Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
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What’s your earliest memory of money?
It was 2014, the year I moved into a boarding school for SS1. Growing up, my family struggled financially, but the extent of our situation didn’t hit me until I was in that environment.
Imagine being in a boarding school for three months with almost no provisions or pocket money. At one point, I had one pack of milk to last me a whole term. Everyone else had stuff; I had nothing.
Tell me more about your family’s financial situation
It was complicated. My dad, a police officer, was rarely around because he was transferred a lot. But even when he was home, things weren’t great. My mum was the real hustler. She did everything: ran a restaurant, sold clothes and toys, baked, and did people’s hair.
The biggest issue was that my parents weren’t on good terms. My dad only cared about school fees; he barely left money for food or general upkeep, claiming my mum would spend it on herself. I think he was just trying to punish her.
So, while he was a relatively high-ranking officer, we were starving at home. My mum often fell sick from overworking to feed us, and sometimes we couldn’t even afford the hospital bills. There was always one money issue or another.
That sounds incredibly heavy for a child
It was. By 2017, after I finished secondary school, my dad retired, and we moved back to his home state, where he wanted to settle. My mum didn’t move in with us immediately because of the friction between them.
I was 17, living alone with my dad in a house he owned, but I didn’t even have slippers. I wore my grand-aunt’s rubber slippers for months.
Things only changed when I got into the polytechnic in 2018. My dad gave me money for school stuff, but my real backbone was my first boyfriend. He was the one who bought me clothes and other basic things. My dad just didn’t care how I survived.
Did he give you pocket money, at least?
When I first resumed, he’d send me ₦10k/month. But if he were angry, he’d cut me off as punishment. By 2019, he brought another woman into the house, and everything went south. She started causing friction between my dad and me.
One weekend, I was home when ₦2k went missing from my dad’s purse. They implied that I stole it, which was weird because, in all the time I lived together with my dad, his money never went missing. Over time, this woman strained our relationship so much that he stopped sending me money. He didn’t even come for my matriculation.
My boyfriend was my saviour. I didn’t lack anything in school or feel like I had to work to earn money. After my National Diploma in 2019, I decided I wouldn’t return to my dad’s house. My mum warned me that the woman was fetish and I wasn’t safe there. Even with all my dad’s faults, I was his favourite among all three kids, and he couldn’t be doing all that with a clear eye.
So, I moved to Lagos in December 2019 to find greener pastures.
What was the plan?
No plan per se. I had cousins and family members in Lagos, so I moved in with them and started searching for opportunities.
I got my first job in January 2020 as a secretary in Computer Village. My salary was ₦20k/month. I worked for about a month, then the lockdown happened, and things slowed down. Those months were tough, but the church I attended helped with food and some cash. My cousin would also sneak out to sell chargers and earpieces in the evenings so that we could make some money to eat.
When things reopened, I moved to another store in Computer Village that mostly dealt with phone swaps. My salary went up to ₦25k, plus ₦500 commission for every phone swap I facilitated. I worked in Computer Village from 2020 to 2022.
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What did you do next?
I got my first proper 9-to-5 job as a sales representative at an engineering company. At the same time, I enrolled into the Open University to get a degree. My boss was kind; he hired me as a trainee at ₦65k/month even though I had no B2B experience. He said he’d once been a part-time student too, so he wanted to support me.
Over the next two years, my salary went from ₦65k to ₦85k, then ₦100k, and eventually ₦150k. In July 2025, I moved to an IT company as a sales rep. Now, I earn ₦300k/month.
₦300k is not a bad jump from ₦150k. Does life feel easier?
Actually, I feel like I’m struggling more now than when I was earning ₦65k. It’s the “more money, more responsibilities” trap. Between rent, feeding, transport, and family, the money just vanishes.
Let’s try to break it down for a typical month
I stay with my cousins in a two-bedroom apartment that costs ₦1m, and my share is ₦250k. We contribute weekly for food because we’re all too busy to cook daily.
How would you describe your relationship with money?
Funny enough, I spend like my father is Otedola. I’m not exactly a reckless spender, but when I have money, I do things with it. When I don’t, I rest. I don’t believe in “pinching” money. As long as there’s a need, I close my eyes and spend. If I perish, I perish.
However, I took my savings very seriously this year. I don’t want to be a “big girl” with zero naira in my account. That’s why I started the ₦100k/month ajo to get ₦1m at the end of the year. I was the first person to collect the ₦1m, but I locked it in a savings app for a year as I don’t have specific plans for it yet. I’ll probably use it to buy gold eventually.
I’m also considering other side hustles to make money because my salary isn’t enough. I’m practically struggling daily.
What side hustles do you have in mind?
I used to sell bed sheets. I started it in 2024 after a colleague told me he needed one. I’d make ₦2k to ₦5k per set, and that extra money was often a lifesaver. But I’ve been inconsistent this year because 9-to-5 is draining. Most days, I wake up and literally push myself to work; with no ginger to post bed sheets. So, the business hasn’t been stable for a while.
I’m considering leaving the business to return to my roots in Computer Village. The plan is to go there on weekends to meet vendors and create content. Then I’d post the phones, add a little something to the price as my commission for every successful sale.
I can actually start right now. I know who people post phones on their status; I can just repost. But I need to go to the market in person to find good dealers and build trust so they can give me good prices. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to go there. It’s just an idea in my mind right now.
While you’re waiting for this business idea to materialise, do you think there are other changes you can make to potentially reach a better place financially?
The only change is to earn more. I don’t think my spending habits are bad. What am I even buying? The expense on shoes and clothes is because I’m a sales rep; I need to look good. Even the shoes, I have an arrangement with my vendor to buy on credit and pay at the end of the month.
Beyond that, I hardly buy anything for myself. I can’t say I’m cutting funds somewhere. There’s nothing to cut off, and I wish there were.
That’s fair. Is there an ideal amount of money you think you should be earning?
If I say ₦500k/month, my problems will jump to ₦450k once I hit that figure. The truth is, money is never enough, and that’s just human nature. Things would definitely be easier if I had some help, though. Maybe if someone was paying for my transport or feeding costs. That would be a load off my back.
What’s one thing you want right now but can’t afford?
A few things. I need to change my phone before it dies. I need ₦100k for an international passport — I want to be ready in case an opportunity pops up in Addis Ababa or something. I also want to learn to drive because my career path might lead to a company car.
Finally, I want to learn a physical skill like lash tech or hair installation. That’s another ₦250k. If I could see ₦500k right now, I could settle half of my goals for the year.
What was the last thing you spent money on that made you happy?
To be honest? I can’t remember. Buying things doesn’t really make me happy right now. I’m just tired of struggling financially. I’m exhausted. The only thing that will make me truly happy is the day I don’t have to worry about where the next naira is coming from.
How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?
5. It’s just not enough. I’ve had to cut costs everywhere. I even barbed my hair and started doing “jerry curls” because one ₦20k jar of gel lasts me three months.
If you told the 2020 version of me that I’d be earning ₦300k in 2026, I would have thought it was impossible. Considering where I’m coming from, ₦300k felt like a lot. Like, there was no way I could earn that much and not be a baddie. But with this economy, ₦300k is basically chicken change.
I’m grateful, but I’m still struggling, and I’m not sure when things will change.
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