Every week, 91大神 seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it鈥檒l be revealing.
When did you first realise the importance of money?
That has to be when I was in JSS 3. I stole 鈧500 from my dad鈥檚 bedroom drawer and used the money to show off at school. I bought 鈧50 yoghurt drinks for my two seat mates, and everyone in class suddenly wanted to be my friend.
I already knew money was necessary to buy things, but I didn鈥檛 realise it could change how people saw you until this incident. The by-force friendship was short-lived because my dad noticed the missing money and made sure I was punished in front of the entire school. It destroyed my hard-earned street credibility.
I鈥檓 wheezing. Speaking of, what was money like growing up?
We didn鈥檛 have a lot of money. My dad was a civil servant and my mum was a teacher at a private school. I have three siblings, and we all lived in my dad鈥檚 uncompleted one-bedroom house. My dad had gathered money to build the house and once it was slightly livable, he bundled us all there so he wouldn鈥檛 have to pay rent anymore.
That house remained unfinished until I entered the university. I never brought my friends home because I was ashamed of the muddy floor and rusted iron roof. Now that I鈥檓 older, I know my dad was just making do with what he had.
I also didn鈥檛 like how I couldn鈥檛 get the things my friends had. I schooled at the private secondary school my mum taught at, and I always compared myself to the students who wore new uniforms and bought snacks at school. My own school uniform was what we called 鈥淏o n鈥 fo鈥 鈥 my trousers were always smaller and rested above my ankles.
I was always aware we didn鈥檛 have much money, and I wanted money so much.
What did you do about this 鈥渨ant鈥?
As a child, I mostly satisfied my wants by stealing. I鈥檓 not proud of it, though. I was a regular customer of my dad鈥檚 belt, his favourite discipline tool. But it was no match for my desire to just be like other kids.
After I graduated from secondary school in 2010, I taught at a primary school for 鈧6k/month and was there for almost two years. I鈥檇 already mentally accepted that I wouldn鈥檛 go to the university anytime soon. My elder brother was at university then, and my parents couldn鈥檛 afford to put both of us through school at the same time. So, I figured uni would only happen if I gathered enough money.
Fortunately, an elder in church took an interest in me and offered to pay my tuition for the first two years of university. That鈥檚 how I got into the university in 2013.
How did you survive in uni?
For the first two years, it was a mix of relying on my benefactor鈥檚 kindness and whatever allowance I could get from home. My benefactor gave me 鈧10k – 鈧15k every two months, and my mum assisted me with foodstuff.
When I got into 300 level in 2016, my benefactor told me he couldn鈥檛 pay my tuition anymore. Although he’d made it clear he鈥檇 only pay for two years from the beginning, I was still shocked. I didn鈥檛 think he鈥檇 just leave me like that. How was I supposed to sponsor myself without help?
I met with another big man in church and told him my situation, hoping he鈥檇 help me too. But the man told me to come and work in his plastic company.
What was the job?
The supervisor just put me in the factory and tasked me with packing the raw materials and loading the products into buses. My salary was 鈧15k/week.
I worked there for two months.
Oh. Why?
It was stressful, and I couldn鈥檛 keep up with showing up at the factory every day after classes. I had no source of income for the rest of 300 level, so I started serial borrowing. I was taking loans from people to pay off other loans.
I mostly asked for loans from church members. I was the church drummer, so people knew me. I鈥檇 ask a fellow church worker or the mothers. I had more luck with the mothers.
My loan requests were often school-related, like handout needs. Others were urgent 鈧2k asks for food. I didn鈥檛 pay back all the loans because it was really hard to keep track. Some of my creditors didn鈥檛 even bother to ask for their money back. I only repaid people who disturbed me for their money.
I see. Didn鈥檛 this affect your relationship with those who didn鈥檛 get their money back?
Some acted somehow when I reached out for help again while I still owed them. Others said they didn鈥檛 have money after the second time I borrowed money from them. But I always tried to explain my situation and plead for patience.
To be honest, there wasn鈥檛 much I could鈥檝e done. If I鈥檇 known my benefactor was serious about not supporting me beyond the first two years, I鈥檇 have rejected the admission. But I was already in school and had already invested too much energy to drop out.
Did you try any other way to make money?
Yes. During my final year, I started taking brand activation gigs during the weekends. I鈥檇 follow FMCG distribution buses to market their products to retailers and set up market shows to drive visibility and sales. I made between 鈧5k and 鈧8k per gig.
I also took on a few drumming gigs at other churches鈥 events on Saturdays. The churches sorted out my transport fare and a plate of food. I鈥檇 have made good money if I drummed on Sundays, but I couldn鈥檛 leave my church.
In August 2017, one of the women in church whom I鈥檇 told about my financial situation suggested starting a business. She gave me 鈧50k, and I started selling polo t-shirts in school.
How did that go?
It went well at first. I made a 鈧1500 profit on each t-shirt and sold up to six weekly. The money from the business came in handy when I was writing my project. But customers started owing me, so I took out loans to restock.
I borrowed 鈧30k from one guy. When it was time to pay back, I started avoiding him because I didn鈥檛 have money. One day, the guy broke into my hostel room, packed my t-shirts, and texted me to inform me he鈥檇 taken them as I hadn鈥檛 paid him back.
The goods he took were worth 鈧40k, but I didn鈥檛 drag it with him. Some guys told me he was friends with cultists, so I left him for God. Thankfully, this happened around the time I graduated from uni in 2018.
What did you do after uni?
I spent my service year teaching at a private secondary school. My monthly income was 鈧29,800: The school principal paid me 鈧10k/month and my NYSC stipend was 鈧19,800. Service year was good, actually.
The school accommodated me, so I spent money only on food and going out. Sometimes, I sent money home to my mum. I even finished my service year with 鈧80k in my savings. This was 2019.
But COVID lockdown happened. I didn鈥檛 have any income source, so I finished my savings in months. Then, I moved to the loan apps.
That doesn鈥檛 sound good
Those loan apps showed me shege. Maybe it鈥檚 even my fault. I knew I had nowhere to get money from, but I kept borrowing money from the apps. Of course, I defaulted a lot. The loan agents would call and call, and send threats when I refused to pick up.
One time, they sent my obituary announcement to my mum and told her she鈥檇 bury her son if he didn鈥檛 pay his debt.
Ah
My mum called me in a panic but I convinced her they were scammers. My biggest learning here was to stop dropping my mum鈥檚 number when applying for loans. I even deleted her number from my phone because I heard the loan companies can access your contact list.
Looking back, I鈥檓 not sure how I survived 2020. I just survived. When church resumed in 2021, I returned to asking people for help and money. Some sent me job vacancies, which I applied for, but nothing came out of them. Finally, my pastor offered me a role as an admin officer at the church. That鈥檚 still my job today.
What鈥檚 the pay like?
It was 鈧50k/month when I joined in 2021, then it increased to 鈧80k in 2023. I haven鈥檛 gotten a raise since. My rent is 鈧240k/year but the church pays half.
My major responsibilities are feeding, rent and occasionally sending small money home to my parents and siblings. The thing is, 鈧80k hardly covers that, and I often feel I should earn more. The church has really tried for me, but the work doesn鈥檛 match the money.
I handle everything from organising programs and outreaches to working as the pastor鈥檚 personal assistant. But I can鈥檛 even complain because they鈥檙e paying my rent.
Is there an ideal amount you think you should be earning?
鈧200k isn鈥檛 bad. I鈥檓 still single so that should comfortably meet my needs. I know it鈥檚 not an impossible thing for God to do. I鈥檝e seen Him do bigger miracles for other people. Maybe if I earned up to 鈧200k, I wouldn鈥檛 still be taking loans as much as I do.
You still take loans?
I never stopped. However, I鈥檝e tried to reduce my borrowing from loan apps because their interest and wahala are too much. I borrow more from people as I can still explain the cause of any delay in repayment. Also, no one is threatening my life if I cannot pay back. I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 possible to survive in Nigeria without borrowing money from people.
How often do you take loans these days?
At least twice a month. Once I receive my salary, at least 鈧15k goes into repaying one loan or the other. Then, after removing feeding and transportation costs and a few personal expenses, I鈥檓 broke by the second week. That鈥檚 when I start borrowing.聽
I turn to church friends, coworkers, and old school friends for 鈧20k – 鈧30k loans. Most of the time, I don鈥檛 get the full amount from one person 鈥 it鈥檚 鈧5k here, 鈧10k there, and so on. I turn to loan apps only when I can鈥檛 find people to loan me money.
Does that happen often? Not finding people willing to lend you money?
It happens quite a lot. I know people in church already call me a chronic onigbese, and some of them avoid me because of that. I don鈥檛 mind the name-calling because I know I鈥檓 not in the right, but my financial situation is beyond me.
I have a roster of multiple people I鈥檓 supposed to pay back, but I can鈥檛 remember every single person I owe. I don鈥檛 pick calls from strange numbers anymore because it鈥檚 most likely someone calling me for their money.
Being in this constant debt cycle is exhausting. I don鈥檛 derive pleasure from holding people鈥檚 money, but I almost always have to borrow more money to settle a creditor, and the cycle never stops.
A recent example is a chorister I borrowed 鈧100k from in October 2024 to meet up with rent. She really disturbed me to pay back and even reported me to the pastor. We eventually settled on a 鈧20k/month repayment plan.
I will have to borrow more to meet that. There鈥檚 no way I can remove 鈧20k from an already insufficient 鈧80k salary and not die. I still owe three different loan apps about 鈧175k. I can鈥檛 pay those ones anytime soon.
Can you break down what your typical month in expenses looks like?
Sometimes, I try to save 鈧10k/month for rent, but I spend it by the second or third week. Either I don鈥檛 make good financial decisions or Nigeria has just become too expensive.
How would you describe your relationship with money?
It feels like I鈥檓 not making progress financially. I constantly need money for something, and the need never ends. I also acknowledge I have a borrowing problem. The people are right; I鈥檓 an onigbese and maybe I need to own it so I can focus on solutions.
I need help and advice. I want suggestions on what people think I should do to recover from constant borrowing. I know earning more money will play a big role, but what do I do in the meantime? I may be unable to cancel debts permanently, but at least it can be reduced to once in a few months.
Is there anything you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?
A relationship. I鈥檝e not had much luck in love because of my financial situation, but I鈥檓 tired of being alone. But I can鈥檛 do anything about that for the next few years sha 鈥 at least until God sends me a helper to change my story or I find a better-paying job.
How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?
3. As I said, I feel like I鈥檓 not making financial progress. I get depressed when I think about it, but I鈥檓 trusting God for a positive change soon.
If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.
Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.
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