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Today’s #NairaLife subject reminds me of myself, minus the $150k in savings, of course. It’s great to save for the future, but what happens when you don’t have enough money to live the life you want now? Come back and answer when you’ve read the story.
On Love Currency, our subject may not have $150k, but she’s been saving since she was 10. Now, she’s saving more than half her salary and planning her relocation to the UK — which may or not be because of her boyfriend.
Enough savings talk. What’s the craziest career pivot you’ve seen? For our first Hustleprint story, we got Jemima Osunde to tell us how she makes the most out of Physiotherapy and Nollywood.
In this letter:
Last Month in Money
#NairaLife: She’s Saving For Her Future, and She’s at $150k
HustlePrint: Doctor by Day, Nollywood Sweetheart by Night, How She Do Am?
#LoveCurrency: Dating in Port Harcourt on a ₦249k Lab Scientist Salary
Money Meanings: “Savings”
Game: #HowMuchLast
Where The Money At?!
Last Month
In Money
₦48,809,521,349.60 That’s what £88 million looks like in naira, and it’s what Chelsea paid to Shakhtar Donetsk for Mykhailo Mudryk’s controversial signing. Controversial because Arsenal also had eyes for the winger, but as they say, money answereth all things.
₦30,000,000 That’s the amount of new naira notes the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Bauchi claims to allocate daily to all banks in the state. Does anyone know how much is allocated daily to other states? Because the long queues for cash don’t seem to be letting up.
Four days to go CBN’s deadline extension for depositing old naira notes ends on February 10th 2023. Do you think it’ll also mean an end to the current new-naira-notes scarcity?
She’s Saving For Her Future, and She’s at $150k
The 28-year-old lawyer on this #NairaLife has over $150k in savings but put her financial happiness at 5/10. Why? Because the money is for her future, and she needs money for now.
I want reliable information to make business and lifestyle decisions to live a Sparkling Life. I want to bank with Sparkle, because it’s digitally simple ✨
Doctor by Day, Nollywood Sweetheart by Night, How She Do Am?
“My self-given nickname is “one true self”. I’m an acting physiotherapist, doctor-actress, health worker-entertainer, whatever version people prefer. I’m one person living the best of both worlds, that’s what makes me who I am.”
Dating in Port Harcourt on a ₦249k Lab Scientist Salary
Peace* is working two jobs, saving more than half her salary and planning her relocation to the UK. In this story, she talks about saving since she was 10, getting back together with her ex after a year and her father’s disapproval of marrying at a young age.
An excerpt: “I used to keep some part of whatever money I was gifted in a pink purse she gave me. Even though I kept the purse in her room, I remember sneaking out random ₦200s and ₦300s to give my uncle who lived with us then. He promised to buy me a car when I was in university.”
We can’t say we’re about the money and not actually help you find the money.
So we’ve compiled a list of job opportunities for you. Make sure you share this with anyone who might need it because in this community, we look out for each other.
The governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin “Meffy” Emefiele loves dropping bombshells on Nigerians — from banning crypto trades to redesigning the naira. He dropped another one at the 57th annual banker’s lecture on November 25, 2022.
“The official foreign exchange receipt from crude oil sales into our official reserves has dried up steadily from above US$3.0 billion monthly in 2014 to an absolute zero dollars today,” – Emefiele
From Emefiele’s revelation, we now know Nigeria no longer earns anything from selling crude oil. It would be so funny if it wasn’t so sad. A country of 200 million people went from being ballers to mechanics in eight years under a government that promised to deliver positive change.
How did Nigeria get here?
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the war presented opportunities for other oil-producing countries. With Russia, a major oil producer cut off from the global oil market, other countries could step up and grab the money on the table. Many countries stepped up but Nigeria has proved to be the black sheep of the oil-producing family.
The signs were already there. In February 2022, Timipre Sylva, the minister of state for petroleum resources, said the increase in prices of global crude oil was bad for Nigeria. When the seller of a product complains that prices are too high, despite the fact that there are willing buyers, you know there’s fire on the mountain.
In June 2022, Angola surpassed Nigeria for the first time as the biggest oil producer in Africa. It’s even worse that this happened at a time when Angola was reporting declining figures.
So why’s Nigeria not earning from oil?
Well, we can think of a few reasons.
Subsidy
In September 2022, The Economist wrote a report on how Nigeria was failing badly while its classmates were flying high. The newspaper identified several reasons why Nigeria wasn’t remitting forex earnings from oil.
A major issue highlighted is what economists describe as “price control”. It’s what happens when instead of allowing the market to dictate the price of a commodity, the government intervenes by introducing price caps. The intervention allows consumers to buy the product at a lesser price than it would ordinarily cost. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s what Nigerians know as oil subsidy.
The NNPC pays the difference from its profits and sends whatever’s left to the government as remittance. So zero remittance means there’s nothing to declare because subsidy has gulped everything and subsidy is a glutton. By next year, subsidy payments by the Buhari administration since 2015 would hit ₦11 trillion.
Oil theft
You could write 1,000 books about the scale of oil theft in Nigeria and they wouldn’t cover the depths of the problem. The unending large-scale theft of oil has gone on for decades in Nigeria and depleted our output. Between January and July 2022, for instance, Nigeria lost $10 billion to oil thieves. The reason Angola can buga for us is because we’ve not been shining our eyes. As a result, we’re not producing enough to meet our quota and be profitable.
Cash shortage
Everyone knows you need money to make money. But the NNPC is so short of cash after paying for subsidies that it struggles to cover production costs for pumping crude oil. Remember that our oil refineries don’t work, so the cost of refining our oil is also part of what gulps money and ensures that the CBN’s vault remains cold and lonely.
What can be done about this?
The buck stops at Buhari’s table. It doesn’t look like he has the will to solve the crisis as he’s already decided to unlook the current fuel scarcity that has seen marketers sell petrol at wild prices.
Clearly, leakages need to be plugged and we have to come to terms with the fact that subsidies are unsustainable. Already, the Buhari administration has announced the move to end subsidy payments by June 2023 — when it would no longer be in power. Things could get very tough before they get better.
Do not rush with your trading decisions. Pay attention to signals and double-check your entry and exit points.
Taurus
Analyse your performance. Take note of winning and losing trades. When you make a mistake, let it teach you.
Gemini
Time to get some more trader friends. If you’re an active part of the trading community, you can learn a lot.
Cancer
Back to the basics. Assess the effectiveness of your trading strategies. Run your strategies on a demo account and analyse their performance.
Leo
A well-planned strategy will bring you better results. Develop one using fundamental and technical analyses.
Virgo
Find a good balance between trading and life. Try implementing long-term strategies if day trading puts too much pressure on you.
Libra
Check if your broker still has the most favourable trading conditions: whether it charges commissions other than spreads and has swap fees.
Scorpius
Always remember to set a stop loss and a take profit. This way, you’ll protect your trade from both unexpected price fluctuations and your emotions.
Sagittarius
Do not use excessively high leverage. It might increase your profit, but it also increases your risks.
Capricorn
Do not spend more than 4% of your capital on a single trade. Do not enter too many trades at once.
Aquarius
Every week, learn about a new indicator and how it works. You will know a great deal of technical analysis in a month!
Pisces
Try trading in other financial markets. You will likely receive more entry signals and get more experience.
NOTE: We made those astrological predictions to cheer you up a little! Always rely on data and analysis when trading Forex. Don’t forget to learn the basics of Forex trading. OctaFX has lots of educational materials on its site and YouTube page that will help you begin your Forex journey.
On Friday, September 17, 2021, a video of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele – lovingly called Meffy by the interwebs – went viral. In it, Meffy was calling out abokiFX — a website popular for publishing currency exchange rates. While speaking to journalists, he said that abokiFX engages in “foreign exchange manipulation and speculation”, and that Olumide Oniwinde, the owner of abokiFX, is an illegal foreign exchange dealer.
Meffy also warned that “those who feel they want to support him (abokiFX) to fight me, come out, let’s fight”.
So basically this was Meffy that day:
Why Is The CBN After abokiFX?
abokiFX posts information about the exchange rate of the naira. The website provides official Bureau De Change (BDC) and black market rates of the naira, including other forex information.
But the Central Bank is not convinced that publishing information is all abokiFX or its owner does. According to Meffy, the owner of abokiFX, Olumide Oniwinde, directly benefits from the rates he quotes daily on his website.
At the press conference, Meffy questioned the operations of abokiFX:
Have Nigerians ever asked how abokiFX collects its data?
How many BDCs have seen staff of abokiFX come in to ask for daily rates?
How many BDCs send daily returns on exchange rate to abokiFX?
How does abokiFX determine what the FX rate is?
How does abokiFX collect its data?
How can an unlicensed single person be the one that sets exchange rates in a country?
Why is abokiFX setting the exchange rate in Nigeria?
Why is Olumide Oniwinde targeting Nigeria?
The CBN is concerned about how abokiFX comes about the exchange rate information it displays on its website. The CBN believes that abokiFX is setting the price of the naira out of its own imagination so that its owner can benefit from the fake rates by selling naira at unnecessarily high prices.
Section 2 of the CBN Act gives the CBN the power to ensure price stability of the naira. By looking at the activities of abokiFX, the CBN is exercising this power.
What Is The Real Forex Rate of the Naira?
The official exchange rate to the dollar is ₦410.60. The CBN says this rate is the genuine rate and that it has enough dollars to meet the needs of every Nigerian who needs dollars to import goods, pay international school fees or do other things.
The CBN claims that every Nigerian can buy dollars and other foreign currencies they need at the official rate and that banks will attend to Nigerians even if their dollar needs are more than the recommended amount.
But some Nigerians don’t believe this. They say that the exchange rate to the dollar at the BDC and parallel market is still at ₦570 and Bureau De Change operators and black market operators are still relevant in the forex market.
Why Do Nigerians Buy Forex From Black Market Operators?
The reason why many Nigerians patronise BDC operators and black market forex dealers aka “Aboki Wire” is because of the lack of access to foreign currency at the banks. Some Nigerians claim that bank officials keep forex while others claim that banks won’t sell dollars or other foreign currencies to them to pay for visas and other personal things.
According to a comment from a Nairametricsarticle:
Since 2015, the CBN has banned 41 items including rice, furniture and textiles from access to forex so as to “help conserve foreign reserves”. The CBN also banned the sale of forex to Bureau De Change operators to help stop illegal activities. But these moves may be part of the reasons why the unofficial rate of the naira to the dollar and other currencies keeps increasing.
At the moment, the price you have to pay to get dollars may just depend on who you believe more — Meffy or Aboki Wire.
Ever wondered what it takes to start and master Forex trading? We spoke with a Pro, and here are some vital nuggets you might want to note.
How did you come across/ get into Forex trading? How can others do the same?
As a young man making just above minimum wage back then, I was attracted to Forex by the flashy lifestyle. Those who said they were traders showed me a dream that wasn’t possible, so I started trading and began haemorrhaging money. I had 5,000 Pounds Sterling and was highly displeased that I wasn’t getting the desired results. My Forex guy then told me to be patient and learn.
I started practising with a demo account and dedicated my time to learning as much as I could. One of the things that helped me was books like ‘Forex Revolution’. I started to try different things and learn about the psychology and methodology of how people and the market works.
For anyone who wants to go into Forex trading, I will say: First, do not go into it for the wrong reasons e.g greed.Get a proper understanding of the fundamentals and technical aspects. Set up a demo account with your demo broker. Understand that what matters is making money consistently, not one grand cashout idea. That’s not sustainable. You need to have a systematic approach that works for you as well.
Beware: In Forex, you think you are in control, but you are not.
Can you disclose your largest earnings from Forex? And how did it happen?
After 5-6 months of learning all I could, I jumped back into the market and spotted an opportunity. Since I was armed with enough information, I was able to jump on the opportunity and that yielded 82,000 GBP.
How about your loss? How did you bounce back?
My biggest loss was 41, 000 USD. Currently, I have some losses running, but I’m not so bothered because I know things will bounce back. Most times, people lament about their losses because they get excited and jump into a trade without proper market analysis. My advice is to never have a running position value of 50 % of your capital – that’s the fastest way to get doomed.
How big is too big in Forex trading? Are goals/dreams ever too big?
Dreaming is good when it’s not coming from a place of greed. So, don’t be greedy. Look at it this way: if you fly too close to the sun, you’re bound to get burnt. Again, it’s all about applying psychology.
Would you say luck or hard work has been responsible for your success in Forex trading?
It’s hard work and a little bit of luck. I put in the work, there’s no way around it. Social media has created a perverted idea of making money. If you think it’s that easy, do it.
What values resonate the most with you and your success?
Discipline, proactiveness, self-control, and not being greedy. One always has to have ears to the ground. Before I carry out any trade, I apply some psychology and think: What are the co-relations? I never move blindly.
How important is your choice of broker to your success, or is it inconsequential?
It is highly important to get a broker who is easily reachable, transparent, and quick with execution. One who understands that you are a starter and is highly responsive. I think most upcoming traders don’t know that they can and have the right to ask their broker questions like, “What is happening?” Or “Are you regulated?” Shoot your broker an email and ask important questions like that. Because one thing you don’t want to do is trade on an unregulated platform.
What is your go-to strategy when trading?
What I use is the inverted triangle pattern. I developed this strategy myself. It keys into the endogenous, exogenous, and technical factors before arriving at an analysis. This helps me determine what the economic activities happening within and outside the country are and how they affect the market before making a trade. I would say that developing a personal go-to strategy is paramount if you want to develop a long-term career in Forex.
How do you act in a market frenzy (positive or negative)?
The market is highly volatile and this messes a lot of people up, causing them to lose money. How to avoid this is to be as calm and collected as possible. Make use of your leverage, but don’t overdo it. Always ask yourself, “What percentage of my account am I willing to lose?” That way if you do lose it in a moment of frenzy, you won’t be left distraught.
In 2020, the pandemic changed the world. A lot of profitable offline businesses had to close and lay off their employees. With thousands of unemployed in Nigeria and all over the world and the poor economic state of even the leading countries, thousands of people have decided to look for alternative sources of income. And Forex trading has become a response to many. If you are among those who would like to try your skills in this market, learn what qualities a successful trader should possess.
Traits of a Successful Trader
When you look at the traits of a successful trader, it becomes clear that they also have bad days. The main characteristic of a professional is the achievement of a stable result. Consider trading as a professional activity and develop useful qualities in yourself. If you would like the Forex market to become your main source of income, be ready to keep learning all the time. So, find educational resources like the ones provided by Forextime and stay tuned with the publications.
What are the qualities you need to possess?
Discipline
Discipline is a powerful weapon of a successful trader. Indiscriminate actions cause chaos and lead to a quick failure.
Patience
Patience is an important character trait that needs to be developed. As noted by the best Forex traders, it is worth waiting for one profitable deal rather than opening many positions with no effect.
Control
Which is necessary to manage risks, capital, emotions, investments, and the trading process. Such a trader always knows what to do, even if the action leads to a lower profit.
Passion
Those who are not interested in trading will not learn to trade profitably. Making a profit will be casual and short-term.
Self-control
Self-control is achieved when there is a clear plan of action and when a trader is in no hurry to take risks, thinks over every step, even if they see an overbought or oversold market.
How to become a successful trader?
In addition to a deep understanding of market trends and adaptation to trading rhythms, successful traders are distinguished by endurance, consistency, and flexibility of thinking. There are strategies with different levels of risk, but a plan is part of each one. To stick to it, here are the main recommendations for FXTM Nigeria traders who want to be successful:
Do not give in to excitement;
Determine the income limit for the day;
Set the maximum allowable loss level for the day;
Determine the optimal number of transactions for one trading session;
Take breaks in case of failure.
The stock market is volatile, so you need to have a flexible mindset. But without setting limits on the number of trades, the size of profits and losses, it is hard to maintain a strong position. A scalper can make more deals during the day than a day trader. If you find it difficult to determine the optimal number of transactions — use the limits of income and expenses. They can be set both for one day and a week or a month. But setting limits on days will be analogous to signals for an action (entering a trade or completing a trading process).
Remember to take a break after a failure. For scalpers and day traders, a few days a week is enough. It is necessary because, after the fiasco, you will be tempted to recoup. And when emotion prevails over reason, the likelihood of losing money increases. Plus, traders can make mistakes due to fatigue. Start trading in a calm, relaxed state after studying charts and news.
How to develop the necessary qualities and gain knowledge?
You can develop the traits of a successful trader by communicating with experienced market participants. You will receive valuable advice from them and be able to adopt profitable trading methods. Joint trading on a demo account contributes to:
Strengthening self-control;
Increased confidence;
A better understanding of market mechanisms;
Getting the necessary practice.
After completing training practice, you will be able to move on to real trading. As you gain experience, income will increase, and the number of losing trades will decrease. We also strongly recommend keeping a trader’s journal and statistics. Then you will be able to assess the dynamics, react quickly, correct the strategy and promptly seek advice.If necessary, an individual risk manager can be assigned to you, accompanying you at the stage of learning and gaining experience. Select a broker that offers this kind of service to its clients.
Final Words
Trading is a business. And any business does not standstill. You cannot find a formula for success and use it all your life. You will need to track trends and constantly look for new successful solutions. Your commitment and readiness for hard work will lead you to high profits!
Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
The subject of this story works with small businesses. But before this, he tried to build two businesses from the ground up. The first one landed him in debt. The second one ended with some more dire consequences: legal troubles and debt.
What’s your oldest memory of money?
When I was about to finish secondary school, my dad was laid off at his investment banking job. My mum was also a banker, but she had been laid off years earlier and had moved on to other things.
Do you remember how this changed things?
The driver was the first to go when my dad lost his job. My dad started saying things like, “Let’s find a bike to take you to school.” Then it became hard to afford rent. My parents were building a house already, and we moved in although a lot of work hadn’t been done. We slept on the floor for a while.
My dad never found another job, so it was all on my mum. And she managed it well because the lack wasn’t evident from the outside.
What was the first thing you ever did for money?
ASUU went on strike when I was in 100 level in 2009, and I returned home. Unfortunately, it was one of those long ones. After spending a couple months at home, I grew restless and wanted to do something. The house help had left, and my mum was looking to fill the position. I told her I’d do it, but we had to sign an agreement. I didn’t think she would take me seriously, but she asked me to draw up the terms. She was impressed with my proposition and agreed to pay me ₦10k every month for my work.
LMAO. You got paid for what most of us did for free?
Yup. After two months of doing this, they called off the strike. When I was returning to school, she added ₦20k to my ₦10k allowance and told me that was my salary for the months I worked for her. I was like, “Oh, I can make money from anything?”
In school, a final year student who was a friend needed money for his project. I decided to loan him ₦15k for a month at a 10% interest rate. I pitched it to him, and he agreed. He returned the money plus interest at the end of the month. I felt if I could do it for one person, I might as well do it for 10 people.
Another friend wanted to buy a phone. I loaned him ₦15k and jacked the interest to 15%. He also returned it on time. I decided to go all in. I turned my room into an office and started telling people that I operate a short-term loan business. Students always needed money, so the word started spreading.
Mad oh.
There was a challenge though.
What was that?
Answering the risk question. The chance of students defaulting on loans was very high. But I made everyone who wanted a loan submit the original copy of their school receipt, and I held on to it until they returned my money. My client base started to grow. Now I needed to figure out how to get more capital, so I started putting my monthly ₦10k allowance into the business. Omo, I drank garri ehn.
Haha. But it picked up?
Yes, more than I expected. My model was referral based, and I only dealt with people who were recommended by someone I knew and still had at least one year to spend in school. By 300 level, I’d built some structure and started paying myself ₦5k as salary every month.
Haha.
But I also knew it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run, especially since I was running everything with my personal resources. I split the business into two and started funding students who had small businesses. I gave them working capital, and at the end of an agreed period of time, we split the profits.
How did it work out?
Great! Before the end of my third year, I had disbursed over ₦100k to people and small businesses. Because I was running two businesses, I brought in someone as my partner to monitor the small businesses and ensure that I got all my money back.
People were noticing what I was doing, and my clout shot through the roof. The rich kids on campus started hitting me up and going, “I have this ₦200k I’m not using. What can you do with it?” I started investing money for people and giving them their capital and returns at the end of the semester. I did that until I left uni in 2013.
NYSC?
Yes. One of my roommates from uni reached out to me and told me he knew a guy making good returns from palm oil. He shipped kegs of palm oil from the south-south where it was cheaper and sold at a higher price in the south-west. The numbers made sense, so I convinced my partner to let us give it a try. I told a few other people I knew from school and raised about ₦500k. The plan was that the guy would give us 5% of the capital every month.
And…
He turned in the first and second month payment. I think ₦35k each. At the end of the third month, my partner called me and went, “We’ve not heard from this guy.” I called his number but couldn’t reach him. I’ve not seen him since that time, and it’s been more than six years now.
Whoa!
I couldn’t bring myself to tell the people that invested that I’d lost their money, so I was paying them as though the business was profitable. I took more money from people and paid those that had invested earlier with it. I hoped to get a hold of the guy and get the money back before anyone noticed. I was in about ₦700k debt before I realised that it wasn’t sustainable and came clean to the investors. I had to figure out a way to pay them.
How did that go?
It was crazy. I started a food items delivery business for corps members in the town I was serving to pay the debt. I raised money from people who trusted me — it was more than ₦100k. I’d buy crayfish and periwinkle, which were cheap where I was, and ship. Corps members always wanted to buy food items and send them home because they were cheaper there.
I also had links to restaurants and food services providers and supplied these food times to them. I built and monetised the entire logistics value chain. This brought in at least ₦50k monthly. By the time I finished my service year, I’d cleared my debts and had ₦300k in savings.
That’s awesome.
I returned home and the question was, “What do I want to do next?” I wanted to do an MBA, but my mum said no. I couldn’t afford to pay for an MBA myself, so I decided to take JAMB and go for a degree in Economics. I was in the middle of the application process when an uncle called and convinced me to do my master’s degree in a science-related course to appease my parents. Then I could go for my MBA after. I thought it was a fair deal, and I took it. This was 2016.
What happened after?
It was quiet at first. But I was already hooked on doing stuff with money, so I was restless about taking a break. I sold small gadgets for a while, but that didn’t bring a lot of money.
Towards the end of my programme, a friend I knew from uni reached out to me. He wanted to start a fintech company and operate in the payment space. I thought I could use my experience in uni and during my service year to do something new. I signed on and dropped out of school to do this with him, even though I was in the middle of my final exams.
Omo
Yup! My plan was to return to school later and finish it.
We started as a micro-lending platform for market women. His dad had a relationship with microfinance banks, and we leveraged that. We gave the women small loans for their businesses. He dropped most of the money — mine was mostly working capital, about ₦40k.
Interesting.
Then he heard that forex trading was the hot thing. He was like, “How about we build a platform and get people to trade for us?” We would get people to give us money to invest and the traders would put the money into the market. We pivoted into it and got some people to invest, and it picked up from there. It was fine for a while, but we started losing money.
When did this start?
I actually don’t know. I was handling operations and comms. My ex-partner was supervising the trading room. I was supposed to know what was happening there, so I could figure out how to manage investor’s expectations and all, but I didn’t. My partner always told me everything was fine, even when it was not.
When did you find out?
We were close to one of the payouts, so I doubled down on asking for updates on when the funds would be available. That was when he eventually came clean and admitted that we were dealing with a significant draw down and had lost all of the money people had with us.
How much?
It depends on who you ask. I have no idea of the exact amount. He was in charge of getting money from investors. And when everything happened, they said it’d run into a couple millions of naira.
Oof.
My ex-partner went into hiding. He wasn’t picking up calls or responding to messages. I thought that since I was the company’s comms guy, I could pacify the investors. Haha. I got arrested. It was a case of if you can’t find a way to give him to us on a platter, we’ll come for you.
Ah.
I was the fall guy. I spent nights in the police jail. The question I kept hearing over and over was, “Where did you keep the money?”
It was a harrowing experience, especially for my mum. By the time law enforcement looked at our trade records, finished their investigations and found that we weren’t trying to rob people and actually incurred losses, she had spent so much money in legal fees trying to get me out, and the family was in debt.
Do you know how much she spent?
For my bail alone, the family raised close to ₦500k. The ensuing drama cost her at least ₦5M. She took loans with crazy interests to raise the money. The money went to paying my legal fees, law enforcement and some of the aggrieved creditors.
I’m curious, where was your ex-partner in all of this?
His family had clout, so they shielded him. He even tried to travel out of the country.
Gosh, I’m sorry.
Things began to calm down in 2019, but I still had to keep showing up at the police station to continue the cycle of interrogations. I was at the lowest point of my life in 2019. I had nothing. I’d started two businesses I thought I could build to something, and both put me in trouble and debt. I couldn’t even go back to school. The shame wouldn’t let me.
I started the year with literally nothing. Later that year, I got a job at a non-profit where I worked on content and business advisory. They paid me ₦20k, and I stayed with them for two months.
Why did you leave?
A mentor contacted me. He was organising a training programme for government officials close to retirement and needed someone to do a workshop on how to avoid investment pitfalls and manage their funds. He thought I had quite the story to share. I was paid ₦150k for that, but it felt like ₦50M.
Oh man.
I mean, I was struggling to buy a one gig data subscription at the time. That gig was a turnaround for me. I put everything into it.
What happened after?
I got more gigs. A feasibility study here, a business plan there. I was getting ₦150k-₦250k on each job and using everything to help my mum clear the debt she was paying off. Most of the jobs came from my mentor’s network, so he decided to integrate me into his company.
I joined his team, and after some time, I started managing a team myself. I got a monthly stipend from my boss to help with remote work set up, but my main pay came from the projects I could execute in a month, and these were getting me an average of ₦300k monthly.
What does the company do?
Business consulting for SMES. Some of these businesses are understaffed and need fixers like me to help create plans and business documents and help them find ways to source funds.
The projects could be anything: creating a feasibility study or developing a social media campaign. My job function changed according to the projects. I could be Head of HR or Chief of Staff.
I did this for a few months. Then Covid started.
How did it affect you?
You know how some people talk about how their income saw an uptick because of the pandemic? I’m one of those people. There was a huge demand for people with technical skills. Organisations were organising virtual events and needed help setting them up. Companies were looking for people to help their staff adjust to working from home. Things like that.
My team made an average of ₦250k on each project. After taking out 10-15% admin fees for the company and allowance for the team — we were often an average of five on a project. I had at least ₦100k left. We did an average three of these projects every month.
Mad.
I was still paying off my debts, but things were beginning to pick up. Then my dad died in 2020. I couldn’t even grieve him because I couldn’t stop working. I was handling a project in the middle of all the burial arrangements. He died when I just started to turn things around. Also, I can’t shake off the sentiment that my legal issues may have been a factor in his death, and I’ll probably live with that guilt forever.
I’m really sorry for your loss. The last couple of years have been rough, but where are you at now?
I’m still at the company. I have a team of six people who work with me on these projects. At the end of the month, I still make up to ₦300k, even after paying the company and my staff.
Let’s break it down.
When do you think you will finish paying off your debt?
I’m hoping it will all be over next year. First quarter of 2022 in the worst case scenario.
What do you imagine life will be like when this happens?
There will still be bills to pay, but nothing as crippling as this. I’ve learned to be more resourceful than ever and looking out for actual opportunities. It’s why I consult for like seven businesses. The challenge is that I bring people on these projects, so I share profits I could have kept. That said, I’m confident my family will never lack.
With everything that’s happened, how do you feel about investments now?
I’m currently averse to investing in anything even though I know that it’s not wise. I’d rather just save. I’m currently my investment, and that’s why I’m putting money into personal development — training programs and short courses.
If someone comes to me and goes, “There’s an investment opportunity.” I’ve logged out already. There’s some PTSD I have to deal with first before I go down that route again. If that ever comes, I’d stick to real estate investments because they are a relatively safer option.
How would you say all of this has shaped your perspective about money?
First, maybe don’t invest money with people because you know them or trust them. Before I put resources in any project now, I have to know everything about it. Also, I place a high premium on personal development. Whatever money you invest in yourself will hardly go to waste.
Is there anything you want now but can’t afford?
I’d like to put about $10,000 in a dollar-denominated portfolio. But I currently can’t do that because I’m not earning enough. If I don’t have any project coming in, I’m toast. Also, my girlfreind came at a time when I’d lost hope and stuck with me until I snapped back to reality. I’d like to marry her as soon as possible, but I’m not sure I can afford that this year.
Rooting for you. This was heavy, but on a scale of 0-10, how would you rate your financial happiness?
5. I feel like I’m racing against time now. I’ve kind of wasted some time I’m not getting back. And playing catch up is very exhausting. This number I gave myself is even me being nice. But when I clear my debt and settle down to start a family, this number can move to 8.
Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
My favourite first question is –
Hmmm..First memory of money?
Haha. Exactly.
It was in secondary school. My allowance for the week was ₦250 per day or something. So I got maybe ₦1k a week. I spent it on meat pie.
I was not one of those “I am saving my money.” Tuck shop!
Haha! Do you remember the first thing ever that you had to do for money?
My transcribing job in uni. It was such a sweet gig. Some lady doing her PhD abroad was interviewing a lot of people, and she needed the oral interviews transcribed.
What year was this?
In 2015 or so. She was paying me in a foreign currency, and the thing is I didn’t know what I was doing. I was 18.
Wait, how did you find the job?
In my hostel, everyone looked at me like somebody that takes any opportunity she sees. I’m smart, I’m quite the talker, and I find it easy to communicate with people. Someone told someone, who then said I could do the job.
Hostel clout.
Sweet stuff. I wasn’t even getting the money directly. The person was sending it to the babe I knew, then that one was paying me. I’m not sure how much they were sending me, but I knew I was getting scammed.
I was in like 100L going to 200L at the time. I remember that there was a break, and I was doing most of it at home.
What did you study?
Biology. if you’re reading this, please don’t do it. If you put me in a lab now, we’re all going to burn, hahaha. I can’t mix shit. I don’t even remember the thing they were teaching us. Heck, I didn’t even collect my certificate.
Hmmm. So, you channeled all your energy to collecting your transcription money eh?
Yesss. I think the whole money I made was up to ₦600k. I was getting payments after every few transcriptions. I’m not sure how much it was per transcription because of the varying length.
Hmm.
I spoilt myself with the money. I even changed my wardrobe haha. That period was the wildest.
I’m listening.
My mum knew I was getting money somewhere else, so she stopped sending me money. Omo, she just relaxed and was like, “Peace.”
Things switched up when I ran into someone during a class – we had a mutual friend – she was ranting about all the pages that she needed to manage on social media.
My friend told me she was going to ask the social media manager to offer me the gig.
I was like, so I can be posting, and they’ll be giving me money just to post things?
Did you get the gig?
It never clicked. In fact, I don’t think we talked about it past that day, but a seed was sown in my heart. I went back to my hostel and started researching. I couldn’t stop or sleep, and I just started courses.
Do you remember the first course you did?
Shaw Academy’s Digital Marketing course. I can’t remember now if it was free or I got a scholarship, but it was from an ad.
I knew I had to practise everything I was learning, but nobody was going to give me a job. My sister ran an event planning business, so I just collected her accounts and practiced.
But I wanted to work at a place where someone could validate what I was doing, so I started applying for digital marketing jobs. Any small thing: “I’m an avid something-something,” until I finally landed an interview. And what did they say when I showed up? “Your CV is impressive.” Hahaha. Those people are still owing me ₦20k till day.
Is there anybody that is not being owed ₦20k for work like this?
And that was actually my first salary o. I went thrice a week, and my transport fare was 19,800 by the time I calculated it.
Only 200 in real earnings?
Basically. When I got that job and my friends would ask me, “Are you going to class today?” I’ll say “No, no. I’m going to the office.”
My friend was the one who was taking attendance for me.
You were clearly uninterested in school.
Yep. My school didn’t give me the course I wanted to study. And now that I think of it, I’m not sure I’m even cut for the one I wanted to study.
This new chapter of my life was very exciting for me, and I poured all my energy into it. It was interesting, having strategy meetings, hahaha.
Tell me.
My boss would just come in with egg rolls and drinks for everybody. Then he’d gather all of us into his office like, “Everybody gather round, what are we doing in this session?” And me sef, I’ll sit down and be forming strategist.
What did the business do?
Sell soup. I was doing photoshoots for soups and posting online, hacking angles and shit. I loved it because everything I was learning, I got to apply. After three months, I quit sha. The guy ran me street because I didn’t know you were supposed to collect salary before you quit.
Why did you quit?
My boyfriend. He was like, “Baby girl you don’t need to do this, you’re stressing yourself.” The job was in fact stressful.
When I actually quit, I was already looking for other jobs close to me and that’s when I got the job that I feel like made the difference. It was a Digital Agency, my real bootcamp. I interned with them for 6 months. I didn’t feel like an intern to be honest; they didn’t even regard me as an intern.
I feel like I learn fast because to be honest, I was not bad at my job. I got a ton of accolades, and most importantly, exposure to managing big Nigerian brand accounts. My salary was ₦20k, but because of how close it was to where I lived, transport in a month cost about ₦4k.
By the time I finished my internship, I was in my third year and was supposed to find a placement for my industrial attachment from school. Then I landed a social media manager role. I was doing social media calendars, SEO and chopping insult on top of ₦20k.
By Year 4, I got a job with another agency that paid ₦70k. Omooooo.
Mad o.
That was when I really felt like Omooo. I started working with them around the time when I was working on my final year project – this was 2018. I was working during the day and sleeping in the lab. When I finished my project, and I left the agency too – I was there for three months.
Why did you leave?
My mum’s house was closer to the outskirts of Lagos, and I just couldn’t continue like that. Leaving home early, getting home late. I needed to move out, but all I had saved up was ₦200k, and it wasn’t enough.
The second reason I left was because I got a remote job. The owner of the business is Nigerian, but they registered their business abroad. Now, I use that in a lot of interviews like, “I’ve also worked with a US agency as their social media strategist.” The pay was ₦50k.
What came next?
I applied for another job and got it. This one was on the island, and now I had a solid reason to move out. They were paying ₦140k.
What year was this?
I think 2018. I moved to a hostel of sorts that cost like ₦250k a year. Also, I left the company after three months.
Why?
The office was horrible – we were always sweating. I don’t like suffering. I also think the people that owned it didn’t care about the company. It felt like they stumbled on an idea and then, “Omg, we got so popular, we can’t stop doing it now.”
I joined at the time when they were still trying to figure out if they were a hobby or a company. This was early 2019, and I was 22.
For my next job, I saw a tweet for a digital marketing role at a startup. I applied and got the job at ₦250k a month. In six months, it was increased to ₦392k or so. Because the startup was building for users, it exposed me to real life things that matter. Growing numbers, making things that customers want. It also gave me a career capital.
In between, I had side projects that contributed to my income.
2020?
Because of the pandemic, I took a pay cut, so my last salary was about ₦320k or so. But I was not really relying on that because I had this client in Hong Kong that was paying me about ₦700k monthly.
For?
I wasn’t earning the whole ₦700k. Part of it was paying staff salaries because I had a small team. I feel like there are so many small gigs I didn’t mention, but I’ve almost always been working on small gigs. I even registered a company at some point in 2018, which I ditched when I joined the startup in 2019.
Interesting.
We used to work on my client projects and handled social media for companies. There was the graphics designer, social media manager, etc. So let’s say I get paid ₦250k; I supervise, run ads and then we split the money.
This is how I ran the Hong Kong gig. They were a company trying to break into the Nigerian market. When they asked me early this year whether I wanted to get paid in naira or dollars, I said naira.
Ouch.
I just became smart o. Anyway, I did that for about four or five months, but it just made me more stable for the year. I have a flatmate, and our rent is ₦1 million. We split 50-50.
Anyway, I quit the startup in the middle of the year, and the next jump happened.
Are we there yet?
Yes. I went from earning ₦320k monthly to earning $4k monthly. I wanted to run mad. We had been doing the whole interview –
Let’s start from how you found the job.
I had a lot of offers from Nigerian companies, but my eyes were set on the international market. One company offered 650k, but I no do. With the startup I worked at, I needed something that felt like a jump.
When did you want to start collecting dollars?
I was okay earning my naira jeje, until I heard what my flatmate was earning. I was like “SIS! Put me through!” She’s still my oga, but I don’t think I’m doing badly. The first company that interviewed me abroad said they couldn’t hire me because I’m Nigerian. Basically, they didn’t want to go through relocation trouble.
I was just applying sporadically to things. Sometimes, I’ll just google “Successful companies in X industry,” then check the career pages of all the companies listed. Working remotely helped me have time for this.
I just organised my portfolio around the work I did at the startup in detail. In fact, I made it into Google Slides.
There was this company that I was very sure I was going to get the job, but they ghosted me. Then I found one other company scattered across a few cities in the world. I can’t even remember how I found them, probably on one of those sites for remote job opportunities. I looked at the job description, and I was like, I can do all these things na!
They gave me a test, and I literally sat down for hours working on that test. The scope of the test they gave me? I’d never done it before. So, I just did what I’d been doing –
Google.
Yes! I put everything together in a document. I know I did a good job. The next day, we had a call. Once I knew I would get it, I texted my flatmate: “I’m in!” But I knew she was going to come running and screaming, so I followed it with “Still on the call.” I can’t even remember anything they said after they confirmed me.
When people talk about how 2020 has taken a lot from them, I just stay silent because this year has brought a lot for me. My job win made me forget all my past difficulties. After I got the job, I blew all my savings for rent. The first thing I did was book a massage.
Haha. How much did you have in your savings?
About ₦500k. My rent was ₦500k. I can’t even remember what I spent it on. I was just having ideas and ordering food. There’s the dress I bought, the tattoo, and even a gym subscription. Then I had an annoying gynaecologist miscellaneous that cost ₦200k.
That’s how I’m spending my money now. I’m ridiculous.
How do you get your money?
I had complications with getting my money in the first month, but I ended up using my bank. Everyone around me was sad for me because the exchange rate was definitely not the best deal. But when I looked at my account balance and saw plenty of zeroes, I didn’t even hear what they were saying.
First of all, I got paid more money for only seven days of working in a month than my previous salary. Then they sent money for me to buy a new Macbook.
I think I got a little over ₦1.3 million. Right now, I haven’t really set up any saving structure. I’m just vibing. The salary after that first one is still in dollars.
So, this is the part where we break down your expenses.
So, the thing is that I’ll be moving in 2021. I don’t feel very settled right now. In fact, there are purchases I want to make — like a monitor — but why should I buy one when I’m moving soon? I’ve just been spending on vibes.
What’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought since you collected your first salary on the new job?
I randomly bought solid speakers for my situationship. But that’s not the most; it’s a lot of tiny things. Like for example, I gifted random people 15k each.
See ehn, I think everyone should do two things:
Have an emergency fund
Then prioritize enjoyment.
Some days, I’ll be lying on the bed and I’ll just open my app and be smiling.
Between 2015 and now, how have all of this has shaped your perspective of money or opportunity.
My current mindset is that there’s nothing that I want that I can’t get. All my career moves have been wild. My mobility has always been: “I want better, and I take steps to get that better.”
As for money, just go and look for ways to earn more money. It’s a priority to earn more. There’s only so much you can do from saving and investing.
What’s something you want that you cannot afford?
To be honest, nothing o. Except to japa. Even the Japa sef, it’s not something I was seriously planning until my company relocation came up.
If I wasn’t going to leave Nigeria, my answer would have been moving to another apartment and a car. I’m so comfortable now with the things that I have, and I’m just living in the moment.
What is something you wished you could be better at financially?
All these investment stuff. But to be honest, I feel like if I wanted to, I’d do it. The options are there, but right now, I don’t think I’m not ready for it. I might have a spending problem, but I think it’s because I’m a nice person. My friend’s birthday can come up and I’ll be like, here.
Do you have any financial regrets?
If I regret something, somebody should actually slap me because all the money I’ve made in my career, in a few months, I’ll make everything again. Abeggi, I no regret anything.
What’s something you bought recently that significantly improved the quality of your life? That just made you feel comfortable.
My chair, my Macbook. My gym sub too because I like how I feel when I work out.
Last question, on a scale of 1-10, financial happiness?
Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
What’s the first thing you ever did for money?
I was writing my guy’s notes in secondary school. I didn’t even have complete notes for myself.
Haha. What were your going rates?
About ₦250 for the day’s notes, which was about six or so hours of classes.
Why did you do it?
I wanted more money to spend during break time. I was getting ₦50 from my father to spend at school, and I wanted La Casera, which was ₦100.
What could ₦50 get you?
Fruits mostly, sometimes biscuits and water. Anyway, I didn’t do any hustle again until after uni.
What came after Uni?
I got an internship position at a branding firm in Lagos in 2018. I’d just turned 20 and submitted my final year project in school, so I came back home to Lagos to hustle before NYSC. It was nothing fancy or stressful, just long hours and ₦30k at the end of the month.
Tell me about your most stressful day.
We were working on a project for a telco, and I had to work till like 7.30 p.m. Coordinating with painters, carpenters and all kinds of skilled workers. I still had to make the three-hour commute back home – I spent six hours commuting daily. Some days, it was longer.
Woah. Where?
I live with my parents on the outskirts of Lagos – my mum built a house there.
After a while, I quit the branding firm. I was working in the projects management department, but I wanted to write.
I spent the next two months waiting for NYSC.
Did anything happen in those two months?
Nothing o, just my mum trying to convince me to join the police. It was a nonstarter for me!
Wait, why the police? Was she in the police force before?
Her father was a policeman. She felt that with my BSc and young age, I’d be able to get favourable placement. I just ignored her and was passive-aggressive when it came up.
So, NYSC finally came.
I got a Lagos posting. Because I wanted to write, I wrote to a number of media houses to employ me. No bite. I eventually saw a job posting that said “media house.” I left camp for the interview and got the job. The man said he’ll pay me ₦20k monthly. And so began the hardest year of my life.
I’m listening.
It was generally just harder than normal. I was still commuting from Mowe, but I was working every day. Even on Saturdays and Sundays – it was a news aggregation site, and I was on the celebrity gossip beat.
I was miserable.
Man, I’m so sorry.
The ₦20k wasn’t cutting it at all, but my parents were angels. My dad almost always went out with me in the morning. So the morning costs were sorted. But then, I spent ₦600 in the evenings.
What were your daily deliverables?
I was writing 14 articles every day. About 200-300 words each. At a point, I was so good that I’d deliver 14 articles before 4 p.m., then my boss would be on my neck to deliver more.
Ah, I know this grind.
Hahaha. I’m sure you do. My formula was that I’d try to get into the office before 9 a.m., so that by nine, I’d be in the headspace fort writing. I was in charge of compiling our newsletter that went out by 12 p.m.. My goal was to get eight stories by then. Then I’d stagger the pace and write about six or seven for the next six hours.
Interesting. How long were you at that job?
One year – I spent my whole NYSC there. I wanted to leave, but I was stuck because of housing. I knew an even farther office was impractical. By the end of 2019, I finished NYSC.
So, that means throughout your service year, you earned from two streams eh?
Yes. Everything led up to ₦39,800 monthly. I tried to save ₦20k monthly, and my parents are the reason it was possible. By the end of NYSC, I’d saved ₦180k.
Impressive. What came after NYSC?
Another job, and I was determined for it not to be gossip. I applied to another company. I thought I’d get at least 80k, but to Jesus be my glory, I was offered ₦45k.
Is it just me or is this hilarious?
It’s funny now o, but back then I wan mad. I took it sha, but I knew I wasn’t going to last. It meant that I had to start squatting with family members, but I’m never truly comfortable around extended family, so it just hastened my decision to quit. I was there for six months – I quit when the pandemic hit.
Ah.
When it hit, I knew I wanted to be with my family for a bit. I didn’t expect it to be this long.
For how long were you not earning?
I was always earning haha. I was already freelancing – that’s what gave me the liver to quit sef. My first gig was like 150% of the 45k salary. I also discovered that music PR people always needed someone to write release literature for them.
Interesting. How much were you netting as a freelancer?
I was making ₦140k on two stories monthly and about ₦20-30k from writing copy for PR. Sometimes more. I considered a full-time gig but I’m a bit of a wallflower, so I didn’t have the connections or see any openings in the places I wanted to work at.
Breakdown the ₦140k per two stories. For the culture.
Haha! I was contributing to publications: I always target doing two or more stories monthly. Publications typically pay around $200 for stories. Or more. So the first month I left my work, I did three stories. One was $200, another was $250. There’s only been one month since April 2020 where I haven’t done at least two stories.
Walk me through how you secured your first forex gig.
2019 felt monumental to me for Nigerian journalists and content creators internationally. I saw Nigerian topics being covered contextually by Nigerians in international publications. That inspired me. I said to myself, a foreign byline won’t be bad. One day at the office, I got three British editors’ emails and pitched them an interview. I had just done it to see how it went. By the next Monday, I got emails expressing interest from two editors. That’s when I knew I had to pay some attention to this.
Love to see it. What’s your average income per month now?
Let me first add that I signed a retainer with a PR firm that pays me ₦80k per month. I took it because I was bored when I wasn’t working on stories. A conservative month will see me earn ₦190k/month. In my best month, I made about ₦300k, without factoring in this ₦80k – it was mostly a backlog of invoices coming through. My best invoice ever was for three stories billed together, and it had $750 on it.
How does the money go from your Abroad editor to your wallet?
It’s fairly easy. I submit an invoice with a whole bunch of details that I can pull up if you need specificity. It’s usually a 30-day wait, so in a way, it’s like monthly income. I once had to chase an invoice for like 60 days sha. But basically, it just comes into my bank account like a transfer or any fund will.
How has the general experience shaped your perspective on money?
I used to be so guarded about money because I worked hard and it was literally dripping like a bad tap. But this year, I’ve worked smarter, and it’s been a good year. Ultimately, I feel like money comes and goes jare.
What do you think about all of this in the context of other journalists like you?
I know a couple of people, but I don’t really talk about finance with them, though they hint that it’s not really encouraging. One guy I know worked as a writer with one of those first digital publishers. He was earning less than 85k and working seven days a week. He’s quit now though.
Now, let’s talk about your monthly expenses.
I have no serious black tax from the nuclear family, except that lockdown period sha. Also, I ensure that I have above 20k in my account at all times, just in case. I keep whatever is left inside Piggyvest.
What’s in your Piggyvest these days?
Close to a million. It’s all for my apartment set up sha. A quaint mini-flat somewhere on the mainland. Just one couch, a big ass TV and gaming system.
How much do you imagine your ideal set up will cost?
Uhm, realistically, ₦2 million, but I’ll never blow that on my apartment because japa bells are ringing at the back of my mind too.
Tell me about the japa part.
I was supposed to exit this year – I gained admission and my mum was going to take a loan to pay for the first semester. It was a very wuru-wuru plan sha, but I was gingered to go because nothing was happening for me here.
Then COVID happened.
Masters eh? Are you still as gingered now that you’ve hacked income here?
I’m still gingered o, #EndSARS even solidified my resolve to go.
I feel you. Back to income, how much do you feel like you should be earning at this point?
Make I no lie, 400k monthly. I’m presently netting between ₦140k and ₦220k monthly, which is decent. But between all my hustles, there’s still loads of free days that aren’t filled and could be put to productive use. If I hack how to make them productive, I’ll be on to something.
How many days a week will you say you’re productive?
Less than 50 hours. See, I’m young (and capable of putting in more hours), but this number is me being generous with the hours. I’m almost always in the constant process of ideation, and I consider that work. Core work hours are probably less than 25 hours a week.
Do you ever wonder why you have more productive hours working less, but still earning more?
Capitalism, chief. I know that being plugged into the global economy of content while residing in Nigeria is the simple reason for the change. I keep opening myself up to speak with as many people as I can. It’s a little gesture in the grand scheme of things, but I believe in multiplicity.
If I show A my pitch that got accepted somewhere or help B finetune an essay, they know what’s up and can help person c and d and so on.
Neat. And thoughtful.
Thank you.
When was the last time you felt really broke?
2019 December. Broke meant that by Christmas, I hadn’t been paid and didn’t have any money at all.
Ouch. Must have sucked.
I can’t even put it in words.
Do you have an emergency plan for weird stuff like health emergencies?
At all o. It’s vibes and in shaa Allah. I keep praying because I know myself. I don’t ever want to do GoFundMe.
Why?
It’s not pride;I just have never been one to put my problems on another person’s neck. So if it came down to GoFundMe or literal death, I truly don’t know.
Do you have any financial regrets?
Not starting to freelance as a university undergraduate. I would have had more reach, influence and financial safety by now.
What’s a purchase you made recently that improved the quality of your life?
A phone. It cost ₦95k and elevated me from worrying about my phone getting hot or not charging fast enough.
How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?
5.5. If I could afford the tuition for a sports management course in a European university, it instantly goes to 8.5. The remaining 1.5 is the residual discontent that gingers my hustle.
Sports management? Interesting.
I’d love to be a football coach someday.
Tell me more.
Growing up, I was football-mad. Of course, playing didn’t work in Nigeria because you must be a doctor or go to school. So I started throwing myself into tactics, football principles and all that. But to progress how I want to, I need to go to Europe to study. That’s the home of the best football.
How much do you think it’d cost?
Roughly ₦10 million.
Is there anything you think I should have asked you but didn’t?
No, we pretty much touched everything. Thank you! Talking about these things is therapeutic lowkey.
Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
What’s your oldest memory of money?
Haha, I know this question from Naira Life.
Hahaha, an OG.
I remember finding some money in my aunt’s purse. She had just relocated to London, and she left some naira in her bag. I think she forgot it. Anyway, my siblings and I took it and didn’t tell anyone. I think it was ₦970, which was a lot of money in the early 2000s. We balled with it. . I was maybe 10 or 11.
What were things like generally?
We were okay. Our parents travelled abroad, but we never did. I lied to my classmates about travelling though. In hindsight, I wonder if they knew it was a lie and if I was one of those “armed robbers stole our pool” kids.
Hahaha. I think we were all this kid to some degree. Anyway, what’s the first thing that ever paid you money?
I was an intern at a PR firm in 2011. It paid about ₦15k at the time. I was 18, and in my second year in uni. The next time I earned anything was two years after: NYSC. All I got monthly was ₦19,800. The government TV Station I worked at didn’t pay me a dime. #EndBadGovernance. #EndEverything #EndWorld
Hahaha. So, just ₦19,800?
I’m not going to lie; because they weren’t paying me, I became a ghostworker. They didn’t care much about me or corpers generally, so they let me be. They were so uncool.
What’s the most uncool thing anyone there did?
One time they made me cover a story of one older American woman that came to see her Facebook friend. It was around the Chibok girls kidnapping, but they didn’t say anything about that. How is that Facebook story a priority please?
#EndBadGovernance. What happened after NYSC?
I became a banker. I joined a bank in 2015. In their training school, they paid ₦40k. After training school, my money increased to ₦238k. There was a compulsory car loan that put my net to ₦180k after I paid the monthly principal.
I changed departments, but my last stop was Comms. I came tops in training school, so I chose where I wanted to be.
The only time I come tops is when it’s time to finish food.
Hahaha, I used to come tops in everything until I entered secondary school and boys started to distract me. My brain can’t mix romance with books. Anyway, I was at the bank for a little over three years.
How did your salary grow while you were there?
It didn’t. That’s why I left. I was also beginning to feel stagnant. The only reason I stayed is because there was a two-year bond.
How much did breaking this bond cost?
Two million. E be like jail. Kai.
Ah, the clauses.
To be frank, they actually give raises. It just didn’t favour the average person. For example, you had to find someone to deposit a lot of money to get a raise. Tough times.
That hustle. Where did you go after?
I was jobless for six months, exploring other things. But when I exhausted my savings, I ran back to banking. Another bank this time.
How much did you have saved up, and what type of safety nets did you have?
I had about one million. My rent wasn’t due for another six months, and I knew I could always run back to my family if things went bad.
Ah nice, so a new bank?
Yes. Marketing. Loved it. This was in 2018. The salary was ₦250k.
How did your salary grow?
It didn’t. I left after a year to take a consulting gig. Marketing too. That paid me ₦350k. This one lasted six months, till the end of 2019. Then I took on some consulting gigs for Detty December events. By the beginning of 2020, I didn’t have a job. But that was okay for me.
Why?
I wanted to travel. And that’s what I did. I did three countries; the UAE and two in Africa. I was going to do the UK, but COVID hit, so I came back home.
How much did all of it cost?
Ahhh, I dunno o. I wasn’t checking, just spending. Lol.
Oya, how much did you have when you left, and how much when you got back?
Maybe I spent about 2.5 to ₦3 million. Sorry oh, I can see my income at the time was not matching my lifestyle. I think this is a good time to mention that I had a boyfriend that was very financially comfortable, so I didn’t have to bother about a lot of bills lol.
Hayyy, God when?
When the lockdown started, I accepted a startup’s offer of ₦250k because I wanted to use work as a distraction from my anxiety about the impending doom.
Strange times.
When I accepted the offer, they told me they were going to give me a raise after three months because they didn’t have money.
How did it go three months after?
Things got interesting. First of all, they told me they were bootstrapping, but what I saw when I joined didn’t show any evidence of them being broke. I felt like I’d been lied to about them being broke. My boss didn’t take me asking for a raise well at all, and he said many awful things.
I was like, you know what? I quit. So, I gave them a one-month notice.
Ah, mad o.
Me that I already had another job where they were offering $1,700.
Mad oooooooo.
One week before I was to leave, they gave me a better offer and increased my salary to ₦400k. I told them I was only going to accept it as long as I could keep my new gig. They agreed.
That is interesting.
I know I’m going to have to choose one eventually, but I’m going to drag it for as long as I can.
What’s your dummy’s guide to landing a forex gig?
Hahaha. LinkedIn. Once I see a White Chief Marketing Officer, I just send them the template message I’ve written. One paragraph stating intent. Another paragraph stating my experience. One paragraph expecting feedback.
What was the feedback like?
Let’s say I sent 10. I got like 8 responses. Only 2 made an offer. Then I accepted one.
How much enters your account every month like this?
₦1,199,000.
What does it do to a person? This kind of income jump?
Actually, it’s weird. Nothing. I keep saying maybe after I earn it for six months, I’ll see the difference but for now, nothing has changed. I’ve never really been a prudent person so it’s not like I’m spending more now.
What does it –
I bought Hermès sandals, lol.
How much did that cost?
₦350k. I’m not doing this again sha. I have other things I could do with money, maybe a master’s programme or even relocating.
What are your current monthly running costs?
This might not really be entirely accurate because I get a lot of passive income.
How?
People like to dash me money.
Mad o. What do I need to do for people to dash me money?
Hahaha, be a fine girl in Lagos oh.
I… What’s the highest amount of money anyone has dashed you?
Two million. I wanted to travel, told him to sponsor me and he did. We’ve been friends for a long time, so maybe that helped lol.
I have people I’ve been friends with for over 10 years, but… Anyway, you have almost ₦900k left over every month, what’s going to happen to that?
I mostly just save it, but now I’m considering crypto. The space is pretty interesting, and we might be sleeping on it. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about it.
Have you bought any crypto yet?
Well, an insignificant amount. About ₦50k.
Hmm.
When you consider that 1 BTC is about five million, ₦50k is insignificant.
Fair. How much do you currently have saved up?
Right now, about ₦1.2 million. There was some financial trouble at home that ate into all my savings. So I had to help out.
You want to talk about it?
Nope. Not really.
Is this the first time?
Nah. I’ve pretty much been on my own financially while having to help out since NYSC.
A moment comes when people realise that they’re no longer just children, but also financial support systems.
I think it came too fast. I used to resent my parents for it, but I help when I can. School fees and all that. They’re working to pick up a lot of that too, so I’m happy about that.
Do you remember the first time you had to pick up a bill?
It was from uni. Sometimes I’d have to borrow from my friends till my parents could pay back.
This strained our relationship when I got older because I realised they were just irresponsible with money. They didn’t have priorities straight, didn’t plan. It didn’t make sense to me.
Do you feel like you inherited some of it?
Yeah, I think so. But I’m not as careless. I don’t like getting broke, so I try to plan.
Looking at your career, how much do you feel like you should be earning right now?
I think I’m earning what I should to be honest. Although if I use the normal Nigerian companies pay grade, maybe ₦500k because they’re users and slave drivers.
What’s something you want but can’t afford?
A better passport. And maybe a private jet, so I can japa at any time and pick one or two clothes.
Hahaha. What’s an annoying miscellaneous that you’ve had to pay for recently?
Oh my God, you’re a wizard for this question. I recently got into a small accident and now I have to pay ₦50k for the person’s car to be fixed. I don’t even know how much they’ll fix mine yet. And my insurance ran out, so I’m pissed about it.
Ouch. Sorry. Do you have any financial regrets?
I don’t know if it’s a regret but I wish I didn’t have to support my family as much as I do. I’d be so much richer if I didn’t.
Have you ever attempted to measure how much of your income is going to them?
Nah, I have not. But I know it’s a lot. At some point my dad became so entitled. I had to clear him.
How did the conversation go?
One that I remember was I had given them some money to do some things around the house. I’d also planned to travel too, but I didn’t tell them that. After I gave them the money, he called to say he needed to buy his meds and I told him I didn’t have money for that. Fast forward maybe three days, I was on the way to the airport, and he called me randomly and I told him oh I’m actually about to catch a flight.
Next thing he goes, “You’re catching a flight but you don’t have money for my meds?”
Hmm.
That pissed me off cause I’m like, I just gave you some money a few days back, maybe you could have bought your meds with some of it?
And he has been using his meds for years now, so it’s not like it just popped up from nowhere. You knew you needed your meds. He does it all the time. Never saves for his meds or plans for it.
And why this is so annoying is they’re not even that old. Barely in their mid-50s, and it’s been going on since their 40s. They still have sources of income.
What’s a purchase you made recently, even if small, that significantly improved the quality of your life?
I bought another car about two months ago. My friend relocated and gave it away at a steal. It cost ₦1.5m, and everyone says the market value is actually ₦2.5m.
Fair. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness level?
Midpoint-ish. I wish I was richer though. I want to have a million dollars by the first quarter of 2021, I don’t know how I’ll do it.
If you get that one million dollars, I’m going to quit whatever job I’m doing and follow you. Bet.
Hahaha, put me in your prayers. We will all eat good.
Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
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Do you remember the first time someone called you rich and you were extremely triggered?
My cousins in London. For some reason, their step mum painted an exaggerated version of our family to them. They genuinely thought we were “living in a mansion, driving the latest Benz” life. It was so annoying because I only had £40 in my account and someone was stressing me that I was rich, hahaha.
It was 2012, and I was 17.
What was the real picture of what life was like?
We definitely were not poor or suffering, but we weren’t rich either. It’s like my dad spent all his money on educating all his kids.
I remember asking for things and he would just say, sorry I can’t give you this because I need to pay your brother’s school fees or you can’t travel to so and so place. So, while we weren’t suffering, all the money went to our schooling.
The drive.
My dad is obsessed with education, it’s what helped him get to where he is in life. It gave him a second chance because he had it rough growing up. So, he made sure to get us the best education possible. If you looked at our family from that lens, you’d be like oh wow these guys are rich. But he was taking loans to do this, saving like crazy and investing a shit load, for us.
How rough? Paint a picture.
I don’t know, but he doesn’t talk much about it. His dad died when he was pretty young. His mum was a trader. When his dad died, his mum did her best to send all her children to primary school. She was illiterate but learned from her brothers that education was the next best thing. She’s the one that got him obsessed with going to school. Anyway, she had 8 children so, at some point, she couldn’t pay for school for him anymore.
Woah.
She had so many responsibilities and things. So, my dad had to live with someone else, to make space in his mother’s house for his other siblings. He used to sell groundnut in the streets, at some point he started DJ’ing in clubs in secondary school to earn money. He was the ultimate hustler.
Anyway, his mum paid for his secondary school and university, against all odds.
This was quite the game-changer, wasn’t it?
Well, of course. I mean he still had to do sell a thing or two in school, like buying and selling milk to his coursemates for extra cash. But it was definitely a game-changer. He wouldn’t have been able to go to the quality schools if she didn’t go to great length.
Your dad managed to fund your school fees. Let’s do the math.
I got a scholarship but I can’t remember how much.
Remember that he had other children abroad while paying this; Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
Plus he used to send me £200 every month, except in my 2nd year when I worked. That one was so expensive he couldn’t afford the accommodation at first. I stayed with a relative for the first 6 months.
One sibling started in 2015, and won’t be done till 2022. Another started in 2012 and is currently doing Masters.
The last-born has gained admission in Canada already. It is COVID that delayed everything. At some point my dad was so broke he considered letting the last born school in Nigeria. Then one day he just came and said, “Canada it is. I will figure it out.”
How does one even pay for all of this?
Loans. And lots of savings. Because I know damn well he doesn’t have the money sitting somewhere. He runs a full-time job, does two things part-time, and tried to start a business that COVID said no to.
Also, stop obsessing about my dad, hahaha.
Fair, because I was just about to segue. So, what do you do?
I’m a consultant at a global media agency based in Nigeria.
Hmmm. Global. Is the money global too?
Well, it’s $2,000 a month – $1980 if you remove bank charges.
This puts you in the upper strata of the supposed global middle class.
Hahaha. Wow. This money that I’m managing.
Hmmm. Managing. Tell me how you manage every month.
It changes every month, but this is what an ideal month looks like.
₦10k goes to fuel. ₦20k goes to internet subscriptions. Rent? Zero, hahaha. ₦150k goes to just spending; I’m always buying food for myself or bae. Or taking my friends. ₦20k is for toiletries and random things for my body and bathroom.
The rest almost always goes to my dad. He thinks I’m borrowing him but I’ve dashed him.
That’s interesting, that last part. Tell me about the first time it happened.
It was 2019, and he didn’t have the money to pay for one of my sibling’s accommodation. I could tell it was stressing him out. And I had $4000 sitting on my account, I was saving it but I didn’t have any immediate use for it. So, I was like here you go, Daddy. He was so grateful for it.
Because I don’t pay rent, health insurance, and transport, I always have money. So, it’s easy to give him. He’s saying he’ll pay me back. But for me I’ve dashed him. It’s happened all the time since then.
How have these experiences shaped your perspective on money?
I don’t really know. I have never thought about it. I think one thing I’m certain of is that I want to have bastard money. There’s always something to spend on, someone’s school fees to pay, someone’s book fees to help out with. I want to have enough money to cover those expenses, not even for myself. For them.
I hope you get it. Looking at what you currently earn, how much do you think you should be earning?
I know I should be earning at least $3000 for my current level. I didn’t negotiate properly when I was just starting out. I was coming from a salary of about $600 to $2000, so the difference seemed a lot to me. But based on industry standards, definitely $3000.
You’re living a version of the Nigerian dream; earn global, spend local. What’s something you didn’t expect to be a source of stress for you, that is now?
Black tax. I knew it would come eventually, but not on this scale. I barely save except, except for my current moving-out fund. All my savings go to someone’s school fees or something. I’d have had millions of naira in my account if not for that. I could have gotten a house.
Hence, the trigger when people say you’re rich.
Oh my God, yes. It’s so annoying. I mean I’m definitely not poor, I’ve never had to beg for money. If I’m begging it’s from my friends and I always pay them back. But for some reason, people always make jokes about me having money.
And what makes it triggering is not saying I’m rich or asking for money, it is the timing of it. It always comes when my account is empty or almost empty. Imagine someone continuously making rich jokes when you have just ₦10k in your account.
Your spending power feels relatively small compared to what you earn.
On average I spend about $400. I don’t have external expenses like rent or medical bills, so it makes it easy to spend less.
The big project savings only happens occasionally, everything else goes to the family. So, like $1400 goes to the family. My dad never ever asks me for this money, by the way. It’s just that I always feel some sort of guilt seeing him hustle so much.
Imagine your dad struggling to pay school fees and you have a shitload of money in your account doing nothing? It just makes sense giving him instead of having the money sleep there. And he always accepts it, so that means he needs it. Even though he won’t ask when I don’t show up. He doesn’t rely on me or anyone else. He always finds away. But I’m always happy to help him. Until I no longer can.
That’s heavy.
Haha. My dad is my guy. Anything for him.
Where does your mum sit in the context of money and household income?
Interesting question. She doesn’t contribute much, barely actually. She works but all the money goes back into her business which has been recently tested by COVID 19. It’s such a struggle that sometimes we hand her money for rent and other business-related expenses.
You said “no longer can” earlier, and I’m curious about that.
I’m moving out soon, it means I’ll have additional expenses of my own to worry about. I’ll have to worry about rent and my own personal expenses. So, there will be less to contribute unless I get a raise or a better job.
What are the things that need to happen for you to unlock your next level of income?
I already have the skillset needed to get a raise but I’m not sure the place I work is interested in giving me a raise since I’m a consultant, not full-time staff. I have to either find a better paying job or stick there till a miracle happens.
Stick there? Do you ever get the sense of feeling trapped?
I’m getting there. When I feel like I can no longer take it, I’ll move on. For now, there are still some benefits of sticking there. I am picking up other unrelated skills that will help me moving forward. For now, it’s keeping me occupied. I’m also building a fantastic global network. It helps to know many people in high places haha.
How much do you think you’ll be earning in, say 5 years?
$10,000 a month. Or more. But in 5 years, I don’t know if I’ll be doing the same thing or in the same industry so it’s hard to say.
What’s something you want right now but can’t afford?
A house. Always a good investment.
What’s something you wish you could be better at, financially?
I don’t know shit about investment. I know I don’t have enough to invest but I haven’t taken the time out to learn my options at least. I need to fix that.
Financial regrets?
I wish I didn’t buy a car haha. I love driving but I hate driving because of mad people. I almost always Uber because of the traffic and because I need to work in transit. So, sometimes I think of what I could have done with that car money instead. It cost nearly $6,000.
You don’t even think in naira. Why all this?
Naira is setting me back, my dear. I’m thinking for the future when I move outside the country. Also, I earn in dollars so it’s easier to calculate my expenses in the currency I earn in.
Did I just hear you say japa?
I’m not a fan of migration or the Canada hype. But I know that for the type of opportunities I want, there is very little Nigeria can give me. At some point, the UK or the US will come calling.
I can’t work with local agencies or media companies. They can’t afford to pay me, and they can’t offer me the type of environment or network I’m looking for. So, inevitably I’ll bounce outside the country.
On a scale of 1-10, financial happiness?
8. I’m very happy because I’m not suffering or poor. I could be saving and earning more but I’m definitely okay.
One last question.
Shoot.
Your dad giving you the best quality of education means that you actually went to school with rich people. What was that like for you?
It was such a weird change that started from secondary school – it was an expensive private school here in Nigeria. I was coming from a background that you can call razz, and I got bullied for it and called ‘local’ a lot.
Their pocket money was like ₦20k every month and I was getting like ₦3 – ₦5k. I’d never travelled abroad or even entered a plane at the time. Whenever we travelled, it was by road.
So, having rich schoolmates was such an experience. I wasn’t poor but my family couldn’t compete financially and socially with all those guys there. But I tell you it shaped me.
On some days, it hurt to be dragged but for the most part, I was fine. I experienced different sides of the coin, I guess. And by the time I finished secondary school, I had a network of friends outside my family status.
It turned out to be a blessing.
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Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
In this Nairalife story, the subject is 24, and not doing badly at this adulting thing. She works in Financial Advisory and has pretty big plans for her future.
My first question is, what’s the first thing you ever did for money?
I was in 300l and I was obsessed about making money. Not that I was lacking, my parents gave me a monthly allowance of ₦20k – ₦10k each, they’re separated.
I was reading a lot of articles online and watched videos on Youtube, from how to make candles, make money from surveys, blogging.
Eventually, I decided on poultry. Do you know what’s funny?
What?
I was literally scared of chickens 🐓 but money must be made. I went to a woman that sells chicks and bought 25 one-week-old chicks. I had a male friend accompany me to buy them – he did all the carrying.
This type of commitment is the energy I stan
I already got a big cage for them, so I never had to touch them. By the way, I was staying off-campus somewhere in the Southwest, and my hostel had a big compound. I talked to my landlord about it and he allowed me to use the compound.
My tasks were clear: wake up at 5 am, rake the droppings, change water and food twice a day. It was going pretty well, a lot of people were interested and even encouraged me.
Some students vets volunteered to help me if I had any issues. I felt great!
I was building an empire. A billionaire in making 🤣
One afternoon, I came back from class and all my chickens were out of the cage.
What?!
Yep. There was no one at home and I had to get them back into the cage. They were about six weeks old by then. It was hell for me, but anyway, that was how I got over my fear of chickens.
Hahaha.
The next morning, two of the chickens died and my vet friends said they were infected by other local chickens when they were out of the cage. They prescribed medications. Still, three more died, except this time it was because of expired feed.
Ouch. What were your margins like eventually?
I sold 18 during Christmas, gave one to my landlord and shared one for all my fans. I can’t remember the details but I sold each for ₦3500. I think the margins were between 18-20%. But I didn’t do another cycle because it was stressful and my landlord didn’t allow me.
What else did you do after that?
I sold eggs, but the most important was learning how to trade forex. Again, I did all my research, read books, watched YouTube videos. That was one of my best decisions ever. I knew the risks involved so when I started trading, I didn’t put so much money. I started at $5, which I grew to $15. By the time I was in my final year, I’d started teaching people how to trade.
Let’s pretend I don’t know anything about Forex, tell me how it worked for you.
I’ll give you one instance. If you think that the US dollar would rise in value against British Pounds, you can sell British Pounds and buy US dollars. So it’s trading against the rise and fall in the value of currencies.
What’s your best margin ever while trading forex?
300%. My best shot ever is the gold index, XAU-USD.
So, when did you finish school?
2015. NYSC in 2016. That period I had to wait, I just sharpened my skills. Did NYSC, then got a job at a Financial Advisory firm right after.
I started as a graduate trainee, they paid ₦80k. Six months after, I got confirmation as a full staff, and they started paying ₦130k. A year later, ₦170k. Six months after that raise, I got tired.
Why?
The environment was getting at me. I wasn’t happy with how I was doing the job. I also had a couple of exams to write. I told my boss I wanted to resign, but he asked me to go on unpaid leave. I left and I was doing pretty well. I loved the freedom, and in fact, my trading was doing so well that I survived on the money comfortably in that period.
Also, I was reading for exams.
Interesting that he’d let you go on unpaid leave.
Yeah, anyway during the leave, I got an offer from one of The Big Four.
And…?
I took that offer. I took it not because of the money – I was making more than my salary already from trading. I wanted that on my CV because I have big plans for my investment and trading business.
So here I am, 2 months into the job. The pay is ₦268k. Financial advisory too.
Tell me what you mean by “making more than your salary”. What are the numbers looking like?
You can only trade on weekdays, but on an average day of active trading, I make up to ₦20k. On really good days, I make ₦50k.
How much did you make on an average month?
Right now, just my salary. I can’t trade using my office laptop – there are a lot of protocols and I can’t use my laptop at work either.
So I’m going to try and hack this month – I just bought a tablet. Maybe I can trade at work.
You said something about how The Big Four is important to your plans.
Yes. I want to own a hedge fund so I can help institutions and wealthy individuals invest and manage their money. That’s the goal.
But the investment industry in Nigeria is still in its early stage. I need international experience. The Big Fours are global financial companies. I see it as a stepping stone to go outside the country to get international experience. You know I’ll be dealing with people’s money. They need to trust me. So I need all the credibility I can get.
Fair enough. What do your monthly expenses look like?
I’ve always used a 50-50 rule my mum taught me. I save 50% every month, it’s non-negotiable.
I send money to some extended family members currently in Uni. My parents are comfortable. They don’t ask me, but I buy gifts every now and then.
What I really really track is my savings, everything else, I spend as I deem fit.
Although, this month an investment opportunity popped up and I invested ₦200k already from my salary. I think I’ll refund myself from my mutual funds account.
I’m going red already – I have about ₦40k left for the month.
My head is spinning. How many financial instruments are you simultaneously using to grow money?
Hahaha. I do Agric investments and mutual funds too. For the Agric investments, there are online platforms that allow you to buy farms for a certain return.
Let’s map out all the places your investments are at.
₦700k in Agric ₦200k in mutual funds I recently wrote an exam of about ₦400k from my savings
I recently paid for a major health bill of about ₦200k, I did a major shopping because of a new job of about 150k. And I bought a new laptop worth ₦210k. I wrote the CFA exam – it costs $1100. I even bought a special kind of calculator only allowed for the exam – it cost ₦25,000.
So, it’s safe these are all your investments in the past few months, including personal capital and wellbeing.
Yes, it is.
I’m curious about your health bill.
It wasn’t for me, my close aunt gave birth to triplets. She wasn’t financially good. we lost one of them though.
How much do you imagine you’d be earning in 5 years?
I’ve never really thought about it, I don’t even worry about it. I just believe that when you do a good job, the money will come naturally.
What’s something you want right now but can’t afford?
Maybe my dream house. On 4 plots of land. I don’t want anywhere remote. Huhuhu.
What’s something you honestly wish you could be better at?
Routine. Make me drink a cup of juice every day, and it will quickly bore me. I wish I could get comfortable in routine.
What’s something you bought recently that significantly improved the quality of some aspect of your life?
I recently started investing in my work outfits, because of my new job. I used to be nonchalant about my dresses. I think it has improved my colleagues’ and bosses’ perception of me. I used to buy a gown for an average of ₦3k. Now I spend about ₦8k.
Let’s rate your financial happiness, on a scale of 1-10.
I’d say 6. I’m quite comfortable, but I know there’s a long way to go. About forex, if I say I’ll make more than ₦100k this month, that won’t be realistic. Right now, there’s a lot of office work to be done.
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We’re not lying, seriously, just look at the circular that was passed by the CBN.
Can you imagine that?
At a time where many people in the North-East are suffering from starvation and lack of medical support, this gist cannot be any more shocking and mind boggling.
Perhaps they think those of us that have been buying the dollar at almost N400 have two heads sha.
Abi do they think we’re children of Satan that don’t deserve good things?
When you realise the government is wasting money on pilgrimage while most of its citizens can’t afford the current exchange rate.
Nigerian government and all the leaders, abeg:
We will not take this o! The Nigerian government should fix this economy instead of doing ojoro up and down.
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