However, adulthood in Nigeria comes quickly, and when it does, it hits quite differently than you might have imagined. One minute, you鈥檙e celebrating your NYSC POP, and the next, reality checks in. You鈥檙e staring at your first salary alert, wondering how you鈥檙e going to survive the month 鈥� rent, transportation, feeding, and the ever-present 鈥渂lack tax鈥�, that makes you question if this was the same adulthood you prayed for.

Today鈥檚 constantly changing reality of Nigeria鈥檚 economy and the inflation rate, which, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, stood at 22.22% as of June 2025, makes it clear that earning money is only half the battle; keeping and growing it is the real hustle. No little wonder that the 鈥淛apa鈥� wave still sweeps strongly across the nation. According to the 2024 Afrobarometer Report, 鈥�71% of people with post-secondary school qualifications, 63% of urban residents, and 60% of citizens between age 18 to 35 have considered leaving the country鈥�.

Though navigating adulthood in Nigeria often feels like a survival sport, migration might not be a guaranteed solution for everyone. The real question is how we can make the 鈥渋mpossible鈥�, 鈥減ossible鈥�.

How can you pay your bills in your 20s and still grow your finances?

Building wealth in Nigeria as a young professional starts with a mindset shift.听It is less about how much you earn and more about the systems you put in place early, which help you approach your income differently.听

Reality check: Wealth starts with systems, not salary size.

Is having a retirement savings account important?

One of the most underrated wealth tools in Nigeria is a Pension. A common misconception about pensions is being pegged as a micro-income scheme, usually for elderly folks who can鈥檛 seem to engage in any form of meaningful employment, just to survive their old years.

This misconception has robbed most young professionals of utilising a pension as a strategic financial tool to start building wealth even in their 20s.

So, what is pension?

In simple terms, pension is money you set aside from your earnings during your working years. This contribution is made by both the employer and employee, 10% and 8% monthly contributions, respectively, and is later paid to you as income in your retirement years. 

The truth is, Nigeria鈥檚 pension industry has grown massively since the 2004 reforms. Today, the numbers are hard to ignore. As of February 2025, PenCom asserted that pension assets had already crossed 鈧�23鈥痶rillion. For young professionals, this is a sign that the system is stable enough to be part of a long-term wealth plan.

Let鈥檚 break it down in practical terms.

Pension Math Vs Savings Math

Assume your,

• Salary: 鈧�200,000/month
• Pension contribution: 10% employee (鈧�20,000) + 8% employer (鈧�16,000) = 鈧�36,000 per month
• Pension invested with an average 8% annual return听

Step 1: Your yearly savings: 鈧�36,000 脳 12 months = 鈧�432,000/year
Step 2: Growth over time (with compounding)
Let鈥檚 check rough estimates.

• 10 years:听

Savings = 鈧�4.32M
With growth 鈮� 鈧�6.63M

• 20 years:

Savings = 鈧�8.64M
With growth: 鈮� 鈧�21.35M

• 30 years:

Savings = 鈧�12.96M
With growth: 鈮� 鈧�54.02M

With 30 years of consistent contributions and growth, you could retire with over 鈧�54 million from pension savings. This outweighs just saving in a basic account; you lose value to inflation, and the money doesn鈥檛 grow.

Pension is wealth because it forces consistency, leverages investments, and lets compounding interests work silently in your favour.

A simple Call to Action

So, what鈥檚 your 20s wealth plan?听
If you鈥檙e in your 20s and serious about wealth, stop treating a pension like a salary deduction you can鈥檛 control. Treat it like your first investment account. Start small, stay consistent, and if possible, add voluntary contributions.

Platforms like Leadway Pensure PFA are reshaping what pension means for young Nigerians. As Nigeria鈥檚 leading PFA in digitalisation and pension education, Leadway Pensure understands that today鈥檚 young professionals want to stay on top of their finances with ease. That鈥檚 why they鈥檝e introduced LISA, the Leadway Pensure Instant Service Assistant – a smart, AI-powered platform that puts your pension account literally at your fingertips. Whether it鈥檚 checking your balance, tracking your returns, or making voluntary contributions, LISA offers a personalized, seamless experience tailored to the fast-paced, digital-first lives of Nigeria鈥檚 young professionals.

Leadway Pensure also offers financial advisory services tailored for you, whether you are a freelancer, an entrepreneur, or a self-employed professional. Whether you’re climbing the corporate ladder or working remotely with clients around the world, they have a different fund portfolio that grows with your financial standing.

The truth is, building wealth in Nigeria is not impossible. The earlier you start, the louder your future self will thank you.

Ready to take the next step? Visit to learn more. Follow Leadway Pensure on social media to stay plugged in with tips, tools, and updates that make understanding and investing in pension in your 20s seamless.

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One of the worst things you can experience as a Nigerian is trying to access the funds of a relative who died without a legal will. 

I speak from experience. 

My aunt passed away in 2020, and we鈥檙e still struggling to access her pension.  It鈥檚 one reason I now advise anyone going for even the smallest medical procedure to get a probate-stamped document from a high court so someone else can access your money, at the very least.

But back to our struggle.

My aunt first became ill in 2017. She鈥檇 had a medical procedure which led to complications, leaving her bedridden and unable to feed without a stomach tube. She basically lived in the hospital for the three years that she was ill. And the bills? They ran into 鈧�1.2m weekly.

The illness took her job at a government parastatal, where she鈥檇 worked for 16 years. The government didn鈥檛 pay her hospital bills, and they made her resign after the first year. When the parastatal鈥檚 medical team visited and saw her condition, they decided they couldn鈥檛 keep paying someone who couldn鈥檛 work. The salary in question was just a little over 鈧�100k/month.

At my aunt鈥檚 place of work, you don鈥檛 just resign and go home. You have to submit clearance documents at several offices to update your employment status. I helped her husband with this clearance process 鈥� which took months. I thought that was stressful, until the real stress came.

When she passed away in 2020, we assumed accessing her pension of almost 鈧�6m would be straightforward. She and her husband kept no secrets; that鈥檚 how we knew about the pension in the first place. He also knew her passwords, and they even had joint properties.  But there was no will, and that was the problem. Although he was the next of kin, he couldn鈥檛 access the funds unless a court gave him a document called a Letter of Administration. That was the first hurdle.

Getting a Letter of Administration in Nigeria can take as much as five years. You鈥檒l need to hire a lawyer, pay them 10% of whatever property you want to claim, and then try to survive the many court delays.

You鈥檒l also need two administrators for court approval: a spouse and another family member. 

So, I stood in with her husband, as they didn鈥檛 have children. Fortunately, we had a well-known lawyer who fast-tracked the process, and we got the Letter of Administration after one year.

The next step was getting cleared to receive pension benefits from the government parastatal where my aunt worked. We had to provide pay slips, show evidence that she didn鈥檛 owe anything and meet several other requirements. At one point, we heard that the place where they kept some documents we needed for clearance got burnt. Again, we had people on the inside who helped fast-track the process, but even with that, it took another year to complete the clearance.

The bank runs came next. 

The deceased鈥檚 account had to be changed to an estate account, so the administrators (her husband and I) would be signatories and be able to access the funds in it. This was the account where the pension fund would go. It took another couple of weeks to update the account.

With that done, we could now move to the pension fund administrator (PFA). But there was one thing standing in our way: The Nigerian government. 

For individuals who work with private organisations, pension payment is straightforward. Your employer deducts the monthly pension from your salary and remits it to the PFA. For government workers, however, the pension is deducted from the salary but isn鈥檛 remitted to the PFA for years. So, you could have a pension account with a PFA, but there wouldn鈥檛 be money inside.

That was what happened to my aunty. When we arrived at the PFA in March 2023, they told us that , the regulatory body for pensions in Nigeria, hadn鈥檛 remitted any pension fund to her account for the entire number of years she鈥檇 worked. The money was essentially in the air.

The only thing the PFA could do was write PENCOM, requesting the funds so they could pay us. They also told us that the payment could take as much as three years to come in. Apparently, PENCOM gives preference to retirees over the family of deceased pensioners.

At this point, we can only keep disturbing the PFA to send reminders to PENCOM. We鈥檝e spent so much money and time on this in the last three years, and it looks like we have one or two more years to go. I鈥檓 tired and have accepted the possibility that it might even take longer.

I鈥檒l say it again: Please go to any high court and get a probate-stamped document, indicating who you want your money to go to if something happens to you. The last I checked, it cost about 鈧�10k. Save your family the stress.

We’re celebrating the Nigerian culture of meat and barbecue with Burning Ram on November 11. .

NEXT READ: I Was Happier When I Stopped Sending My Parents Money

We鈥檙e always happy to call out Nigerian politicians when they misbehave. We are equally happy to commend them when they do the right thing. In a letter Daniels shared on his on July 6, he revealed that his monthly payment was 鈧�676,376.95k.

What did the letter say?

The letter, addressed to the Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun, read in part: 

鈥淚 write to request for the suspension of my monthly pension/allowances of 676,376.95 (gross) (Six Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand, Three Hundred Seventy-Six Naira, Ninety-Five Kobo) being paid as a former Executive Governor of Ogun State.

The request is in compliance with my conscience, moral principle and ethical code against double emoluments that a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who hitherto was a former State Governor shall not be entitled to the payment of pension and allowances from such state.鈥�

What have the reactions been like?

Online, the reactions have been met with some applause and criticism. Some people have lauded Daniels and asked that the former governor, now senator, should.

Some say making an announcement was unnecessary, especially on social media. 

Download the Citizen Election Report: Navigating Nigeria鈥檚 Political Journey

What can Nigerian politicians take away from this?

We鈥檝e written about how this government asks a lot from Nigerians without making sacrifices themselves. So for a high-ranking government official to take this step, even for show, is good optics.听

That said, there have been that President Tinubu鈥檚 ministerial cabinet would have at least 42 ministers and 20 special advisers. This points to a bloated cabinet, which is sure to put a drain on the government鈥檚 finances.

Naturally, the current administration would argue that it is within the president鈥檚 right to appoint many ministers from across the federation, keeping with the . Not many Nigerians agree.

It may be a long shot to ask the president to trim down his cabinet. However, he can consider cutting his wages and asking his appointees to make that sacrifice. , ministers and cabinet members, such as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, earn at least 鈧�650,136.65k every month. Ministers of state get 鈧�628,056.91k. However, this may not account for all of their allowances.听

As a matter of urgency, the government should look to downsize. If others like Daniels are on double remuneration, it is unconscionable. Those politicians should toe the honourable path and have the extra emoluments terminated. The RMFAC should also be up and about plugging these leakages.

Kudos to Daniels, who has done an arguably decent thing. Other Nigerian politicians should take a cue from him. As citizens, you can tweet at your elected leaders asking them to move a motion to cut out double remuneration for former governors now in the National Assembly or reduce total pensions for ex-Governors.

Pensioners in the South West of Nigeria under their union, the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), are demanding a in their pensions. They’ve made this demand known to BAT and governors in the South West. 

[Nigerian pensioners / The Cable]

What’s the gist?

At a meeting in Abeokuta on April 3, chairpersons and secretaries of NUP from Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Lagos and Ekiti states said they want BAT to 鈥渟how them love鈥�. The SW NUP zone’s public relations officer (PRO), Olusegun Abatan, said the outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari “has done quite a lot for pensioners.” 

In December 2022, the National Pension Commission to take effect in February 2023. However, the NUP alleges that governors in the SW still owe retirees huge sums in pensions and gratuities.

What else do pensioners want from BAT?

An increase in pension isn’t all the pensioners are asking. They also want BAT to create a separate ministry dedicated to pension-related matters. 

What’s the FG’s latest response concerning pensioners?

On March 30, in an unprecedented turn of events, the federal government, through the director-general of the National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) Emem Omokaro, would “create a portal to engage older persons who wish to continue offering services after retirement.”听

The portal will go live this month, April. Omokaro said, “The aim of the collaboration is also to assist the centre to create an online portal that would engage older persons who are professionals in their different fields of endeavour to tap into their wealth of experiences.” There’s no rest for the wicked and the elderly.

As seen from their Twitter responses, Nigerians have not taken this news kindly.

With Buhari already set to leave office, the burden of responsibility on this matter falls on BAT. Will he create a new ministry for pensioners? Will he send retirees back to work to “make more money”? These are questions only time can answer.

After 30 years at the bank, Mr Patrick* retired in 2014 and moved into his house in Warri, Delta state. He shares what led to his early retirement, how his friend ghosted him after an investment deal and putting his children through school on an epileptic pension supply.听

Occupation and location

Fabric trader in Warri, Delta State 

Average monthly income

It’s hard to say because the market isn’t fixed. But he gets about 鈧�30k in a bad month 鈥� which has been the case for most of 2022 鈥� just enough to reinvest in the business. The only money he’s sure of is the 鈧�51k pension he receives every month and 鈧�588k in rent per annum. 

Monthly bills and recurring expenses

Feeding: 鈧�40k on average. His wife assists with this most times. 

Fuel: About 鈧�20k, subject to the frequent hikes in fuel prices. 

Data: 鈧�5k

Transportation: 鈧�13k

Electricity: 鈧�6k. His two tenants jointly contribute 鈧�4k to the bill sometimes. 

Savings: 鈧�15k

How did you meet your wife? 

It was in 1992. I was ready to settle down, and a relative knew someone they thought I鈥檇 be interested in. I reached out to her. After a year of talking and getting to know each other, we got married. We’ve been married for over 27 years now.

How were your finances at the time? 

I was a bank worker for a long time, in different roles with different pay, so I can鈥檛 remember. I do know that in 2008, my salary was about 鈧�135k. The naira was still good then, so I had enough savings from that to buy land in three different areas. 

How much did the lands cost? 

I got one for 鈧�1.8m and the others for about 鈧�350k each in 2008. But I鈥檝e had to sell two of them 鈥� one in 2015 for over 鈧�2m, and the other for 鈧�3.5m in 2017. Oh, I forgot about the land on which I built the house we currently live in. I got that for 鈧�600k. 

Why did you sell the other two?

In this Buhari鈥檚 Nigeria? I had three kids in the university, and with the bank retiring me two years early, I had to look for a means to survive. Retirement age is supposed to be 60 years, but mine came at 58 as punishment for a fraud case I was associated with in 2014. 

I was the operations manager, and the head of funds transfer embezzled a lot of money using my password. We were close 鈥� family friends even, so it would never have crossed my mind to suspect him. It wasn鈥檛 until the internal department in charge of records went through the books that they discovered 鈧�4.4m was missing. The money had been taken in bits stretched over a year. When they traced it, the evidence led to us. They arrested both of us, but I was let go after he confessed that he did it on his own. 

Why were you still retired? 

For allowing someone else use my password. So while he was sacked and had to refund everything he stole, I was retired early and stripped of 鈧�3m worth of incentives. 

How did your wife react? 

I鈥檓 blessed to have a partner as understanding as her. And my kids are really great too. Everyone understood money wasn鈥檛 as available and adjusted. My wife is a businesswoman 鈥� she sells clothes 鈥� so she had to heavily support the family during the two years that followed. When our second child gained admission into the university in 2015, things were really hard, and she had to sell her gold necklace to assist with the fees. 

How was life post-retirement? 

It came with its challenges. In May 2014, I decided to invest 鈧�2m in my friend鈥檚 fuel station, and he was supposed to pay me 鈧�150k monthly for three years. Less than two years after we started, he fell ill and had to travel out of the country for treatment. I understand it cost him a lot of money. But the money stopped coming in even after he came back. 

Ah. Why?

He kept saying business was bad and there was no money. When I noticed he was avoiding my calls, I travelled to meet him in Edo state. Sometimes, after plenty begging and chasing, he鈥檇 send some money. He became a prayer point in my house. 

Did you have a contract? 

Yes, we did. But I couldn鈥檛 involve a lawyer because everyone knows going to court costs money I didn鈥檛 have. So I let it go. I don鈥檛 hold any grudges. Like a few months after the bank incident, my former colleague reached out to ask for forgiveness. 

What do you do now? 

I run a fabric business. When I started in 2016, business was good, but with how bad the economy has been, my business has suffered greatly. People are working hard just to make ends meet, so they鈥檙e not thinking of getting new fabric. Sometimes, I go a week without selling a thing. Still, I open shop Monday to Saturday just in case a customer comes. Some months, I could get orders to supply a friend for an event, and the profit would be about 鈧�50k – 鈧�70k. Part of the money goes back to the business and shop rent at the end of the year.

And your wife? 

She still sells women’s clothes from home. Most of her customers are either regulars turned friends or are referred by friends, so they meet up at our house when she has new stock. When they鈥檙e not buying on credit, they pay the money in small bits like they鈥檙e paying for crayfish. According to her, she makes about 鈧�80k – 鈧�100k profit on 鈧�200k stock. She used to get a 鈧�28k monthly pension, but that stopped coming about two months ago.

Why? 

Do we know? When the money comes, we rejoice; when it doesn鈥檛, we鈥檒l be fine. 

Besides housekeeping, how do you spend on relationship sturvs with your wife?

I buy her catfish barbecue. It costs about 鈧�3k, and she really enjoys it. So I get it on birthdays or give her between 鈧�5k – 鈧�20k to buy something for herself when I make good sales at the shop or whenever money enters my hand from rent or cash gifts. We go out sometimes, but it’s mostly with other married friends, so I spend less than 鈧�15k. 

That’s nice. What does your wife do for you? 

On birthdays, she cooks like it’s Christmas 鈥� rice, chicken, drinks for the house. My 60th birthday though, she also got a cake and invited our friends over. When I asked how she funded everything, she said the kids helped. 

So you don’t really buy gifts for each other?

When things were better, she鈥檇 buy me perfume, a watch, clothes or whatever she thought I needed. Even then, I mostly gave her money because she鈥檇 rather buy what she wants by herself.

Do you have joint investments or accounts? 

We鈥檙e very transparent with our finances, but we鈥檝e never tried to put our money in the same place. The only thing we do that鈥檚 close to a joint account is our monthly osusu with a couple of other people. We contribute 鈧�15k each. 

What about your kids? 

They鈥檝e long graduated from school and are working now. They don鈥檛 ask for money. Maybe it鈥檚 because they鈥檙e doing okay for themselves, or they don鈥檛 want to stress us. But they even send us money. This year, they put us on some sort of monthly allowance 鈥� sometimes 鈧�30k, sometimes 鈧�50k. It helps around the house. 

Do you have a financial safety net? 

Not exactly. I still have two plots of land in Warri and family land in my village. But that鈥檚 all. 

What鈥檚 your ideal financial future? 

Future? At 63 years old, it’s hard to have plans for the future. I hope both our businesses pick up, my children become successful in their careers, and the economy becomes favourable for us to afford more land, vehicles, and investments. 

If you’re interested in talking about how money moves in your relationship, this is a good place to start.

Read the other Love Currency stories here.

In this article, seven Nigerians speak about what it feels like to be the ones providing for their families while also trying to take care of themselves. 

“I鈥檓 happy to help, but I sometimes feel resentful”

鈥� Amaka, 30

Sometimes it feels like the only thing I’m useful for in my family is sending money. I鈥檝e been paying black tax since I started NYSC in 2014.

My mum used to work in a federal government parastatal but got retrenched in 2007. She managed to put me through secondary school somehow till I finished university. 

Now, I send money to my mum, two siblings and cousins who stay with us for their upkeep every month. Asides from that, my mum also randomly calls and asks for money. It got so bad that almost all my income was going to family expenses, both necessary and unnecessary. Having to spend my money on family consistently sometimes makes me feel resentful. Other times, I’m happy to help.

My mum has a pension, but the money she gets is very small. The pension fund administrator has even refused to pay them for the longest time. So I’m all she has. 

“I feel some financial strain, but it鈥檚 a privilege”

鈥擡buka, 29

I come from a large family of seven children, and we collectively cater to our parents’ needs. 

My dad lost his job in 1992 and couldn’t get stable work afterwards. My mum worked for over twenty years in a Chinese firm until the entire family was forced to flee the north during the Sharia crisis in 2000. So we returned to our village in Imo state.

As time passed, we kids got different opportunities that took us out of the village. My oldest brother made enough money to build my parents a six-bedroom house. 

My siblings and I stopped my parents from doing any work three years ago [2019] so that they could rest. Now they depend wholly on us. We’re a large family, so the financial burden isn’t that much. We pool funds together to send to them. 

I feel the financial strain once in a while, especially when we have to contribute towards paying for my dad’s medical bills. But I shrug it off. If my parents had a pension, it鈥檇 have given us less to worry about and more to spend on ourselves. However, we consider it a privilege to do what we do.

鈥淗ow am I paying for someone else鈥檚 mistake? It鈥檚 so frustrating.鈥�

鈥� Aduke*, 56

I鈥檓 retired, but instead of me enjoying my money, I spend it taking care of my also retired younger sister. 

The difference between both of us is that I have investments and a pension, and she doesn鈥檛. This is because she finished her money on jaiye lifestyle. My sister was a woman of enjoyment; she was either always attending a party or throwing one. And each time, she had to sew an outfit for each party. She liked the finer things of life, and she wasn鈥檛 afraid of spending money on them. Now, look at what that has caused.  She鈥檚 broke and relying on my money to survive. She has a child but can鈥檛 ask him for money because he鈥檚 in secondary school. I pay his school fees.

How am I paying for someone else鈥檚 mistake? It鈥檚 so frustrating. And I鈥檓 stuck with this for the rest of my life. 

“Maybe it’s the pressure of being the firstborn son, but I feel the need not to let my parents work” 

鈥� Anthony, 31

As the firstborn son, I feel a certain responsibility to take care of my family. My parents don’t ask for money, but they expect it. Very subtle signs show that they rely on me to provide for them. 

I get paid decently as a logistics manager for a start-up oil and gas firm. It allows me to send money to my parents monthly. My youngest brother, the last born, is now in university, and I send him pocket money too. There are times when I’ve had to come through in significant ways. There was a time my mum had surgery, and I contributed 80% of the money. My dad recently fell seriously ill, and I had to buy drugs that cost 鈧�53K every month for six months.

Maybe it’s the pressure of being the firstborn son, but I feel the need not to let my parents work. They sacrificed so much to send me to the best schools. The best I could do is spend part of my money on them. 

You have no idea how many times I鈥檝e asked God, 鈥淲hy me?鈥欌��

鈥� Shelia*, 35

My mum has chronic heart disease. This means my salary is spent on consistent hospital bills and drugs. Since my mum is sick, she obviously can鈥檛 work, and she doesn鈥檛 have investments or any other source of income that could, to some extent, make things financially easier for us, it鈥檚 all on me. 

My dad passed ten years ago, and I鈥檓 the only child. So I鈥檓 the only one handling such a huge responsibility. My extended family tries to help out once in a while, but that鈥檚 not enough. You have no idea how many times I鈥檝e asked God, 鈥淲hy me?鈥� Why did I have to get stuck with a sick mum? Why does all my money go to her sickness? I鈥檓 tired of it all. 

Right now, I just want a higher-paying job so that I can at least be able to get myself some nice things. 

“I rarely do things for myself because I earn the most in my family. It鈥檚 tiring.”

鈥� Abraham, 27

I get paid about 鈧�350,000 per month, and I barely get to enjoy any of the money because I’m spending it on providing for my family. 

Both my parents are retired, which means I’m responsible for their upkeep and that of my siblings. I’m currently paying the school fees of the last child who’s still in uni. My two older siblings can’t contribute as much because they don’t earn enough. I’m the one my parents call whenever they need money for one thing or the other. Sometimes my older siblings call me too. 

I need a break from it all. I wish I could just travel to a really far destination and not think that I鈥檓 financially responsible for my family at such a young age. 

Having your family members rely on you financially can be a lot of pressure. It can also be emotionally and physically exhausting. But what if you didn鈥檛 have to do it all on your own?

Leadway offers simple financial services products that protect you and everything you care about. From your personal belongings to your health, your life, and your future. Sign up on  to learn more and get started.

The life of an Igbo police officer in the 鈥�90s, as told to Ortega

Life before the first military coup in 1966

I was a restless child born in 1937. I grew up as the only son of my father, and his brothers expected me to take up his role as our village鈥檚 chief priest. But my father wanted something more for me. He wanted me to go to school and live outside the cage tradition had built for our lineage as its custodians.

My father was convinced living together would make it easier for my uncles to persuade me. So he kept me away for as long as he could. When I was five years old, I had to live with different people in my village and depend on them to put me through school. They called me Nwali, son of the soil. It meant I belonged to everyone in my village but to no one at the same time. The villagers were in charge of taking care of me while my father kept my uncles at bay. Their generosity got me a secondary school education. But that was as far as I could go with the resources they had.

Everyone expected me to become a teacher, but I found the role quite stuffy and boring. I spent the two years after secondary school working odd jobs instead. I tapped palm trees and helped families build houses 鈥� I did anything I could get my hands on. I saw my father once in a while, but he expected me to figure things out on my own. 

RELATED: We Got A Soldier In Here! Kolade鈥檚 #AbroadLife.

At 17, I decided to leave my village in Delta for Benin. My cousin promised to teach me to drive and offered me work as one of his cab boys. The first three months were okay, but I couldn鈥檛 bear the long hours of driving just to have my cousin take most of the profit I made. I couldn鈥檛 tell him that because I had to be grateful to him for trying to help.

After another three months of yelling for passengers under the hot sun, I decided to take a break and go back to Delta. That鈥檚 when I found a bit of luck in my life.

On my way to the park, I met a friend who was coming in from Delta. We exchanged pleasantries and I explained why I was heading home. His response to my complaints of driving taxis for hours under the sun was an odd demand for me to follow him on an errand in Benin. He offered to cover the two pence it would cost to get a bus back to my village, so I decided to go with him. There was nothing to lose.

The errand turned out to be recruitment at the police college for new constables in 1955. Of course, I was surprised my friend wasn鈥檛 just upfront about it, but I was more interested in how to get in as well. So while he queued up, I rode a bicycle back home to get my documents. Hundreds of people were in the queue when I got back. Every young man wanted a chance to wear fancy uniforms and work with white men. I just needed money.

When it finally got to my turn, the constable took one look at my file and asked me to leave. Apparently, 18 was too young to serve. But then, luck was on my side. One of the senior officers asked him to consider me because I looked strong. And that鈥檚 how I got into the ranks. 

There were only four police colleges in Nigeria at the time. Benin was just a point of recruitment, so I was moved to the one in Kaduna for a while before I was relocated with other southern officers to Lagos in 1956. I can鈥檛 remember how much I earned, but we were paid in pounds until 1973 when naira notes were introduced. What I loved about my job was the respect it gave me. No matter the rank, there was some kind of honour you felt putting on a police uniform in the 鈥�60s. There was also a lot more investment in the force. I attended the Police Colleges in Paris and Britain for short courses, and in a year, I rose to the rank of cadet.

I worked in Lagos until 1959. A senior officer decided it was best to experience other parts of the west. And in 1959, the country was still at a point when a Igbo (Igbos from the Bendel region) man transferred to Lagos or Abeokuta wasn鈥檛 odd. Nobody cared where I was from or that I refused to learn Yoruba. I felt it was easier to handle thieves who pleaded for mercy if I didn鈥檛 hear anything after 鈥淓 jo鈥�. I didn鈥檛 believe Yoruba people were open to learning my dialect. But it didn鈥檛 matter. No one bothered too deeply. 

Abeokuta was a lot calmer than Lagos. I was stationed there to monitor the railway stations. We derailed passengers coming in from the north and monitored the day-to-day running. But after two years, I got bored. I liked the rush of Lagos more, where things like welcoming renowned leaders happened. For instance, in 1956, I got to see the Israeli prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.

Working at the police station in Lagos let me meet people from different works of life. And that made my work interesting. Like the time I met a gambler who was brought in from Obalende back in 1956. He was charged as a thief, but he didn鈥檛 seem like one to me. I was in charge of the evidence desk, so I could probe a bit more when criminals came in. 

When we spoke, he mentioned that he ran away from home and was trying to win bets to make more money. But the men who arrested him didn鈥檛 believe it. He confessed to stealing clothes the morning of his arrest, but that was it. For some reason, he seemed genuine, and I believed his story. I spoke to my colleagues and we got him off on a two-week sentence rather than a year for petty theft. Those were the moments that made me feel like my job mattered; even the bible says blessed are the peacemakers. 

The year everything changed

It wasn鈥檛 until the first military coup in January 1966 that things slowly began to change. The attack happened the day I got married in the village. For the most part, civilians were safe. But because the attack was by , Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu and Emmanuel Ifeajuna, it looked like the Igbos were trying to disrupt peace. I knew better than to share my thoughts with colleagues; people were upset. 

I was moved to Lagos to serve later that year. They began to look at me as a police officer who was Igbo rather than just a police officer. 

As a corporal and the only breadwinner of my home, I knew better than to get involved in the messiness of politics. My main priority was keeping my family safe while my wife was expecting our first child. 

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The second attempt at taking over the government took away the last shred of peace. It was in August 1966, and officers called it the revenge coup. Unlike the first coup, which was handled mainly by southern officers, this operation seemed like retaliation from northerners because it was led by . 

Unlike the first, this takeover was successful, and for the first time, we lived under military rule. It was a very difficult time depending on your tribe. For me, it suddenly meant something to be an Igbo man serving with the Lagos police force. Some superior officers checked our badges and their countenance changed when they found out I was from the south. But I wasn鈥檛 going to buckle under the sudden pressure. 

Back home, people were being slaughtered. Trains were loaded with dead bodies in the east, and when Lieutenant Colonel Ojukwu decided to push back in 1967, so did the ruling officers. It was a bloodbath, and I still don鈥檛 know how Lagos maintained some sense of sanity. Still, by 1968, I had to send my family back to Delta state from Lagos. 

I鈥檇 become a sergeant by the end of 1966, and it was business as usual at the force, which meant always being away from home. But I鈥檇 had my second daughter and wasn鈥檛 comfortable with working all the time when things were so unsafe. I also couldn鈥檛 get any of my wife鈥檚 sisters to travel from Delta to Lagos because of their safety. 

It was better to take my wife and kids to Delta dressed in my police uniform, which was the only thing keeping me from being harassed or outrightly killed. It was a hard decision, but keeping them away was for the best. Our village didn鈥檛 experience the attacks going on in the eastern towns.

Between 1967 and 1970, Nigeria was at war with itself. But I didn鈥檛 have the time to process what it meant at 30 years old. I had to focus on my task of training police officers, assisting to keep some level of sanity in Lagos. 

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When we lost the war in 1970, Nigeria went into a long period of discrimination. Rising to the top of the force suddenly became difficult. I should鈥檝e officially been promoted to sergeant, but the results for the exams I took weren鈥檛 released until after a year. Most people had theirs a few weeks after the exams. That鈥檚 when I knew a lot was about to change for me. 

By 1975, I鈥檇 made a life for myself in the Ikeja barracks. My marriage was what you鈥檇 call successful because my wife and I had five children at that point. What hadn鈥檛 been so successful was my ability to support my family on my salary. I was earning less than 鈧�20k as a sergeant, and a family of seven wasn鈥檛 exactly cheap. But I wasn鈥檛 the only one experiencing the economic challenge. 

Leaving behind the police force

With the political instability, getting goods was hard and prices went up. I could get Omo for less than 鈧�5 before the coup, but after, we were spending almost 鈧�20 per sachet. Rice was also a luxury because importing was difficult. My wife eventually had to open a store to sell drinks so she didn鈥檛 have to depend on my salary for foodstuff. But I didn鈥檛 care about the money. I wouldn鈥檛 have enjoyed any other job as much. 

As the years went by, I began to feel like my work as an officer didn鈥檛 matter. My family joined me in Lagos again in 1971. The Civil War was over, and I missed seeing my family. I鈥檇 had my second child in 1968, and we only saw a few times a year because of the state of things. So I brought them to join me at my flat in Ikeja barracks.

I spent years leading up to the final coup in 1975 as a sergeant. I was in the office with a few personnel who talked about setting a village close to mine on fire. I鈥檓 sure they didn鈥檛 have a clue where I was from. But that鈥檚 how ruined we were as a country after 1965. At least, the failed 1966 coup was just a power struggle, but the rest were about personal dislikes amongst ourselves. 

RELATED: How to Stay Safe in Nigeria 鈥� Tips from the Nigerian Police

As long as the ruling party preferred a certain ethnic group over mine, even as an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in 1983, I dealt with unwarranted questioning and didn鈥檛 get the recognition I deserved. But I was convinced I needed to rise the ranks to be a commissioner because it would make a difference. 

Then one of my friends, a fellow officer, died from high blood pressure, and I realised there was a lot more to life than chasing ranks. I was earning around 鈧�80k as an ACP in 1986. I decided to start putting money aside to build a home for my family in Delta. As the only son, my father left over 500 hectares of land to me. That was enough for a farm and properties to rent out over time. 

Major General Babangida was still in power and the force was dominated by western and northern men. I could count the officers in my rank who were from the south on one hand. But I didn鈥檛 have the time to feel bitter. I put in my notice for retirement in 1989 and was approved for pension within six months. I left in 1990 at 53 without looking back.

It鈥檚 been 32 years since and my monthly pension hasn鈥檛 changed. Less than 鈧�80k per month is all I鈥檝e gotten since 1990 while my retired colleagues from the army receive a minimum of 鈧�150k per month. I was one step away from the highest rank in the force, but I can鈥檛 get decent money for 35 years of work. That鈥檚 the biggest pain for me. It shows policemen aren鈥檛 as valued as we were in 1955.

But I don鈥檛 regret my time there. I鈥檇 do it all over again if I could because being on the police force gave me some of my greatest memories. Being an officer was a time I got to see the real side of human nature because of the amount of history I saw unfold. And now that I spend most of my time alone, it’s nice to remember what life was like when I was a young man.

Now that we know what life was like for a Nigerian police officer in the 鈥�60s, imagine what would鈥檝e happened if Abacha Never Died.

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Nigerians treat money like knacks; they want a lot of it, but won鈥檛 be caught talking about it. Every week, we ask anonymous Nigerians to show us their Naira Life 鈥� some will be struggle-ish, others听boujee鈥揵ut all the time, it鈥檒l be revealing.

(Shout out to Refinery29鈥檚 for the inspiration.)

听

First in line is a family man who believes he鈥檚 a diehard team player.

Age: 37

Occupation: Financial Analyst

Location: Lagos

Relationship Status: Married (with two kids)

Salary: 鈧�700,000 (net)

Household income: 鈧�700,000

Rent: 鈧�750,000/测别补谤

听

What was the first salary like?

I mostly spent on people; family for the most part. I was quite traditional about it. I remember sending all of it to my mum as a gesture, and her sending it back to me. My net income at the time was 鈧�182k, and my annual package was 鈧�2.8 million. That, of course, includes bonuses and all of that. Also, this was 2010.

Less than 2% of your income goes into savings?

Yes, and that鈥檚 because the rest of my income goes into settling debts and other recurring commitments and liabilities. Also, I have this indiscipline of people asking for money and me not turning them down. Those 20 and 30k鈥檚 add up.

Investments?

None. I currently have no financial investments. I made some investments two years ago; they went bad, and I鈥檓 still paying for it. That鈥檚 where the debt came from. It鈥檒l be completely paid in about six months though. For now, over 50% of my income goes into settling that debt.

What鈥檚 going to change about your spending when the debts are paid?

A lot more of it can now go to my family. Need to push up that family budget.

2019, almost 9 years since your first salary. What鈥檚 the annual package now?

My annual package is currently at 鈧�9.4 million.

How much do you feel like you should be earning now?

鈧�1 million. Net. I didn鈥檛 make some important switches in my career at the right time. Now, I believe you should move every 4 years max. I spent 7 years at my first job.

How much do you think you鈥檇 be earning in five years?

Using industry average, and where I currently am, I鈥檇 say somewhere between 1.5 and 鈧�1.8 million, net.

What do you feel like you should have had, but don鈥檛 have now?

Land. It鈥檚 just one type of investment I never really paid attention to. I just had a 鈥渘ever tie down capital鈥� mentality. Most of my investments have actually brought me loss. Still, I鈥檓 not scared to take another risk.

Despite your bad investments, what are your best investments?

Definitely my certifications; the ICANs, ACAs, ACSes etc. When you work in an industry as structured as the financial industry, certifications help you stay competitive and valuable. Also, I鈥檓 kinda glad I got most of those certifications before I got married.听

When do you want to retire?

You know, I used to think I鈥檇 retire at 45, but I realise now that I鈥檓 not a great businessman. It took a while to realise this, but I鈥檓 going to be working till the end, maybe 60. I鈥檓 the perfect company man; great energy, always representing, putting in the work for the team. I鈥檓 usually the person sharing impactful insights, and driving execution.

What鈥檚 your pension plan?

I don鈥檛 pay too much mind to it, but about 50-something-k goes into the pension account monthly. Currently, it holds no less than 鈧�4 million. It doesn鈥檛 make sense to me that I have that much somewhere鈥搕hat is giving me about 7% annually but still鈥揑 can鈥檛 afford a house. I鈥檝e done the math, and my pension is going to work best for me if I already own a house.

I imagine that the best use of my pension will be one where it helps me get a mortgage. I imagine a future where Pension Fund Managers in Nigeria create housing packages for consumers. If I have a 鈧�20 million pension and don鈥檛 own my house, I鈥檓 still screwed.

I inherited a mindset from my mum where I always imagined that I鈥檇 buy a house, instead of going through the trouble of building one. I was much younger, and that doesn鈥檛 seem so realistic now.

What are you long term plans at the moment?

I鈥檝e been in debt for too long that it鈥檚 hard to see beyond it. At 鈧�700k, I can build a house in 3 years, because I really don鈥檛 have huge personal expenses. I鈥檓 just caught in the debt trap. At 鈧�700k, and with the responsibilities of family, I鈥檇 still be able to save 鈧�150k at least. In fact, 40% of my entire income can go into saving and investing.

What do you wish you paid attention to in 2010?

Discipline. I wish I鈥檇 began saving and investing early.

How would you rate your happiness on a scale of 0-10?

I鈥檓 really glad a lot of my happiness isn鈥檛 tied to my finances because I鈥檇 probably have high BP now. I鈥檓 totally fine. And while this might sound cliche, I have a family. I invest a lot of time in them, and it鈥檚 easy to underestimate how important this is for our future and mental wellbeing.

听

My head is still above water, and for that, I鈥檓 grateful.

Check back every Monday at 9 am for peeks into the Naira Life of everyday people.

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