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Everybody knows how to answer “Tell me about yourself” already. As a recruiter, ask these questions at an interview instead and watch the madness unfold.
“Would you eat garri without sugar?”
Sometimes, you just need to gauge the level of suffer-head the person you’re employing has faced. They may be coming from traumatic sapa. You don’t want to do them anyhow.
“Are you a Man Utd fan?”
You don’t want to employ someone who’ll be taking Ls for your business every weekday. No, they already get enough on weekends. For the sake of your mental health and theirs, leave them alone, abeg.
“Do you usually lost?”
You need to know you won’t have to randomly start looking for them in the middle of a busy workday.
“Do you use MTN?”
Do this especially if they’ll be working remotely. You don’t want to joke with someone who’s frustrated after dealing with MTN the whole day.
If they don’t have Japa plans, don’t hire them. They obviously like pain, so they need to go somewhere else. Maybe work for the government?
“Who’s your daddy?”
If they don’t have Japa plans, it could also be that they have bastard money in their family. That’s why you need to ask this question as a follow-up. You never know, your employee may become a by-force investor.
“How many bottles of beer before you start sharing office secrets?”
You need to know ahead of time if you’re hiring an opp or a weak link. Stay woke, please.
“Are you lactose intolerant?”
This one has two parts. If they answer yes, just know they’re a stubborn person and won’t stop taking milk. Second, you’ll need a face mask in the office every day for all the farting. Just save yourself from stress.
“Will anybody come and do paranran for you at the office?”
This one is important if you don’t like noise. Just imagine having a bad day already, and trumpeters start singing “happy birthday” for somebody, unprovoked.
“Do you eat semo?”
Make sure to promise that this question doesn’t matter to your hiring decision. But if they answer “yes”, break that promise and move on. You can’t be hiring someone who likes pain (or maybe you can if you plan to offload five people’s JDs on them).
“Do you read Money by Zikoko?”
If they answer yes, just know they’re fun and they know what’s up. If you yourself don’t know what Money by Zikoko is, subscribe to it so you don’t expose yourself in an interview.
Are you bougie like the dollar or are your ways stressful and confusing like the naira? Take this quiz and we’ll tell you which currency matches your energy.
You don’t have baller money to flaunt, but you’re tired of the mechanic life, these tips will help you live your dream while staying within your budget.
It’s all in the mind
Yes, we’re starting with a motivational speech. First of all, if you can dream it, you can achieve it. Look in the mirror, place your hand on your chest, and say out loud: “I am a baller!”
Make your budget
Who’re you kidding? You’re obviously not a baller yet but you’ve just passed stage one. Next, you need to draft out a budget so your baller lifestyle doesn’t carry you where you don’t know. These things cost money, you know.
Dress the part
This is where you’ll need to get creative. Put on a choirmaster’s suit and combine it with the shoes you only reserve for the special Singles Connect service in church. Your drip may not be 100% but you’ll please God as you ball.
Go to nice restauants…
…And buy the cheapest thing on the menu.. You’re working with a budget, remember? Don’t go and bite more than you can chew o. You’ll wash plates.
It’s all about perception. Deep down, you know you’re a mechanic. But the rest of the world can’t know that. You need to take awesome pictures for the internet so everyone buys into your baller narrative.
Hang around rich people
You might actually increase your chances of becoming a proper baller by hanging around rich people. But if you don’t, at least you’ll look the part when you take those lit pictures for October dump.
Don’t lose focus
The last thing you need is to be distracted. You don’t want to lose focus and start spending beyond your budget to maintain your baller status. If inflation starts making it too expensive, go back to being a mechanic.
Ponzi schemes pop up every few years in Nigeria before disappearing again with billions of naira in people’s funds. We spoke to seven Nigerians about the times they fell victim to these schemes.
Joshua. 25
“I thought if it had been paying my friend for so long, it had to be be legit somehow”
I lost my job in 2020 due to the COVID lockdown and started looking for other means of making money. A friend of mine had been investing with this forex investment scheme for about six months, and he was being paid 20% every month. He’d tried to get me into it, but I was skeptical.
After I lost my job, I needed money to come in from somewhere. I already had about ₦3 million saved up, so I thought to take some risk with the investment scheme my friend was into. I was still skeptical, but I thought if it had been paying him for so long, it must be legit somehow. So, I put ₦1 million into the scheme in October 2020 and I was paid a ₦200,000 return in November.
The following month, they started having issues with paying out. They said the markets were down, but they had enough reserves to keep up with payments. LMAO. Nobody saw anything. After two months of nothing, people went to the head office of the firm to protest, and it was empty. That’s when everyone got to know what had happened. We’d been scammed.
We eventually saw videos of the main guy who was the face of the business on the internet. Man was on vacation. I eventually got a much better job in March 2022, so I recovered.
Dapo, 22
“I saw my friend make ₦104,000 within two weeks after investing only ₦13,000. At this point, the pressure started getting wesser”
There was a stupid Ponzi scheme in my school one time that everyone knew was a scam but we somehow rationalised it as “investment”. It was called Loom.
Loom had the structure of a bunch of concentric circles, just like this.
The whole point was that there’s a race to the center of the circle, and how fast you moved depended on how many new people you signed up. These new people would “invest” some money, and that funded the exit of older members. Once the outermost circle gets filled with eight people, the person at the center cashes out and leaves the loom so others can move up. These schemes were peer-to-peer and ran on Whatsapp groups.
When I first heard of it, I thought it was clearly stupid. But it quickly became popular in my school as people were investing as little as ₦13,000 to cash out ₦104,000 in the space of a few weeks. The pressure was hot. My friend changed his phone within a week of joining the scheme, and at that point I just thought, “Well, it’s just ₦13,000. Let me do it too.”
I think I probably have very badluck when it comes to get-rich-quick schemes because when everybody was doing it, they were eating good. But the week I joined, the admin of the group closed the group and all our money disappeared. I haven’t gotten an explanation till today. It burnt me because that was supposed to be a part of my allowance, but I moved on sha.
Jane, 24
“MMM promised me 30% returns, and I said ‘take my hostel fees’.”
You know how you get into university and you’re high on the amount of money you just started getting from home? That was me in 2016. I’d just started school and MMM was the popular thing. It wasn’t even just among students. I had way older cousins who did this thing. But never felt the need to do anything because I had money.
My second semester started and money got a bit tight at home. I went from collecting ₦50,000 to collecting ₦25,000 every month. I started running out of cash too soon and found myself needing more before the month was up. That’s when I had a conversation with my friend who put some of her hostel fees into it and made about ₦60,000 in profit after a month. That was a 30% return on ₦200,000. My brain lit up. I decided I was going to do it too.
My hostel fees for the second year came early, and I put it all into MMM. This was around November 2016. In December, they stopped paying out money to people. The site became slower, people started panicking because they thought it would crash, and they were right. I lost all the money I put in without making ₦1. And on top of that, I was going to be homeless.
Ruth, 27
“I knew it was a Ponzi scheme from the start, but I just wanted to cashout before it crashed”
I joined Racksterly in 2019 before they crashed and came back to life as Racksterli. It was clear to me that it was a Ponzi scheme from the start. But I just thought I had to be smart about joining them. I’m usually on the lookout for these things.
The hack is to join when it’s early and leave when the hype starts gaining momentum. That’s what I did with the first one. I put in ₦1,200,000 and earned daily rewards for doing tasks like sharing an ad on Facebook. At the end of the month, I got ₦1.6 million in total. I reinvested my capital and did this for about five months before deciding I’d had enough. By that time I’d made over ₦2 million in profit alone.
In 2021, I joined Racksterli with about ₦2.8 million with the same plan and same calculations. I thought I’d be able to make it big before it went bust. LMAO. My calculations were off. The site blew up really quickly because they started using artists and influencers to promote the site. Within two months, problems started.
People couldn’t withdraw their money, and it went viral online. That further fuelled the fear of people who’d put money in it and everything just scattered.
I knew I had messed up, but I didn’t bother trying to get my money.
It’s been a year and nobody has gotten their money back. I know I was greedy sha. I should have just enjoyed the money I made the first time and moved on.
Elvis, 32
“I thought I should take small risk and succeed”
Sometimes, looking for money too much makes you lose money. I did a crypto investment thing in October 2021. I wanted to “blow” and I felt like I was running out of time. So I thought I should take a small risk and succeed. That’s when I took most of the savings I had, ₦1.2 million, and put it in a crypto investment scheme that I found on a Telegram channel. They said I’d get 20% returns every month, and I could withdraw my capital whenever I felt like it.
I invested in the thing, and I got a 20% return after thirty days. That was about ₦240,000. I was already gingered for more. I kept my money in and we did this for about 5 months. By this time, I had already put in an additional ₦1 million. I was basically reinvesting all the money I had made, as per, investor wey sabi.
When the market crashed around May/June, they started delaying payments. Some people received their pay while others didn’t. I thought it was normal. Until one time when one angry investor actually sent a message on the Telegram group asking everyone who hadn’t been paid to signify. I did that and left my phone for a bit. When I came back 30 minutes later, I had over 200 hundred messages from the group alone. I just knew everything had scattered. An argument started in the group between the members and admins, and they eventually just closed the group and deleted everything else. I took my L and moved on.
Chika, 35
“I was looking for something to invest in, but I didn’t like my options”
My case was funny because I saw an ad online in 2021 and actually went to look for these people. I was looking for something to invest my money in, and I didn’t like my options at the time. Mutual funds were offering 10% annually, bonds were doing 5%, and I didn’t understand crypto. But there was an agro-investment “company” that was promising 30% returns on a monthly basis for any investment I made. It looked like a sweet deal, and a part of my brain thought it made sense because it’s agriculture.
The firm eventually went bust after 3 months, and I lost around ₦5 million. I took my L and moved on. It was a lot of money, but I knew better than to stress over something I’d never get back.
Right now, if I want to invest in anything and someone says 30% monthly ROI beside me, we’ll fight.
Jamal, 27
“Everything about it was giving Ponzi, but I didn’t mind”
I was introduced to 86FB by a friend. It was supposed to be an investment platform that focused on football, but everything about it was giving Ponzi. The main gist was that I’d be earning 3% interest daily, and that could translate into a lot of money depending on how much I put in. So I decided to do it with a little amount of money. I initially put in ₦10,000, but because I wanted more profit, I increased my investment to ₦100,000. My plan was to double the money and withdraw the profit. But when I’d doubled it and the thing hadn’t crashed, I reinvested the whole thing.
The problem started with payment delays. I hadn’t been paid for about three days after requesting withdrawals. Then, they cancelled withdrawals. Last last, I made ₦600,000 that I couldn’t withdraw, and I lost my initial investment.
In this life, you need to make sure you have a backup plan and ensure that the important things to you are insured. Leadway Assurance protects what matters to you while also helping you to create wealth. Visit their website to learn more.
Apparently, everyone wants to be a baller and not a mechanic. I’m here to tell you how you can do that. But first, I need people to understand mechanics are actually ballers. Especially during the rainy season when the floods destroy people’s cars. They’re eating good. Hmmm, maybe I do want to be a mechanic?
Anyway, since it’s just a baller you want to be, here’s what you need to do:
Beg your village people
You may be destined to be a baller, but your village people are holding you back. You must travel to the village to appease them so they can set you free. Only then can your true calling be fulfilled.
Become a wedding vendor
Wedding vendors enjoy life the most. Makeup artists charge ₦250k for bridal makeup, and you think they’re not balling? Do you know the number of people that get married throughout the year? Whether it’s the DJ or baker… as long as they provide services for weddings, they’re ballers. This is your secret.
Date or be a Nigerian woman
Nigerian women have money, let me just tell you. They’re the real ballers. If they tell you they don’t have money, they’re lying. If you’re not a Nigerian woman, then date one.
It’s not your daily 9-5 salary that’ll make you a baller, let’s not lie. The way for you to enjoy life properly is to get a sugar daddy who doesn’t have anything to do with their money. The type who’ll send you to the Maldives when you complain about stress.
Become a footballer
Footballers are literal ballers. They kick around a ball on the pitch and get paid a lot of money for it. They’re balling on and off the pitch.
Be born to generational wealth
Yes, you need to be born again. I don’t know how that’ll happen; you decide which way you want to go back. But when you meet the angel who assigns people to families, make sure you find a way for them to put you with a family with generational wealth. If that doesn’t work, an easier way is to find a family yourself and beg them to adopt you. Or you can marry into the family.
Become a tech bro
Everybody knows tech bros are balling hard. Just become one of them, and you’re good to go, as long as you understand UI/UK and snake programming language. We don’t know how long it’ll take for your balling money to come sha o.
Behave like a baller
What’s that thing people like to do again? Fake it till they make it, exactly. That’s what you need to do. If you act like whatever your definition of a baller is, you’ll become one before you know it.
Become a Nigerian politician
Our politicians are the ogas of the ballers sef. How many ballers have over ten cars like our dear Senator Dino Melaye? You can become a Nigerian politician and ball without even stealing money.
Become a mechanic
With the kind of roads we have in Nigeria, mechanics are actually the ones balling. As you read this, I’m sure someone somewhere has just called their mechanic to complain about their carburetor.
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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In 2018, the pro gamer on this week’s #NairaLife won the first-ever FIFA competition he played. It paid ₦100k. Since then, he’s represented Nigeria in Côte d’Ivoire and Israel, and has made up to ₦5m in one day playing FIFA.
When did you start playing video games?
Omo, I’ve been gaming since primary school. I’m the last born, and I have two older brothers who had the PS1 and PS2 when they came out, so we were always playing games at home. There was Street Fighter, Pro Evolution Soccer, FIFA, Lord of the Rings, Wrestling and so much more.
Obviously, I started out chopping Ls from my brothers, but I got better as I grew older because I played a lot.
Let me guess: Your parents complained?
Ah, they did. I made sure I played every game until I was able to beat every difficulty level. So I started with the easiest and kept playing against the computer until I could defeat the most difficult level.
As you can imagine, it required a lot of playing, and my parents didn’t like it. In primary school, when exams were approaching, they seized the consoles so I could focus on reading. When I got into secondary school in 2008, they sent me to a boarding house, and sometimes seized the games when I was home on holiday because I wasn’t “socialising”.
I didn’t ask about your earliest memory of money
Throughout boarding school, I got ₦1,500 per month to spend at the tuck shop.
When did you start playing competitively?
2014. University —
Wait, what did you study?
Electrical and electronics engineering. I wanted to study computer science because I liked games and computers, but my dad thought engineering was broader and would give me more opportunities, so I studied that instead.
What I actually wanted to be was a footballer.
But…
There aren’t enough opportunities for young people who want to be footballers in Nigeria to make it. I played for my primary and secondary school, and played a lot of football in university. I even joined a semi-professional football team outside school to better my chances. But someone on the team tried to scam me because he thought I was an omo butter who just had money to give away. Like many other young Nigerian boys, the dream sha faded away gradually.
I feel you. Back to 2014
Many guys in university had games on their computers. I did too. Naturally, we started playing FIFA against one another, and it was obvious I was much better than most people. When you beat plenty people on FIFA, you become the person everyone who thinks they’re good wants to challenge, so I quickly became popular on campus. People from different hostels came to face me. I lost a few games, but nobody ever consistently beat me. If you beat me once, I’d beat you back multiple times.
During tradefairs, we did betting games. Everyone in a group of 16 people would drop ₦1k and the winner would take all. I won plenty times, and me and my guys just used the money to flex. That’s just how things were until I won my first ₦100k in 2018.
Tell me about it
May 26, 2018, the day of the Champions League final. I can never forget. There was a competition somewhere in Lekki that my friend told me about. It was free to register and the winner out of 64 people would get ₦100k. I was scared to register because I didn’t believe in myself like that, but my friend persuaded me.
The competition was played in knockout format: two people would face each other, the loser is out, and it keeps going like that until there are only two people left. I only had to play five games without losing. God, I was so happy when I won the money. For the first time, I considered myself world-class and decided I was going to play FIFA professionally.
Love it
I used the ₦100k to buy a PS4 so I could play better, and play online.
What about school?
I was on internship at an oil company during that period. The pay was ₦40k, the same amount as my monthly allowance in university, so it just felt normal.
That same year, I went for another competition in November. This one was more popular and had about 128 competitors who were all pro gamers. I paid ₦2k to register. I’m not making excuses o, but I know I didn’t play my best because of tension. I got knocked out at the round of 16.
You tried
LMAO, thanks. After I graduated in 2019, I went home, bought a router and started playing online so I could sharpen my skills. Then I heard about a company that organised gaming competitions and started going there. It was more competitive, so I didn’t win every time. I remember coming second at one big event, and I was interviewed by journalists, but there was no cash prize. I sha kept playing tournaments until I won a big one.
Which?
National qualifiers for an event in Côte d’Ivoire. I won to represent Nigeria.
Wow
Not just me sha. The second and third position from the competition also went to Côte d’Ivoire.
Did it come with money?
Nah, just an all-expense-paid trip.
How was the competition?
There were about eight countries, and almost 200 players. Other countries brought more than three players. Côte d’Ivoire had more than all countries combined. I finished in the final eight — quarter-finals.
How did that feel?
I felt bad because I dominated the game I lost, but somehow, I still lost. I knew I deserved at least a semi-final spot. It was also reassuring to get that far in the competition. Remember that tension I felt when I played pro gamers in Nigeria? Everything disappeared. I returned to Nigeria and started winning competitions. That same year, I won ₦100k, ₦50k, another ₦100k, another ₦50k and $1k.
What did your parents think about your gaming career?
They didn’t know much about it because I didn’t want them to. You know Nigerian parents. Even when I went to Côte d’Ivoire, I didn’t give them too much detail. They knew I was travelling, but it was just, “Oh, hope the people you’re going with are trustworthy. Be safe o.” It was only in December 2021, when I won big money, that I told them.
No spoilers, please
LMAO. From January to September 2020, I worked as a support engineer at an IT company for ₦30k monthly because of NYSC. Also in January, some company reached out to some of the best players in Lagos for an invitational where they paid us ₦20k per game, as a thank you for accepting their invitation. I played three games and won the competition. The prize for winning was ₦50k, so I made a total of ₦90k. I added ₦90k to it and bought an iPhone in February.
Most of 2020 was just online competitions because of COVID. I won many of them, but also came second and third sometimes. Late 2020 though, an annual LG gaming competition that takes place across different Nigerian states was held, and I won the Lagos one. The prize was an LG TV worth about ₦700k. I sold it for ₦680k.
Love it
In 2021, LG did a grand finale with the winners from all the states in the 2020 competition. I came second and won ₦500k while the winner won ₦1.5 million. I used the money to buy a PS5. I also interned at a fintech for a few months. Pay was ₦80k monthly.
Then in November, I represented Nigeria in Israel for the World Esports Championships.
Ehn?
There’s a yearly world tournament organised by the International Esports Federation, but because there were no qualifier games, they didn’t have anyone to represent Nigeria. So they just reached out to me.
How did you do in that one?
It wasn’t straight to knockouts. They first put us in groups, and then, if you qualified from your group, you got to play in the knockouts. In a group of four people, only two could qualify. Well, I didn’t qualify from my group, but I don’t feel bad about it because the two people who qualified went on to be winner and runner-up of the entire tournament.
Ah!
I sha got to travel and meet new people, and that’s what matters.
LMAO
In December, there was another competition. People flew in from places like Abuja to Lagos to play. One guy, a proper pro, even came from Dubai, so you can imagine the tension in the air.
In the quarter-finals, I faced the guy who came from Dubai, and that was by far the toughest game of the competition. It took one tiny mistake for me to beat him. The other two people I faced weren’t as tough, so I won the competition.
How much?
₦5.4m.
This is the one you told your parents about?
Yep. My dad started calling me “big boy”. He didn’t believe. I sha gave him and my mum ₦100k each as a token for their love.
Did anything happen in 2022?
This year, I’ve won two ₦500k competitions and another LG TV, which I sold for about ₦300k.
How much have you made from FIFA in your life?
I don’t have a specific figure, but it should be at least ₦15m. Apart from the competitions, there are one-on-one betting matches I play. Recently, I won ₦2m in one sitting because someone came and said they wanted to bet ₦500k per game. I won all four games. Over the years, there have been countless ₦100k betting games too.
Have you ever lost a bet?
Just one game. It was online. I don’t like playing online because of lags, and I let the guy know. Like I predicted, network was bad and he beat me, so I just paid him his ₦20k and didn’t play further.
Any future plans?
I want to take my career to the next level. I’ve won in Nigeria so many times that when I show up at a competition, people say stuff like, “Oya, give him the money. He has already won.” Many excellent players in Nigeria challenge me, but I want to take things to the next level.
Recently, FIFA made Nigeria eligible for the FIFA Global Series (FGS), so I’m looking to qualify for it. If I do, my rank will go higher and I’ll eventually be eligible to play in official FIFA competitions. So I’ve bought 5G internet, and I’m grinding to get better. I also live stream my games.
Recently, many organisations have been working to make the gaming ecosystem in Nigeria much bigger and better. Some Google-backed companies organise competitions, and the cash prizes are getting bigger. So even though I’m trying to go global, it’s still a great time to be a gamer in Nigeria.
What’s one thing you want but can’t afford right now?
To move abroad, so I can participate in the FGS. Even though it’s coming to Nigeria, I know internet lags would probably happen because the closest FIFA server to us is in Spain. Being in Europe gives an advantage.
What are your finances like right now?
I have like ₦1.2m in savings, $200 in forex trading and $500 in crypto.
Where did the ₦5.4m go?
I don’t keep all the money I win o. I have to settle my guys. I probably keep about 60% of whatever money I win. But also, I’ve bought some stuff this year.
I got a gaming chair for less than ₦100k, and I’m pretty sure I’ve spent nothing less than ₦500k partying and drinking this year.
What do you spend money on in a month?
What’s your financial happiness on a 1-10 scale?
It’s like 7. I have money I can use to get whatever I want at any point in time, and I don’t have to be in an office. I just make money playing FIFA. That’s amazing.
What if FIFA doesn’t work?
I’m sure it will, but I’m also learning how to program just so I have an extra skill.
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Two minutes stories about straight up odd and sometimes questionable things people have done for some cash.
Amaka* is a 26-year-old freelance business writer living in Lagos, Nigeria. A typical writing gig for her involves press releases, business profiles and whitepapers. Nothing prepared her for being paid to write a client’s dating profile.
This was Amaka’s weirdest gig.
Image source: Katerina Holmes via Pexels
Typically, when you first come across Upwork, you’re at the point where you’re seriously considering quick money-making jobs that’ll bring you as many dollars as possible.
As a writer who’s seen crazy in the hands of Nigerian business owners (read as: having done multiple underpaid jobs and never getting paid on time, if at all), I was more than ready to leave the Nigerian business space for a long time.
So, when I learnt about this site that’d allow me to get foreign clients in 2019, I jumped at it.
It went pretty well in the first year. I got the odd $20 jobs here and there, but 2020 was when I really blew. I’d established myself as a business writer and got a few repeat clients. But that’s where the story gets weird.
Upwork has agencies, which are basically like a group of freelancers that work directly with clients, and there was this one I regularly worked with. Even though it’s against Upwork’s regulations to communicate with clients off the platform before an official contract is in place, I got direct access to this guy and he’d regularly give me jobs off the platform.
In June 2020, he reached out to me and said he had an urgent task for me. Of course, I’m always ready for dollars, so I just told him to send it. Imagine my shock when the brief turned out to be his Tinder dating profile. According to him, I had a great way with words, and he’d been stuck on what to do. He offered me $15 to write the profile, help select a picture and even come up with a banging one-liner in case he matched with someone.
I’m still shocked to this day why he even thought of contracting out such a thing, but hey, I’m not an Igbo girl for nothing. I didn’t bother to ask long questions — I just did it and got my money. Easiest 20 minutes of my life.
Looking back now, I should have declined because that business relationship scattered within a month. Apparently, seeing that I was open to helping him do that gave him the morale to offer me money for nude pictures. I couldn’t report to Upwork because we already broke a rule by contacting each other off the platform.
I marked his email address as spam and moved on with my life. I like money, but I don’t like it that much.
*Subject’s name has been changed to protect her identity.
Wouldn’t you like to read a newsletter that helps you dig into all the good, bad and extremely bizarre things happening in Nigeria and why they’re important to you? Then you should sign up for Game of Votes.
Let’s say Nigeria finally sends all of us packing and we all had to move to Ghana and deal with their jollof, would you even know how to pay for it? Or will you be doing “Giant of Africa” up and down? How many African currencies do you really know?
Parents relying on their kids for money is a regular thing, but we don’t really talk about the effects of having such a responsibility.
In this article, seven Nigerians speak about what it feels like to be the ones providing for their families while also trying to take care of themselves.
“I’m happy to help, but I sometimes feel resentful”
— Amaka, 30
Sometimes it feels like the only thing I’m useful for in my family is sending money. I’ve been paying black tax since I started NYSC in 2014.
My mum used to work in a federal government parastatal but got retrenched in 2007. She managed to put me through secondary school somehow till I finished university.
Now, I send money to my mum, two siblings and cousins who stay with us for their upkeep every month. Asides from that, my mum also randomly calls and asks for money. It got so bad that almost all my income was going to family expenses, both necessary and unnecessary. Having to spend my money on family consistently sometimes makes me feel resentful. Other times, I’m happy to help.
My mum has a pension, but the money she gets is very small. The pension fund administrator has even refused to pay them for the longest time. So I’m all she has.
“I feel some financial strain, but it’s a privilege”
—Ebuka, 29
I come from a large family of seven children, and we collectively cater to our parents’ needs.
My dad lost his job in 1992 and couldn’t get stable work afterwards. My mum worked for over twenty years in a Chinese firm until the entire family was forced to flee the north during the Sharia crisis in 2000. So we returned to our village in Imo state.
As time passed, we kids got different opportunities that took us out of the village. My oldest brother made enough money to build my parents a six-bedroom house.
My siblings and I stopped my parents from doing any work three years ago [2019] so that they could rest. Now they depend wholly on us. We’re a large family, so the financial burden isn’t that much. We pool funds together to send to them.
I feel the financial strain once in a while, especially when we have to contribute towards paying for my dad’s medical bills. But I shrug it off. If my parents had a pension, it’d have given us less to worry about and more to spend on ourselves. However, we consider it a privilege to do what we do.
“How am I paying for someone else’s mistake? It’s so frustrating.”
— Aduke*, 56
I’m retired, but instead of me enjoying my money, I spend it taking care of my also retired younger sister.
The difference between both of us is that I have investments and a pension, and she doesn’t. This is because she finished her money on jaiye lifestyle. My sister was a woman of enjoyment; she was either always attending a party or throwing one. And each time, she had to sew an outfit for each party. She liked the finer things of life, and she wasn’t afraid of spending money on them. Now, look at what that has caused. She’s broke and relying on my money to survive. She has a child but can’t ask him for money because he’s in secondary school. I pay his school fees.
How am I paying for someone else’s mistake? It’s so frustrating. And I’m stuck with this for the rest of my life.
“Maybe it’s the pressure of being the firstborn son, but I feel the need not to let my parents work”
— Anthony, 31
As the firstborn son, I feel a certain responsibility to take care of my family. My parents don’t ask for money, but they expect it. Very subtle signs show that they rely on me to provide for them.
I get paid decently as a logistics manager for a start-up oil and gas firm. It allows me to send money to my parents monthly. My youngest brother, the last born, is now in university, and I send him pocket money too. There are times when I’ve had to come through in significant ways. There was a time my mum had surgery, and I contributed 80% of the money. My dad recently fell seriously ill, and I had to buy drugs that cost ₦53K every month for six months.
Maybe it’s the pressure of being the firstborn son, but I feel the need not to let my parents work. They sacrificed so much to send me to the best schools. The best I could do is spend part of my money on them.
You have no idea how many times I’ve asked God, “Why me?’”
— Shelia*, 35
My mum has chronic heart disease. This means my salary is spent on consistent hospital bills and drugs. Since my mum is sick, she obviously can’t work, and she doesn’t have investments or any other source of income that could, to some extent, make things financially easier for us, it’s all on me.
My dad passed ten years ago, and I’m the only child. So I’m the only one handling such a huge responsibility. My extended family tries to help out once in a while, but that’s not enough. You have no idea how many times I’ve asked God, “Why me?” Why did I have to get stuck with a sick mum? Why does all my money go to her sickness? I’m tired of it all.
Right now, I just want a higher-paying job so that I can at least be able to get myself some nice things.
“I rarely do things for myself because I earn the most in my family. It’s tiring.”
— Abraham, 27
I get paid about ₦350,000 per month, and I barely get to enjoy any of the money because I’m spending it on providing for my family.
Both my parents are retired, which means I’m responsible for their upkeep and that of my siblings. I’m currently paying the school fees of the last child who’s still in uni. My two older siblings can’t contribute as much because they don’t earn enough. I’m the one my parents call whenever they need money for one thing or the other. Sometimes my older siblings call me too.
I need a break from it all. I wish I could just travel to a really far destination and not think that I’m financially responsible for my family at such a young age.
Having your family members rely on you financially can be a lot of pressure. It can also be emotionally and physically exhausting. But what if you didn’t have to do it all on your own?
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I spent the first week of August 2022 exploring Abuja. I’ve lived here all my life but haven’t really explored the city because I have very strict Nigerian parents. I needed a break from house chores and some time to hang out with friends without thinking about getting back home early. So let’s just say, I found a way to get them off my case for a week. Here’s a breakdown of what my budget for two looked like if you’re planning to do the same.
Our starting budget for this trip was ₦200k for six days. Let’s see how well that worked out.
Accommodation
Criteria for picking a hotel
Proximity to central locations
I started with a Google search for hotels within town — preferably within the Municipal Area Council like Wuse, Maitama, Wuye and Utako. If you want to push it, Garki and Lifecamp should be your worst-case scenario.
Staying outside those areas adds to your transport fare because most of the spots to eat and have fun are located in those central areas. If you hear anything like Kubwa, Lugbe, Lokogoma or Karimo, don’t try it — well, except the accommodation you’re getting is free.
Now that you’ve gotten a sense of the areas to consider, the hotel rates are a completely different ball game. The closer you are to central areas, the more expensive the rates are. Our ₦200k budget covered only three nights in some hotels, so imagine the stress we went through trying to find a decent place that wouldn’t wreck my bank account.
“Decent” meant the beddings were extremely neat — even though I always bring mine — bathrooms had walk-in showers and standard rooms come with complimentary breakfast. And considering the insecurity, the hotel had to be in a largely residential area where there are usually a lot of security guards.
With those two main criteria, three options came up: the White Royalty Palace Hotel, Maitama; Imah Apartments, Wuse Zone 5; and Belmont Hotel, Wuye. White Royalty was ₦20k per night, Imah was going for ₦15k, while Belmont was ₦25k. At the start of my trip, the last two were fully booked. We checked them out on the third day of my trip, but I’ll share my experience at White Royalty first.
This hotel made the list because a friend recommended it as one of the more affordable places to try. We’d rate our experience there 6/10, and here’s why:
Pros:
Located in a central area, very accessible and serene.
Rooms are available for ₦20k a night, quite affordable in Abuja. However, I’d say, if you can, squeeze out ₦5k extra to get the ₦25k room which is much more spacious.
Bathrooms with walk-in showers and a water heater.
Con:
No full-sized mirrors in the rooms, which made it hard to see whether you were looking like a snack.
Mattresses were not as firm as hotel beds should be.
Beddings weren’t neat enough. I got a torn blanket in my room on my second night.
Cleaning service was a 2/5 for me.
No complimentary breakfast
Walls so thin, you’ll hear everything going on in the next room.
After spending three nights at White Royalty Palace Hotel, we decided to check out Imah Apartments. It was ₦15k per night, so I was very sceptical. But who doesn’t like cheap thrills?
First, the location was off the mark. Yes, it was in a central area, but the roads were too narrow for two cars to move freely at the same time, and the building needed renovation because it looked run down and old. The staff, however, were very polite and carried our bags up the three flights of stairs we had to climb.
Note that Imah Apartments isn’t a hotel. It’s a short-let apartment in a building, where people can rent out one of the four rooms for ₦15k per night, or ₦65k for all the rooms.
The rooms looked pretty decent, but they were tiny and the ones available had bathtubs instead of showers. I’m scared of slipping and falling in tubs, so it was a no for me. I may have overlooked those flaws if the whole place didn’t smell like burnt soup.
Pros:
Affordable.
Located in a central area.
Easy to locate and the staff were helpful with directions.
Cons:
Rooms are very small.
Not the cleanest space.
Not a place you can check into late at night because the reception closes at 10 p.m. But if you call ahead, they can wait for you to arrive. It also didn’t feel secure because there was no one at the reception most times.
No complimentary breakfast.
Reception hall
We ended up not staying at Imah apartments, and checked into Belmont Hotel, Wuye, the same day. The reviews on Google were encouraging, so we decided to check it out. I called to confirm if they had a standard room for ₦25k available because some reviewers mentioned that they were always booked. Luckily, they had one available when we called.
I was sold by the ambience at the reception. Everywhere smelt nice and looked extremely neat. The room didn’t disappoint either. My only issue would be the space, but ₦25k is their cheapest, so I wasn’t surprised.
Pros:
Affordable, and every room came with a complimentary breakfast.
Food was quite affordable for a hotel because we could get a plate of fried yam and egg sauce for ₦3k.
Staff was very nice and helpful with getting our bags in and out of the room.
Secure space with security cameras at almost every corner of the corridors and staircase
Extremely neat bathrooms.
Cons:
While the location is accessible and not too far from the central areas, Bolt fares from the hotel cost an average of ₦1k – ₦1.1k compared to the ₦600 – ₦800 you’d pay if you were staying in other areas.
Access road to the hotel was locked between 7 – 10 p.m. You’d have to walk down to the hotel if you came back really late.
Between the three nights, we spent at White Royal Palace Hotel and the two at Belmont Hotel, we spent ₦115k.
Thought Pyramid, Wuse
Food
If you eat like a thief in the night, Abuja will finish your money. We spent ₦110K to feed two people for a week. But in this economy, that’s fair.
For the most part, we binged on Chicken Republic food because it was the most convenient and affordable to buy.
We basically ate one meal a day and binged on snacks from supermarkets around our hotel.
It’s obvious what we really did in Abuja was eat, but here are some of the fun activities we tried:
Trukadero bowling alley
Things are a lot pricier than they used to be and Value Added Tax (VAT) is another issue, but if you’re visiting Abuja for leisure, you need to be sure you can tick these boxes. My favourite activity was the paint and sip because there’s live music close by, with a Bluetooth speaker if you’d like to play your own music.
Paint and sip
Overall, I went over my ₦200k budget by ₦99k. I also didn’t bother tracking the money I spent on Bolt beyond the ₦10k cash I spent in about three days. But don’t stress, the fares range between ₦600 – ₦1100. So I’d say, ₦350k is an ideal budget for one week of fun in Abuja.
They say the best things in life are free. And in our opinion, money is one of these things. So here are some tips on how to make money without necessarily working for it.
Participate in giveaways
With so much money to be won online, we wonder why you’d choose to suffer at any job. Some people already make a living this way. Better join the train.
Or at least, say you’re getting married. Do you know how much people pay for asoebi? When you tell them the wedding got cancelled, they’d pity you too much to ask for a refund.
Become a sugar baby
All you have to do is go to the right places and meet the right people. You might still have to ‘work’, but at least it’s the good kind.
Get two people to bring two people who’d bring another two. Nothing lasts forever, so they won’t be surprised when you say it crashed.
Be the last born
Everyone knows the only thing last-borns are good at is eating, sleeping and billing their older siblings for money they neither earned nor worked for.
No, not in the way you think… even though that could work too. Your body is a goldmine; you should be cashing out already. Whether it’s selling your eggs, sperm, blood, or organs, you’re sure to make a large sum.
A simple solution to the cubicles sorry houses they build in Nigeria these days would be bigger houses, but Lagos landlords would rather chew iron. So in this article, I shared some pro tips to make your bedroom look bigger. Even if you don’t live in a mansion, the least you can do is get your bedroom to fake it.
Clear all your clutter
Your room will keep looking like a cubicle if you handle it like a pig sty. Nothing in this article will help you if all your stuff’s scattered. At least, stuff them in your wardrobe and pretend.
Get longer curtains, and place them higher
Source: littlehouselovely.co.uk
Curtains aren’t cheap. Heck, they’re the most expensive basic furnishing you’ll have to purchase. But they’re essential if you don’t want people to see your nakedness. The idea with curtains is to place them closer to the ceiling. People will focus on the height and see things much bigger than they actually are.
Our forefathers didn’t have them, and they were fine. And again, they’re expensive. The goal is to have fewer items in your room, and heavy curtains can make it appear choked up. If you can’t live without them, blinds are less bulky and more pleasing to the eye.
Move your mirrors closer to natural light
First,
To make your space more like a home, get a full-length mirror. Squeeze ₦8k – ₦10k into your carpenter’s hand, and you should be fine. As long as you keep the frame as basic as possible.
When you get the mirror, put it close to your window. The reflective light will make you think the space is bigger as the reflection of the view outside just opens up the room a lot more.
A mattress on the floor has the potential to make your room look bigger because it leaves more space than a huge bedframe. You need to avoid high furniture in general because they take up more room.
White all the way
If you’re not down for white, nude is the next best thing. But whatever you pick, keep the colours light. Don’t go painting your entire room purple because you’ll wake up one day asking yourself why. The lighter the colour, the more light you get into the room, and remember what we said about light and the illusion of space?
Match your wall with the furniture
Like a man’s belt and shoes, you need the colours in your room to be coordinated. Once you’re out there buying a pink bed and painting your walls yellow, there’s nothing we can do for you again.
Whether it’s weird forex academies or people who ask you to invest in hopes of getting double your capital, there’s one common thing about pyramid schemes: your money will suffer for it. This guide is to help you notice them from afar and hold on tight to your pocket.
They want to teach you how to make money
Think about it. Why would anyone want to do that?
But they want you to bring your own money first
It should be obvious at this point that these people are up to no good.
They want you to bring your friends and their money too
They’ll ask you to bring three people who’ll bring three people who’ll then bring three people. It can only be one of two things: witchcraft or a pyramid scheme. Run!
They use a lot of motivational quotes
They’ll bombard you with all these nice-sounding buzzwords like “abundance mindset” and “not limiting yourself”. This is just to get you dizzy on motivation till you drop your house rent.
The returns look fishy
If “30% interest after 4 weeks” doesn’t make you wonder if there’s some yoruba movie shenanigans going on, then you should at least be worried.
There’s always someone who seems to have done everything right and now makes a lot of money from the scheme. This is to keep the dream alive in your mind.
Your friends join and try to sell you on it
This is most likely how you’ll find out about it in the first place. Just remember, if you do it, you’re their lunch money.
The business is looking somehow
If you can’t figure out what they actually do to make money, in a way that’s as simple as selling biscuit for ₦10, it’s probably a pyramid scheme.
You’re wondering if it’s a business or a cult
They do usually give off cult vibes. Because why else would they ask you to recruit your family members?
Let’s face it, adulting sucks.. Even with all your hard work, the struggle to survive until your next paycheck continues every day. So for you to enjoy the soft life, you need free money. But who’s going to give you free money? A sugar mummy/daddy. These are the sure-banker ways to find your dream glucose guardian.
Package yourself
We keep saying this thing about dressing the way you want to be addressed but you’ve refused to listen? Fix up and your sugar parent will locate you. But if that fails…?
Find out where they like to hang out and go there
Were you expecting them to come and meet you at your house before? Smh. Take a day off from capitalism and explore the places you think potential glucose guardians might be. Make sure you go alone — or with one friend at most — get a seat at the centre of the place, and whenever you’re asked a question talk really loudly in your best British accent.
Being a sugar baby is a full-time job, so you have to take it seriously. Do your research and send them a DM or email. We’ll always suggest you reach out to them with your cover letter stating all the amazing things you bring to the table. Also attach testimonials of your “work, a hot JPEGs and your Whatsapp number.
Ask your friends
Charity begins at home. You keep saying your friends’ houses feel like home, but why not ask them about their parents. Won’t they rather it be you than a random stranger who may try to break up their family in future?
Best case scenario, it works out and everyone’s happy. Worst case, you know who your real friends are.
Convince your employer
You’ll be sure they have money to give you — and they already liked you to the extent of employing you. So while others are asking for a raise or bonuses or extra perks, you should be busy trying to convince them to be your glucose guardian.
Do you need us to explain this one too? Desperate times call for desperate measures. If you can’t get one by yourself, maybe you need help. You probably prayed and that’s why you found this article.
Half of the time, these restrictions are of the mind. Because think about it, how do ants always find the sugar? No matter where you keep it, they’ll always find it. It’s the strong will for us. So study ants and learn from them — even the Bible said you should.
When it comes to owambes, Lagos takes the cake with planning things out. But how much does it cost to put together a wedding that actually bangs? In this article, five Nigerian women broke things down.
Adeola* , 30, wedded in Ikeja
April 2022 was when I got married and I planned most of it with my mum. We only hired a planner to handle coordination on the wedding day. The initial budget was ₦20 million and my parents were meant to cover most of the bill because it was a cultural thing. I’m Yoruba while my husband is Igbo. Traditionally, in Yoruba land, the bride’s family is the host. But in modern-day weddings like mine, the groom’s family contributes financially too.
Beyond the culture factor, my husband’s family had less than 100 out of the 500 guests we targeted. I had a larger family based in Lagos and coming in from Kwara state too, so we had to cover those expenses. The 500 people were even a gamble because I was the last child getting married. With my older siblings, we ended up with over 1000 guests. It was hard to be strict with such a large attendee list. And Nigerians no dey RSVP invitations; trust me, I tried.
Anyway, as a caterer, I was able to cut back our ₦20m budget to ₦15m. It may not sound like a huge difference, but trust me, putting ₦5m back in the bank when you’re getting married is a huge feat. The ₦15m covered both the engagement party and wedding.
The most prominent wedding planners in the game were charging us between ₦1m – ₦2.5m. The not-so-big ones went for ₦500k. But I ended up getting a friend to help out and she took ₦250k for coordinating the wedding day.
Dress and makeup
My wedding dress and other outfits were the same approach. One dress from any big brand was going for ₦1m – ₦1.5m and upwards. Initially, I was willing to rent a dress at ₦200 – ₦300k, but I ended up finding an upcoming designer willing who made a custom piece for a little over that range. The engagement outfit was the same price, and I kept my accessories under ₦50k.
My husband didn’t also stress. He used an upcoming designer as well and paid ₦60,000 for the suit. He had a shirt he wanted to wear already, but the tie, pocket square and boutonnière all cost ₦11,500 while his shoes cost about ₦20,000.
We all know bridal makeup and gele are expensive. And for the engagement and wedding, I’d be paying ₦1m upward if I used a premium service. But my friend recommended someone who was doing a promo package at the time and paid ₦140k for everything.
Food
The catering would have been our biggest cost. As a caterer myself, if I was to charge for feeding 500 guests, their bill would look like this:
And I’d still add a 15% service and transportation charge. All for a service that isn’t premium — no fancy seafood, continental dishes, fancy dorime services or displays. But we only spent half of that amount (₦1.6m)for the engagement and wedding because we catered the event ourselves.
Venue and decorations
With all the basics settled, the venue was the next challenge to face. We were planning to get a place on Victoria Island, but when the best deal we found was ₦2.5 m, the reality of inflation dawned on me. And the venues that cost less on the island weren’t good at all. So we kuku went to face the mainland.
In Surulere, there were only two options that could house 500 guests. One was already booked for our date while the other was under renovation. Eventually, we found a decent wedding hall in Ikeja for ₦1.5m Luckily, we got a ₦200k discount An engagement venue close by cost another ₦300k. There were cheaper options for ₦100k – ₦200k but each had one issue or the other — there were either no taps, air conditioners or security.
The rest of the money went into items like videography, photography, catering to logistics and accommodation. But cutting costs made it possible to splurge on a few things other things, fresh flowers for my bouquet.
Faux flowers cost ₦5k in the market. Custom-made faux flowers cost about ₦15k – ₦20k while fresh flowers cost ₦60k – ₦100k or more — roses and tulips are the most expensive. But I paid a florist ₦40k for mine.
Halima*, 28, wedded in Surulere
I got married in March 2022. I had my Nikkah ( the religious ceremony for Muslims) and reception at Surulere on the same day.
During Yoruba weddings, the lady’s family does the planning for the wedding, but the groom and bride cook separately. I’m not sure how much my husband spent, but the budget on my side was a little over ₦2m.
For a start, finding an affordable venue was difficult. And planning everything while I was five months pregnant didn’t make it any easier. After checking through Island locations to fit 1000 people and ending up with quotes from ₦1.6m upwards, we settled on getting an open space in Surulere. It cost us ₦600k with the tables, and decorations and chairs cost me another ₦800k.
In between searching for the venue, my husband and I designed our wedding bands — were customised gold rings with our names on them for ₦220k. We had these done at Ojuelegba.
The night before the wedding, family members showed up at the house. So we had to plan for food. About 20 guests showed up and we had to buy a carton of turkey and fish, half a bag of semo and 10 cups of rice. I can’t remember exactly how much we paid for food, but the most expensive thing was the two cows that cost us ₦750k.
As for my dress and make-up, I made sure to keep it simple. The white material for my wedding dress was ₦25k while sewing it cost ₦18k. My aso oke was a bit more expensive because it was an express order. The material cost ₦35k and we spent ₦24k for sewing.
My accessories cost ₦60k. And my nails and makeup were ₦73k. Logistics, accommodation for our family coming outside of Lagos and my hotel room were handled by my husband.
Amaka*, 28, wedded in Yaba
We planned for something very small because the wedding happened during the pandemic. Beyond the limit the government put on gatherings, we always wanted something quiet.
Our court, traditional and white wedding cost about ₦2m in total. The majority of the money went into the transportation to my village in Imo State. My husband’s people had to come down from Lagos. Hotel accommodation and transport alone cost us ₦600k.
Igbo people also organise something called Igba Nkwu, a traditional ceremony where the groom performs rites for the bride’s kinsmen. There was a whole list with wine, foodstuff and money requests to cover. They cost about ₦350k.
The rest of the money went into my wedding dress, food and picking a small hall around Yaba. As a Deeper Life church member, I didn’t need to think about earrings, hair or makeup. Styling my natural hair myself worked fine.
Ronke*, 26, wedded in Gbagada
If you don’t have money, your wedding will stress you. Mine was relatively pricey because inflation just makes everything go up by the week these days. The exchange rate was epileptic this year [2022] so planning for 450-500 guests cost a lot. Feeding alone was more than ₦1m. Then the hall was at Gbagada and was to cost ₦1.2m – ₦1.5m on weekends. But I had my wedding on a weekday and paid ₦750k instead. There was really no way to avoid spending that much money on food and venue.
The next thing that took quite a bit of money was travelling to Akwa-Ibom. Since my father had a house in my village, the cost was on my husband to cover his family’s bus fare and hotel. That alone cost ₦500k.
I also wanted to have a lot of memories from the experience, so I really went all out on my media team. I paid about ₦500k to cover the events across cities. It was expensive but worth it for me.
My most questionable expense was the MC service. He charged ₦250k and I’m sure we could’ve gotten someone for ₦100k for the kind of forgettable experience he provided. That money could have been spent on a wedding coordinator instead, but we move.
Another thing that takes money is designing the wedding programs for the church wedding, but I did it myself in Canva. Most people just end up leaving it in church anyway. I can’t remember how much it costs to print them, but it was way cheaper since I did it myself.
Everything eventually came down to ₦6m for other expenses like my dresses and accessories, the live band, drinks, cake and a bunch of other things I can’t remember. Honestly, even if you have a budget, add ₦1m to everything on the list to be safe, and ask yourself what the intention of every item l on your list is. If it’s to show off, remember that everybody will go home, last last.
Dolapo*, 24, wedded in Isheri
I got married in April 2022. My husband’s family took most of the financial responsibility, but my husband made sure there was a spreadsheet documenting everything.
The hall and decorations were the most expensive. We went as far as Isheri, but we still paid ₦1,660,000. The photographer my father-in-law decided to hire was also quite expensive. I didn’t understand why we needed to pay ₦750k. I tried to push back but he decided to fund it. He also hired a live band for ₦700k. I had to give up and let the man spend his money at that point.
We had about 700 guests, so the food was around ₦2m. There was lots of amala going around, a whole ram grilled in front of the church and lots of drinks. The small chops and non-alcoholic drinks came down to ₦224,700; our wedding cake was ₦100k.
The food, venue and media coverage took the most money. I got my wedding gown for free and fixed the weave my sister gifted me for ₦4k.
Planning my wedding showed me that everyone needs good friends and family for support. It’s been three months since our wedding and we’re still getting gifts from people. It’s the most thoughtful thing.
Yes yes, you deserve to be in Dubai, shaking your ass in thongs on a yacht. But do you know how to do it all on a budget? No? Well, we’re here for you with an estimate of how much the visa fees, ticket, accommodation and a bit of enjoyment costs for a Dubai trip.
Photo credit: Sascha Bosshard, Upsplash
Dennis*, 28
In May 2022, I travelled to Dubai with a ₦600k budget to take care of hotels and flights, and $1000 (₦425,500) for the nine days of the trip. Ideally, the visa is the first thing to sort out, and it typically costs ₦70k. But due to the Nigerian factor and how much our compatriots have messed up in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government put out restrictions on Nigerian male travellers.
The policy basically states that travellers under 35 years of age require parental consent before visas are issued. That means you’d have to apply for a visa for you and a parent with a considerable age difference who bears the same surname. But 35-year-old married men are exempted. All you need to do is apply using a marriage certificate.
The people who don’t fit into either category, like me, pay ₦185k as visa fees. That’s more than a 100% increase from what it was in 2020. The visa was issued a week after, and I paid for my flight. Qatar Airways cost ₦336k for a direct flight.
I stayed at Studio M Al Barsha Hotel region for nine days. I chose it because it’s more residential, and it’s easier to access food from there. As opposed to more central areas like Bur Dubai or Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), it was more affordable. 1300 Dirhams (₦150,597) covered my hotel fees; the additional taxes rounded it up to 1500 Dirhams.
I spent a lot of time at the Dubai Mall shopping for clothes at Zara, American Eagle and Gold Shouk, a more traditional market in Al Dhagaya. Everything rounded up to $1000 (₦425,500), but my biggest splurge was on the gold jewellery for my family and a few friends at Deira market.
Deira market is also the place to buy Nigerian food. I got tired of eating biryani ( basically white rice with egg and chicken concoction) and Chinese in the morning, afternoon and night. I think the spot is called Enish. I can’t remember how much I spent, but it was a lot more than what the pounded yam and egusi would be in Nigeria. I’d say it’s worth it though.
After draining my pockets on clothes, gold and food. I went into the fun activities; everything from Ski Dubai to the Dhow Cruise, which cost about 300 Dirhams (₦34,753) each. But the thing I’d recommend to try first is visiting Aqua Park and dune bashing in the Safari — they’re so thrilling! The museum of the future is also a good spot for tourists. It felt out of this world being there. So, these activities came down to $1500 – $2000 (₦638,250 – ₦851,000).
If there was anything I wish I was more prepared for, beyond the money I spent on shopping alone, it would be speaking English in Dubai. English felt useless over there because most locals didn’t fully understand what I was saying. So it’s either you get a tour guide or speak broken English. For instance, rather than say, “Can you take the four of us to Dubai Mall”, you may want to say, “Dubai Mall, four people, you go?” Just random stuff to ease communication.
My whole trip was a little over $2000 (₦851,000). The visa cost ₦75k and that didn’t include the required travel insurance. But to avoid the hassle of getting it myself, I got an agent. The only thing I did was book my flight with Emirates which cost about ₦380k. I think the ticket was more expensive than normal because I bought it a week before my departure date.
For my accommodation, I was going on a girls’ trip to celebrate my sister’s birthday, so we really wanted to splurge. We stayed in the central business district. It was a prime area around the Dubai International Financial Centre and compared to locations downtown, the area costs a lot more. But we were splitting three ways, so it wasn’t bad. The room was $120 (₦51,060) per night for each of us, and we were there for eight days. So, if you’re alone and you want to be in the central area, you need to budget at least $300 – $500 (₦127,650 – ₦212,750) per night for the basic luxury rooms. Airbnb is the easiest platform to book a place.
We had a friend who got us Nigerian food from Deira market. I think I ate more Nigerian food in Dubai than any other type of food. We also visited Enish, a bar that served Nigerian food. But most of my money went into shopping and Uber fares.
I got most of the clothes I wanted for my kids from Deira market and did a bit of shopping in Dubai Mall — everything cost about $1000 (₦425,500). For cabs, I was spending between 30 – 100 Dirhams (₦3,475 – ₦11,584) depending on the distance.
If you’d like to share your travel adventures with Zikoko or want to know the cost of travelling or living in a particular country, click here.
Earning in dollars is the new rave, but this can take longer than you want. Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to make $1000 before the week runs out? Well, it is, and Zikoko is here with answers for you.
Change your naira to Zimbabwean Dollars
You can just change your naira to Zimbabwean dollars, and it’s “mission accomplished” already. It’s still dollars anyway, no? Not everytime USD. Sometimes, support Africa.
Get a glucose guardian
It’s not even hard to do this. Just find a much older person willing to shoulder the financial responsibilities of a young adult, and you’re good to go. Whatever they want in return is just fine print and details. We’re sure you can work it out.
Become a social media political campaign officer
This is a new and vibrant job market. All you have to do is defend the most questionable crop of people we have in Nigeria — politicians. If you don’t mind all the moral baggage that comes with it, then you should have your $1000 by the end of the week.
Start selling akara
This might sound like a joke, but we’re not even kidding. Remember this tweet about how an akara seller makes ₦600k monthly? That’s a business plan waiting for you already. And if your business is five times hers, you can be pulling in your $1000 by the end of the week. See? As easy as saying beans.
Someone once said the fastest way to get rich is to be born rich, and the second fastest is to marry a rich person. We can’t help you with the first, but we have the cheat code for the second. Just tell them you’re their spirit husband or wife. It works like a charm, no pun intended. But if somehow, it doesn’t, tell them you’re from Zikoko. You’ll go straight to the altar.
Borrow and return after one week
Well, in all fairness, we said we’ll show you how to make $1000 in a week. We didn’t say anything about keeping the $1000. So just borrow the money from your rich friends and give it back to them once the week is over.
Wake up from your slumber
Because you must be dreaming. It’s not only $1000; it’s $1,000,000. You better wake up and start going to work. It’s a Monday morning.
Ever heard of sapa? Well, it’s that evil spirit that has made so many people resort to desperate — and sometimes, downright hilarious — attempts to get their daily urgent ₦2k to put food on the table.
I spoke to some people and they shared the most desperate things they’ve done for money.
“I spent the night in a dark classroom”
— Tola*, 29
This was during the 2011 Nigerian elections and I desperately wanted to be a part of the INEC ad-hoc staff. I’d applied but didn’t get selected. I got the bright idea to go spend the night in the school where INEC personnel would be taking off from, just in case somebody didn’t show up so I could replace them.
I met some other people there as well, and it was a long, cold night. Eventually, some of the selected staff didn’t show up in the morning and I took someone’s place. They paid me only ₦13k after everything — they even delayed payments by over two weeks.
I’ve also done ushering service jobs where I’d get paid ₦1k for a whole day, after leaving home at 5 a.m. and returning at 10 p.m. I did this between 2008 and 2011. Sure, I got to eat at the events, but it was horrible — all the insults and stress were just ridiculous. I can never do either of these two “jobs” ever again.
“I commuted from Ikorodu to Owode-Onirin every day for ₦500 daily”
— Wendy, 25
In 2013, I was trying to save up for JAMB, so my neighbour introduced me to a food canteen in Owode-Onirin where they paid ₦500 per day. I’d go there as early as 5 a.m. and try to convince the iron rod sellers near the canteen to buy a plate of food from me. Each plate was about ₦300, and I needed to sell at least 20 plates, retrieve them, wash them and sweep the store by 6 p.m. to get my ₦500 for that day.
I didn’t get paid in full somedays because madam could just complain that I wasn’t smiling or that I didn’t attend to a customer “well”. My transport fare to and from the canteen was about ₦200, and sometimes I only made a profit of ₦200 after everything.
I didn’t last up to two weeks there because one of the male sellers slapped my bum one day, and I hit him back in the face. Nonsense.
“I de-feathered chickens on the road for about ₦200”
— Charles*, 24
This was during the Christmas holidays in 2016, and of course, there were chicken sellers everywhere. All you had to do was walk up to a seller, select a chicken, and you could decide to have it killed, de-feathered and cut up for you for a price by the seller’s assistant.
My friends and I were broke so we decided to try this assistant business out. We suffered. We burnt our hands from the hot water we had to use to de-feather the chickens, and the hot sun beat down on us for hours. The angry and impatient customers yelling at us didn’t help matters. And for what? Payment of less than ₦200 per processed chicken? God abeg.
Less than a week later, my mum eventually had to ban me from going back when I started looking pale. Fun times.
“I worked at a construction site”
— Onyeka*, 45
This was when I was a broke student at LASU. I think we were on strike, but my roommates and I couldn’t travel home because we didn’t have any money. For days, we depended on soaking garri until one day, I noticed another roommate eating rice.
Of course, we were all shocked and asked where he got the money. He was reluctant but later told us that he’d show us only if we promised we’d be able to do it. Broke men like us? We had no choice.
The next day, he took us to a construction site he found, and the site manager graciously hired us. We had to carry cement and sand all day for ₦500. When we got back to the hostel, I seriously thought I was going to die. My body ached like I had been passed through a grinder.
Ibuprofen came to the rescue sha and we kept going back until ASUU called off the strike.
I’m not proud of this, but I once had to sell my mum’s gold necklace without her knowledge to settle a debt.
I was in my third year of university, and things were hard at home. I was on the verge of missing out on my exams due to unpaid fees — about ₦30k. I had to borrow money. Not long after, the person I borrowed from started pressuring me to pay back. I kept posting him till he sent cultists to threaten me — apparently, his cousin was a cultist.
I knew my mum would never sell the necklace because it was a gift from my late dad, but my life was at stake. I think she knows I took it, but she never questioned me.
For about three years, I made a lot of money writing exams for people, including WAEC and polytechnic exams. It was very risky, and also involved heavily “sorting” invigilators, but it paid well.
I wouldn’t do it again, though — I have a proper job now, and I don’t think it’s as easy to impersonate students now, compared to 2009-2011. I also can no longer afford to risk getting jailed.
* Some names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.
Money comes and goes. If you already have it, you probably know what’s eating all your money. But if you don’t, here’s a heads up on the things you’ll suddenly start liking once you have money.
Eating takeout
Suddenly, cooking your own food will become annoying. I mean, why should it take you 30 minutes to cook food you’ll eat in five minutes when you can just order food and watch Netflix while you wait.
Using “Do you know who I am?” in arguments
Seriously, how can they not know who you are?
A bottle of Berry Blast after every meal
“Oversized drinks are the first sign of wealth.” – Lord Lugard, 2022
Instagram vendors
Your saved posts on Instagram start getting more attention. Not because you’re still window-shopping, but because you’re now considering which one to buy first.
You probably thought you were introverted, but here you are balling at 3 a.m., thinking about what you’ll do when this money finishes.
Taking Uber rides everywhere
You realise you’re made for the soft life, so you take Uber rides everywhere you need to go. You can’t come and die just to get to the other side of town. Even though you’ll still get caught up in traffic, at least you won’t be doing it while sweating in a bus.
Eating suya in the afternoon
It’s not your business that suya was made for darkness. That’s the story we tell the masses. You’re bougie now, so suya curfews aren’t for you anymore.
Lending people money can be very risky. You have to be ready to fight or say bye-bye to your money for the sake of peace.
If you’ve already made the terrible mistake of giving out your hard-earned money, then you can never be too prepared for the process of getting it back. We put together this guide on how different people behave when it’s time to repay a debt, just for you.
The ones who pay back on time
These ones don’t like trouble. With them, you’re sure to get your money back five business days in advance. Yes, they exist.
The ones who come back to borrow a few days after repaying
Can you actually say they didn’t pay back? No. But you see, you’re like their rolling fund. They pay you just so they can collect it back.
The ones who ghost you
Once you lend these people money, don’t expect to hear from them again. They’ll ghost you harder than your ex.
The excuse-givers
Just days before it’s time to pay back, they’ll have issues with their bank that can only be sorted out when God interferes.
They genuinely can’t believe you have the audacity to ask them for your money. It’s such a cardinal sin to these folks. Just don’t let them catch you in the streets. You’ll explain you got the nerve to ask them for your money.
The ones you run into at the club after they say they have no money
They’ll swear they just came to drop somebody off even though you can clearly see the bottle of Azul on the table.
The ones who start acting very nice, hoping you’ll forget
These are the ones who’ll check up on you three times a day as if they’re your parent. They just want you to feel bad about asking for your money. Don’t fall for it!
The ones who act like they don’t know what’s going on
They smile at you and tell you the new hot gist about the fancy new bag they just bought. But you’re dying inside, trying to hold back tears.
Nothing beats the fantasy of living alone and on your own terms. But how prepared are you for the cost of actually owning a home? If you plan on moving out soon, this article is for you.
Here’s what 8 Nigerian millennials spent on furnishing their homes. Note: curtains are the worst.
Location: Shangisha Magodo, Lagos
Total cost: ₦2 million
Before I moved into my apartment in 2019, I lived in my family house. I was 27 and my relationship had gotten to a point where I needed full privacy. Since it was just my cousins, siblings and me, we had to take care of everything we needed in the house. So I knew how expensive things could get to furnish a home. I knew exactly what I wanted.
A two-bedroom apartment was my target. Aesthetics were very important to me too, and plants were at the top of the decor list. My babe and I love plants, so I was going for at least seven to ten in our apartment. By the time I had the basics like paintings, curtains and setting up furniture — including a standard workstation because my job was a hybrid set-up — I had spent ₦2 million.
I can’t remember the cost of each item, but the most expensive things were within the ₦200k – ₦350k mark each. I’m still asking myself where I got the money from.
Here’s a breakdown, excluding miscellaneous costs:
— Femi*, 30
Location: Jabi, Abuja
Total cost: ₦100k
I moved into my first Nigerian apartment in 2020. Before then, I’d lived in the UK for a year doing my master’s, and my apartment came with furniture and basic living room and kitchen items. Compared to moving to Abuja on my own, that was heaven.
My style is minimalist and clean. But with the ₦250k salary I was earning, even the furniture I wanted was too expensive. The average price range was ₦145k for a single-seater, ₦365k for a two-seater and ₦385k for a three-seater sofa. Those prices were ridiculous to me. I was also sceptical about using roadside carpenters who were even charging like ₦200k plus for a regular bed. Why?
So I moved into the apartment with no furniture. For the time being, I’ve made a makeshift bed that cost me ₦20k while I save up. The thing I’ve sorted out, for now, are the curtains. They cost me ₦80k plus installations for four windows. And it’s not that the material was expensive. The thicker and more costly materials were going for ₦120k – ₦150k. That will be for another time.
— Lydia*, 26
Location: Avontrou, Benin Republic
Total cost: ₦30k
I go to school in Benin Republic. February last year, I decided to get an apartment mostly out of frustration from living in the hostels. I live in Avontrou and my place costs ₦30,500 weekly. That’s about the most reasonable price for a good quality apartment here. But there are student-friendly prices, around ₦10k – ₦15k weekly.
As for furnishing, my parents gifted me all my furniture except a mattress which cost ₦30k — someone needs to explain why beds are so expensive. Then, I stole curtains from my dad’s office. I’m not interested in any more expenses until I’m done with school.
— Michelle*, 21
Location: Gbagada, Lagos
Total cost: ₦180k
I moved into my first apartment in 2019. I was earning about ₦125k monthly at the time, so my budget was obviously low. I needed a place that wasn’t expensive and too far from my office at Gbagada. When I finally got one, the rent was ₦350k per year. I also paid the ₦60k agency and agreement fees and ₦30k caution fee.
I had to renovate it to make it liveable, but I didn’t consider aesthetics at all. I didn’t have money for that. The major thing I did was install metal burglaries over the door and windows. That cost ₦100k. Then, I painted the house and changed the tiles in my bathroom for ₦80k.
The apartment was convenient until earlier this year (2022) when I decided I could get a much better place. My monthly earnings have increased to an average of ₦380k, but you can’t get a decent one-room apartment on the Island for ₦800k right now except if you go as far as Sangotedo.
I’d love to have a nice aesthetic in my new home. But the cost of rent alone is scary. The logical option is to furnish in phases.
— Jane*, 27
Location: Anambra
Total Cost: ₦40k
Before I moved into my one-bedroom flat in November 2020, I lived in a self-contained that cost ₦75k yearly. This was during my master’s degree program at a faculty under Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Agulo village, Anambra. After school, I decided to move to a more urban area, Awka.
I got a job as a public health worker, but the bulk of my money came from sewing and selling yoghurt. I was making about ₦100k by 2018. That’s how I raised enough to move to Awka. My new apartment costs ₦250k yearly, so when I moved in, furnishing was not at the top of my list because I’d spent the majority of my money on rent.
For now, my aesthetics are sapa-inspired. For the first four months, the sunlight woke me up every morning because I didn’t have curtains. The sellers were charging ₦80k each. I couldn’t afford it so I went for blinds, which still cost ₦40k each.
I’m at the point where I have to hit my fan before it comes on, and I can’t afford to buy air conditioners because my finances have dwindled over the years. I stopped sewing too; slouching all day gave me back pain. I’m focused on getting a job that’ll pay me enough. When I get one, all the sapa-inspired aesthetics will end.
— Bridget*, 30
Location: Mombasa, Kenya
Total Cost: ₦901k
I moved out of my parents’ house in 2021, and I got an apartment in Port Harcourt. Compared to Lagos, prices were reasonable there. But curtains were bloody expensive. One cost ₦60k. Why, please? By the end of the year, I had to move to Mombasa, Kenya for school.
Things there were six times the cost I’d spent trying to furnish in Port Harcourt. So I focused on the most essential things. First, I got an orthopaedic bed that cost 29k shillings (approx. ₦162k). I carried my PS4 from Nigeria and got a TV for 77k shillings (approx. ₦430k). Then, I got four blinds for 18k shillings (approx. ₦110k). Finally, I got my air conditioner for 35,500 shillings (₦199k). Omo, I haven’t actually sat down to look at the cost of things. I’m sure there were more, but these were the most pricey.
— Richard*, 21
Location: Portsmouth, United Kingdom (UK)
Total cost: ₦765k-₦1m
When I moved to the UK in 2017, I opted for a shared apartment because the rent was expensive. And my share cost £350 (approx. ₦179k). The apartment came furnished with some janky couches, chairs and beds. But one time, my roommate sat on the couch and it broke. They were clearly not made for black boys.
Buying something brand new in the UK was out of the question. I’m talking £400+ (₦204k+) for a single couch! We had to tell the landlord to get us another one instead. He brought a black leather couch that had coins and stuff from God knows where. So he definitely either gave us his own couch or bought it off Facebook Marketplace.
My bed was also destroying my back after a year. So I had to tell the landlord to change that too. A new bed cost about £300 (approx. ₦153k). If I had to replace it on my own, I’d have just slept on the floor like my ancestors.
So in the UK, you don’t furnish except you want to be extra. Most of the cost goes into rent, which can be between £750 – £800 (approx. ₦383k – ₦408k), and utilities like electricity, heat and WI-FI. If I get something, it’s a thrift piece. Like my TV that cost £120 (approx. ₦61k). Other costs of living come in too. The other day, the microwave broke down. That was £40 (approx. ₦20k) gone to fix it.
Also, the UK is set up in a way that you always need to split the bill. The cost of living is high. Right now, I’m looking for a new place to live because my landlord wants to sell the house. I’m also getting married so I need my own space. That’s a nice £150 – £200 (approx. ₦77k – ₦102k) on kitchen utensils alone. Full furnishing would likely be £1,500 or £2,000 (approx. ₦765k-₦1m).
— Ben*, 27
Location: Gbagada, Lagos
Total cost: ₦750k
I moved out of my mother’s house when I finished university in 2019. I was going for a minimalistic vibe because I really didn’t have the money to do anything grand. My modelling career was just kicking off. But I also didn’t want clutter in my space because it was a small one-bedroom apartment.
I didn’t have enough money to fully furnish until 2020. I got a bulk amount and took out ₦500k to re-do my home. First, I got furniture. I was going for something that wouldn’t encourage people to stay in my house for too long. So the chair didn’t have any arm or backrest. But it cost ₦50k because of the pink suede material.
I bought a fake plant that was way more expensive than a real plant at ₦25k. But a real one would’ve died; there was no need to spend money on it. The truth is, forming minimalist was way more expensive. Things like painting my living room satin white cost more than ₦50k. Way more expensive than painting my room (which is way bigger) purple. Painting and screeding the whole house cost 100k.
Oh, and my vanity mirror cost ₦40k to make, excluding the chair and table. I racked up ₦500k on my floating shelves, LED lights for Youtube and new cupboard doors. Then, curtains! I can’t remember how much they cost, but it was ridiculous — I was better off with window blinds. If we’re adding my inverter, it cost ₦250k.
I actually can’t complain because if I’d gone to a regular store, I would’ve spent at least ₦500k on furniture alone. And that was two years ago.
Salary week is upon us and you’re probably checking your phone every minute, waiting for the credit alert to drop. But the most heartbreaking thing is when your employer serves you breakfast by not paying on the due date. If you’ve been there before, you can probably relate to these feelings.
You think it’s just a mistake
You convince yourself that it’s your bank playing mind games with you, like they always do. Because who hasn’t received money in their account only to see the alert three market days later? So you keep refreshing your bank app, hoping the balance changes.
You start asking other people questions
You have finally admitted to yourself that this is more than meets the eye. Your bank simply cannot be at fault anymore. So you start making small talk with your co-workers, ending with, “You don see anything?” only to get your hopes dashed once again when they too haven’t received it.
You have flashbacks to when you had money
You finally realise what’s going on and admit it to yourself — money is not coming today. All of a sudden, you feel a sharp pain in your chest remembering all the money you spent just last week, thinking you were getting something huge very soon.
This is when the Marty Byrde in you jumps out. You start calculating all the things you can achieve with your last ₦1k. If you’ve already spent it, then this is when you start borrowing money to stay alive.
You start making false promises
You promise yourself you’ll get better at managing your money. You tell God all you need is one last chance. But deep down, you know you’re lying.
Salary finally drops and you forget everything you went through
You finally get that alert and you’re bougie again. All of a sudden, those promises you made to heaven and earth are forgotten…until this time next month.
Navigating life as a woman in the world today is interesting. From Nigeria to Timbuktu, it’ll amaze you how similar all our experiences are. Every Wednesday, women the world over will share their experiences on everything from sex to politics right here.This is Zikoko’s What She Said.
This week’s #ZikokoWhatSheSaid subject is a 55-year-old Nigerian woman. She tells us about losing herself after marriage, losing all her money to her husband at 48 and relearning independence on the journey back up.
Tell us what happened
Seven years ago, I found out that all the money I’d made so far was gone. I was 48, and my account was zero.
Ye
It was crazy. When I got married at 27 in 1994, my husband and I decided to have a joint account. I believed the husband was the head of the family, so I put everything I worked for in this account.
Then, I found myself in a situation where I had to ask him before I could spend any of it. After 21 years and three children together, I discovered he wasn’t faithful in managing our money.
Not just that, there was suddenly nothing left to manage.
What do you mean nothing?
I mean zero naira.
By the time I was aware of this, it felt too late to do anything about it, but I’m happy I was able to find it in myself to start over anyway.
Hold on. How did you find out?
By accident. It happened because I lost my job.
For about five years, I was COO at an HR consulting company. I actually worked three jobs at the same time because I was also an executive director of my husband’s publishing business and marketing consultant for a private medical facility.
Then in 2014, I left these jobs and started working at a bigger HR consulting firm that turned out to be toxic. The CEO would scream insults at the staff the whole day, and I worked directly with him. Add that to the physical intimidation and hyper-micromanagement, I was suddenly having anxiety which I’d never experienced before.
That sounds awful
It was. Knowing I had to face that every day made me rethink the job. Meanwhile, the scope of my work grew far beyond what we’d agreed on. And after three months, it became clear he didn’t intend to meet our agreement on commission payments either.
I left the company in 2015, before I was confirmed, basically halting my career. I was out of work and at home for possibly the first time in my adult life. And that was when I experienced divine providence.
Shortly after I’d left my job, my phone was stolen. My husband has run his own business — dealing in properties, fuel distribution and publishing — since 2012. When I told him I needed a new phone, he gave me his old one. His reason was he didn’t want us to overspend since I was temporarily unemployed. He was upset I quit the job even though I told him how terrible it was.
I’m sure he still doesn’t know that recordings of his old calls were on that phone. I don’t know what led me to listen to them, but that’s how I found out he had another “family” or priorities that involved finances, and most of what we’d saved together had gone into that. None of it was used to invest, build our own home or improve our status.
Hold up. What do you mean “another family”?
He had girlfriends around town whose rents and furnishings he was paying for. He even drove some of them from place to place so they didn’t have to pay for transportation. And I’ve never been able to confirm this, but it’s possible he has a little daughter for another woman.
After I found all that out, I had two options: grovel, fight, complain and die with it, or rise and start all over again.
These are very valid choices
Well, I did both. A little bit of the first for many months after confronting him. He was apathetic, and I was devastated and in grief like someone had died. But then, I woke up one day and moved on.
How does someone wake up and move on from a life-shattering occurence??
The first thing I realised was I had zero support system. And that was what I needed most at the time. I’d spent my marriage slowly being isolated from family and friends. So I started putting myself out there completely.
I had to let people know I exist, what I could do and the advantages of getting close to me. I also found a couple of communities, like my secondary school and university alumni, that helped me relearn how to have fun and do the things I haven’t done in ages — like start a business, for instance.
Tell me about that
It took about five years of hard work, prayer and tears — and diversification from HR into events, IT design and training, corporate communications and network marketing — to break even business-wise. In 2017, I joined a network marketing team that’s given me access to government contracts, financial classes and investment in cryptocurrency.
The schedules can run you from here to infinity, taking care of three kids, bringing two of them up to adulthood, all while growing new businesses. I didn’t leave my marriage, so I’ve also had to manage that relationship and create boundaries, then do my best to ensure our children were well-adjusted despite everything.
There are so many crazy things you learn growing up that as you get older, you disabuse yourself of, shedding some very caustic ones and trying to give yourself clean energy.
What are some things you unlearnt?
I suddenly realised I didn’t know who I was. I’d somehow lost track of finding myself in my youth. When the life-changing discovery about my marriage and finances happened, I had to learn how to do things myself, to be self-reliant.
It’s been seven years and I travel a lot more now. In the past, I couldn’t because I had to “stay and take care of my home”. I went to Dubai with my old secondary schoolmates in 2017, and it was therapeutic to reconnect with them on a strictly fun trip away from family. We take similar trips at least once a year, and I’m glad I can just up and go now.
I’ve learnt to put myself out there too; to attend events and speak up more. I used to believe you had to “let your work and character speak for you”. It was a huge struggle to get people to buy into my businesses for the first year, and discovering why helped me unlearn all that. If you don’t go out and engage with people, how do you expect them to trust and invest in you?
Preach
It’s been a complete 180-degree shift for me. Seeing my belief and thought systems from a wider perspective, they became subjective. Sometimes, we think failure is a weakness, but I’ve learnt it can be a strength if you can start over.
What would younger you think about where you’re at now?
I had dreams. I wanted to sing, write and travel the world. I wanted to have a charity because I saw a lot of need around me. I wanted my kids to have the things my parents gave me. As a child, my siblings and I went to sports clubs, had summer vacations, and more.
Then, I became caught up in Christianity. I had so much faith, but I’ve realised in hindsight that it shouldn’t preclude common sense. In the past, we believed everything they said in church, hook, line and sinker, and followed without understanding.
How did that lead up to you losing yourself?
I was satisfied to marry someone who shared my faith and didn’t pay attention to whether he would support my dreams. I pushed my personal plans from the forefront.
We started courting as soon as I graduated from university in 1991. I was quite young, so I buried myself in the relationship and let it subsume me. We were both passionate about our religion, so it wasn’t obvious at the time. Everything I wanted to contribute to the world, I put into our eventual marriage, until I lost myself.
There’s a lot to learn from that. What’s one thing that makes you happy now?
The fact that my businesses are going strong. At least, I have up to $2000 in savings now. And I started investing in stocks, bonds and cryptos in 2017.
Time spent with my children also makes me happy. I’m proud to say they’re old enough to teach me things. From them, I’ve learnt how to relate with people, to be less uptight and enjoy life properly, to write and use social media. And I’m humble enough to know I’m not always right, that they aren’t always wrong.
Two of them are full-grown adults who aren’t always available. So I’m even happier when I’m with them. We play Monopoly, sing along to Davido, Kizz Daniel and Eminem. When we play, dance and eat together, these are the times I’m happiest.
It’s popular opinion that firstborns are third parents. They form the last leg of the Holy Trinity of Nigerian parenthood. But it’s hardly bliss to the firstborns themselves, who are managing their own lives while being the bridge between two generations; their parents and siblings. 7 Nigerians share their experiences about what it really costs to be a first-born child.
Toyin, 56, Male
Damages: ₦1,000,000/month
I think my case is peculiar because I’m not just the first-born child, I am also the first-born in a large polygamous family. I have 14 siblings, all of whom I have to cater to in some way. This gets overbearing sometimes because I have my own family to care for. On a good month, I spend an average of ₦1m on helping the family alone. This ranges from school fees and rents to my mum’s medical bills. While I wish I didn’t have to carry such a heavy burden, it’s quite gratifying to help out in every way I can.
Ibraheem, 25, Male
Damages: ₦30,000/month
I recently started working full-time. And I transitioned into this by taking freelance jobs from time to time. I don’t think I make a lot of money, but I feel like I give out a lot. I often have to send some money to my parents every month for upkeep, and to both of my siblings as allowance. It feels good to be able to do that. But it just constantly reminds me that my money is not really my own.
Shade, 38, Female
Damages: ₦200,000/month
I don’t have to spend this much every month, but I find that I often end up doing so. If I had to describe how it really flows out, I’d say it’s the random requests for favours I get from family. I’m often seen as the most successful member of the family, even though I don’t think it’s true. This puts a lot of financial expectation on me that simply doesn’t make sense. I used to spend a lot more on these favours, but I had to make a clear plan. ₦100,000 for my parents and another ₦100,000 for my siblings. Anybody else, I give them excuses. This has worked really well.
Nkechi, 22, Female
Damages: ₦50,000/month
I’m not bleeding a lot of money right now, but I can already feel it coming. The small jokes that end with “sha give us money”. The random calls I get from my siblings because “I don’t want to ask daddy”. I appreciate them though. They make me feel good and useful. I’m also already hearing whispers from my parents about monthly upkeep. God, abeg.
Demola, 45, Male
Damages: ₦400,000/month
I get random calls from my siblings about how they just want to check up on their big brother. But no, it’s all lies. They know I’m fine. They’re really checking up on my bank account and the amount of money that’s going to depart from it. If, like me, you have six female siblings, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
Olutayo, 60, Male
Damages: ₦500,000/month
Yorubas have this mini-title, “Olori Ebi”. It loosely translates to “Head of the Family”, and the surest way to get it is to be the first-born child. I took this title after our parents died and I had to be the one keeping everyone together. It comes with a lot of responsibility, mostly financial. It’s the same as adding three nuclear families to your own. Whatever financial situation they face, your pocket will feel it somehow. I help out on everything from school fees to upkeep and even rent. I don’t even keep track as much as I used to.
Seliat, 57, Female
Damages: ₦10,000/month
Apart from my kids, the only things that take money from my pocket are my business and my mom’s health. I have my husband to pay for most other things. Also, my siblings are doing pretty well for themselves. So there’s really no pressure to spend money on anyone.
Except for birthdays (and that’s if you actually remember), dads are like the sidekicks of the world that get only one day in a year to relish in their awesomeness. So don’t be a bum and forget to buy a Father’s Day gift this year. And rather than a last-minute text that reads like it’s addressed to someone you hate, here’s a list of gifts under ₦20k to get your dad.
Restored pride and joy
And it costs absolutely nothing. Fathers are always searching for pride and joy in their children. So you may as well find a way to wrap up all your achievements in a box and send it home. And if you don’t have any, borrow.
Love notes
Not every time “Love you, dad.” Give him his flowers and tell him exactly why you love him this year. He’ll still reply with “👍🏾”, but on the inside? He’ll be blushing dear.
A ring with your mother’s name on it
To remind him that your mother is the only woman he’s bound to for life.
Preferably on your chest. Because what says I love you more than a tattoo of the man that gave you life.
A brunch date for two
When last did you offer your dad free food? All you do is go home to ransack his home every three market days. He too likes free food.
All his money
For all the extra books and classes you lied about paying for in school, at least put part of the money in an envelope and give your father back. Are you not tired of being a criminal?
Even if you didn’t end up as the doctor he dreamed of, you need to remind him that you’re not a (total) failure. And you have a whole degree.
Wine
You better put that Fourth Street bottle down and move to the champagne section of the store. ₦15k for one day won’t kill you, hopefully.
Grandchildren
A surprise pregnancy can never go wrong. He’ll be either shocked or entirely speechless. Either way, he’ll know you’re serious about keeping his legacy alive.
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.
Need to send or receive money fast? Let’s help you send and receive money internationally on the go.Use Afriex
The 26-year-old nurse on this week’s #NairaLife lived in wealth until her dad died mysteriously when she was 12. Since then, she’s sold sweets, bread, eggs and even written love letters to make money. Now, she works at two different hospitals and is saving to japa.
Tell me about your earliest memory of money
When I was five, my mum used to travel to Warri three times a month to buy 33,000 litre tankers of kerosene which she’d then resell. We’d stay up all night counting the cash she brought home. My dad worked with cocoa farmers to produce cocoa exports.
Sounds like money
Oh, we were rich. Me, I was very spoiled. I was the only child for eight years, then my sister was born. My dad always wanted daughters, so he showered us with gifts. I went to the most expensive school and even had my own car and driver.
All of this got to my head and made me unintentionally condescending.I thought everybody had money like us, so if someone in school mentioned that they didn’t have money, I’d say something like, “Go and ask your daddy.” It was only gradually I understood that there were people who didn’t have as much as we did. But everything changed when my dad died.
Oh I’m sorry. What happened?
Strange stuff. He collected money from his foreign business partners for a delivery and sent it to the farmers. They never delivered the products. Because of mounting pressure from his business partners for their products, he went to challenge the farmers. The next day, his body began to harden. It kept hardening for months until he passed away. The doctors never figured out what was wrong.
Wow. How did this affect your family?
Terribly. We spent so much money trying to treat him that we gradually sold off everything we had. The cars, the estate house, everything. We had to move to more humble living conditions.
My mum had already stopped the kerosene job by the time she had my sister and was now a teacher. She wasn’t making so much money anymore. So imagine us going from being very rich to being absolutely poor all because of my dad’s death. We couldn’t even eat well. Amidst all of this, I was also sick a lot.
Sick why?
I live with sickle cell. I woke up one day when I was seven and started limping because I had pains in my joints. At first, my mum thought it was because I was trying to play smart and miss school, but when the limping kept going and coming over a couple of weeks, they took me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with sickle cell. Initially, my parents disagreed. My dad was AS, and my mum, AA, so where did SC come from?
After a few tests, they discovered my mum was actually AC and not AA. Also, my dad’s side of the family has a terrible history of rheumatism, which I inherited. So, I was in a lot of pain growing up. There were times when I couldn’t stand or hold a pen to write. I don’t even want to think about it.
Did your dad’s family help?
First, they gave us ₦50k to cover our house rent, then they disappeared. They abandoned us. After he died, they even tried to steal a plot of land my mum bought, but she didn’t let them. It was only after many years we reconnected with some of his siblings.
Because it was just my mum, my sister and me, we had to look out for ourselves. In addition to her salary as a teacher, she travelled to buy materials like lace, ankara and kampala and sold them to people in her office. When highway robbery became a problem, she started selling plantain chips and groundnuts instead.
We worked all night slicing and frying plantain chips and groundnuts. My mum used her salary to pay off loans and we used whatever profit we made from selling stuff to survive.
You know, for four years after we stopped selling plantain chips, I couldn’t stand the sight or smell of them.
Did you do anything personally to make money?
Ah, yes. Letters. I’ve always had a beautiful handwriting. I was a day student at a school that had boarding students, so whenever the boarders needed to write love letters to their partners in other schools, I helped them for a small fee of ₦200. I collected a ₦200 delivery fee from the receivers too. I delivered about 15 letters a month.
Cupid is shaking
Whenever I needed money to buy school stuff like socks and books, I just used my own money.
After secondary school, I was home for one year because my score was below the cut-off mark to study nursing at the university I wanted. They gave me chemistry instead. The next year, they gave me Zoology. Instead of waiting at home for one extra year, I decided to go to a polytechnic instead.
In 2013, for my OND — first year at polytechnic — I studied science and laboratory technology. Second year, ND, I did biology technology. In ND 2, the school portal closed when I was still owing ₦1k, which meant I had to retake the semester.
You were owing ₦1k?
One thousand naira.
Not long after I started the semester again, my mum advised me to drop the polytechnic programme because polytechnic graduates don’t get good jobs. She told me to go to school of nursing instead. It made sense to me because I knew the chances of getting good jobs after polytechnic were slim, and we didn’t have connections, so I followed her advice. Late 2016, I resumed at the school of nursing.
I was super broke by this time. To make money, I’d go to my uncle’s shoe shop whenever I was free and sell for him. He’d give me ₦2k per day. When things became unbearable, I decided to start a business.
What business?
I don’t know why, but I just decided it was bread I wanted to sell. I told my uncle about my plan and he gave me ₦5k. ₦3,500 to start my business and ₦1,500 to eat for that day. Instead of bread, I went to the market and bought eclairs, Butter Mint, Milkose, lollipops and popcorn. The next day, I used what was left to buy a few loaves of bread.
Everyday, I would go around the hostel shouting for people to come out and buy bread or snacks, and slowly, my business became stable.
At some point, someone advised me to start selling eggs too, so I did that.
It’s when I started this business I realised small ₦10 here and there can build up to become something.
Tell me about it
I bought a pack of eclairs for ₦550. By the time I sold each piece, my profit was ₦650. I sold about 12 packs a month. For the other sweets too, I made double of what I bought them for. I bought a crate of eggs at ₦800 and sold each egg for ₦50. So I made ₦700 in profits per crate, and I sold eight crates in a month. My profit from popcorn was ₦4k a month, and bread made me ₦2k a month. I was making about ₦30k monthly all from small ₦10 and ₦20 profit.
Also, whenever I went to the market, I told my customers to bring their grocery lists and money so I could shop for them. The catch here was that each person gave me ₦200 transportation money. I could get as many as 10 people per trip. That’s the money I would use to cook for myself.
How were your mum and sister in this period?
They were surviving. My mum had opened a small provisions shop, so she was able to take caare of herself and my sister.
Did all that physical activity affect your health?
Very badly. I fell sick a lot, but it was either sickness or be broke and hungry. I didn’t want to go hungry.
Damn
I graduated as a registered nurse in late 2019. By December, I got a job at a police hospital. The pay was ₦30k. I lived far away, came late to work a few times, and was always getting home late, so I was very stressed. By February, I requested an apartment and they gave me one within the police base compound. By March, they transferred me to the MOPOL base. That’s where I met one of the kindest people ever — the commander. My salary was still ₦30k, but I’m pretty sure he gave me up to ₦30k on top of that every month.
How?
I had to check his blood pressure twice a week, and every single time, he would give me money as a “thank you”. Sometimes, ₦5k, sometimes, ₦3k, sometimes, ₦7k. He never missed.
That’s mad
By April, they increased my salary to ₦35k. So my ₦35k salary was going to my mum — ₦10k for her, ₦20k to put in an ajo for me and ₦1500 for my sister. The remaining ₦3,500 was tithe. I survived fully on the money I was getting from the commander. Transportation was ₦8k, and the rest went into feeding and buying appliances for my apartment.
In October 2020, my mum told me she didn’t want me to waste the year working instead of developing myself and positioning myself for much better jobs, so I needed to find a way to improve my skills.
understood her. I’d already been thinking of training to be an emergency nurse, so her advice was just perfect timing. I eventually found that Igbobi, Lagos, is one of the only places that teaches emergency nursing. I applied, wrote the exams, got in and moved to Lagos.
The entire program cost ₦575k to be paid over a year, but we had to pay a ₦40k acceptance fee. Please, tell me why when I asked my mum to bring all my ajo money, she could only come up with ₦30k instead of ₦200k?
Ah!
I could not even say anything. I collected it, added my own ₦10k and started school. Then I went to two of my dad’s siblings who checked in once in a while and told them my plans for school. They gave me a total of ₦178k. I had to borrow money to pay the rest.
How did you survive though?
I moved to Lagos thinking the Igbobi campus would have hostels for us. Nope. I had to sleep on class benches before my study partner introduced me to a friend who I’ve lived with ever since.
Moneywise, I got occasional gigs from classmates who wanted me to help them do assignments and projects. ₦2k here, ₦3k there, that’s how I survived. I tried to get jobs but nothing worked out.
After I graduated in 2021, I moved back west to my hometown. Three days later, a hospital in Lekki called me for an interview. When I got there and we spoke, they offered me ₦100k as salary. I rejected it.
What was the lowest you could take as a salary at that point?
₦100k, but not on the island. I’d be spending ₦40k on transport and that’s just not wise. Also, public transportation in Lagos gives me anxiety, so I wasn’t about to be doing long and expensive trips for ₦100k. No.
Because I was already in Lagos, I decided to stay and keep dropping my CV at hospitals. A friend told me a government hospital on the mainland was hiring and I applied. I remember being in church in January [2022] when the message that I’d gotten the job came in. Omo, I danced.
LMAO
I resumed in February. The pay was ₦95k, and my shifts meant I only had to be at work seven times a month. Shortly after I started the job, one of the private hospitals where I’d dropped my CV reached out to interview me. I told them I already had a job and would be juggling both jobs, and they agreed. They pay ₦100k.
Let’s goooo
My February salary from the government job and my March salaries from both jobs paid off all my debts. Now, I live on the ₦95k and save the ₦100k every month. I’m trying to japa to the UK.
What do you spend your money on?
On some months, I make an extra ₦10k or more from the private hospital when I fill in for someone when they’re short-staffed.
What’s one thing you want but can’t afford right now?
Sending my sister to a private university so she can have a good and hitch-free education.
Again, how are you managing all this work with your health?
My health has improved over the years. I prayed for it to, and it has. I also make sure I eat well, sleep every chance I get and avoid anything that can stress me emotionally. Because I’ve had the condition for a long time, I can bear the pain to an extent and still work.
I also drink lots of water and take folic acid and a pain reliever once I can’t bear the pain any longer.
My government hospital job has doubled the days I need to come to the office, so it’s getting stressful, but I can still handle it. If it gets too much, I’ll drop the private job.
Why not the one that pays less?
I can always get another private job. Government jobs are difficult to get and they come with better job security.
1-10, how happy are you?
6, because I know I could be in a worse situation. I have it better than others.
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Everyone on the streets knows there’s no love there, only wickedness. And if you’re a young Nigerian guy struggling to make ends meet, Davido literally said, “Love is sweet but when money enters, love is sweeter.“
So how do you begin to find love when you don’t have the money?
“Women say they have a spec but their spec is money”
— Omo*, 25
Women lie. They say they have a spec but if you don’t have money, you could tick everything else off their list and they still won’t date you. Their spec is money.
I’ve been single for too long, and even though I can’t say lack of money is the only reason, it’s something. I’ve given up trying to find love, I’ll just want to focus on surviving this adulthood thing.
“If there’s no money involved, they start backing away from the conversation”
— Kola*, 36
In my experience, most women, irrespective of age, don’t even want to take the conversation forward the moment they feel like I have nothing financially beneficial to offer them. They’re always on the lookout for what they can stand to gain from me, and this is okay because relationships should be mutually beneficial, but tell me why they get offended when men ask them what they bring to the table?
Yes, it’s possible to find love without having money. But on a scale of one to ten, I’d say the chances are two.
“You don’t need a shit tonne of money, just a decent amount”
—Sola*, 29
I’ll agree that finding love without money is difficult, but I think for you to attempt to do so means you’re financially reckless. Everyone has their principle about love and relationships, but personally, I think you should have money before you propose to someone’s daughter. You don’t need a shit ton, just a decent amount would do.
With the way I would want my relationship to be when I finally get into one, it would need cash and that’s one of the reasons I’m not even looking for love right now.
“At first, they claim it’s not an issue but along the line, it becomes one”
— Efe*, 27
Money is an important ingredient — like seasoning, it’s not the only thing you need, but you can’t do without it. You could woo the lady, and successfully get her, but how do you maintain the relationship and provide for her needs?
I’ve had women who were interested in me claim money is not an issue, but along the line, the lack of money becomes the cause of many problems. Let’s be real, everyone wants money. It’s tough on the streets, and seeing all these doe-eyed couples makes me feel like shit, but I enjoy being on my own every other day.
“I don’t see myself wooing a woman with money because I have game”
— Myron*, 23
I started dating my current girlfriend when I was in University, and even with a few side jobs and allowance, my terrible money habits made it hard to save. She had her own money so I wasn’t obligated to do anything but I could afford food delivery to her hostel, a date, or a simple gift here and there.
Things are different now but I still don’t see myself trying to use my money to woo a woman, because I have game. If I had to imagine myself on the streets right now, I think I’d do more for someone I was interested in because I have the capacity, but not as a requirement.
They want you to fund a lifestyle they can’t afford
— Wole*, 21
The dating pool is really small for a young broke student because I can’t even afford proper dates or social hangouts that would help me meet potential love interests.
Nigerian women want you to have your place, have a car, pay for dates, and God forbid you refuse to help fund a lifestyle they can’t afford.
You need money for a relationship, not love
—John*, 32
Finding love is easy, it’s more about the things we can’t control than the things we can. Money becomes an important factor in retaining the love you’ve found.
It’s a major factor when it comes to choosing your partner to date or marry, not who you love. That’s why women can be in love with you but go ahead to date a man more financially buoyant. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you because you don’t have money, it just shows that we live in a third-world country where everyone is striving to make ends meet.
*All names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.
We’ve called out every type of girl that comes out to play when money hits their account, but what do the cool Gen Z women absolutely say no to spending their money on? Let’s find out.
Men
Whenever you feel your mumu button coming on, call a Gen Z babe. These girls aren’t out there trying to be sugar mummies to any man, please. They’re the sugar babies that only expect princess treatment. We don’t have money, please.
Wigs
It’s giving itchy and hella stressful in this heat. A true Gen Z babe is committed to gold or purple hair dyes and low cuts. Anything other than that should be braided. Where are you people seeing money to spend on wigs abeg?
Millennials always brag about the beauty of a hardback novel, but who wants to spend ₦5k or ₦10k on paperbacks when we can read Wattpad and Medium?
Flowers
These women aren’t falling for the standards of love set by Hollywood and Nollywood in the 1980s, please. It’s cute to buy them, but to buy things that will end up withered is not on the priority list for Gen Z queens. What will we use the flower to do? Send the money instead, thanks.
SHEIN is the pasta version of fashion for the Gen Zs. So if you’re out here flaunting the thousands of dollars you spent on Gucci, good luck to you because the highest they’ll do is borrow it from you.
Enjoyment
Gen Zs are like the last borns of the house. When you’re young and free, the millennials and baby boomers should be able to cover the bills because they’re the elders. Anything that involves a good time should be sponsored. We just want to have fun.
Anything and everything
The truth is, Gen Zs are generally liars and will do anything for aesthetics on their timelines. So, from overpriced pasta to the latest corset craze, they’re all over it and ready to spend their life savings in a heartbeat to maintain their drip. SMH.
It’s a lot easier to flip off your toxic boss and say bye-bye to nosy co-workers, but when it comes to leaving a place you actually enjoy working, it’s a different ballgame.
Have you ever quit a job you loved? Here are six things you would relate to if you’ve ever been in this situation.
1. Is this the right time?
You start thinking if the timing is right. If you should wait till next month, next six months or even a year.
2. You start looking at all the great things about your current job
At this point, you’re thinking of job security, location, the socket next to your desk, etc. Even the hot puff-puff spot beside your office feels like a good reason for you to stay.
Starting afresh is hard, so it’s no surprise that changing jobs would make you question your worth because, who knows what they’re doing anyway?.
4. The struggle to find the right time to break the news to your work buddies
Leaving a job means leaving all the amazing people you built a relationship with. And since you like them so much, it feels like you’re preparing to break up with your partner.
5. You start to wonder: what if your new employer’s head do usually touch?
You start praying your new work place will not be toxic and that your employer doesn’t occasionally run mad. Because you can’t imagine moving from a place you like to one that your boss refuses to pay salary, tells you to kneel down or makes morning devotion compulsory. God forbid.
After speaking with Owo Anietie on his journey from selling his first art for ₦10 to donating $500k to a dance academy in Ikorodu, we decided to ask five other black NFT artists what their journey has been like so far.
Let’s start with a quick explainer
The rad term for the cool kids these days is “minting.”
When people say they’re “minting NFTs”, it means they’re converting digital files or assets like art or music into crypto collections called non-fungible tokens (NFTs). When an artwork or music file is “minted”, it can be traded to earn a cryptocurrency called Ethereum (ETH), which can then be converted into dollars (USD). So, NFTs are a type of cryptocurrency for digital media.
In 2020, NFTs became popular in Africa and are now the digital hot cake for visual artists. The question is, how are African artists earning with NFTs?
Basically, rather than trading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in exchange for Ethereum or US dollars, artists are now trading NFTs (digital assets in the real world).
Now, let’s get into the gist.
“NFTs contributed to my financial growth, but as an African artist, accessing the money can be difficult”
I joined the NFT space in 2020 and my first piece sold for $1000. It’s the most I had asked for my art, so it was great making the sale.
After that, I had to connect with more buyers. There weren’t a lot of Africans buying art on the platforms, so I had to extend to a larger audience. To connect with more buyers, I had to join Twitter spaces, but the time difference made it hectic.
When I got the hang of it, all my major jobs came in from the connections I made online. Between 2021-2022 my collections have sold from $10,000 to $15,000. One of my favourite so far has been Bloom — a series on my life as a South African woman. In terms of the transition financially, NFTs went a long way personally and for my craft. I went from thinking about how to pay my uni tuition with my mum to funding it myself. I can afford better tech gadgets for my work, and the best part was finally being able to afford a puppy.
On the other hand, accessing my money as an African artist can be difficult. Converting from Rands to USD and then Ethereum is a stressful process. That’s been a huge issue for African artists doing NFTs.
“NFTs are about collaboration and community”.
— Nygilia, 29, African-American
I’ve been an artist my whole life, but I didn’t pursue a career in it until I turned 24. My work is focused on capturing afro-futurism and mixed-media styles.
When I got my first job, I didn’t anticipate the mental stress. I missed the autonomy outside mainstream capitalism and wanted to get out of it. Eventually, I started to explore the possibilities and NFTs seemed like a good option I joined the space in March 2021. The most confusing part was figuring out crypto and the wallets to store my money, so I joined Clubhouse rooms and watched Youtube videos to get a hang of the NFT community. After that, I had to get to work.
In 2021, my first drop, VividRunway, sold for 0.25 Ethereum ($600) within the first month. After that, I kept creating and building her portfolio. The success of that first piece led me to create my VR-styled collection, Astro Dreams, in 2022. The blend of art with virtual reality made it difficult, but at the same time, valuable.
Each piece is [now] selling from 0.1 – 1 ETH, so a few hundred dollars to a couple of thousands. The tough part is marketing each piece. Most of the artists and buyers on NFTs are on Twitter and Discord, so organically growing a profile is the only way to sell.
My only regret with NFTs is not investing in NFTs sooner. The money aspect is great, but the best part is working with other African artists. NFTs are really about community and collaboration. For Astro Dreams, the collections were done in collaboration with a Haitian artist.
I express myself through different mediums — oil paint, ink and digital painting. Like every other medium in art, NFT was a way to get my art out there and make money. Personally, I hadn’t been doing marketing because I kept telling myself it wasn’t there yet. When I started, I already understood crypto and read a lot about NFTs. The challenge was the gas fee and getting my work listed on the NFT platform. When I got into the space in February 2022, I made my first collection, Echoes from the other side. It’s a collection about self-growth and the emotions we go through to be better versions of ourselves. My favourite piece from the collection is Hazy dreams.
A few weeks after, I sold my first piece and it’s been my only sale for now. Hopefully, I’ll sell more pieces with time. I’m currently creating my next collection for 2022, so we’ll see how it goes. Twitter spaces are the best place to talk about a new collection or piece.
“My art piece sold out within 12 hours”
— Oshomah, Nigerian
I’ve been an artist all my life, but there were intermittent breaks in between. My motivation to join NFTs was a graphics designer from the USA. He shared his journey with NFTs and talked a lot about creating digital art until he died. I took it as a cue to test the market out in 2021.
When I attempted to join, the gas fees. How was a struggling artist meant to pay his bills and manage the fees? It didn’t make sense, but I wanted to try. My first piece was a homage to the old Nigerian culture. I called it the forgotten history and it sold for 0.5 ETH ($1000) within 12 hours. That was my sign to keep going. Since my first piece in 2021, I’ve made an estimate of $15k from my art and the investments I’ve made in the NFT market. As I’ve grown, my money habits have stayed the same. The most I do is use my earnings to buy NFTs and trade on the platform. Re-investing in the crypto market has been high-risk though. I’ve lost about $1200 in a week, but I learnt that the money always comes back.
“Selling a fusion of Japanese manga and African characters took a bit of time”
— Phil, 25, Nigerian
My art is inspired by Japanese manga, but I try to infuse some African characters and scenes. Joining NFTs was based on feedback from other artists. I was interested because the platforms provided control for the artist.
Right now, I’ll say I’ve made money selling my art as NFTs, more than I’ve made doing commissions. When I joined in 2021, I dropped my first collection which had ten pieces and I called it The Dibia And The Masquerade. My art style was slightly different so it made it harder to market. The collection has been up for five months and I’ve focused on interacting and meeting people in the NFT space. So far, I’ve had 20 collectors buy my editions (limited supply of identical NFTs) that sold at 0.05 ETH ($115) and a unique piece (1/1) that sold for 0.2 ETH ($500).
If you hear Naira Life and the first thing that comes to your mind is, “Oh my God, that’s the series that calls me poor in seven different languages before I can even start my week”, we wrote this for you. It’s true — some of the stories we share are bougie enough to make you ask if you’re really a child of God.
But a lot of the stories we share are also just stories of regular people — like you and me — living in Nigeria and hustling to get our next urgent ₦2k. Here’s a list of some relatable Naira Life stories that’ll make you feel seen.
1. The #NairaLife of a Rookie Journalist Cracking the Gig Life
The journalist in this Naira Life feels like he should be earning at least two times his ₦220k monthly income. His regrets? Not starting the freelancing life earlier. And he doesn’t even want to be a journalist at the end of the day. He wants to be a football coach — he’s always dreamed of it.
2. The Babe Trying to “Trust the Process” at ₦100k/Month
The subject in this Naira Life can draw, shoot and edit videos, do graphic design, code, model and sell. But she’s torn between learning the ropes in a structured environment and looking for how to earn more.
3. The Marketing Babe With Millionaire Dreams At ₦200k/month
“As much as I say money is not everything, it’s still a major key. Being broke makes me cranky. Even in my relationships, when I tell you I have a problem, I don’t even need to ask you to give me money. You’re just supposed to use your head.”
4.The #NairaLife of a Daddy’s Girl Learning to Survive on Her Own
For the longest time, the babe in this story thought she would live on her dad’s money for the rest of her life. The final year of uni showed her she would have to make some money on her own if she was going to survive. Now, she’s a full-time hustler making between ₦80k and ₦200k a month from three businesses.
5. #NairaLife: Working Law Religiously for Self and Family At ₦225k/Month
A consistent pattern in this #NairaLife is how this 25-year-old lawyer’s black tax increases as her income increases. But she doesn’t mind a lot. So how does she balance her black tax obligations with her hopes and aspirations?
6. I Earn 175k, but I Still Dunno What I Want to Do With My Life
“You know, all my life I haven’t done what I wanted to do. To be honest, I don’t know what I want to do – like something I really enjoy doing. I think I like managing projects though.” — The 28-year-old subject onthis Naira Life.
7. The Lady Who’s Winging It on a ₦171k Salary
The single 26-year-old mum in this Naira Life earns ₦171k, and her biggest struggle is taking care of her kid. But with the support of her family, she shows up every day and does her best.
8. #NairaLife: The Factory Worker Who Went From ₦220k to ₦35k/Month
One thing we loved when we published this story was the support and love from people across social media for the subject. One thing stands out about this guy. Just like the rest of us, he’s determined.
