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.
Saving doesn鈥檛 stop life from happening. When things come up, Carbon doesn鈥檛 force you to choose between progress and survival. Your locked savings keep growing, and you can use it as collateral to access a loan at just 3% interest. It鈥檚 saving, built different so you can move different. .
When did you first realise the importance of money?
I understood the concept of exchange before actually handling money. In primary school, I loved drawing cartoon characters like Ben 10 and Naruto, and I was good at it.
I drew these characters on pieces of paper torn from my notebook. My mum, who was a headmistress, wasn鈥檛 particularly impressed that I tore my notebooks to draw. So, as a workaround, I drew for classmates in exchange for extra sheets of paper. I was being paid, just not with money.
Watching how hard my mum worked also made me think about the importance of money.
Tell me more
My mum was a single mum of two. My dad died pretty early; I don鈥檛 even remember much about him. So, it was up to my mum to provide for us. We weren鈥檛 financially stable, but I knew my mum worked hard to keep food on the table. We couldn鈥檛 always afford nice things, but she did her best to ensure we had the basics.
What was the first thing you did to earn money?
Still my drawing and art talent. I went to a secondary school attended by rich kids, and one day, when I was in JSS 2, a classmate approached me. He鈥檇 heard I could draw and needed help with his assignment. He paid me 鈧200, which was enough for two doughnuts and a bottle of Coke. It was good money.
After that, I had a relatively steady stream of people paying me at least 鈧150 to do their assignments. I stopped in JSS 3 when a teacher noticed my drawing style in other students鈥 assignments and warned me not to do it anymore.
I didn鈥檛 do anything else for money until uni. I entered uni in 2017 and was on a 鈧10k/month allowance from my mum, which only covered food and transport, nothing extra. Even then, 鈧10k didn鈥檛 last me until the end of the month. In the second semester, my uncle gave me a laptop, and I decided to learn design.
How did you go about this?
I knew a graphic designer from church, and with my mum鈥檚 consent, I spent my semester break learning CorelDRAW at his studio. It helped me learn how to digitally recreate the images I drew on paper. I also assisted the graphic designer with t-shirt prints, banner designs and the like.
I learnt from him for two months until school resumed. In school, I kept designing and started posting my work on my WhatsApp status. Then a friend reached out one day, asking if I designed logos. I said 鈥測es,鈥 and she introduced me to a client.
I can鈥檛 forget that logo. It was for a finance-based business, and the logo featured a house with a chimney. Now that I think about it, we don鈥檛 have chimneys in Nigeria, so that was completely unnecessary.
I鈥檓 screaming. How much did you make from that first gig?
鈧2500. It was the biggest amount I could think of. Subsequently, I started receiving logo requests from fellow students who ran small businesses. I didn鈥檛 have a flat rate. Students don鈥檛 have money, and no one would鈥檝e paid 鈧2500.
So, I charged students between 鈧1k and 鈧1500 for logos and banners. Most of the time, I was only making an extra 鈧3k or 鈧4k a month, but it felt nice to add that to my pocket money.
This went on until COVID came. While people complained about being bored, all I did was eat, sleep and watch design tutorials. I was designing every single day. Before the school shutdown, I鈥檇 begun moving with a student club of developers and tech guys. I could tell these guys had more money than the average student, and I figured I could be like that if I improved my craft. The lockdown gave me the opportunity to fine-tune my skills.
Some time after the lockdown was lifted, I posted a test project I鈥檇 designed on Twitter. A marketing agency reached out to me and told me they liked my work. Then, they asked if I was open to a full-time role.
That鈥檚 how they offered me a job with a 鈧60k/month salary. I was so excited that I called my mum immediately. Unfortunately, my excitement was short-lived.
Uh oh. What happened?
They fired me after three months. I had a difficult time transitioning from freelancing to paid employment. I鈥檓 a perfectionist, and I take time because I need everything to look good. However, companies have deadlines, and after I delayed a few tasks, the agency ghosted me. They didn鈥檛 even give me clear communication; they just stopped paying my salary and didn鈥檛 respond to my questions. I got the message.
I was sad because I liked the job, but the experience helped me realise I wasn鈥檛 as good as I thought. There had been callbacks on a number of my designs, and it was pretty clear I still had some learning to do.
I lost the job in December 2020, and around the same time, a friend introduced me to someone who had opened a co-working space. The founder told me he needed a designer to create marketing materials, but didn’t have the money to pay. However, I would get free access to the co-working space (plus the WiFi) as long as I worked with him.
Did you accept?
I did. It would give me the opportunity to work on my craft and potentially meet new people. This arrangement lasted two years, and during that time, the founder referred me to multiple clients. So, it was a win-win.
Beyond the referrals, I was getting gigs from various sources. One time, I worked with a guy who had Fiverr and Upwork accounts and would outsource gigs to me. In 2021, I got my first foreign client on Twitter, who paid me $82 for a couple of gigs. He returned a few more times.
Throughout 2021, my monthly income from design ranged between 鈧30k – 鈧90k. It wasn鈥檛 stable, but I earned something every month.
2022 came with an eight-month ASUU strike and new opportunities. I landed a four-month internship at a design agency and participated in branding projects and training classes. They paid me a 鈧100k/month stipend.
The experience and exposure I got from the internship gave me the morale to return to the founder of the co-working space to tell him I needed to start getting paid.
Get it! What did he say?
He couldn鈥檛 create a budget for me at the workspace, so he transferred me to a fintech company that he was a part of. There, I got hired as a brand and product designer. My salary started at 鈧80k/month, then jumped to 鈧120k after the three-month probation. This was in 2023.
I was in 400 level at this point, juggling the fintech job, actively freelancing and taking occasional gigs from the design agency I interned at. The least amount I earned in a month was my 鈧120k salary. With my other hustles, I was comfortably netting 鈧200k – 鈧500k in some months.
Not bad for a student. What were your spending habits like?
Besides spending on the basic necessities, I was saving to buy a MacBook. In the design community, that laptop is like a badge of honour. It took me a full year to save over 鈧1m to buy it.
In 2024, I left the fintech because I was juggling bigger things 鈥 Fiverr. I had opened an account in January because a friend was opening his, and I thought it wouldn鈥檛 hurt to join him. That turned out to be the best decision I鈥檝e made for my freelance journey.
I made $120 in the first month I joined Fiverr. By March, Fiverr and a few other freelance projects brought me 鈧1.5m. The subsequent months were at least 鈧700k. I also got another full-time role at a creative agency at some point in the year. They paid me 鈧200k/month.
So, I was earning from two full-time jobs and a profitable freelance hustle. To put it simply, I was balling.
Love to see it
The extra income made it easy for me to start thinking about investments. I began thinking of a future where I could afford not to work, and I knew investments could get me there. So, I started sending any spare cash to a real estate plan on an investment app.
After leaving the fintech in November 2024, I took another part-time job with a returning UK-based client. He paid me $1000/month to work 40 hours a week. So, again, I was working two jobs and managing my freelancing business.
Wasn鈥檛 that a lot to juggle? Also, you haven鈥檛 mentioned school in a while.
See, greed is a very fascinating thing. I tried not to take on heavy freelance gigs, but I was still practically doing three different things at once. Who says no to money?
As for school, I dropped out in my final year. I wasn鈥檛 doing very well, and the course wasn鈥檛 what I wanted to do. I even got an extra year. I just couldn鈥檛 engage with school anymore, so I finally quit in 2025.
I鈥檓 curious, how did your mum react to that?
I kept it from her until I couldn鈥檛 anymore. My answers to her 鈥淲hat鈥檚 happening at school?鈥 got sloppier, and I had to come clean. My mum doesn鈥檛 cry. I can count the number of times I鈥檝e seen her cry. But the day I told her I dropped out, she completely broke down.
The thing is, my mum is an academic. She believes you need to go to school to get a good job and have a good life. She couldn鈥檛 believe I鈥檇 make such a decision after all her sacrifices. The issue shook our relationship, and it鈥檚 still shaky to this day. She doesn鈥檛 talk to me much anymore. I try to call her, but our conversations are always awkward.
Do you think it was worth it to drop out so close to the finish line, though?
I don鈥檛 think staying around would鈥檝e changed anything. I never cared for classes, and even as a final-year student, I still couldn鈥檛 answer basic questions about my course.
Besides, people around me were graduating and doing totally different things. You鈥檇 see someone who graduated with a nursing degree working as a product manager. Life isn鈥檛 black and white. If I can鈥檛 give my time to school, I might as well give it to design and build a stronger career.
It also helped that I was doing really well financially. I left the creative agency in 2025 to focus on the UK job and Fiverr. My monthly income was around $2000, which is almost 鈧3m in naira. I was financially responsible for myself. I moved into a new apartment, set up a small workstation, bought an inverter to solve power issues and Starlink to avoid network wahala. The whole thing cost me about 鈧3m, but it was definitely worth it for my productivity.
What does your monthly income look like these days?
I鈥檓 still at the $2k mark, but this is entirely from the UK job (I got a raise in 2024). My Fiverr account was blocked in October, I suspect, due to a bad review left by a client. I haven鈥檛 been able to gain access since then.
The experience has driven me to put more effort into growing my personal brand, in case I lose another source of income. I still get occasional freelance gigs, but it鈥檚 not at the same level as I had with Fiverr.
In addition to building my personal brand, I鈥檓 very intentional about my investments. I live on 25% – 30% of my income; the rest goes into investments. A short-term goal I have, which I call my , is to get to the point where my investments pay me at least 鈧1m every month.
The investment app I use has a feature that gives users 25% of their total investment monthly if they have more than 鈧5m in their accounts. I estimate I鈥檒l need 鈧40m in the account to get 鈧1m monthly, and I plan to get there in 5 years.
My long-term goal is to save up to $1m or at least 鈧1bn. If I invest that in different channels and earn around $15k monthly, I鈥檒l never need to work again.
Those are big dreams. Let鈥檚 talk about the life your income affords you right now
The life I live doesn鈥檛 match my income at all. I鈥檓 very frugal. Last year, I earned 鈧40m in income and 鈧2m in investment dividends. Yet, I live in a tiny self-contained apartment. I鈥檓 a big believer in staying as small as possible for as long as possible.
I spend 30% of my income now, and that鈥檚 only because of the new tax laws. I don鈥檛 want the government taxing me too much, so I registered an LLC early this year and now 鈥減ay鈥 myself a 鈧600k monthly salary. The rest of the money stays in investments. Even from that 鈧600k, my usual monthly expense is just about 鈧350k. The rest still goes to investments and other minor expenses. I live way below my means. I have a budget for everything.
Walk me through what your monthly budget looks like
How about your investment portfolio?
I have 鈧1.2m in my emergency fund. I started investing in stocks in 2025, and currently have 鈧8.6m there. Then another 鈧20.4m in my real estate investment account 鈥 that鈥檚 the one I鈥檓 trying to raise to 鈧40m.
I also have another 鈧360k in a separate account specifically for taxes. I calculate tax for whatever I earn and send it there, so I鈥檓 not surprised when the government starts asking for it. In total, my net worth is around 鈧35m, which is still very far from 鈧1bn.
How would you describe your relationship with money?
I鈥檓 very diligent with money. I鈥檓 diligent about how I make it, and for the past year, I鈥檝e been diligent about paying myself first by investing in my future goals. One thing I鈥檓 still trying to learn is staying with my budget.
Sometimes, my actual monthly expenses reach 鈧450k. Clearly, I still have some work to do with watching out for the small things that balloon into big expenses. Buying more protein shakes at the gym or spending a bit more on transport once or twice don鈥檛 sound like much, but those things that add up.
Is there an ideal amount of money you think you should be earning?
For my perfect life, my dream income is $15k/month. However, I鈥檓 really happy with where I am. It’s a lot more than most people get. So I’m not complaining. I want more, as most people do, but I am also content. I’m not overspending, and I’m going slowly. Slow is good. Slow is fine.
Is there anything you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?
Maybe a relationship. I can afford it, to be honest, but I know love can be financial. I鈥檓 too frugal to spend on dates or anything like that right now.
How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?
9. I earn enough to create artificial scarcity. I earn almost 鈧3m monthly but choose to live on just 鈧600k. That鈥檚 an interesting place to be.
Curious, do you sometimes wish you鈥檇 completed school?
I have no regrets. Of course, there鈥檚 the issue of the certificate, but I鈥檓 open to the idea of having my own business one day, and I can always go to business school.
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.
