What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

One I鈥檒l always remember happened when I was 7 or 8. My mum was sick, so she sent me down the street to buy a bottle of 7Up. It was the first time she鈥檇 ever sent me on an errand outside. Our domestic help who handled these was running another errand. 

I can鈥檛 remember exactly how much the bottle cost, but it wasn’t more than 鈧�100. My mum gave me the money and watched me from the balcony to make sure I got to the shop safely.

I don鈥檛 know how it happened, but when I got to the shop, I didn鈥檛 have the money anymore. I鈥檇 lost it on the way somehow. I got the beating of my life when I got back home. 

I realised money was important enough to get that kind of reaction from my mum. I kept complaining to our help like, 鈥淢ummy beat me like that because of how much?鈥�

Tell me more about your childhood. What were the finances like?

I grew up really comfortable. My mum was an accountant 鈥� think proper career woman 鈥� until she had my younger sister and switched to teaching, while my dad was a management consultant. I attended one of the best primary schools, and we had two cars.

Things changed in 2018 when I got into uni. My dad got sick and couldn鈥檛 work for years, which set us back. We sold the cars and several other things to meet bills and survive. We even changed churches because it became too expensive to bundle everyone in public transport and travel that distance. All the things my dad used to do for us, including random stipends and gifts at the end of a school term, stopped. 

How did these changes impact you?

When I first entered 100 level, my mum put 鈧�100k into an account for me to withdraw gradually and cover my needs. She had access to the account, and when the balance was running low, she鈥檇 top it up. I hardly noticed when the account was low because she often topped it up.

However, when my dad鈥檚 sickness got serious and they started preparing for surgery, the automatic credits stopped. In fact, my mum started calling to question every withdrawal I made.

鈥淲hat are you spending money on? Small small o, there鈥檚 no money o.鈥�

That鈥檚 when it started to hit me that something was up. I went from going to the ATM to withdraw cash whenever I wanted to seeing 鈥渋nsufficient funds鈥� and getting 鈧�3k – 鈧�5k weekly to survive.

School went on strike as I was rounding up 100 level, and I used that period to earn money.

Was that the first time you worked to earn money?

Oh no. The first time was in 2017, the year between finishing secondary school and getting into uni. I apprenticed with an event decorator/baker. Whenever my boss catered an event, she took us apprentices along to work as waitresses and paid us 鈧�1k or 鈧�2k. Those gigs came in about once every two or three months. Getting admitted to uni meant the end of that income source.

Now back to the strike.

I had free time, so I worked at a school as a teacher鈥檚 assistant, helping care for and feed the kids in kindergarten and nursery school. They paid me 鈧�4k/month for the three months I worked there. I stopped the job when the strike was called off.

鈧�4k per month is crazy

See, I wasn鈥檛 even expecting to get paid. The proprietress was the same woman I鈥檇 apprenticed with earlier in 2017. To be honest, I just worked at the school, so I wouldn鈥檛 stay at home doing nothing. 

Growing up comfortable made me unbothered about making money, which was foolish because I had a lot to worry about. I guess it was because my parents tried their best to provide me with things I needed, so I had this mentality of, 鈥淲hy should I be suffering myself? I鈥檓 fine.鈥� 

I used to do a lot of things for free. People would come to me asking for help baking something, and I鈥檇 literally tell them not to pay me. I鈥檇 be like, 鈥淒on鈥檛 worry. Just bring money for the materials.鈥� Mumu me. Even the 鈧�4k I earned from the school was spent on foolish things like data and sweets. So, I wasn鈥檛 bothered about whether it was small or not.

Right. So you stopped the job after school resumed. Did you try anything else to make money?

I tried to join an ushering agency, but it didn鈥檛 work out. During the 2020 lockdown, I abandoned baking and decoration (which I didn鈥檛 even finish learning) to learn tailoring. My parents paid 鈧�25k for the training, which lasted about six or seven months before school resumed in March 2021.

Why the switch, though?

No reason. I was just no longer interested in baking. Even the tailoring, I didn鈥檛 finish learning it. When another ASUU strike happened in February 2022, I went back to tailoring for a bit. But by September, I got tired and decided to make money instead.

So, I started teaching at a school for 鈧�10k/month. I only worked there for two months because ASUU called off the strike. After completing my project and clearance in February 2023, I returned to work at the school. They increased my salary to 鈧�15k since I was technically a graduate. I worked there till July/August when I went for NYSC.

For my service year, I worked as an HR assistant at an electricity distribution company. They paid me 鈧�10k/month, and I also received the 鈧�33k allawee from NYSC. I completed my service in August 2024 and returned to work at the school after unsuccessfully job-hunting for a while. I thought, 鈥淟et me just be here to pass time.鈥� 

But I became comfortable and worked there from 2024 to March 2026. In fact, I officially stopped working on the 2nd of April, 2026. 

Interesting. What was your income like at the school?

When I went back in 2024, I was earning 鈧�30k/month. In January 2025, I was made the school administrator/head teacher and got a salary bump to 鈧�32k. Then, in September 2025, I got another raise to 鈧�35k/month. That was what I earned till I left.

At some point in 2025, I gave private lessons to some students at the school, and my monthly income jumped to 鈧�80k. I think that was from February to July 2025. That stopped when the students left the school, and I went back to my 鈧�32k.

Why did you eventually leave?

I just started my master鈥檚 programme. My dad has been on my neck about it for a while, and I finally got around to it. Unfortunately, I didn鈥檛 think it through; I was just looking for a way to get out of my parents鈥� house. 

The area we live in is very backward, and I don鈥檛 think one can really make any kind of progress in that place. The only way my parents would let me leave is if I went for my master鈥檚 or got a job that required me to leave. Since I wasn鈥檛 getting a job, the master鈥檚 was the next best thing. Then, I made the mistake of choosing a master鈥檚 in the education sector. I鈥檝e been trying to get into HR or admin, and I should鈥檝e chosen a course related to that. 

So, I鈥檓 worried this might be a waste of time, but I figure it might not matter. I don鈥檛 necessarily have to study a related course to get an opportunity in HR. 

Is the plan to job-hunt while studying?

Yes. I鈥檓 trying my best to get a job. I鈥檓 hoping for something remote right now because my master鈥檚 programme is putting me through a lot. I took a virtual assistance course in 2022, and I think I鈥檝e been sleeping on it. People are making money with that. So, I鈥檓 hoping to land a virtual assistant gig.

Also, I know how to make beads. It鈥檚 one of the many skills I learned. I鈥檓 thinking of starting my bead-craft business, which I鈥檝e been postponing for about 6 years now. If I can get enough capital, I can go to the market and see what materials I can get. I really want to start a business. I don鈥檛 even know why; it just sounds nice. Maybe if I have that, with a remote job that doesn鈥檛 interfere with classes, I can start changing my life. 

How are you surviving right now without an income?

Well, I haven鈥檛 gotten to that stage yet, since I was paid before leaving my job. Right now, I have about 鈧�20k in my whole life. I don鈥檛 know where that will take me. I鈥檓 hoping I鈥檒l have figured something out before it finishes. I know I鈥檒l survive somehow. I鈥檝e been broke before, and I didn鈥檛 die. 

Do you have a safety net, though, just in case?

I would鈥檝e said my savings, but I recently emptied them to rent an apartment for 鈧�150k. My parents are there, but I really hope I don鈥檛 have to call them. I鈥檓 sure they鈥檙e tired of me. I mean, they sponsored my fees and even tried to sort out hostel accommodation for me. Unfortunately, something happened to the accommodation, and we鈥檙e still trying to resolve it. I had to pay out of pocket in the meantime. 

I鈥檓 really hoping to get motion within the next six months because no be only me dem born. I need to figure things out. God abeg.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

Money feels like something that鈥檚 very far from me, and I鈥檝e felt this way for the last year or two. I know I鈥檓 part of the problem, and I have underlying issues that only God can save me from. 

What kind of issues?

Everyone wants to make money, right? But I don鈥檛 have that push. I can sit down today and imagine all the moves I want to make, but I don鈥檛 follow through. 

For instance, take this beads business I鈥檝e been putting off. Once in 2020, I was so broke that I decided I couldn鈥檛 keep going that way. I got fired up and decided to start the business immediately, whether I had a good phone for pictures or not. I entered the market with my last 鈧�3k or 鈧�4k and bought materials to make a beaded bag. People in the hostel saw me making it and kept dropping compliments.

I finished making that bag and only posted it once on Nairaland. After that day, I forgot I had any motion to start a beads business. That bag is still in my house today. The following year, I got 鈥渇ired up鈥� again, but I still didn鈥檛 follow through. I get episodes of high motivation like that. I鈥檒l buy beads and start making them all over the house. My family will be like, 鈥淥kay, maybe this time will work.鈥� Still, nothing. I鈥檒l just find one excuse: if it鈥檚 not my phone not being good enough for pictures, it鈥檚 that the background is not fine for the content.

In 2023, after another self-talk and motivation nonsense, I disturbed my parents to get me a laptop. I told them I wanted to learn data analytics, that it鈥檚 鈥渞emote work that is reigning now.鈥� They got me the laptop in two weeks. I was serious about learning for the first three months, then I dropped it.

I picked it up again in 2024 and learned Excel, SQL, and Tableau. I even opened a Twitter account dedicated to documenting my learning process, but I didn鈥檛 follow through. 

Hmm

That鈥檚 why I say I鈥檓 my own problem. I鈥檓 always jumping from pillar to post. I鈥檝e learned everything from crocheting to catering and tailoring. Upon all, nothing. 

It鈥檚 somehow because my parents always pay for these things. I can just tell them one new thing, and they鈥檙e ready to support me without asking questions. 

So yeah, I have a problem that I need to tackle first. Because if not, all this mouth I鈥檓 making about starting my bead business this year might follow the same pattern. 

I struggle with execution. Because motivation? E plenty die. I also have lots of business ideas. I鈥檝e motivated many of my friends and given them business ideas, and they鈥檙e flourishing. But to apply the same thing to my life is a problem. Maybe I just don鈥檛 know how to leave my comfort zone. 

People say identifying the problem is the first step to solving it. Do you think accepting your struggles might change anything?

I don鈥檛 think so. This is something I鈥檝e known about myself for like three years now, but the realisation has done nothing for me. Maybe it鈥檚 deliverance I need at this point.

Let’s talk about your typical monthly expenses. What do they look like?

I spend more than my salary every month, and I honestly don鈥檛 know how. To be fair, students鈥� parents often dashed me money, so that helped. Now that I no longer teach, the 鈥渇ree money鈥� will reduce. That鈥檚 one thing I鈥檒l miss about teaching. 

You mentioned some savings which you used for accommodation earlier. I鈥檓 curious; do you have a specific approach to savings?

It鈥檚 not consistent. I typically save whenever I get extra money. A big part of the 鈧�150k savings came from some money my dad gave me for clearance last month. I didn鈥檛 use it all, so I kept some. Then, when someone dashes me money, I sometimes save it. In January, I started a 鈧�200 daily savings plan on an app, but it only lasted that month. Now, I just save when I can.

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

Honestly, there鈥檚 no amount I think I deserve right now because I don鈥檛 think I have the skill set to demand money. Maybe if I were still teaching, I鈥檇 say 鈧�250k would be ideal. At least, it鈥檚 not too much for a school administrator. 

You don鈥檛 consider your several vocational skills as skills?

Well, I didn鈥檛 really learn them to make money. They were just side quests. For instance, with tailoring, I just liked fashion and looking nice, so I was watching DIY YouTube videos and making clothes with a needle and thread. My dad noticed and said I should just learn to use the machine. That鈥檚 why I did it. I honestly have too many interests to focus on one. 

Gotcha. What about something you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?

My phone. If I finally start my beads business 鈥� maybe the 10th attempt will be the charm 鈥� I鈥檒l need a good phone for content. I would need at least 鈧�400k for that.

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

2. At my big age, I should be doing more. Where I am right now is a horrible place to be. I need to put my head in the game and lock in. Because how hard is it really to make money? I鈥檓 sure it鈥檇 be easier if I weren鈥檛 jumping from one thing to another all the time. 

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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.听.

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

Opening a bank account in SS 3 and depositing my first savings in it. My savings were about 鈧�40k or 鈧�50k 鈥� money my siblings and parents had given me over the years.

Unfortunately, I got scammed not long after opening that account.

Ah. What happened?

I fell for a Ponzi scheme. Something about 鈥渕ining鈥� naira, performing tasks and referring people. I put in 鈧�10k to earn 鈧�50k in two months. On the night I was supposed to withdraw the money, the site didn鈥檛 open. I couldn鈥檛 tell my parents because I鈥檇 ventured into the scheme without informing anyone.

Phew. Speaking of your parents, what was the financial situation growing up?

My dad had a lot of businesses, from real estate to diesel. My mum was a baker. That鈥檚 what they still do today. I wouldn鈥檛 say we were wealthy. I had all I needed, but not necessarily all I wanted. 

What was the first thing you did to earn money?

I sold shawarma in my first year at university. I attended a Seventh-day Adventist private university that didn鈥檛 allow meat or chicken meals on campus. The cafeteria only served tofu. Of course, students couldn鈥檛 eat that all the time, so we often smuggled food inside school. Shawarma was a popular choice.

I bought shawarma outside the school at around 鈧�1500 – 鈧�2000 a piece and resold them for 鈧�3500 – 鈧�4000. I honestly did it because everyone else was selling something, and it was an opportunity to make extra money on top of my 鈧�30k monthly allowance. I typically sold shawarmas every Friday and made around 鈧�14k in weekly profits. 

After 100 level, I changed hostel halls, and it was much more difficult to sell because of constant checks. I didn鈥檛 want to get sanctioned. I also decided it was better to just focus on my studies, so the business died.

Did you try another business in uni?

Nope. I survived on pocket money. From the second year, my allowance increased to 鈧�50k, and later to 鈧�70k. I could also call home if I ran out of money. I continued like that until I graduated in 2025. 

What came next?

I read a 91大神 article about someone who made 鈧�6m from YouTube and decided to give creating on YouTube a shot.听

I鈥檇 actually made money from YouTube once, years ago, in 2015 or 2016. I was in secondary school and used to play football games on my mum鈥檚 tablet. 

My sister told me I could make money from YouTube, so I recorded a few of these games and posted them there. Back then, it was so easy to monetise. They didn鈥檛 have the 1000-subscriber and 4000-watch-hour rule then. I think I got monetised in under a month.

I didn鈥檛 make much from the channel, though. Only $20. YouTube paused ads on the channel because they couldn鈥檛 verify my address. I uploaded two or three more videos after that, but I eventually lost motivation. Plus, I was in boarding school and couldn鈥檛 be consistent with it. 

However, that article motivated me to try again. I did a lot of research and watched free YouTube tutorials. Then, just like the lady in the article, I created a faceless channel focused on revenge stories, using AI to script and narrate the stories. This was in August.

How did that go?

I uploaded a new video every day for a month and a week. Unfortunately, I only got nine subscribers. I might even have been shadowbanned because I wasn鈥檛 getting views anymore. I eventually abandoned it. 

I didn鈥檛 give up on YouTube, though. I created another channel and started posting videos in the health niche, specifically health advice for elderly people. This one also flopped. After 35 videos, I only got three subscribers. 

By this time, it was December, and I had stopped posting on the channel entirely. I decided to go back to the drawing board and find resources that would actually guide me. I spent 鈧�50k on a few courses on YouTube automation, learning about different niches and how to pick the right niche.

After watching the courses, I felt ready to try YouTube again and created another channel. This time, I picked fictional mafia boss stories.

Your third attempt. Did things go better this time around?

Much better. My first video, uploaded on the 2nd day of January, reached 11,000 watch hours in 24 hours. By the 6th, I鈥檇 hit 1,000 subscribers. I applied for the YouTube Partner Program the next day and got monetised on the 13th. 

That January, I made $2,600 in ad revenue. US citizens make up 70% of my viewers, so I had to pay tax on that income. After taxes, it came down to $2,010. In February, I made $1,600. I鈥檓 still expecting my March payout, but I鈥檓 sure it鈥檒l be over $1k. Everything I鈥檝e earned so far is in my domiciliary account. I haven鈥檛 touched it.

That鈥檚 almost 鈧�5m in two months. How does that feel?

It feels really good, but I believe I鈥檝e worked on it. I鈥檝e been on it since August 2025. Most people would鈥檝e given up. YouTube automation can be really frustrating. Imagine putting so much effort into a video that doesn鈥檛 do well. I made multiple videos that flopped, but my consistency is paying off. 

I still have a long way to go, though. I鈥檝e seen people who make $15k in a month. My friend sent me a screenshot of someone who earned $83k. One of the perks of the course I bought was access to a community of fellow YouTube creators. One of them quit his banking job (he was a contract staff) after making 鈧�60m in a few months. That鈥檚 how YouTube is.

That鈥檚 interesting. Do you intend to make YouTube automation a full-time hustle?

I can鈥檛 say. The thing is, no matter how much money I make, I can鈥檛 fully depend on social media. YouTube can demonetise or terminate a channel at any time. Terminating is even worse because it means you can鈥檛 create a new channel on the same device. You鈥檇 need to buy another device and get a new internet connection, so they don鈥檛 detect it鈥檚 you.

I know several people who got demonetised, especially in January. Even X (Twitter) recently paused monetisation for many Nigerian creators. The sad thing is that many of these demonetisations are automated decisions. So even if the creator doesn鈥檛 violate any rules, there can still be system errors. It鈥檚 not like there鈥檚 a human being somewhere closely monitoring every suspected violation.  

So, I wouldn鈥檛 advise anyone to make YouTube automation their full-time hustle. I鈥檓 just focusing on it for now because I don鈥檛 have other plans. I haven鈥檛 gone for NYSC yet, so I鈥檓 not looking for a job. I鈥檓 going with the flow and directing all my time and energy to YouTube to see how much I can get from it. I currently upload 5 videos per week, which is very time-consuming. That鈥檚 more than enough on my plate for now.

That鈥檚 fair. How has this recent windfall impacted how you think about money?

I now think it鈥檚 quite easy to make money, as long as you have the right information. The person who earned $83k knows (and is doing) something I don鈥檛, and that鈥檚 why networking is important. So, I鈥檇 say join as many communities as you can and seek out as many mentorships as you can. 

Also, fail as much as possible because it鈥檚 through failure that one succeeds. I recently tried to create a new channel on a new device, and it got disabled. It doesn鈥檛 mean I won鈥檛 try again. Life is like a video game; it keeps getting harder, but you have the opportunity to try again. 

You mentioned you haven鈥檛 touched the YouTube money at all. Is there a reason why?

I live with my parents and don鈥檛 have financial responsibilities. I also have enough money 鈥� about 鈧�700k in my savings account 鈥� to cover my immediate needs, and about 鈧�5m in a mutual funds account. 

Hol鈥檜p. Where did the millions in mutual funds come from?

I should clarify that I didn鈥檛 deposit the 鈧�5m in the account at once. It鈥檚 the result of compounding interest of at least 20% per annum over four years. I created the account when I was in 200-level at uni. Everyone in my family opened one at that point. We thought it was wiser to earn interest on savings there rather than leaving it in a bank account.

I鈥檝e always been an aggressive saver, and throughout uni, I saved every extra I got from pocket money in the account.

Also, I did a bit of gambling in my uni days. I often went for high odds with small cash bets to reduce the amount of money I could lose and maximise profits. 

I lost a number of times, usually between 鈧�2k and 鈧�30k. However, when I got lucky, I made like 鈧�50k-鈧�100k. My biggest payout was almost 鈧�1 million from a 鈧�2k bet in 300 level. I stopped gambling when I lost 鈧�200k on another game. I鈥檇 never lost that amount of money before. It was my sign to stop betting.

So, yeah, a lot of the money in that account came from gambling and allowances from my parents. 

I鈥檓 curious. Do you have any savings and investment goals you鈥檙e working towards?

Not really. I鈥檓 just keeping money because there鈥檚 nothing else to do with it. I have an earnings target, though. I want to make $100k from YouTube by the end of the year. It鈥檚 very possible. I just need a couple of good months.

You mentioned not having financial responsibilities. What do you spend on in a typical month?

Mostly data and the various AI tools and subscriptions I use for YouTube automation. Those cost me about 鈧�100k a month, and I handle that from my savings. I don鈥檛 ask my parents for money anymore. The only things they give me now are shelter and food.

Is there an ideal amount of money you think you should be earning from YouTube right now, besides the $100k goal?

$20k a month. People make that regularly.

What about one thing you want but can鈥檛 afford?

Nothing. 

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

8. I鈥檓 doing well for my age. I鈥檓 stable and growing. I鈥檓 not where I want to be yet, and I don鈥檛 even know if I鈥檒l ever be because I鈥檒l always want more.

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When did you first realise the importance of money?

2018, when I made some careless financial decisions in uni. This happened partly because my parents didn鈥檛 exactly train my siblings and me in money matters. To be honest, I felt some resentment towards them for a long time.

Why was that?

They were the kind of Nigerian parents who believed everything was 鈥渢he will of God鈥�. 

In my earliest memories, they often struggled to make ends meet. My dad is a pastor and doesn鈥檛 earn much. My mum had an office job that brought in more money. But when I was in secondary school, she had to leave the job when my dad got transferred to another church. 

She later started a business, but it wasn鈥檛 like before. She didn’t make as much as she did when she had a job, and we had to live on my dad鈥檚 income. Things were tight. I remember we often had to rely on foodstuffs from church members. But my parents were still very much big believers in 鈥渢hings will work out.鈥�

I think that might have influenced the careless decision I made when I got into uni in 2018.

We鈥檙e back to that now. What did you do?

I had a trashy phone that didn鈥檛 work, and I needed a functional one because that鈥檚 how students passed information in school. My dad is the kind of person who鈥檒l go, 鈥淛ust manage what I got you.鈥� He wasn鈥檛 ready to buy me another one. 

So I had the bright idea of buying a new phone with the 鈧�60-something thousand my parents gave me for school fees, believing I鈥檇 magically make the money back.

What was the plan?

There was no plan. I just thought my parents would send me pocket money, and I鈥檇 gather it to pay my school fees.

Unfortunately, I was getting around 鈧�5k a week, and most of that went into trying to survive in school. I couldn鈥檛 save anything because I was broke and barely surviving. I managed to write my first semester exams, but by the time the second semester exams came, I was too depressed. 

The school management kept saying, 鈥淚f you鈥檝e not paid your fees, you won鈥檛 write exams.鈥� I thought it would be embarrassing to be asked to exit the examination hall. So, I just stayed back in my room. 

After the exams, my coursemates came to see me to ask what happened, and I explained the situation. They were like, 鈥淎h. You should have come. They鈥檙e not strict with school fees like that.鈥� If only I had known that earlier. I ended up getting carryovers that later resulted in an extra year.

Did your parents find out about the school fees issue?

I didn鈥檛 tell them. They still don鈥檛 know to this day. I eventually used tuition from subsequent years to gradually settle my debt. 

Also, in my second year, I got a receptionist job at a photography studio for 鈧�15k/month. That job was so stressful. I couldn鈥檛 even attend classes because I worked Mondays to Saturdays. During exams, I鈥檇 write a paper and then return to work. As you can probably guess, I failed a lot of courses that added to my already long list of carryovers.

I worked there for a year and left when I couldn鈥檛 handle the stress anymore. This was 2021, and I was now in 300 level. I decided to take a small break from making money to focus on school and try to pass my courses. 

Later that year, I went for the compulsory six-month IT work experience at a stockbroking company.

Was it a paid internship?

Yes. My employer paid me 鈧�30k/month to work as an investment analyst 鈥� even though I mostly worked as a personal assistant. The plan was that he鈥檇 put me through what I needed to work in stockbroking. He was also actively trying to sleep with me, but I naively thought I could keep him at arm鈥檚 length and do my job.

After I finished my IT, he persuaded me to continue working with him. He transferred me to work in the HR department and increased my pay to 鈧�45k. My final year was very busy, but I managed to juggle school with work. My pay was good enough for me to stop asking my parents for money. I could fend for myself.

Meanwhile, my employer was still trying to move to me sexually, but I kept ignoring him. My aunt even warned that I鈥檇 regret staying in that situation, but I told her I could handle it. I kept working with him after I left school in 2023, and finally left in February 2024. As my aunt warned, I eventually regretted trying to deal with his behaviour.

How so?

His frustration with my insistence on keeping our working relationship professional often led him to try to embarrass me in front of others. At some point, he tried to set me up and claim I embezzled money. Thankfully, I had covered my tracks, and he couldn鈥檛 use that against me.

I didn鈥檛 even plan to resign when I did. I had a panic attack that morning and told myself I couldn鈥檛 continue. He was shocked to see my resignation letter. At the point I left, my salary was 鈧�75k/month. He even increased it to 鈧�90k just before I resigned, trying to get me to stay, but I was done.

I resigned without a plan, but thankfully, I wasn鈥檛 unemployed for long. The following month, I got a job with my aunt, who lives abroad. She was a postgraduate student and ran a business on the side. So, she hired me as an admin assistant and paid me 鈧�150k every two weeks. My job was essentially to handle business emails and help her with schoolwork and assignments. 

鈧�300k/month was a big deal to me. I was earning reasonably well. That鈥檚 when I had the stupid idea to start a business myself.

It sounds like the business didn鈥檛 do well

It even started my journey into debt. Here鈥檚 what happened: I started a skincare products business in August 2024 to earn extra income on the side. I sold my first set of products on a pre-order arrangement because I was importing them from China. Sales went well, but shipping to Nigeria became a problem.

The person I trusted to ship them might have cheated me because I later asked other people and learnt the shipping fee shouldn鈥檛 be that much. Anyway, she charged me 鈧�700k to ship 鈧�500k worth of products. 

Ah

I had no choice but to pay the fee since I鈥檇 already collected customers鈥� money. I had to borrow the 鈧�700k shipping fee from my aunt (who was also my employer) to clear the goods. 

You鈥檇 think I鈥檇 stop the business after that incident, right? I couldn鈥檛. I had to make the money back to repay my aunt. However, it wasn鈥檛 as easy as I expected. The books just weren鈥檛 balancing. Around the same time, my aunt stopped paying me a salary because she wasn鈥檛 making money from her business. I kept helping her out with work because she鈥檇 been good to me. I couldn鈥檛 just leave her.

So, I was without an income and trying to make my business work. I didn鈥檛 last a year. By February 2025, I鈥檇 closed the business down and started looking for something else to do. I needed to make money to repay my debt.

How did the search go?

I got a job at a brewing company almost immediately, but I left after three months. They were supposed to pay me 鈧�80k/month to work in HR, but they didn鈥檛 pay me a single naira.

After that, I moved to Lagos to live with a relative. I was actually supposed to leave the country, but it didn鈥檛 work out.

Oh. What happened?

My aunt had a friend who convinced both of us that I could make $700/month working in a South-Asian country. Now that I think about it, we didn鈥檛 really have specific details of what the work was. My aunt just trusted this friend a lot, so she fully sponsored the process and spent about 鈧�10m. 

In the end, the whole thing fell through because the country鈥檚 immigration authorities found my lack of travel history suspicious. When it happened, I got really depressed. I resolved I wouldn鈥檛 return to my parents鈥� house. I had to 鈥渕ake it鈥� in Lagos.

I was unemployed for another three months before I found my current job. I work as an executive assistant and admin staff for a medical group. When I first started, my pay was 鈧�250k/month. That was increased to 鈧�300k this month. 

Since I got this job, I haven鈥檛 actually lived on my full salary because of my debt.

The debt to your aunt? How鈥檚 that looking now?

I was this close to being debt-free. Over the last few months, once I got my salary, I sent my aunt something between 鈧�60k and 鈧�100k. About a week ago, my debt dropped to 鈧�167k. 

Then, my apartment, which I moved into around September 2025, was demolished by the government. The landlord knew this would happen, but he didn鈥檛 inform the tenants. It happened so quickly, without any warning.

Oh my. So sorry about that

Thank you. I had to take another loan from my aunt to rent another apartment. So now, my debt is back up to about 鈧�900k. I鈥檝e not even been able to move into the house because my work schedule is so tight. 

I鈥檓 currently staying in an uncle鈥檚 apartment. But he鈥檚 been trying to get me to leave. He rents out the place, so my staying there is costing him money. At this point, I鈥檓 just waiting for him to physically drive me out because I don鈥檛 know what to do.

I鈥檓 so overwhelmed. I often consider going back to my parents鈥� house, but if I go back, what happens next? Sometimes, I burst into tears. It鈥檚 like things aren鈥檛 getting better. Even before this demolition, things were hard. Since I was repaying debt, I barely had enough left to survive. I couldn鈥檛 even save. I often need to rely on my parents for money. Sometimes, when I ask them, they鈥檒l be like, 鈥淗ow come you鈥檙e earning more than we used to earn in our days, yet you鈥檙e asking us for money?鈥� They just don鈥檛 get it.

Beyond the whole debt situation, I have money issues that I鈥檓 still trying to unpack.

Tell me about them

Where do I start? Money has always been scary to me. For most of my life, I didn鈥檛 keep track of my account or expenses. Like, I鈥檇 make transactions and avoid looking at my account balance because I was scared of money leaving my account.

However, since I got my current job and started repaying my debt, I had to sit and think deeply about my money issues. I realised they were rooted in fear, insecurity and scarcity. So, I started actively writing down my transactions and debts. That way, I knew exactly where my money was going, how much I had repaid and how much I owed. I even locked up 鈧�50k in a savings account till August because I was too embarrassed about having zero savings.

In February, I started calculating my projected expenses to see where I could cut costs. The idea is to free up money to save and invest. I need to save at least 鈧�60k/month to make my next rent. It鈥檒l also be nice to get into stocks and start investing little by little. Remember I worked in stock broking? I have some investing knowledge, just no money to put to use. However, with my recent budget cuts, I鈥檓 hoping that will happen soon.

Walk me through some of these budget cuts

For one, I no longer pay for Netflix. I also used my sister鈥檚 school email address to create a Spotify account so I can pay 鈧�800/month (for the student discount) instead of 鈧�2k. 

Then I cut down my data costs and now buy tiny concentrated perfume oils instead of the regular perfumes to save money 鈥� perfumes are a necessity for me because of my work. I also now trek half the distance to work, cutting down my transport fare from 鈧�2k per day to 鈧�800. I save money and get my steps in at the same time. Win-win.

I rate it. What do these expenses usually come down to in a typical month?

How would you describe your relationship with money now?

I鈥檓 trying to get over my fear of money. I鈥檓 25 and see how I鈥檓 budgeting myself. I鈥檓 scared I鈥檒l be stuck in this cycle forever. This cycle of budgeting and financing year-round, and still not having enough. It feels like a rat race, doing the same thing over and over.

Something has to change. I think I鈥檝e been scared to take another risk since the skincare business didn鈥檛 work out. I鈥檝e been too comfortable with the 9-5 cycle. 

So, I鈥檓 going to branch out. I鈥檒l try business again someday, but for now, I鈥檒l start looking for menial jobs. I don鈥檛 mind going to clean people鈥檚 houses on weekends or helping with market runs and cooking. I just need something to change, and I have to take a step towards that change.

Rooting for you. Is the goal to repay your debt faster?

Sort of. It鈥檚 mostly to have some money either to save or settle other things after repaying my debt monthly. For instance, when I don鈥檛 want to go to my parents for money, I borrow from my younger siblings. They also call me for money when they鈥檙e broke. I want to be able to help them out with ease.

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

鈧�1 million/month should be ideal. I鈥檝e been applying for foreign remote jobs without success. If I can get one in addition to my current role, it will take me a step closer to paying off my debt and leaving this rat race.

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

3. I feel that if people hear the amount of money I earn, they鈥檒l act like my parents, saying, 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e earning a lot,鈥� and think I don鈥檛 need help. Yet I鈥檓 struggling. It鈥檚 really frustrating.

Hoping things get better soon. What鈥檚 one thing you鈥檇 like to be better at financially?

Saving. I feel like it鈥檚 the bedrock of being an adult. People always say, 鈥淲omen have a lot of money in their Piggyvest,鈥� and there鈥檚 me with next to nothing. It鈥檚 embarrassing. I want to be like other girls. I want to have something to my name.

Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.

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What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

My primary school had this thing where they鈥檇 call out the students who hadn鈥檛 paid their fees. Then they鈥檇 flog them and ask them to go home. I started getting flogged in primary three, and it happened often. 

That鈥檚 when I started thinking of money as something serious people needed. Money gave access to things such as school. Not having money could mean getting flogged. It didn鈥檛 help that my parents weren鈥檛 even interested in making money.

Why was that?

The religious organisation they鈥檙e a part of doesn鈥檛 place a premium on material things. They believe everything on earth is temporary vanity, and it鈥檚 more important to do God鈥檚 work. 

My dad was a farmer, and my mum was a housewife, and they were both okay with it. They didn鈥檛 believe in getting a lucrative skill and earning more money.

Growing up, we didn鈥檛 even have a TV at home. I would listen to my friends talk about shows like 鈥淪uper Story鈥�, but couldn鈥檛 contribute. They had Game Boys, toys and everything I couldn鈥檛 afford. I wanted to be like them. I didn鈥檛 like my parents鈥� way of life, and it shaped how I thought about money. 

I just wanted to make money and live a better life. I was so bent on doing more for myself that I didn鈥檛 mind trying any means to make money, even if it could land me in trouble.

Tell me more

First, there鈥檚 a backstory you should know. I finished secondary school in 2014 but didn鈥檛 start uni properly until 2017.

The thing is, I wanted to study law. A few uncles and aunties from my hometown seemed to be doing well as lawyers. It felt like a way to get out of the life I had.

My first uni admission was in political science, which my dad asked me to drop because it didn鈥檛 align with his religious beliefs. I tried again the year after and got history. I took it, but wrote JAMB again in my first year. I eventually got an admission offer to study law in 2017.

However, I had issues with my religious dad; his organisation had a rule prohibiting the children of elders (my dad was an elder) from attending the university. They鈥檝e relaxed this rule now, but it was pretty tight then. If my dad let me go to uni, he鈥檇 have to step down as an elder. They gave an alternative, though: I could go to uni if I became a loyal, bag-carrying member of the religious organisation while in school.

However, I was pretty rebellious. I wasn鈥檛 about that life, so I didn鈥檛 practise anything. My dad and I clashed over it, and to save his position as an elder, he stopped paying my fees and supporting me financially. I had to start providing for myself from my second year in uni.

How did you do that?

Now we鈥檙e caught up. I did a few things that could have landed me in trouble. 

Initially, I was just photocopying notes and doing assignments for students who had money and didn鈥檛 want to stress themselves out. There was one guy who delegated all of his coursework to me until he graduated; I literally earned his degree for him. The students usually paid me 鈧�5k or 鈧�10k per task, but the pay was regular. 

Then I moved on to writing exams for students who had carryovers. We called it 鈥渄oing machinery鈥� for people. I鈥檇 use their student information to sit for the exam and write their papers. It was risky because getting caught was an automatic two-year suspension. 

However, it was also really profitable. I built a reputation for giving my clients at least a B or C, so I charged up to 鈧�70k per paper. Sometimes I wrote 2 or 3 papers in the same period. It was good money. I鈥檓 not proud of it, but I had to survive. 

The gigs only came during exam period, and I survived the rest of the semester with what I made from assignments. These were my main sources of income in school.

Also, in 200 level, I got in on a crypto investment trend I heard about on NairaLand. I can鈥檛 remember the details, but I think it was Solana. I bought a few coins and sold them at a profit. I made over 鈧�370k and saved it for school fees. That money covered my tuition 鈥� 鈧�127k/year 鈥� from 300 level through graduation in 2023. 

What came next after uni?

I鈥檇 heard about programming in uni and had learnt a bit of HTML and CSS. I couldn鈥檛 focus much on them because of all the stuff I juggled for money. 

However, after leaving school in May 2023, I began studying ReactJS full-time. I found websites that had pirated Udemy courses 鈥� not proud of this, but I couldn鈥檛 afford to pay for them. I鈥檇 walk to the ICT centre at my school for the Wi-Fi, download these courses, and return home to watch and practice. Someone I met online also sent me a flash drive containing courses on JavaScript and React. I don鈥檛 even know the person鈥檚 name. He just waybilled the drive to me for free. 

In August, I found my first job on Reddit. It was a six-month front-end engineering internship at a small US-based company. They paid me $100/month, and I literally did everything in that place. I wasn鈥檛 working like an intern at all. 

The same month I started there, I got another internship that paid me $120, but I only lasted one month. Bruh, it was the worst experience of my life. I was waking up every day, praying for salary day so I could get paid and quit. The micromanagement and unreal expectations were out of this world. 

Omo. That鈥檚 tough

After I left the $120 gig, I focused on my internship with the US company until it ended in February 2024. In June, I found another front-end gig on Reddit: a freelance arrangement with milestone-based payments, no fixed salary. He could send me $200 this month and $300 the following month. The least I ever got was $100, and the highest was $700. In some months, payment came twice, and in others, my employer didn鈥檛 require my services. 

I worked with him for over a year before I left in December 2025. There was no structure or team. My employer only hired US high school students as interns for a few weeks. When they left, he鈥檇 bring in another batch. I鈥檓 just starting my career, and so I felt I needed more exposure and experience with senior colleagues to actually grow. Plus, the pay wasn鈥檛 consistent. I wasn鈥檛 happy about the idea of working and wondering if money would come tomorrow, and how much it would be. 

Ironically, about a month after I left, my employer announced on LinkedIn that the company had raised  $500,000. I wished I鈥檇 stayed a bit longer.

Phew. I can imagine. What did you do after you left?

I got my current job with a Nigerian R&D tech company in January. I鈥檓 a junior developer, and my salary is 鈧�250k/month. Beyond the pay, my employers are really nice. I used to have the perception that Nigerian employers are mostly toxic, even though I鈥檇 never worked with any. I鈥檓 glad my bosses changed that perception. I鈥檓 also getting the exposure I want. I鈥檓 taking on new challenges daily, and I believe my career is growing. 

That said, I鈥檓 hoping to get a job in fintech before the year ends so I can leave this JavaScript ecosystem behind and work with Java. Law school is also on my to-do list, but that might not happen this year. 

Oh. Do you still plan to practise law?

Not immediately. Right now, law school would just be me completing something I started. It also wouldn鈥檛 hurt to have it as a potential career path. 

I’m interested in data privacy and hope to develop a SAAS product in the space soon. I feel like being a lawyer would give me more credibility than just being a random tech bro. So yeah, law school could come in handy in the future. I just haven鈥檛 gone yet because I can鈥檛 afford it.

Speaking of, what kind of life does your income afford you?

An average life. I can eat without begging for urgent 鈧�2k. I鈥檓 single, I don鈥檛 have much black tax, and the area I live in isn鈥檛 too expensive. I live a very frugal lifestyle. I recently had to take a chunk out of my savings to move out of a 鈧�250k/self-contained apartment into a 鈧�700k/year two-bedroom one. 

I also did something a bit risky. I paid three years鈥� rent upfront. Remember my plan to join a fintech? Well, I felt that not having to worry about rent until 2028 would give me enough time to focus and hopefully get to a point where I can afford 鈧�700k in rent without stress. 

Your savings must have been a lot to be able to drop 鈧�2.1m at once

Yeah. That was mostly from my last job. My salary wasn鈥檛 predictable, so I saved heavily when good money came. It also helped that I didn鈥檛 really have any expenses taking my money. My savings took a hit, though; I have just 鈧�877k left.

I also haven鈥檛 furnished the place. I moved in November, and my parlour is still empty. There鈥檚 no pressure, though. All I do is work, learn and sleep. No one is visiting me, and I don鈥檛 need to impress anyone. 

That鈥檚 fair. How has your income journey impacted how you see money?

It has made me more conscious of making money. Money is utility, and I can only do as much as I have. So, I constantly put this pressure on myself to seek out better opportunities and higher pay. I just got a job in January, but I鈥檓 already actively searching for better options. 

Also, I鈥檓 usually frugal, but I don鈥檛 hoard money. As long as there鈥檚 a need, I鈥檓 happy to spend it. Because at the end of the day, if I die, my money will go to someone else. I just avoid spending on frivolities. 

Let鈥檚 break down your typical monthly expenses

I don鈥檛 really consider my black tax as something serious. It鈥檚 not by force to give anyone money. It鈥檚 just how I help out family and friends when they ask for help.

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

At least $1000/month. That鈥檚 around 鈧�1.3m, and I feel like that鈥檒l be enough to do certain things. If I earn that for a year, I can start working towards marriage. I鈥檒l also be able to save a lot more with $1000 and check law school off my to-do list. My law school budget is around 鈧�3.2m – 鈧�3.5m. If I get that now, I鈥檒l start the process.

What鈥檚 one thing you鈥檇 like to be better at financially?

I want to learn how to say no. I鈥檓 quick to sympathise with people when they tell emotional stories and often want to help them. I can鈥檛 solve everyone鈥檚 problem even with all the money in the world, so I need to slow down. 

How about something you want but can鈥檛 afford right now?

To marry my girlfriend. I don鈥檛 need anything flashy, but I might still need at least 鈧�2m for a wedding.

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

8. I鈥檓 not there yet, but I鈥檓 grateful. Right now, I鈥檇 say I鈥檓 just floating. Earning $1000/month would take me out of survival mode. 

Out of curiosity, do you miss freelancing? The income wasn鈥檛 stable, but you were earning more

I don鈥檛. I prefer the stability of a full-time job. I鈥檇 rather know that I鈥檒l get 鈧�20k on the 30th of every month than worry about when the next $500 gig will come. I don鈥檛 want to have 鈥渇aith鈥� that a big figure will come. I just want to know for sure that something will come.

Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.

The Naira Life Conference is returning in June 2026!聽Expect honest conversations and insightful sessions聽on building wealth, scaling businesses, as well as practical strategies to manage your money.聽to be the first to know when tickets start selling.

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

My earliest memories were mostly around the rise and fall of my parents鈥� careers and incomes.

We started small. When I was little, we lived in a boys’ quarter. Then, a few years later, when my younger sister turned three, we moved into a two-bedroom apartment. Things began to look more comfortable. My dad had an architectural firm, and he鈥檇 drop me at school each morning on his way to work. In primary school, I had several collections of Enid Blyton books. 

I believe we were on track to have a really good life. Then, life dealt my parents bad cards.

What happened?

Things just started to go bad. My dad鈥檚 business partner got into some bad deals that negatively affected the firm. Not long after, my mum lost her job as a bank manager due to the .听

These events didn鈥檛 change our finances much, as my parents still tried their best to provide what we needed. However, I noticed how money affected their relationship. They quarrelled and fought more. It made me start thinking about how important it was for a woman to have money and be financially independent. 

I began wanting to do more, to excel at all I did, and gain independence early. Part of it may have been due to the firstborn syndrome, but money definitely played a significant part.

When was the first time you acted on this?

Senior secondary school. I attended a boarding school, and I would save my 鈧�2k – 鈧�3k per term pocket money and give it to someone to smuggle contraband in for me. Contraband in this context was anything from snacks to chocolates and sardines. 

It was cheaper to buy these items outside school and resell them to classmates for a profit. Sometimes, I pooled money with friends to buy more items, then we split the profit. It was too long ago to remember the exact details, but I often made twice what I spent on items. I did this 鈥渂usiness鈥� at different points between SS 1 and SS 3. 

I graduated from secondary school in 2017 and got admitted into the university immediately after. 

Did you try to earn money in uni as well?

Oh yes. I tutored some of my classmates in 100 level. My tutoring was voluntary, but people sometimes appreciated me with a little money here and there. I used that to augment whatever pocket money I received from home.

My first official job was in 2019, during the holidays just before I resumed my second year. I worked with a family friend as a personal assistant for three months. We didn鈥檛 have a payment structure, but she gave me data and transport stipends. At the end of the three months, she gave me 鈧�50k. It was technically my pay for the months I worked, but she held on to it until the end so I鈥檇 have money to take back to school.

I worked with her again during the 2020 lockdown. She鈥檇 dismissed her domestic help and needed someone she could trust with her kids. I lived with her family for about four to five months and made about 鈧�100k.

Finances still weren鈥檛 great at home, so after completing these two stints, I started actively job-hunting.

How did that go?

My efforts got me the job I have today. I saw a vacancy for a Customer Experience (CX) intern on an online job site and applied. A tech firm was hiring people to train AI. They were building their CX function and were open to training hires. 

Something interesting happened after I applied. The application involved an assessment. Shortly after I completed the assessment, they reached out to ask me to redo it. I think it had something to do with my first assessment not going through, or they wanted to make sure all applicants completed it. Either way, I was grateful they gave me the opportunity to redo the assessment. 

I got a 鈧�40k/month offer letter a day later, but instead of Customer Experience, they placed me in their AI training arm.

Was there any reason for that?

They probably had enough hands in their CX team. I wasn鈥檛 mad about the switch because machine learning and AI training were worlds apart from what I was studying in school, and I was excited to learn something new.

The internship lasted three months, and then they converted a bunch of us to full-time staff. My salary increased to 鈧�70k/month. I should mention that the job was remote, so I was able to juggle my work with school. That doesn鈥檛 mean it didn鈥檛 often get stressful, though.

A year into the role, I applied for a three-month internship at an investment firm because it was more in line with my course of study. I wanted that career path as an option if the need ever arose. The firm paid me 鈧�60k/month. 

So, at some point, you were a full-time student with two jobs

Exactly. I was on the verge of collapse most of the time, but the money was good. I was balling. I could afford to buy food, pay people to wash my clothes and still have money left to save. I also hired a private tutor (who was pretty much my friend) to ensure my studies didn’t suffer. He鈥檇 tutor me for two months before exams, and I’d pay him 鈧�15k-鈧�20k per month. 

After my internship at the investment firm, I re-focused all my energy on work and school. My trajectory at work has been really good. I鈥檝e been promoted a couple of times, and each promotion has come with a salary increase. 

When I graduated from uni in 2023, I鈥檇 moved into the role of project coordinator, earning about 鈧�400k per month. Right now, I鈥檓 a technical project manager with a 鈧�1.3m/month salary.

That鈥檚 not bad at all

It isn鈥檛. Interestingly, I鈥檓 currently in debt of about 鈧�5.8m.

Wait. How did that happen?

The debt thing is a snowball effect. When I first started earning money, my parents knew my income. I stopped telling them when the knowledge became a weapon fashioned against me.

Anyway, around the time I was earning 鈧�400k in 2023, my dad asked me to loan him 鈧�150k to complete the rent. My money was locked away in a savings app, and it occurred to me that my bank had told me I was eligible for a loan, so I took that. My dad didn鈥檛 pay me back, and I ended up repaying the loan out of pocket. 

Then I took another loan to buy a phone. I reasoned that Nigeria wasn鈥檛 the best place for delayed gratification. I could be saving money, but the price would have increased by the time I was ready. Also, I wouldn鈥檛 default on payments, and the loan would be a faster way for me to get what I needed. So, I borrowed 鈧�700k from my bank to buy a phone. 

That鈥檚 how I grew used to taking loans. It wasn鈥檛 like I was addicted or needed loans to augment my living expenses. My salary met my basic needs. The loans only came in handy for lending my dad money (which he didn鈥檛 repay), and for big needs I couldn鈥檛 afford at once. 

In 2025, I took my largest loan 鈥� 鈧�3m to renovate my room in my parents鈥� home. I took that loan because I felt trying to save for the renovations would take me too long.

The thing about loans is that the interest compounds. When I take a new loan on top of an existing one, my monthly payments increase. The interest rate is about 4% per month. That鈥檚 how my debt has snowballed to 鈧�5.8m. 

Do you regret taking the loans?

Not really. I don鈥檛 necessarily feel bad about them. The loans were a means to an end, helping me meet important needs faster. 

What I don鈥檛 like is how the debt is now weighing me down. I have to set aside about 鈧�380k every month to pay back debt, and with my current income, I鈥檇 be repaying debt until the end of 2027. 

鈧�380k is a large chunk of my monthly expenses. By the time I remove family responsibilities and other expenses, I鈥檓 left with very little money. 

So, it often feels overwhelming. If I didn鈥檛 have debt, I鈥檇 be adding that money to my savings and feeling a lot more comfortable. I鈥檓 hoping for a better job so I can fast-track my repayment plan.

Can you break down your typical monthly expenses?

The insurance savings thing is part of a 鈧�300k/year life insurance plan I鈥檓 doing because of my mum. She works with an insurance firm, and I鈥檓 just doing it so she can get the commission. The idea is that if I die within the year (God forbid), my next of kin will get about 鈧�1.5m. But if I don鈥檛 die, I get back my 鈧�300k with a little interest.

Also, in this budget breakdown, I have 鈧�200k set aside for gifting and one-off expenses. I don鈥檛 always spend the full budgeted amount, so whenever I don鈥檛, I put the money in my savings. Right now, I have about 鈧�900k there.

You started at 鈧�40k at your current job and now earn 鈧�1.3m. How has the income growth impacted your views on money?

That鈥檚 a very reflective question. I think it鈥檚 important to niche down in a specific area, career-wise, to increase one鈥檚 earning capabilities. I believe that once you鈥檝e expanded your skill set and established expertise, you can secure job security and access top-paying opportunities. 

I鈥檝e also realised money is an interesting thing. Someone can have all this money now, but if they don鈥檛 manage it well or make good use of it, they won鈥檛 know where it’s all going. 

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

$3000/month would be ideal. It鈥檚 in dollars because a lot of my work has to do with serving foreign companies, and I鈥檝e built capacity in my field. I know I can do so much more, and my target audience is a foreign employer. 

What鈥檚 something you鈥檇 like to be better at financially?

In retrospect, I shouldn鈥檛 have gone into debt as much as I did. It鈥檚 like my income grew quickly, but my financial discipline didn鈥檛 grow at the same speed. I guess I was just riding on the wings of 鈥渂uy now, pay later.鈥� Over time, I鈥檝e learned that it鈥檚 not always the best way to go. 

I mean, loans have advantages, but now I can鈥檛 make certain investments because I鈥檓 repaying debt and have limited cash flow. If I weren鈥檛, I could be saving 鈧�500k-鈧�600k monthly and considering investment options. 

Let鈥檚 assume you鈥檝e cleared out all your debt. Do you think you鈥檇 still take the credit approach to solving your needs?

I don鈥檛 think so. I鈥檓 now able to match my needs to my income. Also, I鈥檝e realised that the compounded interest is much higher than if I were to save for a few months.

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

A car. It should cost me between 鈧�10m and 鈧�15m. However, if my plan to change jobs and earn a better income goes well, I should be able to save up and buy one. 

How about the last thing you spent money on that made you happy?

My room renovation project. I spent a lot of money. I got a TV, upgraded my workspace, and made the space a more conducive work environment (since my room doubles as my home office).

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

5. I鈥檓 living the consequences of my past actions, but I鈥檓 not necessarily sad at where I am. My money habits sort of deviated, but I鈥檓 still doing quite well. I鈥檇 be much happier when I鈥檓 debt-free and working a better-paying job.

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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. 

Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.

What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

I became conscious of money around the age of 15. I noticed my family wasn鈥檛 buoyant, so whenever money entered my hands 鈥� mostly gifts from family members 鈥� I held onto it like treasure because it didn鈥檛 come often.

Tell me more about your family鈥檚 financial situation

Things were much better when I was a child. Then I lost my dad in 2009, and my mum, a civil servant, had to single-handedly provide for five children on her little salary. 

My dad was a prominent figure, but he had six wives, and after he passed away, everyone just faced their lives. Sometimes I think that things would have turned out differently if my dad hadn鈥檛 married many wives. His reason was that he was his family鈥檚 only child, and he didn鈥檛 want his own children to be alone. 

I remember once, after my dad鈥檚 death, my mum asked one of his friends to help with my school fees. The friend put three mint 鈧�100 notes in my hands. Of course, that wasn鈥檛 enough for anything, and I sat at home that term. My dad died when I was in primary 6, and I couldn鈥檛 go to school for two terms because of school fees. My mum eventually sold most of her jewellery and wrappers to get me back to school. 

That was one of several situations that pushed me to notice our financial situation and start seeing money as something to hold onto. The minute I finished secondary school in 2015, I took up the first opportunity I found to make money.

What opportunity was that?

I got a job helping my dad鈥檚 friend sell goods at his provision store. I worked 12 hours every day, and he paid me 鈧�8000/month. Most times, I didn鈥檛 get the full amount because customers owed me. I don鈥檛 really know how to confront people, and when customers defaulted on payment, I had to take the loss. 

I worked for this man for about a year. He also had a son who was my age mate, and had gotten into a college of education. His son introduced me to gambling in 2016.

How did that happen?

He came to the shop one day, and I overheard him and his dad talking about how they had staked 鈧�200 on a bet and won 鈧�6000. It sounded like big money to me. I mean, they鈥檇 just made more than half of my salary in a day. The idea captured my mind, and I thought about it all day. 

The following weekend, I went to a betting shop and observed the virtual games. I stood there for like 30 minutes, and every result I forecasted in my head came true. I felt like I was already a hero and decided to play. I didn鈥檛 have any money, so I asked someone there for money, promising to refund him when I won. The person was like, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 now how they do here.鈥� 

But I was confident I would win, so I ran home, took 鈧�3000 of my boss鈥檚 money, and ran back to the betting shop to play. I played and played until I lost all the money. 

I should have stopped after I made the first couple of losses, but I kept thinking I could win it all back. I sha lost everything, and that鈥檚 how my journey with gambling started. 

Phew. Did your boss find out about the money you lost?

He didn鈥檛 immediately realise the loss, so I took more of his money back to the betting shop a couple of times to try to win back what I originally lost. When my boss eventually noticed, he sent me to his second store, where he sold alcohol, to work for a few months to repay him. 

This didn鈥檛 stop me from gambling. I was returning home late every night from work and still finding time to gamble. But I was somewhat in control of the urge.

However, the habit worsened when I entered the polytechnic later that year. My mum gave me 鈧�1500 to take to school and manage. It was too small to do anything, so I turned to the betting shops again with the hope of making more money. Still, it was loss upon loss. 

One time, I was returning from the betting shop and got into a car accident. Thankfully, I didn鈥檛 get injured. I managed to pause gambling until I finished my national diploma programme in 2018.

What did you do next?

I returned home for a while and searched for admission to do my HND programme. Unfortunately, things were very bad at home. My younger brother was in secondary school, and my eldest sister was in school for her HND programme. In my house, the girls鈥� allowances were prioritised to prevent them from doing what they weren鈥檛 supposed to do in search of money. 

That meant there was no money for me. When I eventually got admission, my mum managed to raise only 鈧�30k out of the 鈧�45k fee. She told me to hold on or go to school and manage while she tried to raise more money for me. I couldn鈥檛 wait, and I went fully back to betting. 

I gambled away the entire 鈧�30k. I was too ashamed to tell my mum I鈥檇 lost the money, so I turned to loan apps to borrow money. I gambled away most of that too. When I was left with only 鈧�6k, I told my mum I was travelling to school to resume. 

You weren鈥檛, I guess?

Not really. I just wanted to see if I could work for a while and raise the money back. On the bus to Kaduna (where the school was located), I lied to the driver that I was an orphan and had no money or anywhere to stay. Honestly, I really had nothing. I didn鈥檛 even have a mobile phone because I鈥檇 sold it and gambled with the money.

The driver connected me to someone who helped me find work at a popular junction in Kaduna. You know those guys who load buses and control vehicles on the road? That was what I did. During the day, I worked at the park, and at night, I slept in a classroom on the school campus. 

What was the pay like for loading vehicles?

I made 鈧�20 – 鈧�50 per car I loaded. Sometimes I made more by carrying passengers鈥� bags and escorting them to the roadside where they鈥檇 find buses. The roadside buses were cheaper than those in the park. So, when I found a bus, I鈥檇 negotiate with the driver and get a cut out of whatever fare they settled on with the passenger. My share was usually 鈧�500. 

I earned 鈧�600 – 鈧�1000 per day. I managed to save enough to get a small phone after a few weeks, and my income typically went to food and data. On days when I was extra broke, I鈥檇 sneak people鈥檚 SIMs (mostly the people I stayed with in school) to borrow data for my phone. 

Were you still gambling during this period?

I was. I鈥檇 even moved to gambling on my phone. It wasn鈥檛 as bad as when I was in school, though. I was consciously trying to save for my HND. 

However, after months of hustling and enduring terrible living conditions, I managed to save only 鈧�18k. I still had to use that to get a better phone. Ultimately, I decided to just return home and find a better job. 

I deferred my admission and lied to my mum that I couldn鈥檛 complete the registration because we hadn鈥檛 completed the fees yet, and it was late. I convinced her that the school held the money she gave me and that I only needed to complete it later to resume school. In reality, I hadn鈥檛 even paid anything. 

While at home, someone helped me get a SIM registration gig. There was no salary; the telecoms company just gave me the registration kit and free SIMs. Whatever money I got from selling the SIMs was mine to keep; I just needed to make sure I sold them so my boss would get his commission from the company. I made 鈧�15k from the gig and stopped when it stopped moving.

Next, I worked as a 鈥渂oy boy鈥� for someone who sold tiles. My job was to load tiles for his customers. I worked there for a month, and he paid me 鈧�15k. My thinking was that I鈥檇 gather all the money and return to school. Unfortunately, I loaned 鈧�15k to a family friend, but he didn鈥檛 pay it back. I was back to square zero. This was now 2020.

You couldn鈥檛 return to school

I barely had money to survive. So again, I returned to gambling. I won some money here and there, but instead of stopping, I鈥檇 think, 鈥淟et me just try and make more.鈥� Eventually, I鈥檇 lose everything I won.

Feeding was so difficult. I mostly depended on my brother to feed me. Sometimes, he鈥檇 give me 鈧�1k for two days. Other times, I鈥檇 starve all day, then eat bread and soft drinks at night. I did multiple random jobs for money, but all my income still went back to gambling.

One day, hunger made me remember I had some SIMs I hadn鈥檛 yet sold. So, I talked to another guy who was also into the SIM registration gig, and he offered me 鈧�800 for them. When I took the SIMs to him, I met him sitting in front of his shop, with his phone beside him. When he went inside to bring the money, he left his phone outside, and I quickly pocketed it, intending to sell it to buy food. 

Unfortunately, I didn鈥檛 realise the phone was playing music through a Bluetooth speaker. So, when I quickly walked away, thinking I鈥檇 successfully stolen the phone, the speaker disconnected and the music stopped playing. The guy immediately knew it was me. 

Hmmm

A crowd quickly gathered, beat me for hours, and then locked me in a public toilet. Fortunately, they didn鈥檛 go the jungle justice route; they handed me over to the police instead. I slept in jail that night. My mum and brother settled the police with money before they released me the next day.

After that, I took a job with a lotto shop, basically helping the owners oversee the shop for 鈧�10k/month.

Was that the best decision, considering the gambling problem?

I actually didn鈥檛 play the lotto; I preferred football betting and virtual games on online betting platforms. Ironically, one of these platforms had a shop just beside where I worked. 

So, I began going there every day; sometimes, I even played without money. They knew I worked close by, and they waited for me to sell before settling them. I also started using my boss鈥檚 money to gamble and constantly owed him. After plenty of quarrels and demands from my boss to refund his money, he eventually got me arrested 鈥� my second time in jail. Again, I called my brother to bail me out.

At this point, my whole family was worried. They were like, 鈥淲hat is happening to you? You鈥檙e the cool type.鈥� They didn鈥檛 understand why gambling had such a hold on me. I didn鈥檛 understand either.  

That wasn鈥檛 the last time I was arrested.

It happened again?

Yes. While I was working at the lotto shop, I had stolen another phone and sold it for 鈧�30k to repay a debt to my boss. After the jail issue, I returned to the area where the person I sold the phone to lived. I was there to sell some more SIMs. That鈥檚 how his neighbour saw me and asked me to wait, saying he wanted to tell me something. I didn鈥檛 know he was going to bring the police. 

Apparently, the phone’s owner had tracked it, and the person who bought it from me had gotten into trouble. This time, I went to an actual prison. I met multiple people in the cell, and the 鈥渂oss鈥� beat me and ate my food. 

Phew. Did your family intervene this time around?

My brother initially refused to come, saying he was tired of me. It was my mum who did the running around. I spent a week in that prison. 

The phone鈥檚 owner lied, saying I broke into their house to steal the phone and some gold. They claimed the value of everything I stole was 鈧�600k. I knew I stole just the phone, but I also lied that I didn鈥檛 actually steal anything. In fact, when I sold the phone, I鈥檇 created a fake receipt online and claimed my girlfriend had sent it to me. To this day, my mum still believes I didn鈥檛 steal it.

After plenty of back-and-forth, they agreed we should pay 鈧�300k. My mum liquidated her rice business and borrowed money to raise 鈧�150k before I could leave prison. We were supposed to pay the balance in 鈧�40k instalments, but my mum paid the first instalment and stopped paying. Thankfully, they didn鈥檛 disturb us.

In 2021, I secured another admission to a polytechnic for my HND programme. 

What was the plan to fund it?

I didn鈥檛 have money, so I involved my mum. She was reluctant to raise money for me because of all the trouble I鈥檇 gotten into in one year. It took a lot of pleading and assurances that I would avoid trouble before she paid my school fees and let me go.

Since I could only afford tuition, I had to squat with someone in school. I lived on this person鈥檚 grace. At first, things went well. He was a praying type who loved reading, and I also started reading. However, he started complaining about the living expenses, since he handled most of them. I was ashamed.

During that period, my mum sent me 鈧�4k to help cover food expenses. I felt somehow about only contributing that amount. I needed to do something. I needed to earn money. So you know what I did?

You gambled it away?

Yes. I lost everything. I even borrowed 鈧�10k more from the bet shop owner to play more, believing I would win. Our agreement was that I鈥檇 pay him 鈧�15k back. 

I still lost, and now, I was in debt. The guy seized my phone, and I told him I could sell it so I鈥檇 pay him back. Then I offered my roommate鈥檚 laptop as collateral. I didn鈥檛 tell my roommate.

I sold the phone for 鈧�12k. Yes, I gambled away the money I made from the sale.

Ah

See. I forced myself to stop after I only had 鈧�5k left. I had to lie to my roommate that I had forgotten his laptop at school 鈥� thankfully, it was the weekend 鈥� while I searched for ways to repay the bet shop owner before Monday. I was unsuccessful.

My roommate eventually found out and got the school security involved. Those ones held me until my mum came to pay the money. This time, it was 鈧�20k. She was saving the money to pay for my sister鈥檚 ND admission. This delayed my sister鈥檚 school plans.

My roommate sent me out of his room. I had to sleep in the streets and bathe in a friend鈥檚 house for a couple of weeks. 

That鈥檚 tough

I can鈥檛 even go into all the things I went through. My remaining time in school was a cycle of gambling and doing random things for money. One of them included washing cars, for which I was paid 鈧�300 per car.

Around the time I graduated in 2023, I started making some money from Facebook giveaways. Here鈥檚 how it worked: I followed popular pages on the platform, and a lot of them offered giveaways to super fans who shared their content and engaged with their posts. Sometimes, I got gigs to share giveaways on behalf of these pages with other fans. I was making 鈧�40k – 鈧�60k monthly. 

I stopped gambling at this point because I was making regular money. I even had a girlfriend. Then one day, my girlfriend learnt that my younger sister鈥檚 boyfriend had bought her an iPhone. My girlfriend got jealous and implied I wasn鈥檛 doing things for her. I was triggered. Me too, I wanted to do something for my girlfriend and even upgrade my own phone. So, I returned to gambling.

Omo

I had 鈧�150k in my account and lost everything in the twinkle of an eye. I started begging to feed again. See, it was a terrible time. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e recovered from that loss. Now, I don鈥檛 even make money from Facebook anymore because Mark keeps restricting accounts.

I got a teaching job in March 2025 that pays me 鈧�60k/month. In fact, when I joined, my salary was 鈧�45k; they just increased it to 鈧�60k in February 2026. I know how much this gambling addiction has taken from me. Since I graduated in 2023, I haven鈥檛 gone for my NYSC because I can鈥檛 afford 鈧�45k to travel to school, sort out my JAMB regularisation, and clear my results.

I鈥檓 constantly in debt. I took an advance loan from my February salary before it even entered, and I only collected 鈧�25k as salary. I鈥檝e done fake transfers a few times because of hunger. I really don鈥檛 want to bring shame to my family again, but it鈥檚 so hard. 

All my problems started because I wanted to win 鈧�6000 with 鈧�200. The people who inspired me to gamble have stopped and are doing better with their lives, while I鈥檝e been trapped for 10 years. I must鈥檝e lost over 鈧�2m to this problem.

I鈥檓 sorry you鈥檙e going through all this. What do you think makes it difficult to stop gambling?

I don鈥檛 know. Whenever I have money, something just keeps telling me, 鈥淕o and gamble.鈥� It鈥檚 difficult to ignore that urge, especially when I鈥檓 lonely. 

I don鈥檛 have friends or anyone to talk to, mostly because I stopped trusting people after experiencing how my dad鈥檚 friends treated us. The only problem is that the loneliness encourages my addiction. I haven鈥檛 told anyone the extent of my gambling problem. My family has an idea, but they don鈥檛 know it鈥檚 this bad. 

I know it might be hard to leave it totally, but I believe if I can stop for three months straight and focus on my other talents, I鈥檒l be free.

Tell me more about these talents

I believe I have what it takes to make money from social media. I also have some musical talent. I recently won a competition a musician hosted on Twitter, but he didn鈥檛 pay me. Maybe he got busy. I know I can become someone in life; I just need someone to groom me on the right path. 

Fingers crossed. What kind of life does your current income afford you now?

My salary allows me to afford food, and also support my siblings once in a while. At 28, I should be doing more for myself and for my family. My mates are married, but I can鈥檛 even think of that. Right now, I鈥檓 owing 鈧�70k. It鈥檚 a struggle.

How much do you think would make you comfortable?

鈧�100k/month would be great. In fact, the 鈧�60k I earn now is not bad if I manage it well. I plan to arrange it so my mum receives my salary, and I just collect money from her when I have a genuine need until I鈥檓 able to stop gambling.

Let鈥檚 break down your typical monthly expenses

My salary was just increased to 鈧�60k, so this is how I hope to spend it monthly:

I live with a colleague in a room at the school, so that cuts out rent and transportation costs. This savings plan is with the hope that I can stop gambling and stick to saving with my mum. 

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

Honestly, right now, it鈥檚 just fruits. I鈥檓 fasting, and as I speak to you, I don鈥檛 know what the plan for tomorrow鈥檚 fast is. I just head to the mosque daily to break my fast and collect the fruits they share.

I hope things get easier. How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

2. I can barely afford my needs, and I can鈥檛 even tell people because they鈥檒l say, 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e working. Where鈥檚 your salary?鈥� Where do I want to start explaining from? Anyway, I鈥檓 good sha. I鈥檓 used to the hard life. I just pray things get better soon.

Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.

聽What鈥檚 your earliest memory of money?

A memory from JSS 2 stands out. My friends and I started a random business we called 鈥淭iss-Robb鈥�. We just wrapped Aboniki balm in tissue and sold it for 鈧�20.

I鈥檓 very curious how that idea came to mind 

The weather was really cold, and I think people were rubbing balms on their bodies and in their noses to get warm. We just thought we could make a cheap inhaler and sell it to our schoolmates. 

We advertised by visiting different classes and giving a full marketing presentation on why they needed our makeshift inhalers to deal with the cold weather. The 鈥減roduct鈥� was a hit for a week until someone said it wasn鈥檛 healthy, and that鈥檚 how the business crashed. I can鈥檛 even remember how we shared the proceeds.

Tell me about what money was like growing up

It鈥檚 always been kind of confusing, because I honestly can鈥檛 tell what my parents did for money. I think my mum practised law at one point, and my dad was some kind of consultant. 

There was a point in my childhood when we lived in a really nice estate, and then later moved to a smaller house. I鈥檓 not sure whether it had anything to do with our financial situation, since my parents were quite secretive. They never talked about money with us kids. I think they also tried different businesses at different points, but I don鈥檛 have much context. 

Let鈥檚 come back to you. When next did you try to earn money after the inhaler stint?

2022 鈥� my third year at the university. At that point, everyone I knew was doing something. I could meet someone on the road, and the conversation would go:

鈥淲hat do you do?鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 studying chemistry.鈥�

鈥淣o. I mean, what do you do?鈥�

It was my sign to find something to bring me money. I spoke to my friends, and one of them sent me a link to a WhatsApp group that often posted writing jobs. At this time, I was doing my industrial training at some institute in Victoria Island, Lagos. It was very far from where I lived, and I spent a fortune on transportation. 

I also had to be there super early and always got home late. On top of all that, it was an unpaid position. I endured it for a few weeks before I stopped going. I decided to focus on getting gigs from the writing group instead. 

How did that go?

The group members had international Upwork accounts and often outsourced their gigs. When they posted vacancies, I鈥檇 apply with writing samples. It was a very Jack-of-all-trades approach. I applied to any and all jobs, from music to crypto and from psychology to fiction. 

I started getting gigs almost immediately, but the pay was really bad. I鈥檝e charged 鈧�1 per word for a 70,000-word book before. It was usually between 鈧�1 and 鈧�3 per word. Pay only got higher with crypto pieces; those paid around 鈧�5 per word. 

I was often working for five or more people at a time on different projects, and I frequently worked late into the night. My goal was to make at least 鈧�100k monthly, and I got that most of the time. Sometimes, even 鈧�200k or 鈧�300k. 

Was this good money for you?

Oh, it was. However, I was hardly spending it. I save a lot; people might even say I saved too much. One time, when I was younger, I saved all the pencils and pens I got from party packs for weeks, only to have them all stolen in church. 

Let me even tell you how I lost my life savings in 2020. 

I鈥檇 been saving the 鈧�3k/month allowance my mum gave me for food in secondary school. Instead of buying food, I鈥檇 choose to starve just so I could save the money. 

By 2019, around the time I got into uni, I鈥檇 saved up to 鈧�300k. Then, forex became popular, and the promise of huge returns drove me to invest with some traders. I made some profit, but I kept reinvesting to get a bigger cash out. Then someone told me about a crypto investment platform with returns supposedly beating every other platform. I put my money there, and I never got it back. The platform disappeared, wiping my money clean.

Damn

See, it was terrible. During that period, I was going to church and begging God to kill me. I would cry and roll on the floor. I mean, 鈧�300k isn’t that much, but it was all I had. 

I digress. 

Back to 2022. I was saving half of whatever I made from writing and spending the rest on clothes and other stuff. I also bought a laptop around that time. I鈥檓 not sure why, but my major saving goal was to buy land and open a block factory. I just told myself I needed to save 鈧�1m to buy land in Epe.

However, when I eventually hit the 鈧�1m goal in 2023, I heard land prices were around 鈧�2 or 鈧�3 million. I also started getting worried about potential omo onile wahala, so I abandoned the land idea and left the money in my savings.

Were you still writing?

Yes, but in late 2022, I sort of stopped working with several writers and stuck with one. My job was to manage his Upwork account. I revamped the account and began applying for jobs, about 5-10 daily, on his behalf. 

He handled the conversations, but whenever clients requested phone calls, I took them. The account was a woman who was supposed to be based in New York. So, I鈥檇 put on an accent and speak to the clients. I also managed a small team of writers on his behalf, whom we outsourced some of the gigs to. I did some of the writing, too.

What was your pay like?

We didn鈥檛 have a specific amount; payment ranged from 鈧�50k to 鈧�200k/month, depending on the number of gigs we secured. I was mostly at the mercy of his benevolence; he paid more if he felt I鈥檇 done a lot of work that month. 

Our arrangement lasted two years. I stopped working with him in November 2024, around the time I went for NYSC.

Did you stop because of NYSC?

No, I realised I鈥檇 spent all that time building his own thing, and having nothing for myself. The realisation came when I started trying to pivot into B2B writing. I told this guy, and the following week, he presented an idea to change the Upwork account to focus on B2B writing. 

I found it weird that I told him I wanted to do something, and he suddenly wanted to do the same. He even asked me for B2B writing samples, which means he most likely wanted to use them to grow his account. It opened my eyes to how much of my writing was under his account. I was mostly ghostwriting. Even worse, I couldn鈥檛 even try to link up with a former client because I technically didn鈥檛 exist.

Right. So, what did you do after you stopped?

I started building a brand on LinkedIn, regularly posting and writing. I hoped to get a dollar-paying B2B writing job, but the opportunity I found was an SEO content writing job with a company in Ibadan. This was in February 2025.

At this time, I was rounding up my NYSC in a neighbouring state 鈥� a teaching job at a public secondary school 鈥� but the role was remote, so I didn鈥檛 need to travel. My salary was 鈧�100k/month, and honestly, it felt jarring because I was used to earning 鈧�200k – 鈧�300k monthly. 

Besides my arrangement with the Upwork guy, I used to take on random fiction writing gigs and could be working on three books at a time. However, I鈥檇 stopped all that to build my personal brand. I didn鈥檛 want to ghostwrite anymore; I just wanted my name on something. 

That makes sense. How long were you at this SEO writing role?

About five months. In July, I applied for a writing job on LinkedIn and got it. It was my first time earning in dollars; the job paid $800/month. By December, my role changed to marketing associate, and my pay increased to $1000. I still work there, and my salary in naira is about 鈧�1.4m. 

How does it feel like going from 鈧�100k to 鈧�1.4m in 10 months?

Unreal. I always fear I鈥檓 about to lose my job because it鈥檚 like there鈥檚 no way this opportunity is here to stay. I constantly wonder if I deserve this job. Like, am I really that hardworking enough? 

Whenever I get a message from my manager, I鈥檓 like, 鈥淭his is it. She鈥檚 caught on to the fact that I鈥檓 not good at this job.鈥� There鈥檚 just a lot of anxiety. I鈥檓 constantly in a state of preparation for when I鈥檒l lose my job.

The negative stuff aside, it’s been really, really good. It’s more money than I thought I would be earning at this point in my life. It has changed my life.

How so?

Actually, I don鈥檛 think it has changed much. I think I鈥檝e always been pretty structured with money. It鈥檚 just that my anxiety makes me overplan because I鈥檓 looking for security.

I鈥檝e always saved a good portion of my income. When I earned 鈧�100k, I was saving 鈧�50k, paying 鈧�10k as tithe and living on the remaining 鈧�40k. Now, I have more money to spread around. I recently started using a spreadsheet to track my expenses and budget. I didn鈥檛 need to do that before because 鈧�100k wasn鈥檛 a lot, and I knew where everything went. Now, I have to pay a closer look to be sure I鈥檓 making the right decisions.

Now, I remove my taxes 鈥� I鈥檓 still trying to understand this one. I just know that with the new tax law, freelancers don鈥檛 get their taxes deducted from their pay like regular employees, so I鈥檒l have to figure that out manually. I just try to remove 鈧�200k monthly and keep it in a savings app, so I can calculate my taxes and pay the government next year. I鈥檝e only done that for two months, and I keep dipping into it for expenses. So, right now, I鈥檓 behind on my taxes.

Let鈥檚 do a full breakdown of how you budget monthly expenses now

I don鈥檛 consider taxes and pension my money 鈥� I just opened a pension account this month. So, after I remove 15% for taxes and 10% for pension, the balance of 鈧�1.2m is my 鈥渟alary鈥�. Then I break it down to: 10% for tithe, 17% for personal needs and 73% for investments. 

This is what the 17% (鈧�207k) looks like in a typical month:

For investments, I put my money (usually about 鈧�800k-ish per month) into US stocks and ETFs using the Bamboo app. I also put some money in Risevest via their real estate investment plan. I also bought about 鈧�200k worth of Bitcoin last year, but the value keeps dropping, so that鈥檚 annoying. I鈥檓 looking to get into gold and Nigerian stocks this year, though. 

Also, I should mention: I applied for a virtual MBA last year because I randomly decided I wanted to be a Chief Marketing Officer in the future and saw that an MBA was a requirement. I know someone who got a partial scholarship at the same School of Business, and I applied and got it too. It lowkey got me thinking about whether there was actually a scholarship or if the tuition was always $3k to begin with. 

Anyway, it鈥檚 a $200/month (about 鈧�300k) payment for 15 months. I made the first payment in January to secure my admission, but the programme starts in June. So, I鈥檒l start paying $200 monthly from July.

Back to the investments, is there any structure around how you spread your portfolio?

As the spirit leads, honestly. I mostly just follow financial advice on Instagram and try to see what other people are doing. Right now, I have 鈧�7.1m in my portfolio.

I notice you didn鈥檛 mention savings 

Yeah. I used to be a hardcore saver. It got to a point last year that I had about 鈧�3m in my savings app, and I started to wonder if I was making the best financial decision for my age. The money wasn鈥檛 really moving, and I figured I was better off investing in stocks. This is the time I鈥檓 supposed to be taking risks. I don鈥檛 want to lose money, but if it happens, I can make it back. 

So, I took out most of the savings and put it in my investment account. The real estate investment might be the only one I consider as savings because it鈥檚 stable and offers consistent returns. I still have 鈧�1m in my savings app, and I get 鈧�13k monthly interest. Sometimes I take it, sometimes I just leave it to compound. 

I鈥檓 curious: Have you noticed a faster portfolio growth with the new investment strategy?

Yes, but it fluctuates like crazy. Still, I believe it鈥檚 a better approach to money management. My saving goal has always been to invest in land, but I kept saving for years, and the price kept rising. But look, my investments rose from 鈧�3m last year to 鈧�7m. 

Of course, it helps that I earn more now and have been pumping more money into it, but at least the growth is faster than it would have been if I were just saving. I鈥檓 even tempted to withdraw the 鈧�1m from my savings app and invest it, but I鈥檒l just leave it as an emergency fund.

Most people I speak to who have lost money to investments are wary of investing again. But it looks like you鈥檙e jumping headlong into it

I think I鈥檝e always been a 鈥渉igh risk, high reward鈥� person. I don鈥檛 know. That crypto experience definitely scarred me, but I guess I鈥檝e healed. 

How would you describe your relationship with money?

It鈥檚 good. I earn the most among my friends, but 鈥� this might sound dramatic 鈥� I feel like since I was the first to 鈥渂low,鈥� I鈥檒l probably be the first to lose everything down the line. 

You know how the first person in the movie does really well, and you know it means they鈥檒l do badly after? That鈥檚 how I feel. I鈥檓 always scared and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I might have an anxious attachment to money.

Do you think so?

I know, I know. I鈥檓 still investing money and putting it out there, not holding it down. But I don鈥檛 consider money invested as money spent. I know I can lose it, but it鈥檚 still my money just going up and down. I鈥檓 also not putting money into wild places like agriculture and forex, so the risk isn鈥檛 too high.

Also, I live below my means, even though I’ve been spending a bit more lately, maybe trying to make up for all those years of saving. I buy more clothes and things I like now. My purchases haven鈥檛 affected my investments, though, so nothing too crazy.

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

I feel like whenever I read other people鈥檚 stories, everyone says big, big amounts in this part. I鈥檓 still grateful to be earning what I do now. 

However, a few weeks ago, someone messaged me on LinkedIn that was going to pay between $3k and $5k. I didn鈥檛 get the job, but it got me thinking that earning $5k would have been great, too.

I should ask: Is there anything you鈥檙e trying to manage the anxiety around your job and money?

No. I鈥檓 just existing with it. I probably should do something, though.

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

I wanted to buy a MacBook, but it cost 鈧�1.5m, so I settled for a 鈧�400k Dell laptop. I鈥檇 also like to change my phone. I have an iPhone 11, and I want to go higher because this idiot keeps overheating. I鈥檒l probably need 鈧�300k to 鈧�400k to swap it.

I also want to grow my portfolio to 鈧�10m this year, a figure I hope will make me feel safe. Then, I鈥檒l start saving up to move out of my parent鈥檚. I鈥檓 looking to save between 鈧�4m – 鈧�6m by next year for the move.

What about something you鈥檇 like to be better at financially?

The research part of investing. The part where you review the company鈥檚 financials and let the data inform your decision. Right now, I just move based on what I hear is doing well. I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 great. 

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

7. I do a good job of saving and investing, but I feel like the goal is always shifting. I used to tell myself, 鈥淚 just need to get 鈧�1m, then I鈥檒l feel good.鈥� When I got that, I increased the amount and just kept shifting the goal. When I hit 鈧�10m, I鈥檒l probably give myself another goal. I鈥檓 not sure what amount of money I鈥檒l make that鈥檒l actually make me feel good. 

Find all the past Naira Life stories聽here.

When did you first realise the importance of money?

Around the time I was in secondary school. I attended a boarding school that allowed parents to put money into the bursary for their children. The money came in handy when we needed extra supplies like snacks or a haircut. 

The arrangement made me realise the power of money. Some students went to the tuck shop often to buy snacks, while others rarely did because their parents couldn鈥檛 afford it.

What side did you fall under?

I had everything I needed in school. My family was financially comfortable. My dad, a medical doctor, ran his own small clinic, and my mum was a journalist. 

They also founded an NGO on the side, and then they resigned to face its operations fully. I鈥檓 not sure how much leaving paid employment to run the NGO impacted our finances, or if it did at all. I just knew my needs were met. They still run the NGO today, and it鈥檚 solid.

Interesting. Tell me about the first thing you did to earn money

That was in uni. I studied in the US, and there were opportunities for students to work on campus. I started working in the IT department in my first year, helping students fix computer issues. I had a natural knack for computers, so it was work I enjoyed. 

How much did it pay?

I can鈥檛 remember. 2005 was so long ago. All I know is that I used to get my pay via computer-generated pay cheques in my mailbox. Then I鈥檇 deposit the cheques into my bank account. 

I did a handful of other jobs in uni, including tutoring at the academic support centre. My pay wasn鈥檛 my primary income, though. My parents covered most of my living expenses and school needs. My partial scholarship covered half the tuition, and my parents paid the rest. 

In 2009, I graduated from my undergraduate programme and started a one-year internship at an NGO. My pay was between $10 and $15 per hour; I can鈥檛 remember the exact amount. My parents still supported me financially, but my income meant I could pay my phone bills, buy groceries, and entertain myself without any trouble. 

What happened after the internship ended?

I applied for a master鈥檚 programme. During my programme, I worked with my school鈥檚 international study centre on campus. My pay was a little above $15/hour. 

Unfortunately, I struggled academically and couldn鈥檛 complete the degree. I had to put my studies on hold after struggling to complete the programme for almost three years. I had family in the US, so I went to stay with my uncle for a bit to figure out what I wanted to do. I also returned to work at the NGO where I鈥檇 interned while I considered my next steps.

Around 2013/2014, I decided to try another master鈥檚 programme. I applied to a different university and got in. 

Were things better the second time around?

Not really. I think my problem was similar to what many academically gifted students face. You finish your first degree top of your class, then you go to a different school and realise it鈥檚 not the same everywhere. There are different materials, different requirements and contexts. 

I came from a smaller school, and was now trying to make it in bigger schools. The academics were more rigorous and demanded a lot of internal motivation. It was a learning curve for me, and I was just trying to keep up. Towards the end of the second master鈥檚 attempt, I took a break and returned to Nigeria for my NYSC in 2015; after the service year, I returned to the US to complete the programme.

Was there a specific reason you came for your NYSC at that point?

It was a case of, 鈥淢y academics aren鈥檛 going smoothly right now. Let me use the opportunity to do something else.鈥�

During my service year, I taught at a government school. The 鈧�19800/month stipend was practically impossible to survive on, so again, my family supported me. I also did some of my coursework and final assignments during NYSC, so when I returned to the US in 2017, it was just to graduate. 

What happened next?

I returned to Nigeria. Permanently, this time.

I just stifled the urge to shout 鈥渁h鈥�. Why did you return, though?

I realised I鈥檇 been running from home for too long. I thought coming back meant I鈥檇 failed. You know, the idea is usually to leave and not return. But when I returned for my NYSC, I realised it wasn鈥檛 the end of the world. I could start again in Nigeria and see how it goes. 

Interesting. What was the plan after you returned?

I got a job with a recycling company. I worked in business development and earned about 鈧�70k/month. My salary wasn鈥檛 commensurate with my experience, but I wanted the experience. Also, I believed in the company鈥檚 mission, so I figured I could sacrifice some pay to do good work. 

Unfortunately, even the small pay didn鈥檛 come regularly. Sometimes, they鈥檇 delay for months. Other times, the salary didn鈥檛 come at all. It wasn鈥檛 sustainable, so I left after a year and moved to a logistics company. My role there was also business development, and my new salary was double my old one. However, I only worked there for three months.

Why so short?

It was a step up in a way, but it didn鈥檛 feel like what I was supposed to do. I wasn鈥檛 sure what my passion was, but I knew it wasn鈥檛 in logistics. Also, I lived on the mainland, and the commute to work was long. I was spending all my salary on transport fare and all my time in traffic. 

After leaving my job, I joined my parents鈥� NGO in 2018. I still work there today.

I鈥檝e gone from media intern to media and documentation officer, and then became a programme officer in 2025. Currently, my salary is 鈧�250k/month.

That鈥檚 about 8 years. Would you say you鈥檝e found your passion now?

I鈥檝e always wanted to do work that contributes to community development, sustainability and impacts people鈥檚 lives, so I鈥檇 say my current line of work aligns with that. 

I plan to build my own social enterprise soon. I intend to focus on youth entrepreneurship and development, and make it the next big thing in Lagos. In fact, I recently pitched it publicly for the first time, and I鈥檓 looking to begin operations by the end of the year.

That sounds exciting. Is the plan to juggle it with your current job?

Not exactly. I鈥檓 hoping to fully focus on it by 2027. There鈥檚 a chance the enterprise wouldn鈥檛 have grown enough to pay me a salary by then, but we鈥檒l see when we get there. Besides, the work is about changing lives, not exactly about making a profit. 

Right. How has your career trajectory and income over the years impacted how you think about money?

I鈥檇 say my actual income growth doesn鈥檛 match my qualifications at all. If I go based on the fact that I have two American degrees, I should be earning a lot more than I do.

On the other hand, I understand I鈥檓 earning this low because of the missed opportunities and challenges I had. Also, my earning power took a dip when I returned to Nigeria. There are times when I think about what would have been if I鈥檇 gone corporate from the start, rather than the NGO and sustainability route. 

My first degree was in business, and I could鈥檝e done an MBA and maybe got a doctorate in Business Administration. Instead, I switched to public administration for my first master鈥檚 attempt, then to urban affairs for my second. I would definitely be making more money if I鈥檇 stuck to the initial plan. 

My parents sometimes say things like, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not earning what you should be earning.鈥� When they say that, I jokingly go, 鈥淓hn why don鈥檛 you pay me what I should be earning?鈥� I understand what they mean, and I think about it, but it is what it is.

Do you ever regret returning to Nigeria and taking this path?

There was more regret in the early years after I returned, but I鈥檓 now in a better place and attribute it to life鈥檚 journey. Things happened the way they did, and it鈥檚 just a matter of learning from the situation.

What kind of life does your income afford you?

It鈥檚 tough, really. I can鈥檛 do so much with inflation and the cost of living going up all the time. I can鈥檛 lie, my parents still support me from time to time. I live with them, and while I wish the only thing I got from them was my salary, I still have to call on them sometimes. 

Every three or four months, an emergency comes up, and I need their help. It could be that my car fails, or there鈥檚 a hospital bill that the health insurance doesn鈥檛 cover. I try to make sure it doesn鈥檛 happen often, but sometimes I don鈥檛 have a choice. 

I had even tried living on my own once. I moved out in 2022, but the cost of rent, combined with the stress of living with strangers and neighbours, was too much. There were also some issues with my landlord. I lasted only a year before moving back in with my parents.

Out of curiosity: Did you feel like you were losing a form of independence by moving back in?

Oh definitely. It was great to leave the cost and stress of living with strangers behind, but I鈥檓 definitely looking forward to moving out again. Unfortunately, I can鈥檛 do that if I want to keep to the timeline of my social enterprise kicking off next year. I can鈥檛 run it and move out at the same time at my current income level.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

I live slightly above my means. In terms of the basics, I can feed and fuel my car to go to work and church. However, my life can鈥檛 just be about going to work, coming home and going to church. So, trying to live a well-rounded life beyond those three places is what always takes my money. 

I like to do other things, like explore and spend time with my friends. Those things cost money and make it impossible to stay within my means. I usually have to resort to borrowing and taking small loans to meet daily expenses. I mean, ideally, I should try to stay within my means, but my means are very annoying. 

How often do you borrow money?

It happens every month. It just comes down to 鈥淲ho do I want to owe?鈥� Do I want to owe my friends and family, or do I want to owe loan companies? Both come with their benefits and disadvantages.

With family and friends, there鈥檚 more flexibility in repayment terms, but then everyone is in your business. They can see you doing some things and be like, 鈥淒idn鈥檛 I lend you money to do this thing? Why are you doing that?鈥� 

But borrowing money from a loan company comes with anonymity. No one is on my case to spend money a certain way or criticising my every move. The only thing is, when it’s time to repay them, there’s no forgiveness. You either pay them on time or they embarrass you.

So, which do you typically go for?

Right now, I lean more towards the loan companies. I have more freedom with them. The only headache is the constant mental note that I have to repay on time or risk them calling all my contacts.

I鈥檓 almost always repaying a debt every month. I鈥檓 sure I have a credit record by now. Right now, I鈥檓 owing about 鈧�150k. I repay a part of my debt every month, but like clockwork, I鈥檓 taking out another loan around the 15th because I鈥檓 in the red. 

I know the loan companies are fleecing me with their interest rates and making money off my back, but what option do I have? I can鈥檛 consistently go home for help and lose the freedom to make my own choices.

I guess that鈥檚 fair. Let鈥檚 break down your typical monthly expenses

Borrowing distorts the percentages because I work with what鈥檚 left after I pay off some debt. However, my big three expenses are car costs (fuel and maintenance), food and entertainment (eating out, watching movies and other stuff like that). If I were to break down the average cost, it would be:

You mentioned savings. What do they look like?

It鈥檚 really insignificant. I just put money in my savings app, and sometimes I buy stocks there too. Right now, I have just a little over 鈧�50k. I haven鈥檛 been consistent with my savings, but I鈥檓 trying to get better at it. I want to deliberately set aside a certain amount of money each month and build an emergency fund so I don鈥檛 have to go borrowing in the event of a big need. 

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

I try not to think like that because then I鈥檇 calculate what I should be earning with my qualifications and feel sad. However, if we鈥檙e talking about a comfortable salary right now, I think it’s probably 鈧�400k or 鈧�450k/month. I鈥檓 sure I could reach that income level now, and it still wouldn鈥檛 be enough. 

That鈥檚 so true. Is there anything you want right now but can鈥檛 afford?

Many things. It鈥檇 be nice to own a PlayStation 5 and a nicer car, but I have to deal with what I have.

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

The CAC registration of my social enterprise. That was in April 2025, and it cost me about 鈧�80k or 鈧�90k. It felt like the first step towards independence and finally taking life seriously. 

I haven鈥檛 even told my parents about it yet. I want to have something set up before presenting my plan. I want them to see that I鈥檝e already taken steps and figured things out without anyone鈥檚 input. 

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

7. I recently started using an app to track my finances, and I think I鈥檓 beginning to get a better understanding of them. There鈥檚 still the problem of how to increase income inflows, but I think I have a better idea of what outflows look like.

I consider myself still at the beginning of my financial journey. I鈥檓 not earning to my full potential, and I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e made much progress in my career. That said, I feel like I鈥檓 taking a step in the right direction with my business, and we鈥檒l see how that goes.

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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 was the first time you realised the importance of money?

2020 was when I had my financial 鈥渁wakening.鈥� I was in my second year at uni, and the world was on lockdown due to COVID. That meant I had to stay home for a while. For the first time, I noticed my parents struggling to make ends meet because they couldn鈥檛 go out to work. 

It was my wake-up call to learn how to manage my finances and make money, so I wouldn鈥檛 go through something like that. 

Just how bad did things get for your parents at that time?

Things had been bad for a long time. The changes just didn鈥檛 really register with me; it was almost like they weren鈥檛 affecting me.

My dad had lost his big corporate job when I was 8, and we moved back to our hometown. There were periods when my school fees went unpaid, and I couldn鈥檛 get as many clothes as I wanted. But I always just thought it was my dad’s problem to figure out. It was his job.

However, during the lockdown, our financial situation became my problem too. Whenever I asked my parents for something, they鈥檇 flare up and be like, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e getting older. You should learn to figure things out yourself. Why are you asking me for money to buy data?鈥� I began to feel like a burden and knew I needed to find a way to make money.

So, what did you do?

I started looking up ways to make money online. The first time I went on LinkedIn, I saw 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds talking about landing gigs and making money. I felt overwhelmed and left the app.

Then I stumbled on a platform called 鈥淥nline Book Club鈥� that paid people to read and review books. 

This is how it worked: After registering on the platform, you鈥檇 have to do multiple free book reviews before getting promoted to paid reviews. They paid  like $5 for every accepted review.

It took me five months of reviewing free books before I made that $5. The naira equivalent was less than 鈧�3k, but it made me feel so proud. It was the first money I ever made, and I was excited about the thought of buying things without having to ask my parents for money. 

However, I earned money from the reviews only a few more times before prevented me from earning on the platform.

Sigh. The streets remember when PayPal was every Nigerian freelancer’s nightmare

It was annoying. When that happened, I decided to give LinkedIn another shot. My main problem was: I didn鈥檛 know what to post there. I didn鈥檛 have a skill and couldn鈥檛 exactly write about the time I reviewed books.

Still, I was determined to make LinkedIn work for me as it did for others. I bought a 鈧�5k eBook to learn how to optimise and create content for LinkedIn. I applied the learnings 鈥� writing about my life 鈥� and began getting followers.听

It took two years and 10k followers before I made money on LinkedIn. In 2023, I got a DM from someone who said he liked my writing and wanted me to do the same for his personal page. I told him I didn鈥檛 know much about managing and creating content for others, but we decided to give it a try. The man was an American, and he paid me the equivalent of 鈧�99k/month. We worked together for about five months before we stopped. 

That gig made me start to think about personal branding. I began watching YouTube videos to learn how to better position myself for more opportunities. I like to learn multiple things at once, so I was also learning SEO and content writing. 

Did these help you get more gigs?

Oh, they did. That same year, I got a 鈧�30k/month personal branding gig to write weekly for a client鈥檚 LinkedIn profile. 

I was also constantly writing about personal development and branding on LinkedIn. This effort got me a referral to work as a digital marketing specialist for a company. They (the company) wanted to attract the kind of community I鈥檇 grown on LinkedIn, so I was the best fit for the role. This was in 2024, and they paid me 鈧�100k/month.

Around the same time, I got another 鈧�250k/month digital marketing job with a fintech company. In that role, I handled everything from social media management to email marketing and YouTube video creation. 

I was doing all these jobs and still navigating university. 

Phew. That sounds like a lot to juggle

It was, but the money made up for it. In fact, I developed an impulse spending habit. I was still asking my parents for money because somehow, I couldn鈥檛 live on a 鈧�380k monthly income.  

I was just spending anyhow, and most of it went to eating out. I was often exhausted after work and school, so I didn鈥檛 want to cook. It got so bad that even when I ran out of money, I鈥檇 borrow more to order food. I also gained a lot of weight during that period.

I graduated from uni in 2025 and dropped the 鈧�100k role.

Why did you drop it?

It became too overwhelming. I was managing many responsibilities and had reduced the effort I put into growing my personal brand on LinkedIn. It felt like I was missing something I wanted out of life. I kept thinking, 鈥淲hat is the point of doing all this work when I鈥檓 barely making ends meet?鈥� 

At the same time, two of my younger siblings were entering the university, and my mum was constantly calling to complain about finances. It was all too much to handle, and I believed I deserved more than what I was getting for the work I did. 

I moved on to work for an Indian company as an SEO manager. They paid me 鈧�450k/month. Four months later, I got another SEO manager role that drastically increased my income. They pay $1000/month, which is about 鈧�1.4 million.

I currently work three jobs: a 鈧�250k digital marketing role with a fintech, and two SEO manager roles that pay me 鈧�450k and 鈧�1.4 million, respectively. These bring my monthly income to just over 鈧�2 million. I still do the 鈧�30k/month LinkedIn personal branding gig, but I don鈥檛 really count it as income.

Those are a lot of jobs. How do you manage them all?

I often have little time for my friends. Since I work remotely, I hardly go out. It鈥檚 like all there is to my life is: work, deliver and make money.

I鈥檓 not complaining, though. Sometimes I鈥檓 amazed at how my financial situation has completely changed, and how I moved from 鈧�380k to over 鈧�2 million in 10 months. My new income has also taken me out of debt, so that鈥檚 an advantage.

Debt? When did this happen?

Just before I got the $1k job, my generator broke down beyond repair. I couldn鈥檛 live without one as a remote worker, so I borrowed 鈧�350k from my bank to buy another. Unfortunately, in the previous month, I had borrowed money from a loan app to fund my eating out habits. 

When the loan app came for their money, I had to borrow from yet another loan app to repay the first one. Before I knew it, my debt was over 鈧�500k. Out of frustration, I uploaded all my bank statements to ChatGPT and explained my debt situation, and it drew up a plan to help me pay off the debt and improve my finances. 

It told me first to create a 鈧�50k emergency fund, then gradually pay off each debt. I couldn鈥檛 stick to that plan until I got the new job and a higher income. The first thing I did with my new salary was pay off my debt, then build a 鈧�300k emergency fund in three months. I also replaced my malfunctioning laptop. 

Then, around October 2025, I decided to take savings seriously.

Did something trigger that?

The debt situation was one reason I decided to take my finances seriously, but my LinkedIn brand also played a role. 

One day, it occurred to me that I had multiple followers and that people often came to me for advice on career advancement. It wasn鈥檛 like I didn鈥檛 have jobs. Why then couldn鈥檛 I pay my bills or even loan a friend 鈧�10k? 

I thought about it deeply and concluded I didn鈥檛 have a 鈥渟ource of income鈥� issue. My problem was how to manage the income.

What鈥檚 your approach to savings these days?

I don鈥檛 have a specific percentage that I save. Once I subtract my monthly expenses, I divide what鈥檚 left between my regular savings and retirement savings. I鈥檓 working on reducing my impulse spending, so I give myself a 鈧�100k buffer for impulse expenses.

I mostly lock my savings in a savings app. If I can鈥檛 touch it, I can鈥檛 spend it. Right now, my total savings are about 鈧�2 million: 鈧�400k for a new phone, 鈧�600k for land, 鈧�800k for retirement/pension, and 鈧�200k in my emergency fund.

How would you describe your relationship with money now?

I鈥檓 in a healthier headspace with money, and I鈥檓 learning to discipline myself and delay gratification. Right now, I know I鈥檒l end up in debt if I don鈥檛 plan properly; it doesn鈥檛 matter whether my income increases or not. So, I鈥檓 consciously learning to calm down and spend wisely.

I have a lot of money regrets, though. It鈥檚 very painful that I had the opportunity to make money online early, but I spent it anyhow. I feel like I wasted three years of my life. If I鈥檇 started saving early, I would鈥檝e made so much in interest and be in a better financial situation by now. I would have had at least 8 figures in savings or investments. 

I feel you. Do you have savings and investment goals right now?

I want to buy my first piece of land before my birthday this year. My mum is on my neck to invest in land, so I鈥檓 planning to save up to 鈧�3m for that. Left to me, I鈥檇 just continue buying stocks and digital gold on my investment app.

I don鈥檛 know if this qualifies as an investment, but I鈥檓 working towards my retirement goal. I recently opened a and randomly send money there monthly. Since I mostly work with international brands, they don鈥檛 contribute to my pension, so I have to pay it myself.

One more thing: I want to have a good birthday this year. I couldn鈥檛 celebrate myself the way I wanted last year, and I want to fix that. I estimate about 鈧�1 million for that. I feel weird for saying I want to save more and spend wisely while still planning a million-naira birthday.

I mean, you still have to enjoy your money reasonably. What鈥檚 been the hardest part of your new approach to managing your finances?

Delaying gratification. It鈥檚 not easy, especially as someone who used to buy things whenever she wanted. I haven鈥檛 fully gotten the hang of financial management yet. For instance, I once grew my emergency fund to 鈧�800k, but it鈥檚 now down to 鈧�200k due to a few expenses. It鈥檚 tough, but I鈥檓 trying my best. 

I even had to change my circle of friends from the ones I had before, who always loved going out and having fun. I鈥檓 generally learning to be more intentional with my life and hobbies. Now, when I鈥檓 bored, I read books or find hobbies to avoid the draw of online shopping.

Let’s break down your typical monthly expenses

Every month is different, and I use a spreadsheet to budget and track expenses. However, my recurring expenses typically look like this:

My annual rent is 鈧�450k, but I plan to move out next year, so I鈥檓 saving 鈧�200k monthly for it. I also sometimes work with graphic designers and video editors on my work projects, which isn’t included in this breakdown because it doesn鈥檛 happen every month.

I鈥檓 curious. How has your impact growth impacted how you see money?

I think it鈥檚 inevitable that one鈥檚 mindset changes when they start earning more. Now, I think about money that grows with the more value you put out there. Like, the more services and value I can offer, the more money I鈥檒l attract.

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

I鈥檇 like to cross 鈧�3 million/month this year, and maybe even push to 鈧�5 million. I鈥檓 working on expanding my brand to YouTube, and if I can monetise that, I鈥檒l earn more. 

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

Yes, a new phone, a car, and international holiday trips. I鈥檒l need like 鈧�12m to clear off a phone and a car off my wish list.

How about the last thing you bought that made you happy?

My laptop. I bought it in October for 鈧�1.1m.

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

5. I can鈥檛 be proud or excited about my current financial level because I feel I should have done more. I started early, but didn鈥檛 save at all. On top of that, I keep seeing success stories of young people making 8 and 9-figure figures. I can definitely do more than what I鈥檓 currently doing.

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