I was likely traumatised too, because I went back to live with my aunt for a year and ate so much I became obese. When I returned to live with my dad again in JSS 3, I began thinking about ways to make money because the financial situation was still terrible. 

I’m sorry you went through all that. Did you find a way to make money?

Yeah, I started a reading club in school. My aunt introduced me to novels when I lived with her, and I had quite a number of them — mostly romance. I was also part of a VIP system at a bookstore where I got free access to even more novels.

So, I started renting them out to schoolmates for ₦10 – ₦20 per book. I also sold sweets and made at least ₦600 weekly from both businesses. I did that until SS 1 and stopped after someone reported me to the school authorities.

It’s giving bad belle

Right? I didn’t do anything else for money until I finished secondary school in 2012. Then, I got a job at a school teaching the primary three and four classes. My salary was only ₦6k, but they owed the first month and delayed payment in the second month. 

One of the school teachers hired me to coach her child for after-school lessons, but she found it difficult to pay the ₦4k/month we agreed on. After three months, I left the job and moved on to another school that paid ₦15k/month.

The new school also owed salaries, but I stuck with them longer because I had about four students whose parents paid me ₦2k/month for extra lessons. In a good month, my total income was around ₦20k. I was balling.

Tell me about that

I mostly spent my money on food. Whenever my dad had money, he bought a bag of rice, garri, palm oil and dry pepper. The only way I could eat something more interesting was if I bought it myself.

I stayed at the school for over a year and left after they owed three months’ salary at a stretch. My next job was as a sales girl for a woman who sold groceries. My salary was ₦10k, but we agreed she would hold ₦6k for me and only pay me ₦4k monthly.

Why?

I was about to write GCE and JAMB — WAEC banned my result for some reason — and I needed money for the forms and textbooks, as well as to process uni admission. Also, I trusted the person who introduced me to her, so I knew my money was safe. 

I got the GCE and JAMB forms for about ₦30k. My elder sister also pitched in even though she was sponsoring herself through school. I couldn’t afford hostel accommodation when I got to uni in 2015, and I spent the first few weeks commuting from my house to school. Even that one sef, I had to beg my sister for the ₦1k daily transport fare. 

I realised that wasn’t sustainable, so I started sleeping in class instead. That didn’t last a month because a guy I was reading with in class decided to feel me up while I slept. 

Yikes. Sorry about that

It was such a nasty experience. Fortunately, a friend called me around the same time the incident happened and noticed I wasn’t fine. He pressed to know what happened, and I shared my accommodation issue. He sent ₦40k, and I used the money to secure a hostel. He even sent me extra for food later. It was just miraculous timing.

How about your dad? Was he supporting you?

My dad was drunk the whole time I was in uni and didn’t even know when I graduated. I survived in uni by doing a bunch of things.

In year one, I sold puff-puff with my hostel roommate. We pulled money together and I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to mix the dough and fry it before class, while my roommate sold them in school for ₦5 apiece. We did that for less than a semester and made ₦15k in profit before everything scattered.

How did it scatter?

We agreed that I’d keep all our earnings, put it back in the business and wait until the end of the semester to share the money. But she started crying to our other roommates that I’d stolen her money. I was so pissed that I gave her the whole profit and buckets and every other item we’d bought for the business. 

After I gave her everything, I remembered I was broke and didn’t have a dime. I lost so much weight because I wasn’t eating. My dad also fell sick, and we had to sell some of his properties to pay his hospital bills.

Fortunately, I met someone in church who took on a spiritual mother role over me. She learned about my situation and was like, “You’re industrious, but you don’t like asking for money.” She eventually loaned me ₦10k, and when I resumed school for year two, I used it to start a supermarket in my room. I sold everything you can think of in that room — from spaghetti to tomatoes. 

Was it profitable?

I was a big girl. Gas cookers and stoves were contraband in the hostel, but I bribed the porters to keep one. I cooked soups and ate well. I did very well.

But I fell sick at the end of the year and had to go home. When I returned, my roommate had started selling the same exact things. I didn’t even confront her. I just quietly stopped my own business.

I’d saved up to ₦60k, so I got two other roommates to rent an off-campus room. From there, I started my next hustle as a house agent. I can’t even remember how I got into it; I just did.

How did pay work as an agent?

I reposted room-to-let ads from other agents on my WhatsApp status, and I made at least ₦4k on every person who asked to inspect the house. But I trekked so much during that period, taking people from house to house. I also got a small percentage of the agent fee if they eventually rented the house.

Around 2018, a bike-hailing company launched in Nigeria, and I landed an activation gig with them. My job was to go around telling people about the app and convincing them to download it with my activation code. At first, I made around ₦300 per download, but the company kept reducing the bonus until it was about ₦150.

I moved on to their competitors in 2019, and those ones paid between ₦350 – ₦400 per download. I was still doing the house agent thing, and my income from all the hustles came to ₦40k – ₦80k monthly. 

The only downside was that I wasn’t saving a lot. I was pretty much eating whatever I wanted, spoiling myself, and even buying a phone.

To be fair, though, my project took a lot of my money. My supervisor only reviewed printed work, and I had to constantly reprint to reflect the corrections. Anyway, I graduated from university in 2019.

Yay. What did you do next?

I had the brief panic feeling most people get when they finish uni: What do I do next? How do I survive? 

So, I applied to jobs everywhere. I even fell for one of those network marketing scams where they gather job applicants and “train” them to become their own bosses. I moved back in with my dad because my apartment had flooding issues. That turned out to be a mistake.

My dad was the kind of person who attributed one’s worth to money. He saw me sitting at home as lazy. On several occasions, he sent me to buy him drugs, and when I asked for transport fare, he said, “Why can’t you trek? What are you doing with your strength anyway? Are you making any impact on society?”

Hmmm

I knew I couldn’t stay home. One day, I walked into a random real estate company and told them I wanted to work. They insisted they weren’t hiring, but I was like, “Don’t worry. Don’t hire me. I’ll just stay here and assist the receptionist.”

That’s how I started hanging around assisting everyone and tagging along whenever they went for site inspections. After some of those inspections, they’d give me ₦4k for transport. The random stipends came weeks apart, so my income was very irregular. But I made sure to be as useful as possible so they wouldn’t think, “What’s the point of keeping this person around?”

A few months later, my spiritual mother introduced me to someone who worked at a mall. They put me in the accounting department, but I did everything from supervising the kitchen to handling the books. My salary was ₦70k/month. This was in January 2020.

Then the lockdown happened, and I had to stop working.

Phew. What did you do with the free time?

I had started learning Excel at the job because I wanted to make myself useful. So, when the lockdown happened, I decided to start offering online “How to do accounting for your business” training sessions on WhatsApp. 

I taught small business owners and vendors how to determine the selling price for their business, calculate profit, etc. I charged ₦5k, but I mostly sold the training at a ₦2k early bird price. I know I made ₦20k one time after posting excessively on my WhatsApp.

I also did some dropshipping—mostly gym shoes—on the side, but my main income source during the lockdown was the training sessions. My then-boyfriend (now my husband) encouraged me to learn data analysis since I knew a few things about Excel. So, I took a course on Udemy, which helped me get my next job at an e-commerce company. This time, my salary was ₦60k/month.

My dad also passed away at the end of 2020, and several people gave me and my sister money to help with the funeral. In the end, we had about ₦120k left after we buried him, so we used it to rent an apartment.

Sorry about your dad

Thank you. The new apartment was closer to my job, which reduced my transportation costs. I spent two years at the company, and during that time, I did so many certifications I thought my head would spin. 

By the time I left in 2022, my salary had only increased to ₦80k, but my data analysis skills had more than tripled. I’d also started a perfume oil business at some point while employed there and made at least ₦30k/month in profits.

After I resigned, I decided to register for NYSC and get it over with. I took 150 pieces of my ₦1k perfume oil to orientation camp and sold it all in less than three weeks. That was possible because the camp soldiers seized everyone’s big perfume bottles as contraband. My oil bottles were tiny, so they allowed me to take them in. You won’t believe I spent the entire ₦150k I made in camp.

You say?

The lure of the mammy market worked its magic. I was just buying shawarma, grilled fish, grilled chicken, you name it.

Post-camp, my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) was a tech company — I got the connection through a friend — and my official role was customer success intern. It was a bit weird to be at intern level, considering all my years of work experience, but that was the only role the company had for corps members. They paid ₦50k/month, and with the NYSC stipend, my income was ₦83k/month. The company retained me after I finished my service in 2023, and I got a salary bump to ₦150k. Later that year, after people complained, they reviewed salaries, and I got another bump to ₦250k. But my eyes were already on bigger things. 

Customer success is heavily data-reliant, and as the only data analyst on the team, I was doing my normal customer success manager work and data analysis for the entire team. I knew I could get better opportunities. So, I began applying all I’d learnt on the job, talking to people about customer success and putting myself out there on LinkedIn.

Did job offers come?

Oh, they did. I was even selecting the ones I wanted. At that point, I worked mostly remotely — only one day at the office —but most Nigerian companies wanted a hybrid situation where employees would work from the office thrice a week. I didn’t want that, so I set my sights on foreign companies. 

I eventually landed a customer success manager role with a Ghanaian company early this year. That’s my current role. But I really shot myself in the foot when negotiating my salary.

Ooof. You didn’t ask for enough?

I asked for less than they offered. They gave me a ₦400k – ₦800k range for the role, and I went and picked ₦650k because I was scared of picking the highest. 

Only for me to enter the company and realise that other people picked the highest figure and even negotiated to like ₦900k or ₦1m. It’s painful, but I’m trying to work up the courage to ask for a raise.

I also run two businesses. One is with my husband — we got married last year — and it’s a virtual tutoring company where we teach people coding, maths and English. My role is admin-related: I sort out the students, assign them to tutors, handle payments and the rest. I get 17% of the profits monthly, and right now, that’s about ₦200k/month. 

The second business is a CV-writing service, and I have a virtual assistant who helps me with the social media page and anything else I want to do outside work. I pay the assistant ₦50k and get an average of ₦50k/month in profit.

All together, my monthly income is at least ₦900k. 

What kind of life does ₦900k/month afford you?

I still feel broke. If someone had told younger me that I’d be earning almost a  million and still have to calculate so much before doing things, or not be able to do some things at all, I’d have said it was impossible.

I bought a $300 course recently and I had to save for a few months to afford it. I also want to buy a laptop, but do you know how much that costs now? I feel like I shouldn’t be calculating as much as I do, or thinking about starting a business for extra income. ₦900k should make my life easier, but it doesn’t.

Is there an ideal amount you think would help?

The starting point is earning in dollars. I don’t even mind earning $1k and going up from there. I don’t want to earn in naira anymore. 

When I got my job, ₦650k was about $600, but now it’s not up to $400. What happens next year? Will it be $200? What happens when I need to pay for another course? There are several courses I can’t do yet because I have to plan and plan.

I recently got a $2k – $3k offer, though. But the company has several red flags on Glassdoor. I’m currently contemplating if I should sacrifice my mental health for money.

I’m screaming. Let’s break down your monthly expenses

These are my recurring expenses. I often spend more than this, but it depends on the month. For instance, I’m currently renovating my kitchen, and I’ve spent about ₦600k. Sometimes, I contribute to the home’s expenses, but that’s only when I want to assist my husband; he pays for everything.

I regularly take a lot of courses, but there’s no set monthly budget for that. My last course was a two-level professional certification for customer success managers, and I paid over $300 for each level. For savings, I invest my money in stocks.

How much is your stocks portfolio worth now?

It’s a little below $1k now, but it fluctuates regularly because of the stock market and exchange rate. I’m not worried about it, though. The plan is to just forget the money there and let it grow.

I should mention I recently started a master’s degree program, so that’s another thing taking my money. My husband paid the ₦300k registration fee, but I handled the almost ₦400k payment for my first semester.

What part of your finances do you think you could be better at?

I can definitely do better at saving money. ₦100k monthly is pretty small, considering my income and limited responsibilities. But I also don’t want to be the person who aggressively saves and doesn’t enjoy their money in the present. 

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

An international MBA. I’ve noticed recruiters for global companies want to see that talents have gone past their immediate environment to gain international experience. I’ve seen relatively cheap MBA options I can do with $300/month, but it’s still expensive because I earn in naira.

Secondly, I’d like to be able to relocate someday. But before this happens, I want to visit these countries and see what they’re like before uprooting my life. I can’t do any of those yet because my income is still too low, but hopefully, that’ll happen soon. 

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

7 or 8. I’m not where I want to be, but it’s a huge improvement from where I was. It’s like, I know I’m not squandering money, but I also feel like I’m not saving enough. 

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TW: Revenge porn, sexual abuse, attempted suicide. 

What’s your earliest memory of money?

I remember watching my primary school classmates go out to get snacks during break time and being unable to do the same because I didn’t have money. That’s when it first clicked that money was necessary to get basic things.

Did your “not having money” have anything to do with your family’s financial situation?

It did, but we weren’t poor. My mum is a teacher, and my dad is a civil servant, so they’re pretty well-to-do. But they have a scarcity mindset, which I think may have come from their childhoods. I don’t know the specifics, but they probably had limited access to money and thought their children should also have limited access to cash. 

My siblings and I had to give full explanations to support any money request. At first, I thought it was normal, but I realised as I got older that their attitude towards money was extreme. It was so bad that, even when I hit puberty, my parents refused to buy me a deodorant. I was a sweaty adolescent, and everyone in my class complained of my body odour, but my parents didn’t think I needed a deodorant. 

It also didn’t help that I struggled with my mental health as a kid, which further fractured my relationship with my parents. I was a withdrawn, unhappy child, and my parents didn’t understand it. Like why are you depressed when we provide every basic thing you need? 

I thought they saw me as an ungrateful child and vibe killer — my mum especially — and it made it even more difficult for me to ask for money. My mum would say I didn’t deserve things because I didn’t make her happy. I kinda understand my mum now, though. It must have been difficult dealing with a child who was always sad. 

Hmmm

I endured a whole lot of mental and emotional stress growing up because of all the weirdness.

There was a brief period when I was 18, and my mum became nicer to me. My parents finally took me to see a mental health specialist who said I suffered from clinical depression caused by a chemical imbalance. The diagnosis cost about ₦300k. They also prescribed me drugs for treatment, and that helped. 

But the damage had already been done. 

What do you mean?

It’s a long story. 

I’m listening

I entered university in 2019, and my parents gave me a ₦10k/month allowance, which was barely enough for feeding. I’m sure they knew it wasn’t enough, too. But since I was uncomfortable with asking them for money, I had to sort myself out. I started dating people I shouldn’t have because they’d give me money. I also tried a few other things for money at uni.

Tell me more about these other things

The first thing I did was write. I used to write essays for my classmates in high school, so I knew I could write. I met a copywriter in school, and he put me through freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr. 

I started content writing on those sites in 2020 and got occasional ₦20/word gigs. The most I made from a gig was ₦40k for a 2k-word article. Around the same time, I began to get a considerable social media following due to some of my thirst traps I posted online. I’d also been posting some of my writing on my accounts, so when the social media attention increased, I started getting requests to write smut content. 

How much were you getting paid to write smut?

The average pay per smut piece was ₦50k, and each piece contained three to five chapters. I received a lot of requests, but I only took one or two gigs weekly because the writing had to be pretty detailed, and I didn’t feel good writing it. 

Why do you think that was?

The most common requests I got were about rape fetishes and gay smut that still had hints of rape. It became so irritating and uncomfortable writing these pieces that I couldn’t even read them after writing. It was quick money, but I started to hate it so much. I stopped after about nine months.

I moved on to writing music recommendations on social media. By then, I’d gotten over 10k followers and was something like an influencer. So, up-and-coming artists paid me at least ₦10k to recommend their songs. My life was going well. 

Then, a few years ago, someone leaked my private photos and a sex tape, and I had to leave school.

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Oh no. Do you have any idea how that happened?

My ex-boyfriend did it. We had a messy breakup, but it never even occurred to me that he’d do that. I didn’t even know he was holding on to those pictures and videos. I also didn’t know when the pictures started going around in my uni and on social media until a few weeks later.

You know how you never think something can happen to you, but it does anyway? That’s how I felt. I used to be super judgemental about things like that and be like, “Why can’t women be more careful?” But it happened to me, and it’s like, “Yeah, it’s not exactly something you see coming.”

I’m so sorry

It was so world-altering, and it’s crazy how much one person has impacted my life. My university got involved after someone reported that I was self-harming and hadn’t left my room in a week. The school authorities also involved my parents — I asked them not to tell my parents about the pictures, so they just thought I was depressed. I was hospitalised for three days as everyone concluded I was a danger to myself. It was also the period I finally got the clinical depression diagnosis I mentioned earlier. 

My school didn’t let me write exams two different times because they wanted to make sure I was in the right mental state. However, they couldn’t do anything to stop people from sharing the pictures. Ultimately, I had to transfer to another uni towards the end of 2023. 

I’m sorry you went through that

That wasn’t even all. The pictures started making rounds at my new school not long after I started there. I heard boys were literally sourcing for new pictures and selling my shit. 

It was so embarrassing. I missed exams again and attempted suicide during the semester break. My parents thought it was depression again, and they went into panic mode, trying to watch over me. That was until my sister revealed that the whole thing was because my nudes leaked.

My parents were angry, as expected. It was a whole lot.

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Where was your head during this time?

First, I stayed away from social media. I deactivated all my accounts because some people started to recognise me from the pictures going around. I stopped writing the music recommendations because I couldn’t even think about making money.

However, I rejoined social media a few months ago when I learnt that the pictures were beginning to resurface. I try to limit the leaks by finding the account of the person actively sharing them and paying hackers between ₦60k and ₦100k to take down the accounts. When the pictures started trending again a few months ago, I reached out to the source, and this guy actually told me he was making money on my pictures, so he couldn’t take them down. He was like, “It must suck to be you.” 

That’s wild

It was so shocking to me. That same day, I saw an online ad about a new platform where you could get paid to post pictures and videos. I thought it’d just be an opportunity to gather followership again and find people who liked me enough to pay for my attention. I created an account, set my subscription rate at ₦30k/month, and put the link in my social media bio. 

I thought my subscription rate was ridiculous and didn’t expect anyone to pay, so I just forgot about the account. But a week later, the platform’s managers reached out to tell me I was amassing a lot of money on the platform and wanted to give me a contract. I was surprised, so I opened the account. I found ₦1m sitting in my wallet. I hadn’t even posted anything yet.

But what were they subscribing to?

Let me tell you how the platform works: Every creator’s account is locked to the public, and only a paying subscriber can see the content. The creator can also put custom content behind a different paywall and charge subscribers more to see it. When they pay, the money goes to the creator’s wallet, which they can withdraw to a bank account. The platform takes 30% as commission.

When I returned to the platform, I uploaded regular pictures at first. But then I started getting weird DMs from my subscribers about wanting explicit content. That’s when I checked other content creators’ pages and realised the platform was essentially an adult content creation platform. 

Remember the contract I mentioned? The platform’s managers offered to pay me ₦800k to promote my account link three times a week on my other social media platforms for three months, in addition to whatever I made from subscriptions and other content. 

It seemed like a no-brainer. At that point, all the negative attention from the leaks had become overwhelming. I couldn’t return to school because I was scared and miserable, and people avoided me. I felt like I was radioactive. I’d also told my parents I wanted to take a gap year and attend fashion school, but they refused to pay for it.

I just thought, “I’m being shamed regardless. Might as well make money from it.”

So, you started creating adult content fully

Once I started, I knew there was no going back. I moved out and went to squat with friends because I knew what I was doing would get to my parents one way or another. 

Also, about a month ago, I accepted the platform’s contract and started posting explicit content. A lot has happened since then.

First, there’s the money. I’ve never seen the amount of money I’ve made this past month before. I spent several days looking at that ₦1m I made in my first week because I just couldn’t believe it.

That said, I quickly got a lot of negative attention, which in turn increased my subscribers. The attention was mostly people accusing me of my “hypocrisy.” Like, this same babe who complained about her nudes getting leaked is now doing this. 

I learnt that guys from my former school were contributing money to pay for access to my content on the platform. Some of my male friends even created burner accounts to subscribe. The first two weeks were the hardest —It was difficult to become comfortable with the whole thing, and I was depressed for a bit, but I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Has your family found out?

They found out almost immediately and were understandably upset. My parents called me via conference call, and they couldn’t wrap their heads around it. My mum and I didn’t even speak for a while. But we’re slowly getting back on talking terms. 

I told my parents I needed to do it to figure out my life and get into fashion school, and they’ve been following up, especially my dad. He made sure I got an apartment and sent him receipts after paying for fashion school. My apartment cost ₦3.5m, and my tuition is ₦2.5m for a one-year program — all paid with my income. I won’t just be learning how to sew, though. The program also teaches a course on the business side of the fashion industry.

Out of curiosity, how much have you made since you’ve been creating adult content?

Over ₦10m. Most of this income came from custom content. I currently have six subscribers who consistently request custom content, and the least I charge is ₦100k. Right now, I make at least ₦800k weekly on the platform.

Interestingly, custom content isn’t always anything crazy. Sure, I get the nude photos and video requests, but some subscribers just ask for a regular conversation. They’re probably just lonely guys who want someone to talk to. But of course, there are also people with weird fetishes, which I sometimes decline.

READ: A Week In The Life Of A Sex Worker

What are some of the weirdest requests you’ve gotten?

One guy was really into armpits and kept asking for footage of my armpits in different positions. That one was just confusing. 

I honestly used to think fetishes were mostly a white people thing, but Nigerians have some of the weirdest ones I’ve heard. I’ve declined requests where guys ask me to send videos where I’m peeing on myself.

People also ask for sex tapes, but I’m not comfortable with that either. There’s no way to film without showing my face. The tapes would pay more, but I already have a bad experience with them.

Right. What’s the weight of being an adult content creator on your personal life?

I struggle with the stereotype and how I’m constantly sexualised. It also hurts me when my siblings and friends text me about what I’m doing. Or when I meet guys, and they see my adult content link on my bio, and the first thing they want to do is sleep with me.

People have called me a prostitute and associated what I’m doing with sex work even though I’m not actually sleeping with anyone. I understand it, though. Nigerians can’t accept the concept of adult content creation and the immorality around it. A year ago, I wouldn’t have accepted it either. 

So, I get the stigma, but I’ve learned to tune out the background noise. I now restrict my comments section and limit people’s access to me. Interestingly, the people dragging me are the same ones paying to view my content, so I’ve learned not to take the social media noise seriously anymore. That doesn’t mean I’m always unaffected by it. It’s hard. I just don’t feel like I have the right to complain because I made this decision.

I’ve also consciously begun surrounding myself with people who don’t judge me. I’m making new friends and taking each day as it comes.

Quick segue: You’ve made so much money so quickly. How do you feel about that?

Sometimes, I feel like it’s just beginner’s luck. I worry that the money will stop coming, and I fear going broke. So, I’m under intense pressure to make the right financial decisions that can guarantee me other income sources when this one stops paying. 

Even if adult content doesn’t stop paying, I’m not sure how much more I can take. I pretend like I don’t give a fuck like the other creators, but I’m certain my mental health can’t handle doing this for a long time, so I’m actively considering alternatives.

Is this where fashion school comes in?

Yeah. I just started the program and will need to figure out how to run a fashion business when I’m done. I’ve also promised my parents I’ll only do adult content for the year it’ll take me to complete the program. That means I have a year to figure my shit out.

In the meantime, I want to create a brand as a fashion influencer while I still have social media attention. So, hopefully, when I go cold turkey on adult content, the attention will move to my brand.

Have there been any lifestyle changes due to the income surge?

Besides my apartment and school fees, my financial habits haven’t really changed. I squandered that first ₦1m on clothes and other essentials because I left home without packing anything. But now, I mostly keep my money. I just like looking at it in my account — possibly because I’m scared it will disappear.

Oh, and this isn’t exactly a lifestyle change, but everyone now asks me for money. My relatives and former friends literally look at my subscriber count to calculate my money. For them, that’s enough justification to bill me. It’s crazy because they judge me but still want my money. It’s weird having to say no all the time.

I might consider investments because I still need to be smart with my money. I owe that to myself because no one will come to my rescue if things go south. But for now, I enjoy looking at it while figuring out what to do.

What are your typical monthly expenses like?

Well, I’ve only had money for about a month, so I still think of my expenses on a weekly basis.

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

A car. I don’t even care whether it’s a Corolla or Camry; I just want something that can take me from point A to B because cabs are so expensive right now.

While I can afford a car on paper, I don’t think it’s a wise decision. It’ll most likely take a chunk of my earnings. I want to get to the point where I can buy something between ₦3m – ₦5m without stressing about how much I have left. 

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 -10?

5. I feel like I’ll still have money anxiety, no matter how much I have. It took me making money to know ₦1m isn’t a lot of money and that money can go as quickly as it comes. I know I’m comfortable right now, but I’m not confident about my finances. 

If you’ve been a victim of revenge porn or you struggle with your mental health, here are some resources you might find helpful:

• What to Do When You’re A Victim of Revenge Porn
• How Can Victims of Abuse and Sexual Violence Get Help?
• Get Free Virtual Therapy Sessions with She Writes Woman
• StopNCII.org: Stop Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse

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What’s your earliest memory of money?

That was in 1994. I’d just finished secondary school and had gone to spend the holiday with my uncle while I worked on uni admission. My uncle was a clergyman and was so generous. The man was just dashing me money. He could give me ₦200 to buy something worth ₦50 and ask me to keep the change. Or he’d just randomly give me money. It was the first time I ever had money that was mine. 

I spent a few months at his place, and when I left, I’d gathered about ₦700. That was big money in 1994. It was even bigger in my eyes, especially because my family didn’t have much money. I opened a bank account with the ₦700 because it felt like the adult thing to do.

Tell me more about your family

My dad was a civil servant, and my mum was a trader. Both incomes didn’t do much to provide for our family. My dad tried to supplement his income by purchasing shares, and I remember he’d send me or any of my siblings to pay his dividend warrants into his bank account. 

In those days, the company you bought shares from would post your dividend warrants to you by mail at the end of the year, which you’d then cash in at the bank. It’s unlike now, where people get their dividends straight into their accounts. Anyway, the income from the shares was often really small — I saw a ₦26 payment once. 

Our financial situation was the reason my dad forced me into science class in secondary school. I wanted to join the commercial class because I had a knack for business management, but my two elder brothers studied science. My dad said he’d already bought all their textbooks and couldn’t afford to buy new ones. I wasn’t happy, but I managed. I even went on to study biochemistry at uni. It was at uni that I first made a conscious effort to make money.

When?

My first year of uni in 1997. I sold plastic hand fans. They had just come out, and the weather was hot, so I decided to try my hand at selling them. 

I went home and bought the fans from our main market at ₦30 apiece. I sold them for ₦50 each, and the fans quickly became popular among students. Business was good. I stopped selling them after 100 level because I found it really difficult to balance my course requirements with a business.  

With the business gone, I had to rely fully on whatever allowance my parents gave me, usually ₦2k – ₦3k. Even that didn’t come regularly because my dad had stopped working, and my mum was now the primary provider. 

Whenever I was returning to school, I’d give my mum a list of the items I needed, but she’d only give me what she had. Once, I cried on the bus back to school because the foodstuff I was travelling back with wouldn’t last three weeks, and I couldn’t return home for another month or two. I’m not sure how I survived uni, but I did.

What happened after uni?

I wasn’t immediately mobilised for NYSC after I graduated from uni in 2001, so I worked briefly with my brother in his electronics store. I was his sales assistant, but he didn’t pay me. That period was a humbling experience. 

Picture market people with a young girl they assume is a salesgirl who knows nothing. I had to deal with people talking to me anyhow. Fortunately, I didn’t have to stay too long before I went for NYSC in 2003. 

After NYSC, I got my first real job with an FMCG company in 2005. I was supposed to come in as a jobber — to pick up the products and transport them from the distributors to retailers. But the company decided to take me on as a salesman instead. My job was to supervise the jobbers, ensure they met targets, and liaise with the retailers. It sounds like an important job, but the salary was only ₦22k/month.

Was ₦22k enough for anything?

Not at all. I lived with my parents, so I wasn’t paying rent, but I still struggled. I often worked overtime and on weekends to get my salary to ₦33k. In fact, my dad turned my job into prayer points during our morning and evening prayers. Everyone knew I was underpaid. 

Fortunately, I was promoted to area sales manager in 2007 and got a salary bump to ₦45k. That happened because some top managers decided to give salespeople with degrees a chance to take the graduate trainee test. I was the only one who passed in my set; it was a computer-based test, and not many people knew how to use a computer. 

I didn’t get another raise until 2010 when I got promoted to junior executive. My basic salary increased to ₦150k, and my takehome was ₦450k after allowances and commissions. I also received additional perks like an official car, domestic help allowance, and housing allowance. There was also a ₦35k weekly float for transportation and other quarterly bonuses. Those perks made my life easier.

Did you still have limited responsibilities at that time?

I got married in 2008, but my responsibilities didn’t increase. My husband handled most of the expenses. My only major contribution was rent, which the housing allowance covered. At this point, my financial situation was smooth and easy.

Fast-forward to 2016, I lost my job due to company restructuring. The loss came barely a month after I buried my dad, so I was coming out of huge expenses. My husband had to start paying rent in addition to everything else, and things generally became tight. My only saving grace was that I’d saved roughly ₦7.5m from all my years of working, and I put it all in money market funds, a high-interest deposit account (HIDA) and the stock market several months before I lost my job. 

I actually started because a finance person I met online taught me about those investment channels. I already knew about stocks from my dad, but I learned that I didn’t have to wait for dividends from a company. I could also trade stocks by watching the market, buying stocks low and selling them high. 

So, how did these investment channels save you?

I’d been investing in money market funds, and the monthly returns became my primary source of income. By then, my monthly returns were around ₦100k. One good thing about the money market is that the interest compounds. For instance, let’s assume you get ₦100k interest on ₦1m this month. By the next month, interest is calculated on the ₦1.1m in your account, so the new interest is higher. 

In addition to the monthly returns from the money market, I also received a 28% interest from my HIDA account. I can’t remember how much it was now, but it was definitely not up to ₦100k.

I used my free time to return to school. It was always the plan, even when I had a job. Years back, I opened a separate account dedicated to saving for a post-graduate degree, and losing my job brought me the perfect opportunity. Between 2016 and 2023, I studied for a post-graduate diploma and a master’s in business administration. I also started my PhD.

Were the investment returns your only income source through this time?

For the most part, yes. But I also did several things at different points for money. During my master’s programme, I often helped some of my lecturers review their articles and taught some of them how to use Microsoft Office for little money here and there.

Once, I also helped my uncle, who was abroad, to buy some real estate property in Nigeria. I made about ₦550k in commissions from that. At another point, I invested in my sister’s mini computer accessories business. I invested about ₦5m to import the accessories and got my profit back after sales. We also split the profit. This happened thrice, and I made a total profit of ₦2m. I basically survived on these side incomes through those years. My husband also supported me from time to time.

I actually got a job at a hospital in 2022, but it was a one-month stint. My experience was so bad that I didn’t even put the job on my CV. People thought I was stupid when I resigned because I’d been complaining about unemployment, and there I was, throwing an opportunity away. 

But what happened at the hospital?

A lot. A man and his wife owned the hospital, and they offered me ₦120k/month to work as the hospital’s manager. They made it sound like I’d be managing the staff, but it was more than that. If there were no buns in the canteen, it was on me. No fuel in the generator? Call the manager. 

It wouldn’t have been a challenge if there was unity of command. The husband could give one instruction, and the wife would come later to give a counter instruction. I lost so much weight in one month from stress and developed tension headaches. I’d never heard of a tension headache before working there, and I only knew the name because I Googled my symptoms. I’ve never been happier writing a resignation letter than when I resigned from that place. 

It definitely sounds terrible

I had to take a walk for my mental health. I’m also back to full-time employment: I got my current role in 2023, and thank God it’s nothing like the hospital. I work with a public policy office as a research analyst, and my job is basically to research, write and develop policy briefs.

I earn ₦300k/month, which isn’t great, but I get to work from home and be there for my family. Also, I’m close to completing my PhD programme, and once that’s done, I can head back fully into the labour market to find better opportunities.

I was just about to ask about the PhD. Why did you decide to pursue one?

I love academics. I hope to teach one day, and I learnt that a PhD is the minimum requirement for employment as a lecturer with the Ministry of Education. 

I also want to solve problems through research. I read journals and a lot of international documents, and they always talk about how they solve societal problems with research done by institutions like Johns Hopkins University, MIT, and others. I want to see how we can solve some of this country’s problems via research and what I can do to make it happen. 

A PhD would definitely increase my earning potential, but it would also mean I would be paid to do what I already enjoy. Because right now, my salary isn’t doing anything for me.

What kind of life does your salary afford you?

My salary just maintains me. I can’t even afford to contribute to the house, save for maybe ₦20k for the light bills. I’m just grateful that my husband earns well enough to handle our family’s expenses and our child’s school fees. ₦300k doesn’t do much at all.

Could you break it down to show how you typically spend your salary?

I don’t keep any money in savings because the interest rates are just like 2% – 4%, while I can earn 20% with the money market funds. Also, I can still withdraw my money from the money market at any time, so it’s a no-brainer.

How much is your investment portfolio worth right now?

I have ₦23m in money market funds and ₦6m in stocks. I also have a piece of land I bought for ₦1.5m in 2013, which is worth ₦10m now. I plan to develop it and build a warehouse. 

I don’t want to build a house to rent because I feel people tend to owe their landlords. The average person would first pay for the space they’re using for business because they don’t want anything to affect their source of income. 

Do you have a timeframe for when you hope to build this warehouse?

Not yet. I estimate I’ll need about ₦50m to build it, and I don’t have that yet. 

How would you describe your relationship with money?

I believe money comes and goes, so I don’t deny myself anything I can afford. I’m not extravagant, but if I want something, I don’t do unnecessary calculations to justify the expense. I just get it.

There’s something my people say — nobody eventually finishes all the money they have made. One will die someday, and some part of your money will be left for people who don’t know how you made the money. I stand by that.

Is there an ideal amount you think you should be earning?

Of course. I should be earning at least ₦1m/month. I feel underpaid right now, but I know I’ll get there one day. 

I wish I had known about the gold mine that’s the stock market earlier. If I had known what I know now when I was touching money at the FMCG company, my case would’ve been different. I try to make up for it by encouraging young people to take it seriously. I tell my nieces, “This isn’t the time to buy wigs. It’s time to invest”. Wealth creation is an intentional process; when you start seeing the returns, it’s like making money while you sleep.

How much do you get in investment returns now?

I earn around ₦400k monthly from the money market. I also receive stock dividends when companies declare them at the end of the year. I monitor the stock market daily and sometimes sell. 

For instance, I bought a bank’s shares at ₦8 before the 2023 elections and sold it for ₦28 about a year after the elections. If I had bought millions of those shares, I know how much I’d have made in profit. 

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 -10?

7. I think I’ve done really well. I’m grateful that despite the setback in 2016, I didn’t struggle. I’ve not gotten to where I want to be yet, and that’s the only reason it’s not a 10.

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When did you first realise the importance of money?

Secondary school, and it was in the context of how people treat each other. I went to an international school, a typical rich kid setting, and the students used money as a popularity yardstick. It was like, “Why should I talk to you if you can’t afford to buy XYZ?” 

It was the first time I saw something like that, and it seemed brutal. I didn’t understand why it mattered that people couldn’t afford certain things. 

Did you also fall into this category? I mean, not being as rich as the others?

Oh no. I grew up comfortable. My parents are civil servants who own businesses on the side, and we’ve vacationed abroad at least once a year since I was in primary school. Money was never a problem, but I consider myself naturally empathetic, so my classmates’ attitude bothered me. 

Plus, my parents didn’t teach me to look down on people based on what they could or couldn’t afford. They’re firm believers of moderation and humility, so my sister and I knew early that mummy and daddy would never throw money at you. They provided the basics. If I needed extra money, I worked for it.

It’s safe to assume you started working early for money then?

Yes, I made money for the first time in primary 4. My sister and I learnt how to make beaded bracelets by watching videos on the internet, and we convinced our parents to buy us the beads and other materials we needed. Initially, we only made bracelets for each other. But we wore them to school, and our classmates liked them, so we decided to sell them.

Each bracelet cost about ₦150 to make, and I sold them for ₦300 – ₦350, depending on the style and whether or not I included charms. My aunty lived with us, so she helped us keep money aside for the materials. My sister and I shared whatever profit remained. We did that business for about a year. By then, almost everyone in our classes had a bracelet, so there was no market anymore. 

Oh wait, I just remembered I had a month-long stint reselling snacks in my class before the bracelets thing. I noticed some people came to school with money instead of food, and there was this big shop close to my house that sold snacks. So, I bought snacks from the shop and sold them in class for a ₦50 profit.

I’m trying and failing to picture a 9-year-old logging around snacks

Haha. I always went to the shop with my aunty, and she helped with the buying. The snacks were popular with my classmates because they cost a little less than the ones sold in the school shops, but the ₦50 profit was small. So, I stopped and moved on to the bracelets instead.

Why the need to try businesses so early though?

I liked the idea of having my own money. The bracelet thing was basically turning a skill into a money-making opportunity. My parents are also business-oriented, so they encouraged my sister and me to explore as much as possible.

I entered secondary school in 2014 and resumed the snacks business. Unlike me, most of my classmates were boarding students, and the tuck shop didn’t have much variety. My parents gave me a ₦1500 weekly allowance, so I used part of that to buy snacks from home and sell them in school.

My profit margin was greater this time around, and I made at least ₦150 on every item. In a week, I could make up to ₦2k in profit, and I spent my money on food and gifts for family and friends. I did the business between JSS 2 and SS 1, then I stopped because the school banned boarding students from buying food outside the tuck shop.   

I graduated from secondary school in 2020, but I was forced to remain at home for two years due to the pandemic and plenty ASUU strikes. So, while I waited for school, I sold tote bags and other accessories.

How did that work?

I opened an Instagram page and began advertising the tote bags, scrunches, and pillowcases I made myself. I took a sewing class once in secondary school, and I’m quite creative, so it wasn’t that difficult to learn. YouTube also helped a lot. 

However, sales weren’t regular. I only sold to a few of my friends and some people online. I can’t even remember what the profit was like because I could sell something once a month and then go weeks without selling anything. I eventually stopped the business in 100 level. My parents gave me a ₦40k monthly allowance, so I just relied on that.

In 200 level, my allowance increased to ₦100k, and I decided it was time to take my finances seriously. The inspiration to get serious with money came from an Instagram financial influencer. She talked a lot about investments and financial management, so I followed her and took a bunch of financial courses she recommended. Most were free, and they were about understanding the stock market and other investment channels. 

I’ve always been about making money, but this influencer’s page motivated me to think more about my finances and how to attain financial stability and independence rather than just making quick money. So, since 2023, I’ve been saving half of my allowance and investing some of it in stocks.

What kind of stocks?

US and Nigerian stocks, and sometimes I invest in dollars. Before I bought my first stocks, I tested the waters with a dollar investment. I put $10 in a fintech app and sold it two months later when the exchange rate increased. I made a ₦15k profit on that. 

Then, I moved to a brokerage service and put $20 on low-risk stocks because I was wary of losing money. My parents didn’t even support my investment plans — an uncle once lost money to the MMM scam, and I guess they assumed it meant all investments weren’t trustworthy. 

I still continued sha. I have about $120 in stocks right now, but that value increases and decreases depending on market conditions. I’m thinking about the stocks as long-term investments, so I’m leaving my profit to accumulate. I also save in savings apps. Currently, my savings and investment portfolio is worth ₦1.2m.

Not bad. Do you still live on allowances?

For the most part, yes. I’m in 200 level, but I also do a bunch of different things to make money. One of them is personal shopping, which I started early this year. My classmates always complimented my fashion taste and asked where I got my pieces, so I decided to make a business out of it.

So, I help people buy clothes — either what they ask me to get something specific or I just buy if I see anything nice and resell it to them. Sometimes, I outsource styles to a tailor and sell the outfits to my clients. I made at least a ₦1500 profit on clothes I buy from the market and resell.

I don’t really have a steady client base yet, but people come to me occasionally, and I make some money here and there.

I also make money from makeup modelling gigs. I started in 2020 after secondary school and worked with an agency. I left the agency in 2022 because of the bad pay. I got ₦5k per gig, and after removing the agent’s commission and my transportation costs, I was often left with ₦1500 as profit. It didn’t make sense, so I went freelance. It’s been a while since I got gigs, sha.

Voiceover gigs are my most recent venture. A friend needed someone to read two scripts a few months ago, so I did that and got paid ₦6k. I also do a bit of scriptwriting and content creation for a little extra cash here and there.

Seems like you’re bent on trying everything

I just want to build wealth as early as possible. I believe the earlier I start, the faster I can build something like a business empire. The goal is to be financially free and afford a good life. By good life, I mean being able to travel at least two or three times a year. I plan to keep saving and investing till I can do that.

Is it safe to assume the plan after uni is to start working on that empire?

Exactly. I intend to start businesses tailored to my various interests. My friends tease me about being a jack of all trades and never sitting down in one place. But if I’m good at many things, shouldn’t I just do everything?

That said, I like fashion, so I’ll most likely work towards creating a fashion brand where I’ll provide styling services, clothing, and accessories. I also love cooking, so I might start a cooking business, too. I’m always scouring YouTube for recipes and recreating them. I’ll probably end up doing both fashion and food and creating content for both brands. 

But short term, I plan to buy land with my savings next year and start a maize farm. I’m thinking of maize because it’s such a versatile crop, and from my findings, it’s also profitable. I’m still working out how it’ll run though. Of course, I’ll have to hire a trusted person to manage it on my behalf, as school won’t let me be more hands-on.

I’m not really focused on a 9-5 job because I see how hard my parents still work at their businesses, even while employed. So, I’m not thinking about making money only within the confines of a job. I’ll still run a business even if I’m employed. 

Let’s talk about your current monthly expenses

I plan my expenses using my allowance. Anything extra I get from side gigs is just a plus. So, my allowance typically goes like this:

Savings – ₦50k

Data, food and other personal needs – ₦50k

I split my monthly savings into investments and a savings app. ₦25k goes into stocks and dollars, and I save the remaining ₦25k. I don’t have a budget for transportation —my parents bought me a car last semester to make my commute easier, and they pay for the fuel.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

I think I have two extremes with my finances. Sometimes, I spend aggressively, and other times, I save aggressively. But whenever I’m in that spending state, I make sure not to touch my savings. 

What was your last “aggressive” purchase?

I swapped my iPhone 13 for an iPhone 16 and got some new clothes for content. To be fair, I only paid for the clothes. The phone swap cost ₦1.2m, and my dad paid that.

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

A bigger ring light and tripod for content creation. I’m still trying to justify whether I actually need to get new ones since I already have a small tripod and ring light. So I haven’t looked at the prices yet. 

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

7.5. I’m okay right now, but I can do so much better. I’m on the right path.

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What’s your earliest memory of money?

Mostly that we didn’t have it. I was eight years old when my dad lost his job at a vehicle manufacturing company, and things became so bad. We stopped eating breakfast and moved from an estate to a face-me-I-face-you apartment. 

I transferred to a government school, and I remember hating the uniform so much because my bully in our old estate had a pair of shorts in the same colour. When I refused to wear the uniform on the first day of school, my mum said I had two options: go to school or hawk pure water to provide money for the house. I relented, but I still sold pure water after school.

Wait. Really?

Yup. My mum was a housewife when my dad had a job, and when the job disappeared, my dad blamed her for not bringing any income. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure what my dad did for money after he lost his job; he was just outside the house a lot.

Anyway, my mum started a small business, collecting cold pure water on credit and hawking them. When I returned from school, she’d put a bowl on my head and tell me where to go to sell the water.

For the next two years, I hawked water every day after school. Then, one day, I got hit by a car in the market. The driver left me and ran away while I lay there surrounded by shouting passersby. I might have died if my mum hadn’t come looking for me 20 minutes later. No one tried to help.

That’s crazy

The accident caused a big fight between my parents. My dad was annoyed that he had to spend his hard-earned money on hospital bills, which wouldn’t have happened if my mum had done her duty. My mum was like, “If you were doing your own duty, would we even be here?”

I suspect the whole thing caused their separation. When I returned home from the hospital, my dad had moved out. I’d just written my common entrance exams, and my mum decided she couldn’t put me through secondary school. So, she shipped me off to live with a family friend. This was in 2004.

What was living away from home like?

Slightly better. The woman and her family basically turned me into a houseboy, but at least they gave me cornflakes or golden morn for breakfast, and I didn’t have to hawk pure water. They also enrolled me in secondary school.

But I worked in that house o. I was very small as a child, but I climbed stools to wash the husband’s car. I also washed plates and hand-washed the children’s clothes. Sometimes, the woman would rub shea butter on my hands after I’d scrub them raw from washing clothes. 

I still don’t understand how only two small children went through mountains of clothes in just one week. Every time I came home from school, the laundry basket multiplied, and I had to wash them clean or risk getting flogged. 

Was flogging something that happened regularly?

Yeah, but I don’t think it was more than normal. It was just the woman’s way of making sure I did things quickly. And within a few months of staying with her, I knew how to gauge her mood and do what she expected to escape the cane. 

I also learned how to make money from her. I started taking out ₦10 – ₦20 whenever she sent me on errands to get money for snacks in school. By the time I got to JSS 3, I’d started selling her children’s toys in school for ₦300 – ₦500 apiece. 

No one noticed because the kids had many toys. Every single day, they asked for something new, and the parents bought it. This often meant they’d abandon the old toys and only play with the new ones. Then, after a while, the parents would gather the old toys and throw them away or donate them. When I noticed that, I turned it into a business opportunity.

I only got to do that for a year. The woman’s husband died when I got into SS 1, and she told my mum to come and carry me. 

What did that mean for you?

Moving back with my mum showed how much our relationship had deteriorated. She’d remarried and was more interested in keeping her husband happy. It was a toxic situation. If the man complained small, she’d beat me and warn me not to try to be stubborn. I wasn’t even trying anything.

The good thing was that they paid my school fees. I basically took care of my other needs. 

How did you do that?

I got a job at a cybercafe near my school in 2009. I must’ve been very convincing because I knew next to nothing about computers, but somehow, I got the job. I helped with typing, photocopies, and basically everything people do at cybercafes. 

My salary was ₦6k/month, and I often abandoned classes for work. It’s a miracle I even graduated and passed WAEC in 2010. I worked at the cybercafe till 2014. My salary was ₦8500 when I left, and I had ₦35k in savings. 

Why did you leave?

Problems at home. My mum’s husband felt I was proud and acting like the man of the house. Meanwhile, I was working and staying away from home until nighttime because I didn’t want to clash with him. But he had a problem with that. 

My mum asked me to go live with another family friend, but I refused. I wasn’t about to do houseboy 2.0. Instead, I told a Facebook friend about my situation, and he said I could come squat with him in his parents’ house. So, I did.

I moved in, and his parents treated me like their own. I’ll forever be grateful to that family. I’d never experienced that level of acceptance before in my life. My friend’s mum would cook and ask me to go serve myself from the pot. As how? 

The first time I took my friend’s parents’ clothes to wash without anyone asking, they were so shocked — almost like they didn’t expect me to do any chores. Forget, those people tried for me. They even allowed me to use their backyard to start a laundry business in 2015.

How did you land on laundry?

My friend suggested it when I complained about being broke. He was a university student and lived at home, but he had friends in the hostel who paid “any wash” guys to take care of their laundry. 

It didn’t take much to start: I hand-washed the clothes, spread them in the backyard, and ironed them. I only had to buy soap and get water from Mai Ruwa when there was no light to pump water.

My first clients were my friend’s classmates. Then, I started hustling for customers in the hostels. I charged ₦200 per clothing item and ₦250 for items like bedsheets and blankets. In a week, I made between ₦5k – ₦6k.

By 2016, I could afford a ₦35k washing machine and dryer. In 2017, I secured a ₦60k/year shop to use as a proper office. My clients also expanded to working-class people, not just students. Business was good, and I often made ₦25k/week. 

What were your expenses like?

Most of my expenses were for business operations. I also began chipping in at my friend’s place, paying light bills and dropping money for food. I wasn’t buying anything for myself or splurging — maybe because I knew how much I struggled to make money. So, I saved whatever I had left.

Between 2018 and 2020, I got two more washing machines and employed an assistant to canvas for customers and help with the laundry. I paid him ₦12k/month. By then, I was sure of at least ₦80k/month. 

Business slowed down in 2020 because of the pandemic, and I began looking for other options. My friend’s dad suggested I gather my savings and invest it in a certificate  — for backup. School was the last thing on my mind, but I respected him a lot and couldn’t throw his advice away. Plus, he introduced me to his friend, who was a key non-academic staff member at a nursing school, so admission was sure. 

But did you want nursing?

Not really, but my friend’s parents convinced me that it was a respected and lucrative profession. I wasn’t dull in secondary school, so I knew it was something I could do.

I got admission that same year and had to move because the school was in a different state. I paid about ₦200k for the form, acceptance fee, tuition, and another ₦80k for hostel fees. I sorted all of these payments from my savings. I had about ₦400k in my savings account from all the years running my business and the sale of my washing machines, so that came in handy. 

How did you handle subsequent school fees, though?

It was just the grace of God because I can’t point out one thing. Nursing school was expensive; we were always buying one instrument or uniform or travelling for one clinical posting or the other. I tried to resume my laundry business by offering to wash my classmates’ clothes, but they were mostly women and washed by themselves. 

I tried different hustles like writing assignments and projects, but the money I made was only enough for food. I think I still had some money in my savings to pay second-year school fees, and my friend’s dad supported me with part of it. He also sent me ₦50k for the final year school fees, and I gathered the remaining ₦50k to complete the payment. 

After every every, I graduated in 2023.

Whoops! Congratulations

Thank you. The journey was tough. I returned to my friend’s parents and got a job at a hospital. My salary was ₦80k/month, and I remember asking myself, “So, I spent all that money at nursing school to come back and earn the same thing I did as a laundryman?”

But six months into the job, I got another job at a hospital that only required me to come in at night thrice a week. They paid ₦95k. I juggled both jobs till July 2024, when I got a job at an NGO for ₦405k/month.

That’s quite a jump

I still can’t believe it myself. Remember the non-academic staff member my friend’s dad introduced me to? The man took a liking to me because I never visited him empty-handed — I always went with a bottle of wine or a tie — and we kept in contact. 

He told me about the job, so I applied and got it. I feel like his referral helped a great deal because I doubt a nurse with just about a year’s experience would get that kind of opportunity.

Has your income growth come with any lifestyle changes?

Honestly, I still see myself as a struggling man. I don’t spend money like someone who has it. I carefully examine my expenses and spend on myself when it’s absolutely necessary. My approach to finances is: save first, spend later.

I still live with my friend’s parents. There’s no point in renting an apartment when I don’t have a woman I want to marry. I’m hardly home because I often travel for work, and my primary work base in the north comes with free accommodation, so why get another place? Plus, the family loves having me around. All their children are grown and have moved away, and I keep them company. 

However, whether I’m home or not, I send them money for feeding expenses and utility bills. I also dash them money sometimes. Considering all they’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do.

What do these expenses look like in a typical month?

My transportation expenses are low because my company pays for my travels. Sometimes, I hardly touch my salary because I get per diem allowances whenever I travel.

What do you do with your savings? 

I just keep them in a savings app that yields monthly interest. Right now, I have ₦880k, and I’m considering buying a piece of land when it hits ₦1m. This should happen before the end of the year. Maybe by next year, I’ll look into other investment channels like stocks. I just want to have something solid with my money first.

How has your journey with money shaped how you view it?

Money has shaped how I view life. I used to think money was this all-powerful thing, considering how it scattered my family. But I’ve realised money is quite easy to make, as long you have value to provide in exchange for it. Of course, inflation and the economy are turning everything upside down right now, but I think the principle of value exchange still stands. 

What’s something you want but can’t afford right now?

Marriage. I don’t have someone yet, but even if I did, I don’t think I have everything I need. For one, I hope to have a safety net of at least ₦2m to set up a home, and I’d also like to have started building a house before marrying a woman. 

Because when a wife comes, children can come soon after. I don’t want to be caught up in the day-to-day expenses of running a household and not have resources left for a basic investment like a house.

Fair. What’s your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

9. I never imagined I’d be where I am so soon in life. The only reason it’s not 10 is because I still have things I hope to achieve.

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Let’s start from the beginning. What’s your earliest memory of money?

I come from an entrepreneurial family — my dad owned a printing press, and my mum was a petty trader — so money conversations were regular. It wasn’t strange to overhear questions about where our next meal could come from. So, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t thinking about making money. One that comes to mind was when I sold biscuits for extra income in secondary school.

Tell me about that

I attended a boarding school, and when I got into the senior class, my parents started giving me a ₦10k allowance per term for feeding and other minor expenses. I’m a natural saver, so I managed my allowance to meet my needs. If I ever ran out of money, I’d call home.

Then, during exams in SS 3, I noticed my classmates were selling biscuits and other snacks. The snacks were popular among students who didn’t want to walk all the way to the canteen at break time and those who got hungry at night when everywhere was closed. 

I spoke to a friend whose mum also sold snacks at the school canteen, and we made an arrangement: I’d pay for cartons of biscuits and keep them at their house. Then, I’d take a few cartons at a time to the hostel to sell. 

How did that go?

It was very profitable. I can’t recall the actual figures because this was in 2016/2017, but I made enough to afford to recruit my friend’s sister and some junior students to sell my biscuits in their classes for a small commission. 

The business lasted two terms, and I stopped because my hostel warden wasn’t a fan of students doing business. He tried to report me to the principal and housemaster several times, but I always escaped. I think I just decided on my own that I didn’t want to do it anymore.

My next hustle happened during the waiting period between secondary school graduation and university admission.

Another business?

Something like that. I almost started selling natural health products in 2018. A friend introduced me to it, and I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try since admission hadn’t come — I was pursuing medicine and wasn’t making any money at my dad’s printing press.

That business didn’t kick off because I couldn’t raise the ₦20k I needed for registration. However, I found digital marketing. My elder brother noticed I had a knack for writing, so he suggested starting an Instagram blog to grow an audience and possibly monetise it in the future. 

Before then, I only posted my pieces on WhatsApp and Twitter. I started the blog as he suggested and began seeing how the foreign guys did digital marketing. They talked about graphic and brand design, email marketing, social media marketing and management. I read all they had to say, researched, and even took some courses. 

I involved my brother in my progress, and he helped me get my first social media management job with his friend, who owned a laundry company. This was in 2019.

Was it a paid job?

Oh yes. The guy paid me ₦20k/month, and we worked together for six months. His business slowed during the 2020 pandemic because his clients had nowhere to go and didn’t wear as many clothes. So, he had to let me go.

I also got admission to study medical lab science that period, but the combination of COVID and ASUU strike meant I couldn’t resume until the following year. I took advantage of my free time to hone my skills. I built a brand online as a social media manager and digital marketer, learnt graphic design and became a stronger content writer.

In September 2020, I got my next gig as an engagement specialist with a digital marketer in the UK. He created most of the content, and my job was basically to engage his social media community and respond to comments and enquiries. The pay was £4/hour, and it was my first big break. I worked at least two hours a day, and my pay at the end of the month was usually ₦250k. 

Not bad 

It wasn’t bad at all. I worked with him on and off until January 2023 — sometimes, we worked together for three consecutive months and stopped when he didn’t have money. Then, we’d resume a month or two later. Towards the end of 2022, he introduced me to two of his friends, and I had a two-month stint working with them at the same £4/hour rate. 

My income comes in very handy for school. I think my dad only paid my first-year school fees. I paid my ₦180k/year accommodation myself and didn’t bother calling home for allowances because I knew their financial situation depended on when my dad got a major printing job. I even started sending money home to help with emergencies or if my mum needed extra money to cook for the weekend.

But how are you managing school and the multiple gigs?

A lot of scheduling and sacrificing my free time, but I just have to manage. When I stopped working with the UK guy, I briefly worked with someone who needed help with the content strategy for two brands for a non-profit she wanted to start. 

We agreed on ₦45k/month for a three-month contract, and I persuaded her to pay me for all three months at once; I had to move to the uni’s medical campus that year and needed money. While working with her, I took on another three-month digital marketing gig that paid $250/month — approximately ₦300k after conversion. 

By the time the three months elapsed, I had about ₦800k saved from my different gigs. So, I decided to stop taking on gigs to focus on school for a while. The coursework was a lot that semester, and I needed to study. I survived on my savings for the next six months and only took another job in October 2023.

What job, and how did you get it?

Social media management. I got it via referral from a friend, and payment was per task completed. For instance, I got $50 to set up an ads account for TikTok and Instagram. The arrangement lasted three months, and I made a total of $200.

After that, I took another brief break for school before I got my current job on Upwork in July 2024. I work with an editing firm as a book editor. My pay structure was initially an hourly arrangement of $7/hour, which came up to about $1,120 in a month. But I got confirmed after my first month and now earn approximately $1250/month, including bonuses. That’s around ₦2.1m after conversion. 

That’s wildly impressive. And you’re still in school?

Yup. I’m currently in 400 level. It’s been very interesting managing school and work. Sometimes, I skip classes. Sometimes, I juggle work and exams. So far, my work hasn’t adversely affected my academic performance.

Two months ago, I employed someone and delegated some of my work to him. We agreed on $25 per book edited, but he’s not a professional yet, and his work rate was really slow. My workplace gives me a week to edit each book, and it just wasn’t working out with him. We worked together on three books before we had to part ways. 

I think I’ve pretty much worked out a reliable schedule for work and school. For instance, I know I won’t always have time to cook, so I just accept that I’ll need to order food most of the time.

You’ve had impressive income growth over the years. How does this impact your perspective on money?

I consciously try to remember that I didn’t come from a place of abundance, so I don’t go on spending sprees. Even though I have enough to afford almost anything I want now, I don’t see the need to spend on luxuries or things that won’t impact my life. 

I appreciate that I have more financial freedom, but I feel it’s just an opportunity to save more and provide financial leeway for my family. Without worrying, I can now afford to spend ₦100k on my parents’ medical bills or send ₦150k for food. In addition to the money gifts, my family can also come to me for loans, and I’m happy to help out.

You mentioned saving. How does that work?

I live very much below my means and save far more than I spend. I don’t send money to my family every time, so I’m constantly saving. I have about $3,300 in savings now, and I save in dollars to protect my money from inflation and the falling naira. 

I’m also considering investments, but I’m being careful about that. I once lost over $500 in 2021 trading crypto. I did both futures and spot trading then, but I was new to it and lost that money because I didn’t properly weigh the risks. I plan to return to crypto one day since I have the experience now. About 53% of my savings are actually in a crypto wallet.

But before that time, I might consider getting a financial advisor or expert to help me select the best investment options to diversify my funds. I have money right now, but I know anything can happen in the future, and I need a healthy safety net that I can fall back on. So, I definitely need to pay attention to how I handle my finances.

Speaking of, let’s break down how much you typically spend in a month

I pay a yearly rent of ₦100k. That’s not a monthly expense, but I feel like I should mention it.

I’m curious. Have you thought about future plans after school?

I honestly think crypto trading and social media sales offer the highest earning potential and will continue to pay the highest in the next 10 years. If I can hone my trading skills and continue leveraging what I know about social media ads and marketing strategies, I can earn a lot. My short-term goal is to earn $5k/month by 2025 or 2026. Long term, I hope to earn $10k/month.

There’s still the question of what I’ll do with my medical lab certificate, but I like that it gives me another option if the others don’t work. I may even consider opening a medical laboratory strictly for business purposes. Whatever the case, I intend to keep saving so I have enough of a safety net for whatever dream I want to pursue.

How much do you consider a good safety net?

Maybe $15k, and it’d be fantastic if I could save that by the end of next year. With a safety net like that, I wouldn’t feel too pressured if I didn’t start earning immediately after I left school, and it’d give me room to pursue whatever dream comes to mind.

What’s one thing you want but can’t afford?

Nothing.

You know what? I rate it. How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

9. I’d like more financial freedom so I can take more risks. I think I’ll get there in time, especially with my current income and attitude to savings.

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