This is Idris鈥� story, as told to Boluwatife.

Two years ago, I was a final-year student at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). I was right at the finish line, but financial setbacks caught up with me. There was no money to continue, and I had no help, so I had to drop out.

For a while, I was stuck asking myself, “What do I do now?”

I needed money to survive, but I didn’t want to take just any available job. I had tried marketing before, working for fintech brands as a campus ambassador, but it was too stressful. What I actually enjoyed was cycling. I realised I could deliver packages on a bicycle to earn a living and escape life鈥檚 troubles while doing what I loved.

That was how I became a delivery rider.

Moving to Swoop

Sometime in March/April, I was working with another delivery company. I wasn’t satisfied with how stressful the setup was, but I kept pushing because I needed to move forward. One day, someone shared a flyer for a new food delivery app called .

I downloaded the user app and thought, “Why not check if they have a rider app?”

They did.

I signed up, my account got approved, and I decided to give it a shot the next day. The moment I completed my first order, I liked how straightforward it was. On Swoop, you just pick up food from the restaurant and take it to the customer; no complicated steps. The pay per delivery was higher, and I was getting consistent orders. Within four days, I decided to focus on Swoop full-time.

It was a new platform, but one thing I鈥檝e learned from years in the delivery business is that customers don鈥檛 necessarily change across platforms. In this industry, you deal with all kinds of people every day. 

Some customers look down on you like you’re nobody, acting like, “Just give me my order and get out.” But I never let it get to me. I always remind myself that a hungry man is an angry man. Once you understand that, it’s easy to stay calm and treat everyone with respect, no matter their attitude.

And then there are the great days and customers who tip well. I once had a Swoop customer who was so impressed by my speed and politeness that they tipped me 鈧�5,000 on a single delivery. Those small moments made the daily hustle feel worthwhile.

Three months into the job, my income was starting to stabilise, and things were looking good. I didn鈥檛 know a massive storm was building in the background.

Facing homelessness

One day in early July, my landlord handed my roommate and me a quit notice. They wanted to renovate the building, and we had to move out.

Anyone who lives in Lagos knows a quit notice might as well be a death sentence. 

Finding a house in this city is a nightmare. An apartment鈥檚 rent might be 鈧�300,000 or 鈧�400,000, but by the time agents add agreement, commission, and total package fees, the total bill jumps to over 鈧�1 million. My share of the money needed to secure a new apartment was around 鈧�500,000 to 鈧�600,000 鈥� money I did not have sitting in an account.

Right in the middle of this panic, Swoop reached out to me. They said they wanted to do a media feature and would spend a full day filming me to understand how I work, interview me about my background, and document my daily routine as one of their top riders.

Honestly, my head wasn’t fully there. I was tired, stressed about housing, and thinking, “Abeg, nobody should stress me today.” But of course, I couldn鈥檛 let my emotions show.

On the day of the interview, I put on my gear, smiled for their cameras, and did my deliveries professionally. As a delivery rider, I simply can’t pass my personal frustrations onto customers. I just kept praying for God to help me. I needed a miracle because there was no way I was going to solve my housing crisis without help. 

The turnaround

The Swoop media team spent the entire day following me around while I worked. At some point, I began hoping they鈥檇 at least gift me something. 

Surely, they couldn鈥檛 be following me around without a reward in mind, right? But every time my mind strayed to the possibility of getting a gift, I pushed the thought out. I鈥檓 a bit unlucky when it comes to hoping for things. My predictions don鈥檛 often turn out well, so I tried to let it go and just focus on doing my thing.

By nightfall, it started raining heavily. I was exhausted, cold, and just wanted to get something to eat and go home to sleep.

After shooting what I thought was the final scene in the rain, they said, “There’s one more thing.”

They handed me a letter. I joked to myself, asking if it was a love letter. But when I opened it and read the words inside, my brain froze:

鈥淔rom all of us at Swoop, we would like to give you a token of appreciation of 鈧�1,000,000.鈥�

I pulled off my raincoat cap in complete disbelief. I asked them if they were joking because it honestly felt like a prank. I鈥檇 never touched that amount of money at once before in my entire life, and it felt so unbelievable. I was moved to tears right there in the rain.

The first person I called was my best friend and roommate.

“Baba, where are you?” I shouted over the phone. “Come meet me at UNILAG right now!”

He鈥檚 a rider too, and he flew all the way from Mushin to meet me. When I showed him the letter, he started jumping up and down right there on the road. We both knew the pressure we had been living under regarding the quit notice.

What came next

The very first thing I did was take out 鈧�500,000 for my share of the house rent and deposit it with my roommate so I wouldn’t be tempted to touch it. It鈥檚 still unbelievable to think that, in a matter of hours, the threat of homelessness disappeared.

After sorting out house rent, I addressed the second most important thing in my life right now: my cycling dream. My ultimate ambition is to become a professional cyclist and compete globally, specifically in the Tour de France. 

I bought myself a proper racing bicycle so I could apply to official cycling clubs in Lagos. I also bought a better phone to document my journey, though it was unfortunately stolen shortly after. Still, I refuse to let that ruin the bigger picture.

Days after Swoop posted videos of my win online, of course, billing followed. As Nigerians, we are used to this. The moment people hear you鈥檝e touched money, people who haven’t called you in forever suddenly remember you exist. To protect myself, I made sure I settled the housing and my racing bike first. Whatever little was left, I used it to gift the few people I could, telling the rest straight up what was left.

At the same time, the video has consistently led people my way, all wanting to learn more about Swoop. Even my fellow delivery riders from other platforms began calling me, teasing me as the “Swoop Golden Boy” and asking how to join. I鈥檓 not surprised. I鈥檝e never heard of a delivery company gifting a rider this much. 

Consistency really pays. I was focused on my work and showing up in style. See how far that has brought me. When Swoop handed me that letter, they didn’t just make my day, they made my year, and changed the entire trajectory of my life. 

I still have the letter, and I intend to keep it for my grandchildren. It鈥檚 a major achievement for me, and they need to see it, too.

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

I remember my parents giving my siblings and me 鈧�20 daily in primary school. It wasn’t big money, but it was the standard among my classmates. We used it to buy sweets and biscuits. 

I also remember we celebrated special milestones, like birthdays or passing exams, by cooking chicken at home. It wasn鈥檛 like we only ate chicken on special days; it was just the sign that something good had happened, or that my dad was in the mood to treat us. 

What was the financial situation at home?

My dad was a businessman, and my mum was a teacher. Their incomes afforded us good schools and nice clothes. I vividly remember my mum travelling from Abuja to Lagos just to buy our Christmas clothes, so we weren鈥檛 poor.

We weren鈥檛 rich, either. We had periods of lack and experienced the usual landlord kicking us out of the house for late rent and all that. My siblings and I were also driven home from school a few times due to unpaid fees or a lack of textbooks.

However, even when we had money problems, my parents maintained a high standard. When we were sent home for school fees, they locked us indoors so the neighbours wouldn’t know. They also strictly forbade us from speaking pidgin English. People in our neighbourhood assumed we were wealthy but had hit a rough patch. My parents were just trying their best to raise us.

When was the first time you did something to earn money?

JSS 2 or JSS 3. During one holiday, my siblings and I organised lessons for younger children in the neighbourhood. At first, we did it for fun to pass the time, but the class grew to about 20 children. They paid 鈧�20 or 鈧�50 each, and we pooled the money to buy biscuits and other minor things.

We also sold homemade 鈥渧im鈥� around the same time. We ground eggshells and mixed them with ash and detergent. Then we sieved the mixture and sold it as scouring powder to scrub cooking pots. It actually sold quite well, considering we did it for fun. We dropped it after two months. I don’t even remember how we spent the money we made.

The next time I tried something for money was during my diploma, just before university. I don鈥檛 know if it counts because it was so short-lived.

Tell me about it

It was 2016, and my sister and I were running a diploma programme to get us into uni via direct entry. We lived together away from home and didn’t have a structured monthly allowance. My parents just stocked us up with foodstuff and provisions. We called home if we needed money.

However, there was one period when we were incredibly broke and hungry. Out of desperation, I took a job at a local restaurant. The pay was 鈧�5k/month, but my main motivation was the free food. I served food, cleared tables, and washed plates, and in addition to the salary, my employer gave workers breakfast and dinner.听

I didn鈥檛 last more than a week there, though. It was so stressful, and it only took me a few days to realise I couldn’t survive that life. So, I gave them a random excuse and stopped going. I didn鈥檛 lose anything because I just wanted to eat, and I did.

After that incident, I finished my diploma and moved on to uni. I didn鈥檛 need to do anything for money until I graduated in 2022 because I was getting pocket money.

What did you do next?

I got a job as a special needs teacher. The salary was technically 鈧�20k/month, but the school remitted only 鈧�18k to me. They held the remaining 鈧�2k to save and return it as a lump sum whenever I resigned. I think it was like a pension arrangement. 

A few months in, I approached the school director and asked for a raise. The woman was quite nice. She agreed, and my take-home pay increased to 鈧�25k/month. I worked there for eight months and eventually quit when I got tired. I didn鈥檛 like the way the teachers struggled to survive. 

They were trapped in a cycle of collecting salary, spending it all to clear debts, and borrowing again until the next payday. Some teachers would be in school by 7 a.m., work till 3 p.m. and still do private tutoring for extra money until 7 p.m. I knew I didn’t want that life.

Did you secure another job before you quit, though?

Somewhat, but it wasn鈥檛 exactly a job. Just before I left the school, I got an opportunity with the National Population Commission (NPC) for the proposed 2022 national census. I trained as a Specialised Workforce (SWF) facilitator. If the census had held, my job would have been to train the enumerators.

The facilitator’s training lasted two weeks, and they paid me 鈧�171k. Then we started hearing stories of embezzlement and corruption, and the operation was suspended. Later, we heard the census was back on, and we did a three-day refresher training. I made 鈧�46k from that. However, things scattered again and the census eventually didn鈥檛 hold. Some facilitators have actually not been paid to this day. Fortunately, I got mine.

When it didn鈥檛 work out, I decided to go for NYSC. This was in 2023. My Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) was at a government parastatal, where I mostly did admin work.

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

What was your income like during the service year?

The parastatal didn鈥檛 pay corp members, but luckily, I was posted to the office of a lawmaker representing my home constituency. He graciously decided to pay the corp members a 鈧�30k stipend on top of the 鈧�33k NYSC allawee.

In May 2024, one month before rounding up my service year, I started a business selling wristwatches. The business really pushed me out of my comfort zone because I鈥檓 naturally shy, but I had to pack my watches in my bag and knock on random office doors to sell. 

My efforts paid off, though. The profit margin on each sale was high. I could buy one piece for about 鈧�10k and resell it for 鈧�22k or 鈧�25k. I just had to make sure the watches were non-tarnishable so I could build trust and get returning customers.

In slow months, I made 鈧�50k to 鈧�80k, but in peak months, I cleared 鈧�100k to 鈧�150k in profit. 

What happened after you completed your service year?

I continued the business since I was still at the office. They鈥檇 asked if I was willing to stay on and work full-time, and I excitedly agreed. I even told my mum that our prayers had finally been answered and that my life was changing for the better.

I assumed that, since it was a government agency, I would make good money. However, at the end of the month, they paid me the same 鈧�30k stipend I was getting as a corp member. 

I questioned it, arguing that as a full-time employee, I deserved a proper salary. After dragging out the issue for two months, they added a mere 鈧�10k, bringing it to 鈧�40k/month under the title of “Office Assistant.” 

I did everything from managing the website and compiling lists of over 1,000 names for empowerment programmes to working as the office errand girl and dishwasher whenever guests came to eat. I tolerated it until late 2025 because I had no other options, all while applying for jobs everywhere. I was also still selling my wristwatches. 

My breaking point came when a position opened up within the office, and instead of giving it to me despite my experience, they nominated a new guy. When I found out and challenged them, they said he was 鈥渁 man and had more bills to pay.” 

The heck?

See. The blatant misogyny was so annoying. Unknown to them, I had been quietly training on the side for a remote debt-collection and customer-support gig. 

The agency was recruiting people to work for a US-based brand, so the idea was that after the training, I鈥檇 get the job. So, when that issue at the government agency happened, I stopped going to the office.

The remote gig was temporary, though. I did the onboarding and worked for one week, earning 鈧�75k. Unfortunately, the company suddenly decided to lay off their Nigerian contractors, so I was let go.

While that was happening, the government agency realised they couldn’t handle the workload without me. They begged me to return, saying they鈥檇 removed the guy鈥檚 name from the nomination list and put mine instead. They also claimed the job would click within a few months and that my pay would increase. 

I agreed to return, but on my own terms: I only went in twice a week. Half the time, I only went to the complex to move around and sell my wristwatches because it was the business that kept me afloat.

Did the government job eventually click?

It didn鈥檛. I left in January 2026 when I got another job as a personal assistant/secretary to a consultant. My new salary was 鈧�150k/month.

At this point, my wristwatch business had slowed down due to a lack of customers. Sadly, the new job turned out to be another misrepresentation. I was promised a project management path with opportunities for interstate travel. Instead, it turned out to just be me running personal errands for my boss all day. I wasn鈥檛 satisfied with that. That鈥檚 not what I came to this life to do.

Even worse, the salary payment structure was highly inconsistent. One month, it would come on the 2nd; the next month, on the 11th. I had even spent 鈧�50k upgrading my laptop’s hard drive from an HDD to an SSD in January because she claimed I would handle some projects remotely, but I never ended up using the laptop for anything meaningful.

Sigh

Between April and May, I requested a formal review of my job description so we could align on my actual professional duties. My boss took it as a personal insult and told the mutual connection who introduced us that I was being disrespectful and that she was going to fire me.

She then went on an unannounced international trip for over a month. I kept showing up to an empty office, reading on my laptop, and sending daily “activity reports” on absolute nothingness just to fulfil righteousness. Before travelling, she intentionally told our mutual contact that she would pay my May salary early so I would “spend it and waste it” before my birthday in June, after which she’d fire me.

She returned, paid my June salary on July 2nd, and officially fired me on the 10th.

That鈥檚 terrible. How are you handling the sudden loss of income?

Honestly? I felt relieved. The environment was draining, and I wasn’t growing. I was already exhausted and deeply unhappy with that phase because it wasn’t what I had imagined for myself. The only small positive was the money.

To keep myself from slipping into a depression or wallowing in anger, I woke up early the following Monday, dressed up sharply, and went straight to a friend鈥檚 office at the government agency. I tweaked my CV and have been actively submitting it to different offices and places ever since.

Do you have savings to fall back on?

I don鈥檛 have any savings. Between the high cost of transportation, black tax and data, it was impossible to keep anything aside. In fact, the very month I received my first 鈧�150k salary, my phone spoiled. I had to get a new phone through a Buy Now, Pay Later platform. For the next four months, I was paying about 鈧�50k/month to complete the payment. That money was supposed to go into my savings, but it went into the phone instead.

Before that, on the 鈧�40k salary, saving was completely out of the question. Even with the wristwatch business, there was no real structure. I spent the money as it came. If someone bought a watch, I鈥檇 immediately use the cash to cover my transport to my main job. 

I鈥檒l admit that I鈥檓 not a big saver. When I really need to keep money away from myself, I have to give it to someone else to hold for me. I used to have a savings app on my phone, but I would always end up going back into the app to withdraw the money. The inconsistency of my income and the sheer cost of things made it hard. Even if you don鈥檛 buy big things like clothes, shoes, or hair, you become an adult, and people start looking up to you. Siblings or family members can just ask for 鈧�3k or 鈧�5k, and as an adult, you have to turn up for them.

Can you break down what your expenses used to look like?

I live in Abuja, and transportation is a major cost. There are frequent price hikes. Sometimes I had to borrow money from my mum to cover expenses before salary day.

Pending when you get another job, what鈥檚 the plan for day-to-day survival?

My family is very supportive. I live with my family, so I don’t have to worry about rent or food. It鈥檚 just adult things like going out with friends that I can鈥檛 afford right now. I鈥檝e even had to ghost most of my friends to avoid the pressure of spending money I don’t have. 

I believe this unemployment is just a phase, though. I鈥檒l keep searching and hoping for the best. I鈥檒l be alright.

Fingers crossed. What would be the ideal monthly income you鈥檇 expect from a new job?

鈧�300k – 鈧�400k

Is there anything you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?

Many things, but mostly the independence of not having to worry about money. I just want to have money for its own sake. I have people who have helped me that I want to be there for, like my mum, but I can鈥檛 afford to do anything for them. It鈥檚 a concern for me.

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

4 or 5, even though I really feel like it鈥檚 a zero. At least, I have a roof over my head. But there are many things I can鈥檛 do because I don鈥檛 have money.

When things finally fall into place, that number should go up to 9 or 10, especially when I am able to make my mum proud and improve the lives of the people around me. For now, I鈥檓 continuously applying for jobs and hoping for better days.

Find all the past Naira Life stories听here.

Here鈥檚 how she turned a hostel balcony hustle into a thriving multi-branch business, survived wild debts, and is navigating the wild reality of the food industry.

This is Kabira鈥檚 story, as told to Boluwatife

I never planned to be a chef. 

If you had told me 10 years ago that I鈥檇 be running a restaurant in Ibadan, I would have laughed. I wanted to study Law. I wanted a good life.

I didn鈥檛 grow up poor. My family was more or less middle-class, and we didn鈥檛 struggle. However, I wanted to be wealthy. I wanted the fancy things in life. I鈥檇 see celebrities with their kids in swimming pools on TV, and ask myself, 鈥淲hy aren鈥檛 we in a pool too?鈥� I鈥檇 watch kids on the KKB show and wonder why I wasn鈥檛 one of them. Why couldn鈥檛 I attend the big schools they talked about on the show?

My parents were civil servants, and I knew that a similar career wouldn鈥檛 give me the life I envisioned. To me, Law was the ticket. It came with respect and a fat bank account.

But when my admission letter to the University of Ibadan (UI) came in for the 2015/2016 session, I was offered a spot in  Education and Religious Studies.

I was devastated, but people told me, 鈥淛ust take it. If you get a first class in 100 level, you can cross to Law.鈥� 

So, I put my head down and read. I got a first-class GPA, but then, my HOD refused to sign me out. Only three people had earned a first-class in the department, and he 鈥渃ouldn鈥檛 let his top students go.鈥� 

I called everyone, pulled strings, and begged, but the man didn’t budge. I was so angry. I retook JAMB and got into UNILAG, but it was the same course of study. Maybe I should鈥檝e taken it as a sign to let things go, but stubborn child that I was, I stayed at UI to fight. 

I tried to switch again in the 200 level, and then in 300 level. Nothing worked. By now, it was 2018. I finally decided to rest my case. Law was not going to happen.

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

Figuring out my life led me to cooking

When my dream of studying law died, I came under internal pressure to figure out my life. I had financial support from home and didn鈥檛 really need money, but I felt like I had to do something.

I started by selling bedsheets. I took a two-month tailoring class during one of our endless strikes, and my parents got me a sewing machine. I鈥檇 buy materials at the market and sew them myself. When school resumed, I鈥檇 drag 40 to 60 bedsheets to the hostels and sell them to freshers for 鈧�3,500 to 鈧�4,000. I loved the money, and I was so proud seeing my bedsheets on the hostel washing lines.

The real shift happened when I joined . They often needed volunteers to make light bites for their events, and I began volunteering to make punch and kebabs. I already liked cooking and sharing with my friends, so making the kebabs came easily to me. AIESEC provided the foodstuff, and I made it for free.听

My kebabs soon became popular with students, and I started making them for campus parties. My 鈥渂rand鈥� name was 鈥淪ticks and Chill.鈥� It was pretty casual. Sometimes I sold to students on weekends, but mostly at parties. The parties themselves weren鈥檛 frequent, so the kebab hustle didn鈥檛 really stick.

By the second semester of 300 level, my dad retired, and my allowance started dwindling. I went from getting money on demand to getting 鈧�5k or 鈧�10k after several days of asking. I became legitimately scared of going broke.

One weekend, after days of being flat-out broke, my dad sent me 鈧�5k as usual, which wasn鈥檛 a lot of money, so I began considering ways to make it last longer. 

I went on my WhatsApp status and asked: 鈥淚f I make stir-fry pasta, would you guys buy?鈥� 

Everyone said yes. 

I watched a YouTube tutorial on how to make stir-fry pasta, then I took the 鈧�5k to the Bodija market, 10 minutes away from campus. I bought a pack of chicken, some pasta, and peppers. I cooked in my hostel room and posted the finished product on WhatsApp. I made six or seven plates at 鈧�1200 each, and I sold out immediately.

The next day, I decided to try again. I borrowed 鈧�3k from my friend, bought three packs of chicken, and sold out again. The business was moving, so I continued the following weekend, and then the next.

At first, I was selling on Saturdays and Sundays. Then I considered the stress of classes and the need for structure in the business, and updated the model to allow people to pre-order during the week and have their food delivered on Sunday. 

Demand grew within weeks. I went from one pack of chicken to three, then five, then ten. Cooking inside the hostel wasn’t allowed, but my three roommates were incredibly accommodating. I lined up kerosene stoves on our balcony to cook. At one point, I was borrowing stoves from friends, lining up four or five, and cooking with all of them at the same time to meet 80 orders every Sunday. 

On Saturday, my friends would help me with meal prep. On Sunday morning, while everyone was in church, I鈥檇 be cooking at the hostel kitchenette. Initially, I did all the deliveries myself, hopping from hall to hall, charging 鈧�300 for delivery, until my keke guy offered to help. 

As soon as I was done cooking, I鈥檇 give him the food and the customer鈥檚 number, and he’d make the deliveries and keep the delivery fee. The business was chaotic, but I somehow saw it through until I graduated in 2020.

The lazy Twitter post that changed everything

I returned home to Lagos around the time COVID hit, hoping to find a 9-to-5. I wanted to carry a laptop and look pretty. I took several online courses, but none interested me. I was living lavishly during lockdown on the money I鈥檇 saved from school, but I didn鈥檛 yet think of cooking as a sustainable business.

In May, after complaining to a friend that I hadn鈥檛 found a job, she told me her parents were out of the country and invited me back to Ibadan. I obsessed over the math. 鈥淚f I sell just one plate of food for 鈧�1,500 a day, I can survive.鈥� 

So, I told my dad I was leaving. He was worried, but he said, “If it gets too tough, just come back home.” That gave me the ultimate confidence. I packed my bags and returned to Ibadan.

For days, I was too lazy to do anything. I bought ingredients and left them in the freezer. One afternoon, I finally forced myself to cook. I was so tired when I finished that instead of packaging it nicely, I just dumped all the pasta into a foil tray, put three pieces of turkey on it, took a picture next to a leaf, and posted it on Twitter with a 鈧�3,500 price tag.

That blew up.

My DMs went wild. People were asking, “Where is this? How much?”

From that day in 2020, I haven’t rested. My Sunday-only hustle turned into a Monday-to-Sunday job.

From a wooden kiosk to a 鈧�40 million duplex

People loved the pasta, but after a while, they started asking for rice. I expanded the menu slowly, adding basmati fried rice, ofada, and dodo.

In 2021, when my friend鈥檚 parents returned to the country, I had enough money to rent my own apartment. But having customers come to my house for pickups felt unsafe and stressful. So I decided to look for a physical space.

I walked into UI to get a spot and found a small wooden kiosk at Zik Hall鈥檚 Black Market. I paid about 鈧�30k in annual rent, cleaned it up, and bought an industrial burner. The school authorities strictly discouraged leaving burners outside, so I kept mine inside and that tiny wooden shack became a literal oven. The heat was unbearable, but I pushed through.

In 2022, I briefly paused operations to attend my three-week NYSC orientation camp, and when I resumed, business boomed immediately. That was when I really accepted that the business was here to stay. Maybe I was actually doing a good job. 

I rented the kiosk next to me, knocked down the wall, and expanded. When my parents saw how much the business had grown, they finally stopped trying to get me a government job. 

At this time, everyone was calling me “Chef Kabs.” It bothered me because I wasn’t officially trained. So, I saved every single naira from the business, and in 2023, I paid nearly 鈧�3 million to attend Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School in Lagos. I commuted back and forth for a year. It was a massive financial risk, but it was worth it. I graduated in 2024 as a certified chef.

When I returned, my old shop felt too small. I wanted more. An agent showed me a five-bedroom duplex with a pool in Ibadan, and I decided to rent and renovate it. The project was supposed to cost about 鈧�12 million, but my architect blew things out of proportion, and the cost slowly ballooned to 鈧�40 million.

I had only about 鈧�10 million in savings and had to take about 鈧�23 million in loans. I still had my store in UI, so I was also pumping every single kobo from my daily sales back into the construction. 

After several trials and tribulations, I finally launched the space in December 2024. The restaurant has been really successful. I made enough to pay off every single loan in six months.

My business today

Today, I run multiple legs of my business: Pasta Xpress by Kabs (the quick-service restaurant), a themed monthly brunch club called Sunday at Kabs, and Kabs Bar (canned mocktails and cocktails). This August, I鈥檓 launching Kabs Diner 鈥� a casual evening spot for wings, burgers, and milkshakes because Ibadan deserves a proper late-night food culture.

The business pays me a comfortable seven-figure monthly income, but it鈥檚 not all roses. Entrepreneurship in Nigeria will test you. Managing labour is a nightmare. I鈥檝e had staff turn off the AC on customers because “they were cold.” I鈥檝e also had to temporarily close my UI branch due to staff diverting funds to their personal accounts.

I鈥檝e made my peace with the loopholes, though. You block one, the staff find another, and you block it again. If someone asks me for advice on starting a business like this, I鈥檇 tell them to think twice. Making money is stressful! 

But on a serious note, I鈥檇 tell them to be very resilient. Don’t measure your progress by how it’s going for somebody else. Just pace yourself, and you will eventually get the hang of it. You can’t expect a one-year-old business to be the same way as a three-year-old or 10-year-old business. It’s really just time.

NEXT READ: A Dress Mishap at 16 Inspired Oluwasewa Akinrimisi to Build a Global Fashion Brand

Interested in talking about how money moves in your relationship? If yes, .

How long have you been with your partner?

Seyi and I have been together since September 2024, so that鈥檚 almost two years.

How did you and Seyi meet?

We were co-workers. He was already working at the company when I resumed in late 2023, but we worked remotely and were in different departments, so we didn鈥檛 cross paths.

Six months after I started working there, the company laid off staff because of a 鈥渞estructuring鈥�, and I was affected. I was devastated, especially because I鈥檇 left my previous role for the job. Seyi was one of the few coworkers who entered our DMs (the other affected employees and me) to sympathise with us. He took it a step further and promised to send me job openings. I didn鈥檛 take him seriously, though. 

I assumed it was just one of those nice things people say to make you feel better, so while I gave him my WhatsApp number for the promised updates, I wasn鈥檛 really expecting him to send anything. But he did. He constantly sent me job vacancies and even helped me revamp my CV.

That鈥檚 so sweet. I gather romance wasn鈥檛 on the horizon yet

Friendship came first. He became the person I ranted to about job applications and interviews. After a while, we realised we had a lot in common. We swapped movie recommendations and song playlists. 

In August 2024, about two months after I was laid off, he invited me to his brother鈥檚 wedding. I remember seeing him at the wedding and thinking, 鈥淭his guy is actually fine o.鈥� Apparently, he thought the same, too. The vibes shifted after that. We stopped communicating on a 鈥渏ust friends鈥� basis and transitioned into a talking stage. 

A month later, he asked me out, and we officially started dating.

Were you still unemployed at this time?

Very unemployed. I got some virtual assistance gigs here and there, but nothing significant. To make matters worse, my rent was up, and I didn鈥檛 have money to pay. I had to endure a few months of squatting with friends all over Lagos because I didn鈥檛 want to return to my parents鈥� house in Ogun State. 

Seyi was very helpful during this period. He was always sending me random 鈧�20k almost every week and said it was 鈥渟o you can focus on job search without worrying鈥�. He essentially bankrolled me. 

I finally got a job in January 2025, but then I had an issue with the friend I was staying with and had to leave. I didn鈥檛 have any money to rent a new place, so I started living with Seyi. It was supposed to be for a few months until I saved enough or got a loan from my siblings to get a new place, but you know how Lagos housing is. Finding a reasonable place that wasn鈥檛 expensive as hell took forever. I just moved out in May this year.

So you cohabited for over a year. What was the financial dynamic like?

Seyi paid for almost everything. My job was on-site for the most part until I resigned early this year to face virtual assistance. That meant I often returned home late, too tired to cook. So, we mostly ordered food, which Seyi paid for. He also handled other expenses, such as fuel and utility bills. 

I assisted in my own way, though. I did the chores, chipped in for fuel sometimes, and bought foodstuff for the few times we cooked. 

Sounds like you both found what worked for you. Was living together all smooth, though?

For the most part, yes. But of course, there was the occasional friction. One thing we often argued about was Seyi鈥檚 tendency to keep the apartment messy. It was almost like he was allergic to picking up after himself. I thought that was wild. How can you be an adult, and someone has to remind you to clean your space? So yeah, we fought quite a lot about that. 

One time, I was so pissed, I left the house, threatening not to return unless he washed the plates. It took him a few days of dragging it out, but he eventually washed them, and I returned.

Another source of friction was his spending habits. Before we started living together, I thought he was simply being generous to me because we were dating. After I moved in, I realised that鈥檚 how he generally spends money. 

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How so?

Seyi is the type to send money to every health fundraiser he sees on Twitter. One time, he went out to buy fuel and returned home with an empty keg. When I asked why he didn鈥檛 buy fuel, he said he鈥檇 given the 鈧�10k to a friend he saw on the way. That was the last 鈧�10k he had at home and abroad. I had to bring out money to buy the fuel.

Besides his need for generosity, he spends a bit carelessly. He can see a shirt he likes and buy it on the spot, forgetting there鈥檚 such a thing as budgeting for the month. If you ask him why, he鈥檒l be like, 鈥淏ut I need this thing. It鈥檚 not like I鈥檒l buy it again tomorrow.鈥� I鈥檓 not sure if he understands the difference between a need and a want. 

He doesn鈥檛 save or plan his money. Once it enters his hand, he spends it freely if a need arises. Overspending is the only word for it. It鈥檚 like he doesn鈥檛 even think of emergencies. It鈥檚 particularly worrying because, since being laid off, I鈥檝e been intentional about my finances. He knows I鈥檓 always talking about savings and investment options, but he doesn鈥檛 seem inclined to change.

Is that a potential dealbreaker for you?

It might be. He鈥檚 perfect in every other area, but I can鈥檛 help thinking finances are important too. Imagine being married and never being at peace because I鈥檓 worried my husband will spend our children鈥檚 school fees or use the rent to buy a new car. 

It鈥檚 one reason I was deliberate about moving out of his place. It would have been easy to stay there, given the opportunity to save even more of my income. But I didn鈥檛 want a situation where I鈥檇 be too relaxed, and if, at any point in the future, I realised our financial differences were too much, I wouldn鈥檛 be able to leave because I was living with him.

So, while I鈥檓 talking to him and hoping he grows up soon, I鈥檓 prepared to leave the relationship if it comes down to it. I don鈥檛 foresee a positive future with an overspender who doesn鈥檛 plan his finances. Hopefully, things change.

What do relationship expenses, such as dates and gifts, look like for you both right now?

Seyi is really good at giving intentional gifts; I鈥檒l give him that. I only need to mention I need something in passing, and he gets it for me. Sometimes, he just notices I might need something and buys it for me. A few weeks ago, I complained about headaches from constant laptop use, and he bought me anti-blue light glasses.

I buy him things he might need, too. I noticed he was constantly wearing one pair of palm slippers, so I spent听鈧�20k to buy him another pair two months ago. We really just gift each other like that.

You mentioned becoming more financially conscious. What does your safety net look like now?

I try to save between 鈧�50k and 鈧�200k monthly, depending on my income. Then I divide it, putting one half into my mutual funds and the other half into my regular savings. Altogether, I have about 鈧�850k in my portfolio.

What鈥檚 the ideal financial future you鈥檇 like for you and Seyi?

I鈥檓 still worried about whether we even have a future. But if things work out, I have a couple of business ideas I鈥檇 like us to try. First on the list is building shortlets across Lagos. That business is a goldmine.

Interested in talking about how money moves in your relationship? If yes, .

*Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

NEXT READ: He Thinks Women Shouldn鈥檛 Work, but I Can Change Him

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

When I was in primary school, my dad unexpectedly pulled me out of public school and enrolled me in a private one. It may have been because he got a new job at a company with a staff school. Also, I think he saw my academic potential. I have five siblings, but I was the only one who switched to private school. Even as a child, I could tell that the school fees were extremely high compared to his salary.

The switch was the first time I realised that some people have significantly more money than others. Suddenly, I was surrounded by rich men鈥檚 children. Their parents drove them to school, and their pocket money was on a completely different level.

What was the financial situation at home?

My dad was a driver, and my mum was a serial entrepreneur who sold everything from pure water and ice blocks to zobo and food. I remember her enterprises sometimes led to small fights because she鈥檇 return home late, and my dad didn鈥檛 like it. He wanted her to be a housewife, but she insisted on having her own money. She hated the idea of a woman having to wait for her husband 鈥渏ust to buy matches.鈥�

We never lacked the basics. My dad was incredibly determined to provide. He was the type to buy a TV at home because I was constantly going to a neighbour鈥檚 house to watch TV. One time, I admired a neighbour’s toy gun, and he bought me a new one days later. I never had to focus on what we had or didn鈥檛 have because my parents provided for us.

When was the first time you did something to earn money?

I was around eight or nine when I started hawking pure water for my mum during weekends and long holidays. I didn鈥檛 have to do it; it just felt like a fun way to make money. 

At the time, my mum sold pure water to people who hawked, so she was like our wholesaler. She would give me a bag of water, then, after selling out, I鈥檇 return the cost price to her and keep 100% of the profit.

I did this on and off until I got to primary five. The “big boy” in me awoke, and I became highly socially conscious. Remember, I was attending a private school with wealthy classmates, and I didn’t want to be known as the street hawker. So, I stopped completely and didn鈥檛 try anything for money again till I got into university in 2012.

Tell me about that

In uni, I started making money from writing. I’ve been writing since I was in primary school. You know, scribbling stories here and there. Then, when I got into the 100 level, I noticed that content was gaining traction in Nigeria, and people were getting on it. 

So, I began applying for random writing gigs, website management, and blogging opportunities. I did much of it for free because I enjoyed it, until people noticed my skill and started randomly paying me. That鈥檚 when I realised there was money in this thing and began to take it seriously.

My first paid gig was managing an entertainment gossip blog. I had to rewrite and post 7 to 10 news stories a day while juggling classes.

How much were you making?

They paid me 鈧�30k a month. After a few months, it went up to 鈧�50k, and eventually capped at 鈧�70k. I wasn鈥檛 writing for just one blog, though. I was constantly applying online and also often got clients via referrals. In a good month, I was easily clearing 鈧�120k – 鈧�200k.

That seems like a decent amount of money for a student in 2012

It was insane. My tuition fee was only 鈧�15k at the time. I lived an incredibly soft life. My dad still insisted on sending me 鈧�1500 every week because he wanted to proudly say he fully trained his child through school without me claiming I had to fend for myself. I took it, but 鈧�1500 barely lasted two days, so my writing entirely funded my lifestyle.

I was so comfortable that I practically took care of two of my friends who were struggling to feed themselves. One of them was my roommate, so I bought all the provisions and foodstuff, and they handled the cooking. For my other friend, I was always buying them food, taking them out, and letting them pick whatever they wanted. 

I was also very big on gadgets in school, changing my phone and laptop every three to six months. So yeah, it鈥檚 safe to say I lived a soft life in school.

Inject it. What about after graduation?

I finished in 2016 and went for NYSC in 2017. Right before leaving for camp, I landed an international client who paid a lump-sum amount of 鈧�1 million for a content development project. That was my very first million.

After the initial lump sum, the contract transitioned into a monthly retainer of around $100 (which fluctuated between 鈧�30k and 鈧�45k after conversion). Alongside that, I had two other local writing gigs paying 鈧�70k and 鈧�60k every month. In total, I was making close to 鈧�200k/month during my service year.

My Place of Primary Assignment was a village school. I never had to touch my 鈧�19,800 NYSC allawee; I saved the whole thing. I even left my NYSC ATM card at home and only saw the credit alerts. I would buy food in bulk, and fellow corps members would come to my house to eat. The school kids often gave foodstuff to other corps members, but they hardly gave me any because, according to them, 鈥淯ncle, you don鈥檛 need it na. You鈥檙e a rich man.鈥� 

I鈥檓 screaming. What did you do with all that saved allawee, though?

I used it to get an apartment because I didn鈥檛 want to return to my parents鈥� place. My dad had rented out one of the rooms in our small room-and-parlour apartment to stay afloat. He鈥檇 done that since I was in secondary school, and the whole family had been squeezed into a single room for years. Whenever I returned home from school, I had to sleep on a student mattress laid on the floor at the foot of my parents’ bed. I didn鈥檛 like the experience at all. 

In 2019, a few months after passing out from NYSC, I gathered my savings of about 鈧�230k, added some money, and rented a mini-flat. The total package was 鈧�575k (including a year’s rent of 鈧�300k plus an extra three months’ upfront payment).

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

Were you still strictly freelancing at this point?

In the same year, I landed a full-time role at a news media company, earning about 鈧�83k/month. After the first year, my salary jumped to around 鈧�183k.

The job forced me to reduce the number of writing gigs I took on since I dedicated most of my time to work. I still took on occasional gigs, though. Then, in 2020, I got an opportunity to work with an international brand as a customer relations and communications person. This job became an additional hustle alongside my 9-to-5, and it paid in Euros based on the number of customers I attended to each month, with a minimum payout of 鈧�100. I didn’t even convert the money initially. I just let it pile up in my domiciliary account and lived entirely on my 9-to-5 salary.

In 2021, I left the media company to join a fintech company as content lead. 

What was the pay like?

Around 鈧�310k/month after deductions. The pay was good, but the work culture was toxic. It got so bad that in 2023, I took a pay cut just to escape. I moved to another company as an account manager, making 鈧�250k/month.

Was the new job better?

It was worse. I lasted only four months there. I still had the Euro-paying gig, and I told myself, 鈥淚鈥檓 making significantly more money from this gig than from toxic 9-to-5 jobs that require me to wake up early and jump buses.鈥� If I put in more time at the gig, I could make more in the comfort of my own home. So, I quit and decided to face freelancing.

Also, to celebrate surviving that corporate madness, I decided to reward myself. Remember the Euro income I hadn’t touched for years? I had about 鈧�3,000 in my domiciliary account. I emptied it and bought a car for 鈧�3.8 million. After the purchase, I was left with 鈧�300k to my name.

Wasn’t that a scary move? Going fully freelance often means an unstable income

I鈥檝e always been a risk-taker when it comes to money. Also, I had this huge confidence in my professional network. I knew that if freelance work ever dried up, it would take only one or two phone calls to secure another job. Fortunately, I haven鈥檛 had to. 

I still earn from the Euro gig to this day, and my income has only increased. I also have another steady freelance income, plus other small gigs that come in from time to time.

Can you break that down?

So, I have two main sources. The first is the Euro gig. The volume fluctuates, but it brings in between 鈧�2,000 and 鈧�2,500 per month. However, the workload became too much for me to handle, so I鈥檝e been building a team over the last two years. I now have about seven freelancers working under me on a graduated scale. After paying them their shares (about 50% to 60% of what we make that month), I net roughly 鈧�1.6 million.

The second source of income is from my old client, who paid me my first million. We reconnected last year for a short three to six-month project, but it became permanent. I handle their communications, PR, and content strategy. It started at $800/month, but we renegotiated to $400/month (about 鈧�570k) since it鈥檚 long-term and continuous.

That鈥檚 over 鈧�2 million monthly

More or less. Some months can be a bit more since my main income isn鈥檛 fixed. I also get random gigs from time to time, which bring in extra income.

Also, you鈥檒l notice that I鈥檓 now converting my income to naira. Now that I鈥檓 wiser, I realise how careless I was with money in the past. The 鈧�3,000 I used to buy my car had just sat in my account for two years, sitting idle and yielding nothing. Looking back, that was a big financial mistake. The money could have been turned into more if I knew what I know now. 

I鈥檝e worked on my financial literacy over the years, and I鈥檓 quite financially conscious now. I make sure that every single dollar or kobo that hits my account is funnelled into investments and assets that generate passive income. My money has to be working for me.

What does this look like in a typical month?

I try to be as frugal with money as possible. 50% – 60% of my income goes to my savings and investments, then I figure out the rest. My relationship with money is highly mature and healthy. I鈥檓 the guy my friends come to when they need financial or investment advice. I don鈥檛 live as large as I can actually live, but I still live a very okay life. 

I鈥檓 curious about this 鈧�850k mortgage. How does it work?

At the end of last year, I signed a contract with a property development company for a house that requires a structured two-year payment plan ending in December 2027. Once I finish paying, I own it completely.

The payment plan is flexible because you don鈥檛 need to pay every month. As long as you pay everything before the scheduled end date, you鈥檙e good. So, instead of hand-delivering 鈧�850k to them every month, my financial strategy is to keep the money in a conservative mutual fund. 

It accrues interest and generates passive income for me each month. Right before the final payment deadline next year, I will liquidate it and pay them off in one single lump sum. I don鈥檛 even know if I鈥檒l move into the house yet; I just wanted the asset.

Interesting. What does the rest of your investment portfolio look like?

It鈥檚 pretty broad. To break it down:

I also heavily invested in agriculture and land banking between 2025 and early 2026. I bought three separate one-acre plots of land managed by different agricultural companies: a palm oil plantation (cost me 鈧�4 million), a cassava farm (鈧�3 million), and a plantain farm (鈧�3.5 million). 

The cassava and plantain will yield produce by next harvest season, while the palm oil is a long-term play that won’t earn until five years from now. I also bought a 鈧�12 million plot of land in Ogun State, where I plan to build, and a 鈧�3 million plot in Ibadan strictly for land banking. I bought both in 2024.

What is the ultimate goal for all these assets?

I want to build generational wealth. There wasn鈥檛 exactly anything wrong with my childhood, but I always wanted more. Coming from a poor background and being around rich kids all day highlighted the fact that, as much as I had the basics, there were also a lot of things that I didn鈥檛 have. I don’t want anybody coming after me to feel that way.

Also, I want to have enough passive income so I don鈥檛 have to work in retirement. I would love to retire between the ages of 45 and 50. By then, I hope to have a portfolio worth millions of dollars.

Have you considered what you need to do to get there?

I don鈥檛 want to worry too much about that. Maybe it鈥檚 because I鈥檝e freelanced for so long, but my approach to life recently has been just winging it.

I’ve realised that worrying so much about how you want to get things done isn’t really necessary. What scares me the most is how you know you can keep hustling in life, and in the blink of an eye, everything is gone. One could fall sick, die, or anything could happen. Life is fragile. 

So while I have big targets, I鈥檓 mostly winging it day by day. I don鈥檛 stress over career milestones or the 鈥渘ext big thing鈥� anymore. I focus heavily on the present. Even the generational wealth I鈥檓 chasing is not for me. I just want to lay the foundation for those who come after me.

Is there anything you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?

A second passport. We all know how terrible Nigeria鈥檚 passport has gotten. I want to be able to travel and see the world freely without worrying about access and budgets or anything really.

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

鈧�10 million. I mean, my gross income sometimes gets around there, but then I have to pay my team鈥檚 salaries. There鈥檚 so much I鈥檇 be able to do if I can steadily net 鈧�10 million monthly.

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

5. I feel like there鈥檚 so much more I should be doing. I made a lot of terrible financial decisions when I was younger. If I had started my investment journey much earlier, I would be way ahead of where I am today.

Out of curiosity, do you see yourself freelancing for much longer?

Freelancing has been incredibly good to me, and unlike many others, I have never experienced a dry spell. But I know it won’t be sustainable forever, and I think it鈥檚 part of the reason why I鈥檓 saving up and investing the way I am. 

I don鈥檛 see myself freelancing forever, but I want to build a portfolio that can sustain me forever without having to actively work. I鈥檓 certain I never want to return to the 9-to-5 life, though. Waking up daily to grind at an office desk feels like a meaningless way to exist. We鈥檙e born to do much more than just go to the office every day and toil away.

Find all the past Naira Life stories听here.

What is your earliest memory of money?

When I was about five or six years old, my parents had just separated, and I was living with my mother. 

I remember her coming home with crisp stacks of 鈧�200 notes. It was a big deal because the 鈧�200 denomination had just been released. That was my very first memory of money, but the most impactful one happened when I was 9.

My mum randomly announced that my sister and I had to start taking public transport to and from school. Before then, we took the school bus or went with friends. My mum explained that, since she only had one car, she had to drive to work and simply couldn’t afford a driver or the school bus.

My mum was raising three kids by herself, but up until then, I never felt we were lacking anything. It was the first time I realised that you need money in life.

Do you remember what life was like before your parents separated?

They separated when I was five years old, so I don鈥檛 remember much, but I know we had a few more things. 

I have pictures of my summer vacations abroad, and I imagine we lived better, but I really didn鈥檛 feel much of a difference. My dad was a businessman and had more money than my mum, who was a civil servant. 

My mum was incredible, though. She sheltered us and made sure we never suffered.  We wore great clothes, had toys, and packed lunches for school. When she travelled for work, she would take catalogues from different stores and ask us to circle the things we wanted. Then she鈥檇 buy them. I don鈥檛 know how she managed to provide for us, but she did. 

Things changed again when I was 10.

What happened?

My siblings and I went to live with my dad. I didn鈥檛 know why at the time, but apparently, he argued that he would give us a better education. My mum was facing civil service housing restructuring and couldn鈥檛 get subsidised housing, so she agreed. One holiday, we went to visit him, and we just never moved back.

Financially, it was a massive upward shift. We moved from a semi-government missionary school to an elite private school in Lagos with an American curriculum. My peers were the children of governors, politicians, and captains of industry. They were definitely more 鈥渁jebutter鈥� than I was. 

My dad was rich, but he ensured we did our chores and ran errands. Many of my classmates didn’t even know how to take an okada or go to the market to blend pepper. The exposure I got from living with my dad, coupled with noticing how sheltered my classmates were, led me to the first thing I did for money in secondary school.

Tell me about it

My friend and I bought packs of gum and sweets to resell in school. In the market, a piece could cost 鈧�5, and we鈥檇 sell it for 鈧�20 or 鈧�30. The profit margins were insane. My classmates had no idea since they didn鈥檛 even know the actual price. 

Interestingly, I didn’t need the money. I got a weekly allowance plus school lunch, so my friend and I spent the extra cash on stuff like lip gloss, CDs and imported snacks. We did this 鈥渂usiness鈥� on and off throughout secondary school. It was lowkey, though; the school frowned on it.

I graduated from secondary school in 2011 and moved to the Middle East for university.

What was life at uni like?

Some of my half-siblings were already in the country, so settling in wasn鈥檛 difficult. My dad paid my tuition, and my stepmum stocked us up on dry goods and groceries at the start of every semester. My monthly pocket money was about 鈧�40,000 (after conversion from the local currency), which was enough, since everything else was covered. 

However, though I didn’t need to work, I tried my hand at a wild number of hustles in uni. The first one was in my second year when I had a stint selling fabrics.

How did that happen?

We were planning a cultural show at the university, and the African students were looking for traditional textiles. I knew the big markets because I鈥檇 visited them once with my mum. So, I found a dealer who sold Ankara and lace, made bulk purchases, and resold them to other students at a markup.

Around the same time, I started mixing my own body butters and soaps. My skin looked great, people noticed, and I turned it into a small dorm-room business, making about $140 a month. I did that on and off in my second year.

Not bad

I didn鈥檛 stop there. I also got heavily into wigs and hair extensions. I watched YouTubers buy hair directly from China via AliExpress. I ordered some, coloured it and made a custom unit for myself. An Ethiopian girl on campus loved it and asked if I could do her sew-in weave. I had never done one in my life, but I knew how to sew. It took me six hours, but it came out beautifully.

Soon, I was charging around $30 per style for weaves and crochet hair. I also started selling high-quality human hair extensions. I would source the hair for $200 and sell it to them for $450 to $500. I did that throughout my time in uni, and even for some time after. 

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

It sounds like you were flush with cash

I was working multiple angles. In my final year, I dropped my course load to three classes per semester and picked up two on-campus jobs, earning an extra $330 per month. 

I even took an unpaid off-campus editorial role at an international magazine, trying to position myself for a corporate path after switching from a technical major to a social sciences major.

I went hard because I desperately wanted to ensure that when I graduated, I wouldn’t have to look to my parents for financial support. 

I get it. When did you graduate?

2016. I landed a graduate trainee role at an insurance company about a month after. My salary was equivalent to $1,200/month. I didn鈥檛 pay rent because I lived with my sister, so it was enough for transport, groceries, and going out. But I only stayed at the job for three months.

Why only three months?

There were four trainees: two guys and two girls. A male peer and I were the top performers. When it came time to offer full-time positions, management approached him first with a low offer, which he rejected to pursue his master’s degree.

A week later, they offered me the role at an even lower salary. I felt completely insulted and quit on the spot. It was a terrible financial decision in hindsight. I ended up without a stable, full-time job for nearly three years.

How did you survive those three years?

I entered the freelance trenches. I picked up photography skills from my campus job and started shooting weddings, portraits, and events. I charged about $200 per hour. Some months, I made $800 to $1,000. In one exceptional month, I made $8,000 because I shot gigs back-to-back. I also did some border-buying, shipping fabrics to a friend who ran a fashion line in the US. I did a lot of odd jobs, really.

In late 2017, my sister woke me up one morning and told me, “You have to start paying your half of the rent.” 

Our rent was about $1,000 a month. It was the tough love I needed. I pivoted to social media consulting for brands and restaurants to secure repeatable, monthly retainers. In early 2018, my sister and I launched a social media consultancy.

Did the agency stabilise things?

It was going well until clients started defaulting on payments. At one point, we were being owed about $11,000. Entrepreneurship is truly the ghetto. Then, in mid-2018, my dad passed away.

I鈥檓 so sorry for your loss

Thank you. I was grieving, exhausted, and emotionally drained. I was already in Nigeria when he passed, and I figured I could just stay here and live in his house rent-free. 

So, after the burial, I temporarily returned abroad to officially wrap up the agency with my sister, and then in August 2018, I moved back to Lagos.

What was the transition back to Lagos like?

It felt like a soft landing initially. My stepmum and family got me a car. They also wanted me to work at the family printing factory, but I refused. I was a creative marketing person; I couldn’t picture myself working in a factory.

Social media marketing was booming, so I went on Twitter, found an opening, went through a few interviews, and got a job by October. The salary was 鈧�150k/month.

I quickly realised that 鈧�150k in Lagos was hardly enough for anything. Before my car was fully sorted, I was spending 鈧�5,000 per trip on cab rides from the mainland to the island, which drained my finances.  Even without paying rent, my salary evaporated 鈥� a full tank of fuel was roughly 鈧�8,000 a week. 

I was still trying to shop on ASOS and go out for brunch with my international mindset, and I was actively dipping into the $5,000 savings I brought back from the Middle East. 

By December, I went to my family’s company and pitched a remote marketing strategy role to help them expand a product. They agreed and paid me an additional 鈧�150k. Now I was making 鈧�300k/month, but it still wasn’t cutting it. I wanted my own apartment, and Lagos was aggressively draining my mental health. I hated waking up at 5 a.m., battling traffic, and sleeping in my car before the office opened. On top of that, political shifts in 2019 made me feel like I was wasting my life.

Because of my residency status in the Middle East, I had to return to the country every six months to keep my visa active. In March 2019, completely fed up with Lagos wahala, I bought a one-way ticket and flew back to the Middle East with no concrete plan.

You japada鈥檇

Yes. I squatted with a friend for two months until my sister’s lease ended and we could get a place together again. I jumped back into freelance photography and social media consulting until July 2019, when I landed a full-time marketing manager role at a high-end jewellery startup.

They paid me about $2,700/month. My benefits didn’t include health insurance, but the workplace was flexible, and it was a livable wage. I figured I could finally scale my corporate career across multiple markets.

Then 2020 and COVID-19 hit.

That doesn鈥檛 sound good

The startup relied heavily on luxury, in-person events. We didn’t have an e-commerce website when the lockdowns happened, so we completely missed the online shopping wave. My salary was cut down by 20%.

To pivot, I launched an international e-commerce coaching business in May 2020. I landed three long-term clients in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, charging them $300 a month to manage their Shopify stores and emails. By August 2020, that had become my primary source of income because the jewellery startup had folded.

I spent most of 2021 freelancing, managing Shopify stores, and handling product photography for restaurants and beauty brands. I was averaging at least $2,700/month, sometimes hitting $4,000. But the inconsistent income gave me severe anxiety. I wanted a predictable corporate routine where I could just focus on one thing.

In August 2021, a beauty founder hired me to launch a short-term campaign. We got along so well that she threw me an incredible opportunity: a recommendation for a six-month project management contract for an international exhibition.

Love it. What was the pay like?

The client was from Nigeria, so they paid me a flat 鈧�8 million. The project was fantastic. It gave me on-site staff accommodation, a massive CV boost, and the opportunity to network globally. 

I still kept my freelance retainers on the side, too. In December, I photographed a single weekend event and was paid $2000 for a day and a half’s work. I felt like I was finally on the right path.

Then, right after Boxing Day, I fell ill. I spent five days in the hospital, unable to even open my eyes without experiencing severe nausea. Because of visa bans on Nigerians at the time, I couldn’t even tell my mother or stepmum, since they wouldn’t have been able to fly in to see me.

Lying in that hospital bed, terrified, I had an epiphany: I absolutely cannot die in a foreign country. My apartment lease was up in May 2023, so I packed up my life and moved back to Nigeria for good.

What did you do when you landed back in Nigeria?

I went right back into freelance consulting and media production, but the financial instability returned. I billed a company 鈧�2.5 million/month for a marketing consulting gig, but they only paid me for two months and stiffed me on the rest. I did production projects that brought in between 鈧�1.5 million and 鈧�3 million, but the gaps between checks were too wide.

By April 2025, I was effectively broke. I was living on my own, and inflation was aggressively wiping out the value of money. I remember going to Abuja for a corporate pitch with a communications agency and hearing people tossing around figures in the hundreds of millions. While I was there, with literally only 鈧�20k left to my name because clients hadn’t cleared my invoices, and I鈥檇 just paid for a 10-day vacation to Kenya.

I told myself my life had to change. I had extensive international experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; I needed to stop chasing local gigs and instead target structured corporate roles that are open to remote African professionals. I went on vacation to clear my head, returned home and went hard on job applications.

In June 2025, I landed my current full-time job.

I rate the energy. What鈥檚 your current role?

I am an operations manager at an international civic research and intelligence firm.

When I first started in July last year, my take-home pay was roughly 鈧�2.6 million net. There was a recent salary adjustment, and I now earn a little over 鈧�3 million net a month. It is a fully remote 9-to-5 position, and I have completely stopped taking outside consulting. I鈥檓 simply too exhausted.

What kind of lifestyle does 鈧�3 million a month afford you?

It honestly doesn’t afford me the flexibility you would think. I am incredibly grateful for the role, especially because the corporate health insurance is so comprehensive that it fully covered 鈧�6 million in medical treatments for my ongoing health issues this past year.

But even though I earn significantly more than the average person, I feel a distinct lack of disposable income. I share a large house and split the 鈧�5 million annual rent with my sister, which heavily subsidises my costs, but the baseline expense of just existing in Nigeria right now is staggering.

I dumped my bank statements into an AI tool this past April because I was tired of feeling broke before payday. My fixed lifestyle costs eat up nearly 鈧�900,000 a month before I even buy groceries.

Can you break down your monthly expenses?

That brings my baseline operational spending to around 鈧�1.5 million a month. Recently, I鈥檝e been trying to be more budget-conscious and more intentional about saving.

What do your savings currently look like?

Right now, it鈥檚 just 鈧�300k. I completely wiped out my savings over the last few months. It was my 31st birthday recently, and because I had never thrown a party for myself, I blew 鈧�2.3 million celebrating. Then in June, my younger sister graduated from university, and I emptied the remaining buffer to give her a substantial cash gift.

But starting this month, my savings strategy is incredibly strict: I am locking away at least 鈧�1.6 million from my salary each month.

I am saving for a major financial milestone. I find Lagos completely unlivable (and overly expensive), so I am planning to move to Abuja permanently next year. Because my sister is staying back, I will be taking on rent and furnishing entirely on my own. Between paying a year’s rent upfront, physically moving my car and belongings up north, and buying basic appliances like air conditioners, the entire move will cost me roughly 鈧�12 million. Every single kobo I save right now is entirely dedicated to that goal.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

It honestly feels deeply embarrassing. I acknowledge my immense privilege, but there鈥檚 an uncomfortable gap between what I feel my hard work should afford me and what it actually buys.

My peer group is constantly planning summer vacations abroad. My stepmum travels to London for routine medical checkups. My younger brother just bought his first house. Meanwhile, I recently had to turn down a weekend trip to Ibadan with friends because a 鈧�60k – 鈧�100k overnight hotel bill simply didn’t fit into my budget. My friend offered to pay, but I was ashamed that I couldn鈥檛 afford that on my own.

I am 31, single, and navigating my future entirely on my own. If I want marriage or children, I need to build a firm financial foundation because I refuse to walk into a partnership empty-handed. It is frustrating that even on a 鈧�3 million salary, I can’t consider a 鈧�500,000 wig or a quick trip abroad without realising it will actively jeopardise my plans to move. There is nothing left to cut from my expenses, so the only solution left is to figure out how to earn more.

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

I actually don鈥檛 have a number. I don鈥檛 feel the need to be a billionaire, but I want to live a good life without worrying. I need to have more disposable income. My expenses shouldn鈥檛 exceed 30% of my income, but I鈥檓 at 50%, which is really troubling.

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

7. Logically, it feels like it should be a 2. But I chose a 7 because I am naturally a very content person and profoundly grateful to God.

I鈥檓 no longer fighting for my survival, scrambling for basic gigs, or panicking about how to keep my head above water. I am financially stable, and I know I have the skills to build wealth. I just need to figure out how to reach the next level without breaking my peace.

Find all the past Naira Life stories听here.

Interested in talking about how money moves in your relationship?听If yes,听.

How long have you been with your partner?

David and I started dating around the end of January, so we鈥檝e been together for about five months.

How did you meet?

We met at my office in 2025. He鈥檚 a major supplier of electronic gadgets and occasionally does business with my boss. He started asking me out since the first time we met. 

He was always telling me he liked me, asking for my number so we could 鈥済et to know each other鈥� every time he came to our office. He鈥檇 also drop cash, sometimes up to 鈧�50k, for me and my two female colleagues to 鈥渄o weekend.鈥� 

I didn鈥檛 take him seriously at first. Maybe it was because of how quickly he came on to me. I just assumed he was the kind of man who loved to chase women. The constant spending didn鈥檛 help either. It felt like he liked trying to impress women, and I was definitely not impressed.

What changed your mind?

After months of his pestering, my colleague noticed and convinced me to give him a chance. We went to the cinema, then went to his house after the movie, and he ordered food. 

When the food came, he dished it out and served me. That seems like a small detail, but I thought it was sweet. I鈥檝e dated men who expected me to cook for them the first time I visited, but David served me and did the dishes after. He didn鈥檛 allow me to lift a finger. I felt valued. 

We talked regularly after that, and I enjoyed his company. He was also very intentional. He鈥檇 randomly order food to the office for me. One time, he sent me 鈧�5k airtime because, according to him, I wasn鈥檛 calling him enough and he always wanted to hear my voice. I鈥檓 not even sure exactly when we transitioned to dating. We just went from me doing shakara to constantly talking and then calling each other cute pet names.

So, what has five-ish months of dating been like?

It鈥檚 been really interesting. Being with David has helped me become a better version of myself. I used to be really quick to judge people and lose my temper, but he鈥檚 teaching me the importance of patience.

He鈥檚 also really generous. I used to be dependent on loan apps, because to be honest, a 鈧�120k salary in Lagos is nothing. But I can鈥檛 remember the last time I had to take a loan because he鈥檚 randomly sending me money. In a month, I get up to 鈧�100k from him. For someone like me, who struggles to ask their partner for money, it鈥檚 like living in a dream. 

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

Is it safe to assume you鈥檙e both transparent with your finances?

Well, he knows how much I earn because I told him 鈥� it came up when I was complaining to him about being broke 鈥� but I don鈥檛 have a clear sense of his finances. I know he clearly has money, but that鈥檚 about it. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 a big deal, though. I can鈥檛 be asking him how much he has or anything like that.

What kind of money conversations do you and David have?

It鈥檚 mostly him helping my life, haha. Though recently, we鈥檝e been talking, more like arguing, about how an ideal marriage should run.

We were discussing a movie we saw together when David revealed that he doesn鈥檛 believe married women should work. I thought he was joking, but he was really serious about it, saying stuff like, 鈥淕od forbid my wife will work for anyone.鈥� And he didn鈥檛 even limit it to office work. Whether it鈥檚 running a business or working in an office, he said he doesn鈥檛 want either.

I don鈥檛 share the same sentiment. I can鈥檛 imagine not working and depending completely on my husband to buy ordinary pads. We had a long argument about it before I dropped it, so that peace could reign. I鈥檝e brought the matter up a few more times since then, but he still stands firmly on his stance.

Did he say why he鈥檚 against married women working?

He gave several reasons which don鈥檛 make sense. He said women who work are more likely to cheat because they鈥檙e always meeting men. When I pointed out that he wouldn鈥檛 have met me if I weren鈥檛 working, he said I was proving his point. That what would stop other men from chasing me too? No matter how many times I said that a man chasing a woman doesn鈥檛 mean she鈥檒l accept the advances, he refused to change his belief.

He also says he鈥檚 a traditional man who believes in providing for his woman. When I argued that taking care of a woman doesn鈥檛 mean she shouldn鈥檛 work, he was like, 鈥淗ow much is your salary sef? I can pay you double, What do you need work for?鈥�

Another one of his claims is that working women don鈥檛 respect their husbands. I pointed out that I already respect him, but he painted a scenario of how wives use stress from work as an excuse not to want to cook or have sex with their husbands. It鈥檚 like every argument I bring, he鈥檚 ready with a counterargument.

Hmmm. Is his stance against work a deal-breaker for you?

I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 something I really want to change. I don鈥檛 want to marry someone who shares this belief because I know how important financial independence is for every woman. My aunt saw shege in her marriage because of this same issue. The only difference was that her husband wasn鈥檛 rich, but he still didn鈥檛 want her to work. I don鈥檛 want to suffer like that.

On the other hand, I love David. I think, with time, I can show him that he doesn鈥檛 need to worry about me changing or stressing him after marriage. So, it would be a deal-breaker for me if, after more time together, he still has this mindset. But I think I can change him. 

I know that statement is problematic. Can someone really change a man? Sometimes I wonder if I should just cut my losses and move on from the relationship. But I think I should at least try, right? I鈥檒l just need to be wise about it and try to gradually change his mindset.

All the best. How do dating expenses like dates and gifts work in your relationship?

David isn鈥檛 the going-on-dates type, and the gifts are mostly monetary. For Valentine鈥檚 Day, he bought me a wig and some clothes. I gifted him my presence, haha. Now that I think about it, I haven鈥檛 bought him a gift yet. I should do better.

Do you both have financial safety nets?

I only just started regularly saving last month. Right now, I have just 鈧�50k saved. I鈥檓 not sure if David has savings, but I expect he should.

What鈥檚 the ideal financial future you鈥檇 like for you and David?

I鈥檇 like for both of us to co-own a successful chain of businesses one day. Of course, I鈥檇 have to get him to agree to allowing me to work first for that to happen.

Interested in talking about how money moves in your relationship? If yes, .

*Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

NEXT READ:听My Mother-in-Law Is a Financial Burden, but I Can鈥檛 Admit It

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

When I was in Primary 3 or 4, my sister proposed that we sell knitted purses. I knew how to knit; she didn鈥檛. So the idea was that I would bring my skill, and she would bring the financial resources. After sales, we would split the profit. 

I can鈥檛 remember how much she 鈥渋nvested,鈥� but the materials wouldn鈥檛 have cost much. I knitted small purses, and we sold them to our friends for 鈧�30, 鈧�50, or 鈧�100, depending on the size.

We ran the business for about three to six months until people started buying on credit. They鈥檇 say, “I鈥檒l buy now and pay when I collect snacks money from my mummy.” Then they鈥檇 pay 鈧�5 today and 鈧�10 tomorrow. The money was scattered, and we couldn’t keep track of it, so the business folded.

Do you remember what you did with the money?

I think we saved most of it. We didn’t do the business to survive; we just wanted the thrill of having our own money. 

At the time, we were financially comfortable at home. My dad worked in Cotonou, where he made money from supplying baking flour to companies, while my mum coordinated ajo (daily savings contributions) for market people. I wasn鈥檛 born with a silver spoon, but we weren鈥檛 struggling. At least, until things changed.

What happened?

You know how it goes: one bad business move or decision sends everything crashing down. My dad’s business collapsed. They tried to manage the situation for the first four or five years, so we kids didn鈥檛 really notice, but it became overwhelming.

The first shift was that my siblings and I had to change schools. By 2013, I had completed SS 2 in Lagos, but things were so tight that my parents couldn’t afford my WAEC fees. I was sent to live with my uncle in Abuja to finish secondary school. Nobody told me that I鈥檇 have to repeat a class, but I had to take SS 2 all over again.

How was Abuja?

It was a toxic environment. I grew up in a soft home where I wasn’t hit or unnecessarily shouted at. On the day I wrote my WAEC Mathematics exam, my uncle’s wife deliberately didn’t drive me to school until 11:30 a.m., even though the exam started at 9:30 a.m. I barely had time to write anything.

Unsurprisingly, I got an F9 in Maths. I didn’t even stay to write NECO; I just left and returned to Lagos in 2015. I ended up spending eight years in secondary school due to situations beyond my control. My mum still regrets making me go to Abuja to this day.

What did you meet when you returned to Lagos?

My parents had already made the hard decision to relocate back to our village in the East. It was just my younger sister and brother left in the house, wrapping up the final stages of the move. 

My sister was working at an eatery in a car park to raise money. Eatery is even a stretch; the owner just sold food there. Anyway, I joined my sister immediately because we needed to survive.

What was the job like?

We would go into the car park in the morning to scout for customers, take their food orders, bring them their food, and do the accounting at the end of the day. 

My daily pay was 鈧�500. My sister earned 鈧�1,000 a day because the owner had a past relationship with our mum and wanted to give back. We worked Monday to Saturday, and the eatery covered our breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We did that for about two months before joining our parents in the East.

What was the situation like back in the village?

Things actually picked up a bit after we joined our parents. My dad travelled to the North with his cousin for business, and my mum started a new trade. 

Since I had to rewrite WAEC in 2016, I didn’t get university admission immediately. I opted for a polytechnic instead, starting my National Diploma (ND) in January 2017.

How were you surviving financially in school?

My parents handled my major expenses like rent and foodstuff, and I could always call home whenever I needed money. 

Also, whenever I went home during school holidays, I supported them by working on the farm. I鈥檓 selectively lazy, but I knew if I didn’t help, there would be no foodstuff to take back to school. We also had fruit trees in our compound, and sometimes I鈥檇 pluck and sell the fruit to buyers for extra money. 

I survived like that till I graduated from the polytechnic in November 2018.

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What came next?

I returned to Lagos in April 2019. The plan was to do my one-year IT, then go back to school for my HND. But I couldn’t get a job; I only got offered salesgirl roles that paid  鈧�20k/month in Computer Village. My sister, with whom I was living, insisted I shouldn’t take anything less than 鈧�25k.

So, I stayed unemployed throughout 2019. I survived on random cash gifts from friends who would call to check on me and ask for my account number. My sister was also working, so I didn’t feel the full weight, but there鈥檚 really nothing like having your own income.

I get it. When did you finally get your own?

In January 2020, I got a job at a travel agency in Computer Village. It was an office-standard, Monday-to-Friday role. The base pay was 鈧�25k/month. I was just happy to leave the house. My job description was basically to open the office daily, keep the space tidy and route customer inquiries to my boss.

Then COVID hit, and the travel industry took a massive blow. People weren鈥檛 buying tickets or going anywhere. The first month of lockdown, I got a 50% salary cut. The second month, I was only paid 40%. By August, my boss told me to take the month off without pay while she figured out what to do with the business.

Did she bring you back?

Yes, at the end of August, she asked if I鈥檇 like to come to our Ikoyi office and learn graphic design so I could manage the company’s social media. I agreed.

She kept my official salary at 鈧�25k but started giving me an extra 鈧�20k mid-month, bringing it to 鈧�45k. Then, in January 2021, I started shuttling between the Ikoyi and Ikeja offices on the same 鈧�45k/month. I did that until I left in October 2022. 

Looking back, I really suffered. I don’t know how I survived transport and bills in Lagos on 鈧�45k. Surprisingly, I was still able to save regularly from that income. 

Really?

Even when I was earning 鈧�25k, I saved 鈧�5k every month. When my salary increased to 鈧�45k, I automated my savings and put away 鈧�2,500 every week.

At one point, I noticed my account wouldn’t always have money on the exact day of the automated debit, meaning I was missing my targets. So I changed strategy: I鈥檇 count the number of Mondays in that month, multiply it by 鈧�2,500, and do a bulk manual transfer the moment my salary dropped. I saved 鈧�10k or 鈧�12,500 monthly for a full year. 

I never missed my savings. Keep in mind that my sister and I were also splitting rent and utilities at home without any issues.

Were you saving towards a specific goal?

I just never wanted to be at anyone鈥檚 mercy again. I saw what dependency did to my parents, and I remembered being stuck in Abuja repeating a class. 

I told myself that if I ever have a 鈧�500k emergency, it’s better that I have 鈧�300k down and look for 鈧�200k, rather than looking for the whole 鈧�500k from scratch. I just needed a financial backup.

Let鈥檚 get back to your job. You mentioned leaving in 2022

Yes. The job became toxic. My boss often acted as if paying salaries was a favour to her staff. There was no HMO or 13th month. At the end of the year, she鈥檇 give two people a half bag of rice to share and act like she had fed you for the whole year.

When I decided to resign and didn鈥檛 go to work that day, she sent a query suspending me for two weeks without pay. I just zeroed my mind that I wouldn’t get paid for that month, but she surprisingly sent 75% of my salary. I got a new job about a month later in December 2022. I still work there today.

What was the new job?

I work at an IT support company. I started as a sales and inventory officer on a 鈧�50k/month salary, plus random credit alerts from profit-sharing bonuses.

In September 2023, there was an opening for an accountant, and my boss just put me there. I don’t have a degree in accounting 鈥� my ND is in Public Admin 鈥� but I鈥檓 very good with figures. I learned the actual accounting processes on the job. The role change pushed my salary up to about 鈧�120k. It’s increased again since then, and I currently earn 鈧�200k/month.

You moved from 鈧�45k to 鈧�200k in about three years. How does that feel?

Well, it鈥檚 a big relief, but you know how money works. The more your income increases, the more your expenses widen, like your village people are using it against you.

For one, I went back to school. I鈥檓 currently in 300-level, self-funding my degree at the National Open University (NOUN). I also pay rent and occasionally send money to my younger siblings. Even though they earn more than I do now, they are still my younger siblings.

Because of this, my salary is not my only source of income. It can鈥檛 be. I鈥檝e had my hands in several side hustles since I was earning 鈧�45k. Maybe that鈥檚 how I was even able to survive. But it鈥檚 great that I earn more now, so even in the months I can鈥檛 get extra, I can still manage.

Tell me about these side hustles

I do anything that brings money. Anywhere belle face na front o. For one, I book flight tickets. I started this while working at the travel company, making a little extra cash from independently helping some clients book tickets. Sometimes I can make as much as 鈧�60k on one ticket.

It鈥檚 not a regular income source, though. For instance, I鈥檝e only done about four international tickets this year. There’s a particular middleman who brings requests to me, and from those deals alone, I鈥檝e made roughly 鈧�200k to 鈧�250k this year.

Secondly, I do Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registrations for people. I also picked that up from work. I charge about 鈧�20k for business names and 鈧�40k for company registrations. CAC gigs have been slow this year; I’ve done only two.

Also, I do graphic design occasionally, and recently, I started a one-on-one investment consulting service. I鈥檓 very big on investments and regularly post about it on my WhatsApp status. People used to reach out for free tips, but this year, I stopped doing freebies. I now charge 鈧�10k. 

There鈥檚 no particular window for how long the 鈧�10k lasts sha. Sometimes, when I鈥檓 bored, I tell them the 鈧�10k has expired, and they need to renew it. But I try to offer support for at least six months. I鈥檝e had three paying clients this year. I also do other random things, like helping people source items for a quick fee. Anything really.

That鈥檚 a sizeable number of side hustles

My job gives me the freedom to run them. It鈥檚 why I鈥檓 not exactly eager to change jobs. My income from side hustles isn鈥檛 regular; sometimes they only come in when I really need extra cash, but they actually sustain my lifestyle. I don’t like dipping into my core salary or savings for enjoyment. So, I just use them to supplement until my next payday.

You mentioned being big on investments. What does your portfolio look like?

I have a very structured investment framework across stocks, equity funds and mutual funds. The heavy lifter is an informal investment with a woman in the East who runs an upscale gas business. My mum knows a lot of corporate savings and market investment people, so when I had a spare lump sum of 鈧�100k in October 2024 that I didn’t want to mix with my regular savings, she connected me to this woman.

The arrangement is a fixed 5% monthly return, and she holds the capital unless I give a one-month notice to liquidate. My ROI continues as long as my money is with her. I started with 鈧�100k and got 鈧�5k that first November. When I noticed she was paying promptly, I kept adding every extra bulk cash I made from my side businesses. 

Right now, I have 鈧�1.1 million with her, which brings in 鈧�55k every single month. If I top it up to 鈧�1.2 million this month, my ROI becomes 鈧�60k next month.

I鈥檓 curious. Is there any legal structure around this? Like, if you ever need to prove your money is with her

No. There are no documents or anything like that. I don’t even know her in person. If I ran into her, I wouldn’t recognise her. All communication happens through my mum. I know it鈥檚 risky, but she has been consistent for almost two years. 

I liquidated half of my investment with her last year, and she paid without issues. I just decided to continue because my ROI has been steady and the money is practically working for me. Last December, she even sent gifts and extra cash to my mum and me. As long as we鈥檙e both alive, aluta continua.

Also, the monthly ROI is what I put into my other investment channels. Once I get it, I spread it across my stocks and funds.

What do those portfolios look like now?

I have about 鈧�150k 鈥� 鈧�200k in stocks and close to 鈧�400k in mutual and equity funds. The stock market and equity funds took a massive dip recently, so everything is currently in the red. If we had this conversation two months ago, my portfolio would have been around 鈧�600k, excluding the gas business. But as a smart investor, I’m not panicking; we buy the dip. The only stable one is the mutual fund because the rates are fixed.

Let鈥檚 break down your typical monthly expenses

This savings figure is separate from my investment portfolio. It鈥檚 strictly an emergency backup. Currently, I have 鈧�258,600 sitting there.

I don鈥檛 have a fixed amount for food or household bills because it really depends on my needs or how I split the bills with my sister. Right now, my sister isn鈥檛 around, so I don’t buy foodstuff in bulk. I just buy cooked meals or shawarma on the go.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

I鈥檓 incredibly tight with money. I鈥檓 unapologetically frugal because I refuse to ever be broke or at anyone’s mercy again.

I don’t spend on unnecessary things. I won’t upgrade my phone just because I feel like it; there must be a major reason, like the screen breaking four times or the upgrade directly increasing my chances of earning more money.

This year, I鈥檓 trying to be a little more open with spending on myself, but there鈥檚 still a limit I can allow. I鈥檒l only spend randomly if someone gifts me money. Little money excites me. If you gift me 鈧�20k today, it鈥檚 a big deal because it means I don’t have to touch my own money. I read Naira Life stories of girls my age who have money in real estate, bonds, and gold, earning millions in dividends. That is my ultimate goal. If being heavily frugal is the price I have to pay to get there, I will pay it.

Do you think your attitude to money somewhat ties back to your family’s financial crash?

To an extent, yes. But it鈥檚 also just my innate personality. My younger siblings went through the same thing, but they are way more carefree with money. I am the family bank; if any of my siblings needs a 鈧�500k loan today, they come to me. 

Right now, my siblings owe me no less than 鈧�700k. I don鈥檛 even like calculating it because it makes me angry at them for no reason. They pay back, but it鈥檚 always a cycle of paying half today and borrowing a new amount tomorrow.

Is there an ideal amount of money you think you should be earning monthly?

I don鈥檛 have a specific figure. If I say 鈧�100 million, my wants will just scale up to 鈧�500 million. I just want to be comfortable enough to afford my lifestyle. I’m planning a trip to Ghana for my 29th birthday this year, and it will cost at least 鈧�400k. I want to be able to execute that without blinking. If I want to visit Greece with my friends, I should be able to.

An average Nigerian is just one medical diagnosis away from being flat broke. If I get a tooth issue, I can pull money and fix it comfortably. But God forbid it鈥檚 a major illness like kidney failure, everything I have saved would barely cover the initial dialysis before I go broke. I don’t pressure myself over things I can’t control. If I die today, no problem, glory be to God, my siblings will just inherit my investments. Me sef no small.

What was the last thing you spent money on that made you genuinely happy?

I recently spent 鈧�58k on two gowns and a skirt from Shein. Old me would have taken that money to Iyana Ipaja or Yaba to buy a full bag of clothes. Shein may not be much for some people, but knowing I can deliberately transition my wardrobe to a higher quality on my own makes me feel like I鈥檓 handling this adulting thing well.

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

6. It鈥檚 a little above average because I can comfortably afford my day-to-day needs and the things that matter to me right now. I know I can do better, but I’ll leave it at a 6 for now.

What would make it a 10?

More money. Do I know how to get it? Probably. Am I ready to start chasing it right now? I don’t know yet.

I think I鈥檓 at the intermediate level of my financial journey. I鈥檓 definitely no longer a beginner because I have solid investment knowledge. I鈥檓 just right in the middle, building the basics before hitting the high points.

The main goal for now is to get my BSc next year, then kickstart my master鈥檚 degree by 2028. We fight our way upwards from there.

Find all the past Naira Life stories听here.

She was so consumed by the excitement that she had sketched her dress鈥檚 design herself, completely unaware of the nightmare that awaited her. 

Instead of a celebration, she remembers a heavy, suffocating exhaustion as she and her mother walked into store after store across Lagos, searching for a graduation dress that did not exist for a plus-size body.

“Every store we stepped into, we could not find something in my size,” Oluwasewa recalls, her voice carrying the memory of that disappointed 16-year-old girl. “My mum runs a business; she鈥檚 a very busy person. Eventually, she said, ‘If we don鈥檛 get it here, we have no choice.’ We had to go to Yaba to pick a bend-down-select dress.”

The dress they found was unflattering. Her mother tried to soften the blow with an old-school Nigerian parent hack: “Just put an abortion belt on it, wear very nice shoes, and you’ll feel better.”

Oluwasewa didn’t feel better. The sadness enveloped her beyond her graduation day, and she spent the next two weeks crying, spiralling so hard she failed her university entrance exam. But inside that heartbreak, she realised something.

“There was a mixture of the fact that this was a life-changing moment, and I also didn鈥檛 look good,” she says. “I just knew I never wanted to feel like that again.”

13 years later, Oluwasewa isn鈥檛 crying in fitting rooms anymore. At 29, she is the Founder and Creative Director of (derived from her name, Oluwasewasimilara), a bootstrapped, six-figure fashion brand operating out of a duplex in Lagos and serving clients worldwide.

This is the story of how a 16-year-old girl who failed an exam after a dress mishap left her heartbroken built a global empire by standing her ground, mastering systems, and refusing to dilute her identity.

The three-month apprentice

Shortly after the dress incident, Oluwasewa told her mother she wanted to learn tailoring. Her family immediately supported the idea. Her mother scouted a local tailor down the street and got Oluwasewa an apprenticeship. But back in 2012, no one thought fashion design was a viable career path for a young girl heading to university.

“Nobody saw it as a career,” Oluwasewa says. “They just thought, 鈥極kay, maybe as you’re learning in school, you just have this extra handwork on the side.鈥�”

But Oluwasewa wasn鈥檛 the typical apprentice. While traditional tailoring apprenticeships in Nigeria famously run for two to three gruelling years, Oluwasewa was out in three months.

“I had an eye for fashion and asked my boss a lot of questions. She could pick up the scissors, and I’d be like, ‘Why did you pick the scissors like that?’ At a point, she was frustrated by my many questions. But I was just so interested.”

By Christmas 2012, armed with three months of formal training, she transitioned to intense self-learning. When she entered the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) to study Statistics in 2014, her heart was already inside a sewing machine.

University brought unexpected challenges. Her mother鈥檚 business took a financial hit, forcing Oluwasewa to fend for herself. She went into survival mode. She tied gele, did makeup, styled hair, and sewed clothes. “Seven days a week, if you find somebody making money, I was there,” she laughs. “My major goal was just to eat. Not to have the best of anything; just to be able to eat.”

Her first real clients were secondary school girls preparing for a pageant. Remembering her own graduation trauma, she poured everything into making them feel beautiful. Subsequently, she began scouting girls at her university, transforming ordinary students into campus modelling stars through hair, makeup, and styling.

By her final year, while her classmates were preparing for corporate life, Oluwasewa looked at her full name, Oluwasewasimilara, which loosely translates to 鈥淭he Lord has brought beauty into my life,鈥� and realised her path was already written. Fashion wasn鈥檛 a side hustle; it was a calling. The Sewasimilara brand was born.

罢丑别听听is returning on August 22, 2026, in Lagos! Come learn from finance experts and industry leaders, and partake in unfiltered conversations about building wealth and diversifying your income stream in a country like Nigeria.听Real stories, expert advice you can actually use, and a community ready to build wealth together.听.

The Ikorodu bottleneck and the room that blew up

Finishing university meant returning home to Lagos, which brought a harsh geographical and socio-economic reality into her full view: She was living and operating out of Ikorodu.

In the Lagos fashion ecosystem, geography is destiny. To the elite clientele in the upscale areas like Lekki and Ikoyi, Ikorodu might as well be another country.

“I didn’t know there was such a big issue with Ikorodu versus the rest of Lagos,” Oluwasewa says. “People would see my clothes on social media and call me. They鈥檇 say, ‘Oh, but you’re in Ikorodu? That鈥檚 so far away.’ They always used that as a reason to beat the price down. The price was already low, but they wanted it lower because of the perception of where I was based.”

Undeterred, she woke up early, packed her custom-made dresses into bags, braved the chaotic Lagos BRT buses 鈥� almost losing her leg in a bus terminal stampede once 鈥� and took ferry rides to deliver pieces to Island influencers.

By 2019 and early 2020, her work was already yielding returns. She was building online momentum, making sample pieces from her mother鈥檚 bedroom. 

Then, in the middle of the pandemic, she got her first big break: a massive government gig to produce 2,000 fabric face masks, which she executed with a designer friend. The contract brought her first major financial win of about 鈧�500,000. Her mother celebrated by making a victory meal of pounded yam.

But the high from this win was quickly followed by devastating lows. Shortly after the mask contract, tragedy struck twice in a single week.

“My niece accidentally threw fire into my workspace and burnt down half of the room,” she says quietly. “All my savings, my fabrics, gone. In the same week, my Instagram page got hacked.”

With her physical workspace in ashes and her digital storefront stolen, many would have thrown in the towel and looked for a 9-to-5 job. Her parents definitely dropped hints, asking when she was going to get a “serious” job. Oluwasewa stayed down for exactly two weeks.

“I didn’t have a second option. It was either this or nothing,” she says. She braced herself and decided to keep moving. 

From runway losses to Vogue pages

Late 2020 brought another test. Oluwasewa entered a high-profile organised by WAW Soap. Beyond showcasing her designs, she wanted to make a statement. So, she demanded a plus-size model on her runway, forcing the organisers to hold special auditions.

Her collection featured that changed silhouette as the models walked. “It got the loudest reaction from the audience. Everybody was screaming,” she remembers. Yet, when the winners were announced, Sewasimilara didn鈥檛 make the cut.

“I left there feeling like, 鈥榊ou know what? I’m going to prove them wrong.鈥� It was the first time I ever got to say publicly that I am an inclusive fashion designer, and I stood my ground.”

The universe rewards those who stand their ground. In 2022, an international shoe designer based in Canada slid into Oluwasewa鈥檚 Instagram DMs to collaborate on a clothing collection. They signed a formal 50-50 contractual agreement, designed the collection together, and produced it entirely in Nigeria.

The collection walked international runways and, unexpectedly, got featured in Vogue.

“The whole experience was mind-blowing,” Oluwasewa says, the awe still fresh in her voice. “I went from not having money, from a brand people doubted because I was in Ikorodu, to getting a Vogue feature. At that point, my parents stopped asking me when I鈥檇 get a real job. It was obvious I already had one.”

Going fully global

If the Vogue feature brought prestige, 2024 brought explosive global scale.

Oluwasewa was navigating the suffocating crowds at Balogun Market in central Lagos when her phone buzzed. It was a DM from The Shade Room 鈥� an American media giant with over 28 million followers 鈥� asking for permission to post her work. She had designed a vibrant purple dress for a Nigerian content creator, and the internet had taken notice.

“I was holding my phone in the middle of Balogun market. I thought I was blind. I thought it was a scam,” she laughs. “I turned the phone off, picked it up, and looked again. The Shade Room. Wow.”

When the post went live, the carousel triggered an avalanche of international orders. “People straight from The Shade Room DMs were reaching out. Our international clientele loved the purple dress.”

Today, Sewasimilara is no longer an Ikorodu business. It is a fully registered American company (as of 2025), removing the historic nightmare of cross-border payment structures that plague Nigerian creators.

“At the beginning, receiving payments from abroad was a real, serious issue,” she explains. “I had to diversify, using two or three trusted family friends abroad to collect money so no one person would hold onto my funds. Now, clients just put their cards in, pay, and they’re good to go.”

The currency of value

Now 29, running a six-figure dollar brand out of a duplex with a team of 12 full-time staff, Oluwasewa looks back at her 13-year journey with intense self-awareness.

She has completely unlearned the traditional Nigerian corporate mentality of hoarding cash or exploiting workers. Instead, she pours her profits directly back into her team. When her head tailor showed an interest in digital design, Sewasimilara paid for her digital illustration courses.

“People think of money as cash, but I think of it as value,” she says. “I don鈥檛 have a hoarding mentality. I would rather my team members get appropriate training that makes them better. That is a serious investment.”

More importantly, she has refused to dilute the African essence of her brand to appease Western markets. While other brands westernise their aesthetics to appeal globally, Sewasimilara leans heavily into its heritage. Her collection series, , celebrates deep Yoruba culture. Her logo intentionally retains raw Yoruba artistic markings.

“We are Yoruba. We are Nigerian. We are not attempting to look like African Americans or Germans,” she says defiantly. “And what we find is that our international clientele actually love the culture. We had a client travel from the United States to Lagos just to pick up a dress. We took her to the John Randle Centre, talked about history, and she connected deeply. Your story and your perspective are unique. You must carry your brand with its story.”

From crying over an ill-fitting thrift dress in Yaba to dressing global icons from a duplex workshop in Lagos, Oluwasewa鈥檚 advice to the next generation of African builders is simple:

“You have to 100% bet on yourself, because there will be days where that is the only thing that will carry you through. Build your systems around making your customer鈥檚 life seamless. Be authentic, and never apologize for the story that brought you here.”

NEXT READ: 鈥淚 Make C$6,000 a Month as a Nigerian Photographer in Canada鈥� 鈥� How I Turned My Hobby Into a Business

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

At the beginning of the term, my primary school would give us a long list of textbooks. The parents handled the book purchases, but my parents handed the responsibility to me when I was in primary two.

They鈥檇 give me money for the entire list so I could sort myself out. Not all the books were compulsory, and I got to choose which one I wanted to buy each time. My parents didn鈥檛 really care what I did. They believed I could handle it myself.

And you didn鈥檛 鈥渃hop鈥� the money?

I mostly used it for the books. But since I didn鈥檛 buy all the books at once, I鈥檇 hold on to the money to see if the teachers would actually demand some books. If by the mid-term, the teachers hadn鈥檛 checked, that book money automatically became mine. But if they asked, I鈥檇 quickly bring out the saved cash and buy it.

I understood the power and value of money because of this book thing. I saw how teachers routinely chased students out of the classroom because their parents couldn’t afford the books. I was never chased out.

What was the financial situation at home like back then?

Looking back now with adult lenses, I realise we weren’t rich, but my parents were incredibly hard workers. 

My mother was a trader, and my dad worked at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC). People will hear NNPC and assume we were swimming in oil money, but he wasn’t a high-ranking staff. He was more like a third-party consultant. Still, our family didn鈥檛 lack the basics. Our rent was never late, and I was never sent home from school. We didn’t own cars, but we were okay.

When did you start earning your own money?

Right after my JSS 3 exams in 2013 or 2014. I got a job at a local bakery. The pay was 鈧�500 per day.

Why did you take a job at that age?

My parents only provided the basics, such as food. Nobody was going to give me flexing money. Some of my peers went into block moulding, but I chose the bakery.

At the bakery, I wrapped bread, washed baking pans, and carried heavy logs of wood to the ovens. I didn鈥檛 work every day; the bakery didn鈥檛 open on Wednesdays and Sundays, and as a casual worker, I could show up to learn that there was no space for the day. So, I worked on and off for two months before resuming senior secondary school.

What did you do with your daily 鈧�500?

Honestly, a big chunk of the money went right back into treating my body. I always returned home from work with body pains from the heavy lifting. 

I couldn’t even complain to my mum or anyone because they鈥檇 remind me that it was my decision to work there. So, I used my earnings to buy medications to patch myself up. The rest went to buying evening suya. Nothing meaningful came out of it.

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Phew. Did you try anything else for money in secondary school?

Yes. In SS 2, I joined a voluntary youth organisation in church called the Royal Ambassadors of Nigeria. To fully participate, I needed to buy the uniform and pay for a ranking exercise. The uniform and sewing cost 鈧�9,000, and the exercise was 鈧�1,500, totalling 鈧�10,500.

When I asked my mum for the money, she said, “That thing is not your school, so I鈥檓 not paying for it.” I had to raise the money myself.

What did you do?

I  hawked pure water after school hours and on Saturdays. I made about 鈧�700 – 鈧�800 in daily profit. 

Every Saturday afternoon, after selling water, I鈥檇 head straight to our weekly Ambassadors meeting. Then I鈥檇 hand over my daily profit to the unit president, who kept my payment record. I did this for about five months until the 鈧�10,500 was fully paid up, and I got ranked. Today, I use that experience to mentor younger boys whose parents refuse to support their extracurricular goals.

The next time the 鈥渟pirit of hustle鈥� returned was when I was in SS 3. I was supposed to be preparing for WAEC or NECO, but based on my calculations, I predicted that year鈥檚 WAEC results might be bad.

Wait. How?

I noticed that if the WAEC results for a year were good, the following year’s would be bad. It looked like that year鈥檚 WAEC might be bad, so to avoid wasting money, I suggested to my parents that they either pay for just NECO or for both exams.

NECO was more expensive than WAEC, which was only 鈧�7k in 2017. My parents were like, 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have more than 鈧�7k. It鈥檚 either you register for WAEC or go and look for the NECO balance.鈥�

Other people would have gotten frustrated. Me, I just smiled. I stopped going to school regularly to read my books at home instead. I used the free time to look for a job.

What did you find?

A job packaging nylon sheets at a cellophane factory for 鈧�12k/month. I worked there for a few months to cover part of the NECO registration fee, which ended up costing over 鈧�60k in total, including school logistics.

When I needed more money to cover the costs, someone connected me with an aluminium and glass company. The salary there was 鈧�15k/month. But there was a catch; the owner asked if I was still a student. Everyone assumed I had graduated, and if I told her the truth, she wouldn’t hire me because the workload required full-time commitment. I lied and said I was done with school, even though I still had NECO exams to write.

How did you manage work and your exams?

It was chaotic. On exam days, I鈥檇 pretend I was terribly sick and rush out of work. Balancing it was so hard that I actually missed my economics paper completely and got an ‘absent’ in my results. I still passed the general requirements sha.

The work itself was stressful. I cut the aluminium, managed banking deposits because they trusted me, and travelled alone to Warri and Onitsha to source materials. My salary eventually increased to 鈧�20k, but transportation costs ate up most of it. To save money, I would trek for hours every single morning from my house to the workshop. I worked there from June until September 2018, when I moved to Warri, which wasn鈥檛 far from home.

What was the plan?

I hoped to secure a job with my O-Level results and start my life. I squatted with friends and relatives in Warri, since I couldn鈥檛 afford accommodation.

Thankfully, soon after I arrived, I found an open security guard position at a private school. The 鈧�18k/month salary was small, but I took it because it was a Monday-to-Friday gig, which meant my Saturdays were free for my Royal Ambassadors meetings.

A few weeks into the job, the school鈥檚 owner noticed my competence and computer literacy. She pulled me away from the gate and put me in her office as the school secretary. I stopped wearing the security uniform, even though I was still doing both jobs 鈥� I monitored the school gate from the office window.

Did she increase your salary for the double role?

No. She pleaded that the school was small and couldn’t afford an increase. I accepted because I was running an event-planning hustle on weekends. I was highly active in the entertainment scene in Warri and other neighbouring towns. I did everything from promoting clubs and handling stage management to working as a DJ assistant and selling tickets for music concerts and festivals.

I was incredibly good at convincing people. I could talk a group looking for a table of four into upgrading to a table of six on the spot. My pay wasn鈥檛 stable since my work depended on what service was needed, but a typical event weekend brought me between 鈧�5k and 鈧�10k.

How long did you stay at the school?

About three years. I was there from September 2018 until 2021. By January 2019, the school鈥檚 student population had dropped drastically, and the owner called a meeting to lay off staff. Some of us agreed to take a pay cut instead of losing our jobs, so my salary dropped to 鈧�15k.

During school holidays, when there was no work to do, the owner would arrange for me to work at her husband鈥檚 hotel so I could earn something. It wasn’t until after the COVID-19 lockdown that she returned my salary to 鈧�18k. 

By 2021, I looked around and realised all my friends were already in higher institutions. Even though I was making money from events, I told myself, “If I don’t go to school now, I will lose interest forever.” So, I resigned and got admission to a polytechnic in a different town.

How did you fund your education?

I鈥檓 not proud of this part of my story.

When I first arrived at school, my accommodation plans fell through, and the place I ended up staying was so far that my daily commute cost could pay a student’s monthly rent in town. 

Also, I was too far from Warri to continue my event planning side hustle, and I knew my savings would run out quickly. Out of desperation, I approached two lecturers to offer my services as an office assistant in exchange for small money, but they both rejected me. I was heartbroken, but I couldn鈥檛 wallow in it for too long. Instantly, I started looking for other options.

I noticed that some students were either too lazy or busy to complete assignments or school registrations, so I seized the opportunity to do them for a little change here and there. One day, while helping someone process their documents in an administrative office, I met a guy who had been hearing about my academic performance. He tested my intelligence right there, saw what I was capable of, and introduced me to exam impersonation.

As in, writing exams for other people?

Yes. It started small with continuous assessment tests. He鈥檇 pay me between 鈧�2k and 鈧�4k per test. Then the main semester exams arrived, and the first one was a computer-based exam. The guy who brought me in didn鈥檛 trust me with a major exam, but his main guy, who was supposed to write the exam on behalf of others, disappointed him on the morning of a 7 a.m. paper.

So he gave me the login details for three students. I walked into the hall, logged into the first portal and completed the exam. Then I logged into the second, cleared it, and did the third. Nobody suspected a thing because I have a very calm, gentle face. When I walked out, 鈧�100k was credited to my account instantly.

Interesting

That single morning changed everything. From that moment on, a large portion of my polytechnic tuition and rent was paid entirely with money from impersonation. I鈥檓 not proud of it, but the money kept me going. Every semester, I was guaranteed at least 鈧�200k from exam runs. 

Eventually, it grew into a full operation. Because I didn鈥檛 like seeing intelligent, broke students struggling, I started outsourcing the jobs. Clients would bring jobs, and I鈥檇 hire brilliant students who needed cash, pay them excellently well 鈥� sometimes 鈧�10k just to sit beside me and copy answers 鈥� and ensure everyone was taken care of. 

Then, in 2023, around the tail end of my National Diploma (ND) program, I decided to stop the impersonation.

Why?

People started to know me at school, including some from my hometown. I didn鈥檛 want to destroy my reputation at home, so I deliberately began to pull away and transitioned to running legitimate online tutorials for students. I was also predicting exam questions based on the lecturer’s patterns. It didn’t pay real money, though. I mostly just got “Thank you, boss” as appreciation.

But I still needed money, so while writing my final exams, I deliberately failed a course to remain in school for one month of remedial work. The way these exam impersonations work, it鈥檚 less risky if you actually have a reason to be in the exam hall. I made about 鈧�80k during that period before I finally left school in August 2023.

What came next?

I immediately got a job as a hotel supervisor and storekeeper for 鈧�70k/month. The money was quite low compared to what I made from impersonation, but it came with a clear conscience and free accommodation.

A few months later, my salary climbed to 鈧�75k. It kept increasing little by little until the final increment to 鈧�90k in May 2025. I had to leave the job in July 2025 because of problems in the town: cult violence, armed robbery and insecurity. So, I packed up and returned to Warri. I鈥檝e been here since.

What do you do now?

I work as a clerk/representative for a brewery. The brewery partners with local entrepreneurs who have land to run a bar. The brand builds the bar for them and, in exchange, takes 20% of total revenue. My job is to sit at the bar and ensure every single drink sold passes through our POS machines so the brand’s 20% cut is accurately recorded.

I earn 鈧�180k/month. The job also comes with optional accommodation at the lounge if I work too late. I don’t live there permanently, though.

What kind of lifestyle does your income afford you?

It鈥檚 definitely not a luxurious one because I operate a very strict, aggressive financial plan. In fact, I would say I鈥檓 living an investor’s lifestyle. I share an apartment with a friend, and we split the 鈧�15k monthly rent equally. I still contribute to utilities and food, but most of my income goes into investments.

Let鈥檚 break that down for a typical month

I look at that 鈧�80k as a gift to my future self.  Even if I have to starve or squeeze through the month, that 鈧�80k investment is non-negotiable. Sometimes I look back on 2021/2022 and wish I had known about investments when the exam money was flowing in. I would have been unstoppable.

What exactly do you invest in?

Stocks. I鈥檝e been learning about the stock exchange for a few years now, and my job now gives me some room to practice what I鈥檝e been learning. I started buying shares heavily in April 2026. My investment philosophy is strictly long-term. My logic is that nothing that cost 鈧�100 in 2014 is less than 鈧�1,500 today. The price of things must definitely increase, so it鈥檚 better to buy now and let the value grow for me.

Currently, I have about 鈧�222,000 actively locked in stocks. I have shares in the brewery I work for and some banks. I also buy shares in consumer goods companies because I remember my dad buying their products years ago, and they are still standing strong. I avoid Nigerian insurance companies because I鈥檓 not sure the system here works. If I ever buy insurance stocks, it will be in the US market.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

It鈥檚 highly risky because I really hate money sitting idle. I cannot have cash sitting in a bank account. Money must always have an active purpose. If it doesn’t have a purpose, it will be wasted.

People around me sometimes complain, saying, “You are a grown man, how can you say you don’t have up to 鈧�20k on you?” They easily forget that a few days prior, when the cash was there, I completely settled all household and family emergencies. Once those are sorted, the rest goes straight into my stock portfolio. I don’t care who falls sick or complains after that. My investment portfolio comes first.

Out of curiosity, do you have a net worth goal?

鈧�100 billion.

Billion?

Yes. The day I hit 鈧�100 billion worth of assets, I will pause and set a new goal. I don’t attach timelines to my goals because I don’t believe in putting unnecessary pressure on myself. I will chase this number until the day I drop into my grave.

My ultimate vision is real estate. I want to acquire land and build houses in every student area or around higher institutions across the country. My strategy is to crash student rent prices so low that other landlords will have no choice but to drop their prices or sell their properties to me. High student housing costs are a major reason students are driven to cybercrime and fraud just to keep a roof over their heads. If I can fix housing, I can reduce student crime.

Is there anything you want right now but cannot afford?

Two things. I want a Toyota Tundra for easy mobility. I recently saw one that cost about 鈧�120 million. Secondly, I want to go back to school to study Law. Based on my breakdown, 鈧�20 million will comfortably fund my legal education to graduation.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your financial happiness?

A solid 9. The only reason it鈥檚 not a 10 is because of that hunger for more. But it’s a 9 because my 2018 self would look at me today and be incredibly proud. I have stable earnings, a roof over my head, and I can officially call myself a corporate shareholder in multiple institutions.

Also, I鈥檇 like to add something.

Shoot

To anyone who finds themselves in a desperate corner like I was during my campus days: if you must do something questionable to survive, never be proud of it. If you let greed keep you doing illegal stuff because the money is sweet, you will eventually get caught.

Find all the past Naira Life stories听here.