Nigerians on Their Non-Negotiables for a Fun Night Out

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A fun night out can mean different things to different people. For some Nigerians, it’s all about finding a spot with good music, affordable drinks and enough room to dance. For others, the night is only as good as the company.

With Detty December around the corner, when Nigerians at home and abroad start making plans to link up, knowing what makes a night out worth it is more important than ever. Whether you’re exploring Lagos nightlife or flying into Nigeria for the holidays, having easy access to money can make spontaneous plans a lot less stressful.

That’s where the Blink Travel Card, a prepaid card designed by Nigerian fintech 03 Capital to make local payments easier for visitors to Nigeria, comes in.

We asked five Nigerians about the things they absolutely need for a fun night out, from the right playlist to the little details that can make or break the entire experience. Here’s what they said.

“If the music is bad, I’m going home” — Sandra*, 24, F

I can forgive a lot of things on a night out, but bad music is not one of them. If I’m going somewhere to have fun, I need to be able to dance and hear songs that move me. I don’t want to spend three hours listening to somebody play dead music. I’d rather go back home

I also need my friends to be outside with me. I’m not going out to sit at a table and watch everybody scroll through their phones. If we’ve dressed up and spent money to be there, we should be having a good time. And please, the music has to be loud enough to set the mood but not so loud that I have to scream into my friend’s ear to have a conversation.

“I need to know I can afford the night before I leave my house” — Abiodun*, 26, M

My non-negotiable is having a realistic budget. I don’t want to get to a place and discover that a bottle costs half my salary or that there’s a minimum spend I didn’t know about. I like enjoying myself, but I’m not trying to recover financially from one night out.

I also like when the payment process is straightforward. I don’t want to be at the counter transferring money, then waiting hours for a payment confirmation because the network is bad. If I’m going out, I want to spend my time enjoying myself, not worrying about getting debited twice or my card embarrassing me. And if the night is going well and we decide to go somewhere else, I want to be able to make that decision without stressing about the cost.

“I need to be with people who actually want to have fun” — Bolu*, 22, F

I don’t enjoy going out with people who complain about everything. I want to go out with people who are genuinely excited to be there. We need to be on the same page.

I don’t want to be out with people who won’t dance, play games or really engage with wherever we’ve planned to go. I hate hearing that the music is too loud ot the place is too crowded, and somehow they’ll still refuse to go home.

“I need somewhere I can sit down and eat” — Stephen*, 25, M

I know people go out to drink and dance, but I need food. I cannot spend hours outside on an empty stomach and pretend I’m enjoying myself. There has to be somewhere to get a proper meal or at least decent snacks.

My other non-negotiable is comfort. I don’t mind a crowded place if the atmosphere is right, but I don’t want to be standing all night because there’s nowhere to sit. People underestimate how much these little things affect the experience. You can have the best DJ in the world, but if I’m uncomfortable and hungry, I’m ready to leave.

“I must know how I’m getting home before I go out” — Caro*, 29, F

I need to have my transportation sorted out before I leave the house. I don’t want to be stranded at 3 a.m. because everybody has suddenly disappeared or the price of a ride has tripled. If I’m going out with friends, we need to know whether we’re leaving together or making our own arrangements.

Safety is a big deal for me, too. I need to feel comfortable in the environment and be able to trust the people I’m with. I’m not going to ignore a bad feeling just because I’ve paid for an outfit or a reservation. A night out is supposed to be fun, and I want to get home with good memories, not a story about how my mood got ruined at the end of the night because I didn’t sort out my movement.