The reason you’re not getting the jobs you should be getting is that your CV is too similar to other people’s. Wake up and collect your money!
If you can do any of the things in this list, add them to your CV and see if your dream company won’t hire you before this week runs out.
Making pap
I believe nobody actually knows how to make pap and we’re all just winging it and deceiving ourselves. Because tell me why everyone I’ve ever met has the same struggles with making something so supposedly simple. Now, if there’s someone in this life that actually knows how to make custard, shouldn’t they add it to their CV?
Dating an Igbo woman
If you successfully date an Igbo woman for more than 24 minutes, please, you deserve salutation and respect. Ehn? No wonder you can’t spell “wicked(Igbo women)ness” without “Igbo women”. “Ability to face tough situations” is a valid skill that should be on your CV.
Living in Lagos
Let me tell you a little secret: There were plenty competitors for the role at Zikoko when I applied. The skill I had that set me apart was the “ability to work in a tough environment” which I added to my CV, and when they asked me what it meant on the interview, I said, “I live in Lagos”. Their eyes lit up and they offered me the job on the spot with a salary of ₦2.4 million monthly. Be like me.
Apart from Vin Diesel and his family, there’s nobody else that can do this thing. The rest of us are just lying to ourselves. So if you add this one to your CV, the recruiter will know you’re lying. Don’t do it.
Lying without getting caught
Is that not the job of a writer? Or a politician? So you can lie very well and you’re still looking for jobs? You’re not ready, my friend.
Eating pawpaw
If you can eat pawpaw without stronging your face, you’re tenacious and can confront anything that comes your way. Put it on your CV today.
Cooking beans with a kerosene stove
Startups would absolutely love you. This means you can stick through bad times and persevere until the company receive one $23.4 million of seed funding. If you’re patient enough to cook beans with a kerosene stove, apply for work at a tech startup today.
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.
Need to send or receive money fast? Let’s help you send and receive money internationally on the go.Use Afriex
After graduating university with a third class in 2006, the 38-year-old subject of this week’s #NairaLife moved to the US and got a $50k/year job almost immediately. How did he manage to grow his career to the point where he wants to retire in three years?
What’s the earliest memory you have that’s connected to money?
It’s going to visit my uncle in Kaduna, in 2001, and getting ₦5k from him when we were leaving. I was 17 and that’s the most money I’d ever received up to that point. My parents were civil servants who didn’t believe in the idea of giving pocket money. They took care of us and bought the things we needed. So ₦5k was mindblowing for me — plus, it was a lot then.
He gave my siblings too. We pooled money together and got a puppy. From the rest of my money, I bought shoes because I thought I was going to uni that year.
Thought?
First, I didn’t make my WAEC papers, but I eventually did NECO and passed. Then I failed JAMB twice. It was in 2003 I decided to get into university through diploma instead. The next year, I crossed over from diploma to 200 level.
What did you study?
Computer science. I liked playing games and thought studying computer science would teach me how to make my own games. In university, I found out that was a lie.
How?
The Nigerian university system is terrible, man. I started failing right from 200 level. Not failing as per getting C’s o. Carryovers.
Lecturers just came to class to give us archaic notes and expected us to write those notes word for word in exams. At first, I didn’t realise what I was doing wrong. I’d take their notes, go to the library, and spend hours reading books to supplement the knowledge I got from the notes so that I could answer exam questions practically. Still, I failed.
It wasn’t until 300 level I found out I was wasting my time.
What happened?
A little backstory — I was also doing some business on the side. In that same 200 level, I went to the library, and online, I learnt how to build simple websites. I knew a guy who was good at graphic design and was making money from it. I wanted to have my own skill and make my own money, so I chose web development and learnt how to build simple sites. I also did a Microsoft Certified System Engineer certification and a CISCO IT course. Throughout university, I built only about five websites for family members and friends. They all paid between ₦5k and ₦10k each.
One of the people who reached out to me for a website was my class rep. Because I knew he had a good relationship with lecturers, I decided to stick with him. Maybe I’d get some favours. But the way he ass-kissed lecturers was too much. I couldn’t do it. One day, he saw me reading foreign books at the library and just started laughing at me. According to him, I was “studying the American way”.
By 400 level, I realised it was too late to make my courses without an extra year, so I inflated my school fees and used the money to pay lecturers. It was ₦5k for them to bump you up by like 20 marks. I paid ₦10k for one compulsory three-unit course. By the time I graduated in late 2006, I only managed to finish with a third class.
Whoa
After that, I knew I wasn’t going to be in Nigeria for long. The plan was to go to the US for my master’s but first, I went to visit my cousin on a regular tourist visa in 2007. I went to universities in the area to find out if I could get an admission with my third class, but nothing looked to be working, so I just applied for a job instead.
What kind of job?
Microsoft Windows engineer. The two certifications I did in uni are recognised worldwide. I got a job, but the window for applying for my H-1B visa closed before I could resume, so I went back to Nigeria, did NYSC and returned the next year for the same job. Again, the window closed by March, but I just decided to stay in the US till it opened again in October. In that six-month period, I did odd jobs like cleaning and working at restaurants to survive.
When I eventually got the job, it paid $50k a year.
Funds. Considering your level of experience, that’s huge right?
As someone who finished with a third class in university, it sounds impressive. But as someone who worked in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the US and lived two hours away in another city, it was small. I was spending four hours a day in transit, and after tax, I was left with almost nothing to save. That’s why they could still hire me after a year — I was cheap labour. After six months, I left the job.
Why?
My parents were on my case, trying to get me to do my master’s. I moved to another city, took a few remedial courses to cover for the ones I failed in university and started my master’s in Information Systems, funded by my parents, my uncle and me.
So my H-1B paused, and I got a student visa for the duration of my master’s and then Optional Practical Training (OPT) which lasts 28 months after you graduate. The plan was to work with the 28-month OPT and pick up the H-1B when that expired.
After my master’s in 2011, I had two other options I didn’t mind. It was either a job gave me the Green Card or I married someone who did. I got an IT job with an NGO because they help people process applications for Green Cards. It paid $55k a year.
But the NGO folded up after about a year and I had to find another job.
How was that?
It’s difficult to find a job in the US when you want to apply for a Green Card because the company has to pay for the process. So I was getting interviews but when they asked, “Would we have to apply for an H-1B and Green Card for you?” and my answer was yes, they would just say, “Sorry, we’re currently not applying for H-1Bs and Green Cards for employees”.
When I eventually found one, there was a twist. I had to pay for it out of my salary. It’s illegal, but it’s what we did because I was desperate.
How much did the job pay?
$70k a year. The entire process for Green Card filing cost about $10k. I was there for two years and in that time, it increased to $76k.
Only $6k in two years?
Yeah. First of all, because you’re applying for a Green Card with the company, you have to be there until you get it. Companies know this, so they play it to their advantage and don’t pay so much.
But the more obvious reason I didn’t get a big raise is that my skillset as a Windows engineer wasn’t high-value. People with that skillset usually max out at $80k a year.
Living on $76k a year was difficult. First of all, after tax, it was $30-something-k a year. That’s less than $3k a month. Then after I paid rent, car insurance, health insurance, and phone bills, I was only able to save between $300 and $500 a month. Thankfully, my family wasn’t so demanding, so I rarely had to send money to them.
Omo
Once I got my Green Card in late 2015, I quit and took two months off work because I’d been applying for jobs and knew if I was going to increase my earnings, I had to improve my skills.
I took on courses to become a Linux engineer because that’s what seemed to be in demand. As I continued to apply for jobs, I realised saying I had two months of Linux experience wasn’t enough to get them. People were even asking if I knew Python. So I did what people in America do — I lied on my CV. I backdated a lot of my skills to make it look like I was more proficient. In my past jobs, I put that I did things I didn’t do. Once I did that, more people started reaching out to me.
I remember one interview that ended up being a disaster because they tested me and I failed so terribly. Imagine four people joining an online interview and three of them leaving because you were so bad, you were wasting their time.
That’s wild
Shortly after that, I did an interview with a big company and got the job as a DevOps engineer. The pay started from $92k per year. After my probationary three months, they increased it to $100k. Till today, I can’t tell you why they hired me. Everyone was better than me.
They were probably just trying to diversify their mostly-white team..
You were there how long?
I quit after a year.
Ah, why?
I struggled so bad. It was obvious I was working way above my skill level and I saw a layoff coming. I just quit before they fired me and destroyed my confidence. Also, my commute to work was two hours every day and it affected my performance.
What did you do after that?
I stayed home and worked on a few personal projects so I could achieve something and build my confidence back. I also didn’t stop applying for jobs. In one month, I got another DevOpsjob.
This job required me to know Python, but they were willing to let me learn on the job. When they asked how much I wanted, I told them my range was $110k to $130k. They paid me $130k.
Did this one go well?
Not at the beginning. On my first week, I had to go to a client’s office to solve some problems that needed me to write Python. I didn’t know jack, so someone else had to help me. But that only happened the one time.
I took a two-week crash course on Python. I got a bit better, but work was still overwhelming for me. My boss saw that if I kept getting overwhelmed, I would quit so he took me off some tasks and organised a Python boot camp for me. That’s how I became really good at the job. I was there from December 2017 to October 2019.
How did the move from $76k to $100k to $130k affect the quality of your life?
At $100k, things got much better. I was able to move to a bigger apartment on a better side of town. At $130k, I got married in 2019, and, I moved into a three-level townhome with my wife.
Why did you leave in October 2019?
I got a new job and resumed in November. $120k. It was less money, but it was less stressful. At my old job, I had to travel out of the country to attend to clients and it was too much for me.
January 2020, I got another DevOps job. This one was remote and paid me $130k. For the first few months of 2020, I had to manage both jobs. If I had a meeting for my remote job, I’d go and have it in the bathroom or hallway of my in-person job. But COVID struck and I was able to conveniently do both at home.
Then I had a bright idea. What if I took a third job?
Did you?
Yep. This one paid $160k a year. I had a fourth job offer, but I didn’t want to push it so I rejected it. Along the line, I got another contract-type job that paid $100 an hour for some time. In total, I made about $550k in 2020.
That couldn’t have been easy
Oh, it was crazy. On some days, I had three meetings at the same time and I’d have to listen in on all three — one on one earphone, the other on another earphone and the third on speaker; all from three different computers. Once, they asked a question in one meeting and I replied in another. I had to play it off as a mistake.
I gained a lot of weight, I barely slept, my back was killing me — it was terrible.
But still, it was good money
Oh, for sure. Between 2020 and 2021, I bought a new car for $40k and paid 90% in cash and the rest in credit to boost my credit score. I bought a $50k car for my wife the same way and cleared her $65k student loans. I also cleared the credit card debt I’d accumulated over the years. $45k.
What does your wife do?
She works in finance. During that period, she also took an extra job. Between 2020 and 2021, we earned a combined yearly income of about $800k.
Does your family know how much money you make now?
That would be a huge mistake. The black tax would be too much. They know I work in tech and make good money, but they don’t know it’s that much.
Do you still have all three jobs?
No, I have two remote jobs now. I dropped the third because having three jobs became overwhelming. It’s tasking taking on multiple jobs, but a lot of people are doing it now that the world is working remotely.
My two jobs currently pay $170k and $180k. That’s a total of $350k. Sometimes, I get extra jobs too. So on an average month, I make about $20k after tax.
I’m curious about how you approach savings and investments
In Nigeria right now, I have three farms, a house I use for Airbnb, a cosmetics store I own with my wife, and I’m working on a tech startup. I travel to Nigeria from time to time to oversee the businesses. I have property in another African country and in the US too. In savings, I have $100k, crypto is like $10k and stocks are like $40k.
I’m 38 now, and I want to retire when I’m 41 or 42. The farms would be a steady source of from Nigeria. In the US, my friend and I are working on starting a company that gets government IT contracts. That’ll be income too. i; d get to give good opportunites to other Nigerians with my startup, but I’m sure it’ll bring money too.
What do you want to do when you retire?
I want to travel and spend time with my family. I’ll also try to mentor young people.
Let’s break down your current monthly expenses
Is there anything you’ve recently bought that changed the quality of your life?
Maybe not the quality of my life, but people’s reaction to the car I bought in 2020 changed how I saw myself. I get so many compliments whenever I’m out, and it boosts my confidence. Also, I got $1k watches for myself and my wife recently. I know they’re not expensive-expensive, but wearing mine just makes me feel good. Then there’s the fact that whenever I travel with my wife, we fly business class. It’s great.
How happy are you? The scale is 1-10
Now, I’m on a 9. I need more money to get some projects off and running, but apart from that, I’m happy and content.
Need to send or receive money fast? Let’s help you send and receive money internationally on the go.Use Afriex
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
This week’s subject on Abroad Life is a doctor who’s lived in Jamaica for five years and wants everyone to know that the idea the world has of Jamaica and weed is slightly exaggerated. Also, Jamaicans absolutely love old Nollywood.
First, why are you in Jamaica?
I came here to complete my medicine degree after three years in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Saint what and what?
LMAO. It’s a country here in the Caribbean. When I was doing my A-Levels in 2013, my mum met a doctor who’d just come back from studying in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and she liked the way he “carried himself”, so she decided I was going to study there too. I hadn’t even heard of the country before that.
So basically, the Caribbean is where everyone goes to study medicine
Wait, they study other things here na. Like veterinary medicine.
Oh wow. Very different
Oya, nursing too.
LMAO. What was it like getting a visa?
My mum got the forms online, I filled them and sent them, and they reached out to interview me. After that, I got the admission. The visa process took a while though. I was supposed to get my visa in September 2013, but I got it in November, so I had to travel in January 2014.
At the time, I didn’t want to leave Nigeria. I was 17 and, for some reason, passionate about living in Nigeria and making things work.
Expectations vs reality: Saint Kitts and Nevis edition
I didn’t know anything about the country so I had no expectations. My mum introduced me to the doctor she met, and all he could tell me was it was “fun”.
I just used my idea of what abroad is in movies —people jogging and greeting their neighbours every morning — to set expectations. It was late when students from Nigeria landed so the person that picked us from the airport took us to out hostel. The next morning, we woke up to flooded gutters because it rained overnight, and I remember my Nigerian roommate saying something like, “Omo, they’ve brought us to Nigeria 2.0 o.”
It’s a small island. You can drive around it in three hours. They have light and water 24/7, the roads are good and it’s generally safe.
Tell me a bit about the people
They don’t really like black Africans. Their version of the history of the slave trade is that 100% of black people were sold into slavery by other black people. It doesn’t account for the people that were forcefully taken by Europeans. So there’s always a vibe like, “You guys are the ones that sold our ancestors into slavery”. Many of them aren’t afraid to say it to your face that they don’t like you because you’re African. I remember a woman in church telling me she didn’t like me when she found out I was from Nigeria and ending her sentence with, “But as Christians, we learn to forgive as Christ taught us and forgave us.”
But in the midst of all of this, their men absolutely love Nigerian women and their women also love Nigerian men. As a woman in Saint Kitts and Nevis, you probably wouldn’t stay on the road for 10 minutes before a man honks and offers to pick you up.
But you say no, right?
At first I did because I was skeptical, but I got to learn that it’s just a custom. Men don’t like seeing women walking, especially under the sun. So I got a lot of free rides.
Wow. What was school like though?
Pretty good for the first year. We weren’t so many so everyone looked out for one another. It was from second year things started getting difficult. That’s when it became clear we were studying medicine. I even remember failing an exam because someone had stolen my phone and laptop days before the paper. God.
Was the plan to study there and come back to Nigeria?
Oh no. The plan was to study here and move to the US for my clinical rotations after my third year.
How did Jamaica happen?
So —
Wait… what were you eating in Saint Kitts and Nevis?
Nigerian food. I brought in bulk whenever I travelled back home, and other people did too, so we shared. Also, there was one African store where we could get stuff. I also try to make intercontinental dishes from time to time, but to be honest, I don’t even like food like that. I barely eat.
Interesting. Back to Jamaica
So by 2017, we had to pick between the US and Jamaica for clinical rotations. At that time, I was beginning to have doubts about the US. It just seemed overhyped. Everyone was extra desperate to go there. And from the news, it wasn’t like things were perfect in America. It just seemed overrated. So I didn’t write the exams. And because I didn’t write the exams, I had to come to Jamaica.
But honestly, I was also scared of Jamaica because I heard it had the second highest crime rates in the Carribbeans after Trinidad and Tobago.
Expectation vs reality?
In my first week in Jamaica, a plumber came to fix something in the house and somehow my phone went missing. I don’t know if it’s a testament to the crime rates or just bad luck but I hated it.
But generally, crime here is targeted. There are gangs, people have beefs, it’s just things like that. If a bullet hits you, it was probably for you. So if you keep yourself out of trouble, you’ll probably be safe.
On the good side, I found out before I travelled that rent in Jamaica was literally half the price of rent in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Since we started this interview, I’ve been itching to ask about marijuana
LMAO. I’m surprised you went this long without asking.
First of all, Jamaicans are allowed to carry a small amount of weed with them legally. They’re also allowed to grow weed in their house. But they want me to tell you that it’s not every Jamaican that smokes weed. They don’t like the assumption that once you get to Jamaica, you’d just see everyone smoking.
I mean, sure, if you walk for 30 minutes, you’ll see a good number of people smoking. But the image the world has about Jamaica and weed is exaggerated.
Good to know
Another thing a lot of people assume is that most Jamaicans have locs. It’s false. Locs are a common hairstyle just the way braids are a common hairstyle in Nigeria. But the Rastararians all have locs and smoke weed every day. People see Rastafarians and just think that’s the entire Jamaican identity.
Something being in Jamaica has taught me is tolerance. Before I got here, I used to secretly judge people who smoked weed, had tattoos and men with locs and braided hairs. Now I realise that the fact that I wouldn’t do these things doesn’t mean the people who do them are bad. I think a lot of Nigerians who leave Nigeria have to go through some form of mental readjustment.
So tell me something fun about Jamaicans
They absolutely love Nigerians. They watch a lot of our older movies with Patience Ozokwor as a wicked mother-in-law, Genevieve and Omotola. So if they run into you, they’ll take their time to excitedly tell you about the movie they saw. Davido and Burna Boy are also super big here.
Sounds like you enjoy staying there
Yeah, it’s pretty good. I earn well and I feel safe. Rent and taxes are low so I can save a lot. But I don’t see myself staying here for too long.
Why?
I think I’ll have better opportunities for learning and earning in a first-world country like the UK. I’m already studying for my PLAB exams, so I hope that works out.
Also, I’ll be eligible for Jamaican citizenship this year because I’ve been here for five years. The Jamaican passport can visit about 80 countries visa-free or visa on arrival, so I’m definitely applying to get one.
Hope it works out!
Hey there! My name is David and I’m the writer of Abroad Life. If you’re a Nigerian and you live or have lived abroad, I would love to talk to you about what that experience feels like and feature you on Abroad Life. All you need to do is fill out this short form, and I’ll be in contact.
If you’ve ever (or never) wondered what Sola Sobowale does when she’s not being Eniola Salami, or what Ramsey Nouah is up to when he’s not doing lover boy, then we wrote this article for you.
Sola Sobowale would own a buka
I can vividly imagine Sola Sobowale running a buka that’s successful because everyone talks about it and not necessarily because the food is great. She and her staff of young women and that one male manager who collects money will be rude to customers. They just have to be. It’s part of the business. And their food portions? Even Buhari knows the economy isn’t THAT bad.
Zack Orji’s spare parts business would bloom
See, I’m not even being tribalistic — everyone I’ve ever bought spare parts from reminds me of Zack Orji. And it’s not about being Igbo, no. It’s just the confidence, the ability to look me in the eyes and convince me this new O2 sensor will serve me for the next seven years. If Zack Orji points to my face and tells me to bring out all my money to buy something he’s selling, I’m doing it. No questions.
Osita Iheme would give Nigerian rappers a run for their money
https://youtu.be/TrydIy_dJuI?t=37
Have you heard this man’s flow? Are you joking? He’s not even just a rapper, he can dance too! When Blaqbonez wakes up today, he should just thank God Osita Iheme chose to be Pawpaw and not O Da Wickedest.
RMD would make your sugar daddy look like a joke
If you think being a sugar daddy isn’t a job on its own, you’re truly mistaken. These things require skill and dedication, and there’s no better man for the job than this legend. In fact, if you imagine him being your babe’s sugar daddy and you feel terrible about it, then you have a problem.
Patience Ozokwor would be your disappointing tailor
Somewhere in an alternate universe, a bride is in tears because it’s her wedding day and Patience’s Plush Luxury has used her wedding gown material to sew something else for another person. Another person is calling her out on Instagram for doing “what I ordered vs what I got”. But Patience doesn’t send anybody’s daddy. Her motto is: “You can insult my work, but don’t insult me. In fact you can’t even insult me.”
Funke Akindele would find a job with NURTW
We don’t know the job role or title o, but Funke would thrive in NURTW. Whether it’s as a chairman, collecting money she didn’t work for, or as a foot soldier stopping busses to collect levies, she’d kill it.
Genevieve would do makeup tutorials on YouTube
Close your eyes. Now imagine Genevieve in front of your screen saying, “Hey guysssss! Welcome back to my YouTube channelllllll!” The way it fits perfectly, I can almost swear I’ve seen her do that before.
Ramsey Nouah’s upscale nkwobi joint would slap
You know those joints where rich people come to network and discuss how to steal some more money? Ramsey Nouah would own one of them. Because he’s rich himself, he’ll create the spot as a haven for people like him to meet. At the end of the night, he’ll say the food and drinks are on the house, not out of generosity, but because he just secured yet another multimillion-dollar project from one of the customers.
Nigerian men arguments — If you hang out with Nigerian men for 30 minutes and they don’t argue about football, women or music, check again. You’re probably in Ghana.
In case you don’t know, these Nigerian men arguments are the reasons you have loud male neighbours.
Boobs vs ass
Nigerian men are always ready for the age-old debate about which is “better” between a woman’s breasts and her buttocks. People who have never even been in a school debate instantly become philosophers. If you want to stir up a hornet’s nest, just find a way to whisper, “Boobs are better than ass,” in their midst and watch the chaos unfold.
As a Nigerian man, this is me in these situations:
Messi vs Ronaldo
Sorry to break it to you, but until recently, you’d find me in these arguments. Make no mistakes, I think Messi is the GOAT. But Ronaldo is also an absolutely unbelievable baller, so I’m just happy to be alive and watch both of them play. They’re retiring soon, you know? But Nigerian men don’t know that one o. They can argue — and even fight — for their GOATS.
FIFA vs PES
Let me not lie, if I see someone playing Pro Evolution Soccer in 2022, the year of our Lord, I will physically fight them. And people who play this “game” love it so blindly, they’ll argue until they lose their voices. That’s when you know that everyone is a tech bro because all the engineering and gaming tech jargon that you’ll hear ehn? You’ll start wondering why they didn’t create their own game.
This one is not limited to Nigerian men alone, but if you hear Nigerian men in a Wizkid vs Davido argument, you’ll wonder if there’s a cash prize for the winner. Why?
Your wife vs your mother
If you buy a new car and it’s time to go to church, who sits in front: Your wife or your mother?
Group A: MY MOTHER! SHE TOOK CARE OF ME SINCE I WAS BORN. I JUST MET MY WIFE A FEW YEARS AGO!
Group B: WHAT DO YOU MEAN? YOUR WIFE IS LITERALLY YOUR WIFE!
Honourable mentions: iPhones vs Androids vs Samsungs
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.
Need to send or receive money fast? Let’s help you send and receive money internationally on the go.Use Afriex
The content writer on this week’s NairaLife made ₦65k monthly at her first job in 2020. Two jobs later, she’s on $2,500. How? She has a solid network and knows how to use it.
What’s your earliest memory of money?
Nothing stands out as a memory until my dad started battling prostate cancer. Before that, we were comfortable. Not rich, just comfortable. If I told my dad I wanted an iPad, I’d have to wait months before I got it, but I’d still get it.
I just know we were okay until I turned 13 in 2014.
That’s when cancer showed up?
Yes. My dad was diagnosed, and we had to spend money to take care of him. Some of his tests cost around ₦500k, and my mum had to cover it all. The first time I saw him at the hospital, I cried.
It got to a point where we couldn’t even afford to hospitalise him so we brought him home. My older brother would bathe him then change his clothes and the pipe he used to ease himself.
The first time his illness would’ve affected my life was in my first semester in uni. I met my mum about pausing my education so my siblings could finish theirs.
Ah, so you’re the first born
No, I’m the fourth born and I have a younger brother.
So why…
My older siblings were either in their final or penultimate years, so it made sense for them to finish before I started.
My mum didn’t agree sha. Whatever she and my older siblings did for us to survive during that period, I don’t know till today, but I appreciate it.
Even after he died in 2019, we still had to spend money to transport ourselves and his body down to our hometown for the funeral. Crazy times.
I’m so sorry for your loss
Thank you. My mum struggled to pay my school fees and buy books. Thankfully, my dad’s friend helped us through the first few years after he died. Whenever school resumed, he’d send me ₦100k, then I got ₦50k on a monthly basis during the semester. He even got me my first laptop.
Later that year, I met a friend who wouldn’t stop trying to get me into tech. He’s a programmer, so at first, he tried to make me learn coding, but I just wasn’t getting it no matter how hard I tried.
Did you stop trying?
Yes o. Sometime in 2019, I attended an event he was speaking at, and a tech founder I’d always admired from afar was there. I introduced myself to him afterwards. Over time, we built a mentor-mentee relationship. He saved me from the illusion that being in tech means you have to know how to code.
How?
He explained to me that there are a lot of jobs in tech that don’t involve writing code. An example was content writing, and that’s what I decided to do.
Were you already a writer?
Not professionally, no. But I knew I could be because I used to write random essays in secondary school. To add to that, my mentor showed me a few online courses on content writing to sharpen my technical skills.
In early 2020, I saw a link on my friend’s WhatsApp status. It was a job vacancy for a content writer at some US-Nigerian startup. At first, I didn’t want to apply, but that friend put pressure on me. I got the job.
Let me guess, plenty dollars?
Haha, nope. ₦65k.
But it was good money for a broke student. I was elated.
Let me give you some context. In my university, the government owes lecturers money so some of them make us buy textbooks and “course materials” as part of our coursework. Even if you pass your tests and exams, if you don’t buy their textbooks or materials, they’ll fail you. So the extra money was useful to pay for those things and just basically survive.
After almost a year, the company crashed, or in their own words, “couldn’t afford to pay us anymore”, so they let us all go. Just like that, I was in the streets again.
For how long?
Almost a year. Thankfully, things were beginning to stabilise for my mum, so she could comfortably provide for my little brother and me.
In August 2021, I applied for a tech company’s ambassador programme hiring people to intern for a month. I got in and worked there for that month. It was a content writer role. The pay was ₦50k.
After that, I was on the streets of unemployment once again, but not for long.
New job?
Yep. I’d made acquaintances with founders through my network of friends in the tech space, so I reached out to one of them asking for a job. I still had to go through the interview process with HR, but I got a three-month contract as a content writer. The pay? ₦200k per month.
Baller
LMAO. For the first time, I could pay for books, save and still go out with my friends. I was definitely a baller. Apart from the money though, it turned out to be a valuable experience because it was at that company I first wrote about crypto, which would turn out to be important for my next job.
How did you get it?
Remember my mentor friend? Well, I’d made friends with his friend who organised an event I was at and knew that I was good at content writing. When I told him I was back on the streets in January 2022, he kept sending me job links. At first, none of them worked out, but one day, I got an email from the co-founder of my current company saying they saw my profile and would like to see if I was a good fit for their company.
After the interviews came weeks of silence. I even started applying for other jobs. Eventually, they reached out and asked how much I wanted to be paid.
How much did you say?
₦850k. Their response was that I should come back with a “round figure”.
I was so confused. I went to meet the person who referred me to explain what that meant. And all he said was that I should aim higher. Before I could even do that, they sent me an offer. Do you know how much it was?
How much?
$2,500. For a content writer role. And they were like, “Would that be cool?”
How much is that in naira?
It depends on the monthly rates, but the lowest it’s ever been is ₦1.5m. When I sent my mum the offer letter, she called and started singing and dancing.
You’re killing me. Congrats!
Thanks! I’ve been here for three months, and see, having that much money is overwhelming. I can buy whatever. I’ve bought a Mac and an iPhone 13 Pro.
What are your finances currently like?
I’m learning to save and invest a lot. So I currently have a total of ₦2m in naira savings, and ₦4m in crypto. I earn in USDT, which is crypto, so I just save there. Even though I can afford it from my salary, I’m also currently saving towards renting my own apartment. It’ll cost ₦2m and I’ve saved ₦1.2m so far.
So what do you spend your money on monthly?
I just leave the rest in crypto where I get paid.
Why do you spend so much on transportation?
Cabs. I work from workstations or cafes every day because if I work from home, I’d just sleep or gist with my brother all day. I live far from everywhere else and there’s almost always traffic, so cabs are bloody expensive.
Is there something you want right now but can’t afford?
I’m currently saving up for a trip to South Korea and a BTS concert. I’m the biggest K-pop and BTS fan you’ll ever meet. BTS released an album this month, and I spent about ₦70k on a preorder of the standard and compact set. I also bought for five of my friends. Yes, I’m that big a fan.
How would you rate your happiness? The scale is 1-10
Please give me a 10. I can literally afford anything I want.
Need to send or receive money fast? Let’s help you send and receive money internationally on the go.Use Afriex
25-year-old Douglas Kendyson has been running Selar since 2016 as founder/CEO. Selar is a store builder that helps you monetise your knowledge via digital products. By the end of 2021, Selar paid > ₦1BN to African creators, and keeps working to grow Africa’s creator economy.
This Friday, Douglas will be speaking alongside other cool people on TechCabal Live about how African creators can earn more.
The Nigerian experience is physical, emotional, and sometimes international. No one knows it better than our features on #TheAbroadLife, a series where we detail and explore Nigerian experiences while living abroad.
This week’s subject on Abroad Life was on the fence about japa-ing until he got a job offer in Munich, Germany. He talks about settling in a quiet city as a black man, the crazy tax system, and why being abroad is great for his Nigerian dreams.
When did you decide to move abroad?
I’d been trying to decide whether to move abroad or not for a couple of years. I work as a product designer so I see many people in tech get jobs abroad and move. Every time that happens, I’m like, “Wait, am I missing something? Am I going to be the only one here in three years and realise I’ve made a mistake?”
On the other hand, I’ve always wanted to build projects that help Nigerians. For example, before I left, I started one that helped young people develop skills in tech. So how could I be thinking of japa if I wanted to do stuff like that?
Why did you eventually leave?
I have a friend who works for a company in Munich. He referred me and I got a job. When applying for jobs in foreign organisations, you would usually have to go through five or six rounds of interviews, but because my friend is a team lead, I only had to do two very brief rounds. I wasn’t even prepared for the interviews. After the first round, I didn’t expect them to call me for another, but they did and offered me a job. So it wasn’t like I was actively trying to leave. The opportunity just presented itself and I took it.
But again, at that point, Nigeria was scary to me. I had a friend who was stabbed in the neck in 2019, and it just felt like the insecurity was getting worse. When you add that to the poor working conditions, leaving wasn’t such a bad idea. And the more I thought about it, the more I realised the advantages of leaving.
Like what?
First of all, career advantages. The biggest companies I’ve worked with in Lagos only serviced people in urban cities like Lagos and Abuja. Here, I was getting the opportunity to work with a company that has impact in nine European countries. Also, my then girlfriend had just finished university, and we were thinking of marriage, so it made sense to settle in Germany. And most of my friends had left Nigeria for European countries. Moving was a good way to reconnect.
See, even if there were disadvantages of moving abroad, my family and friends didn’t even want to hear about them. Immediately I got the job, it was like everyone was saying, “Oya, pack your load and go”.
But were there prospective disadvantages?
Just the thought that if I was looking to build valuable projects for Nigerians, could I really do it from outside Nigeria? There was also the fear of a lack of community.
When did you leave?
October 2021.
Expectation vs reality: Munich edition.
I had a pretty clear expectation that was close to reality because I already knew a couple of people who live here and told me what to expect in terms of housing, taxes, work, weather and people. But you can’t be prepared enough for the loneliness and seclusion you face when you move abroad.
On the work side of things, my teammates were helpful in answering my questions from an immigrant’s perspective because many of them are immigrants too.
Was that your first time abroad?
Nah. I’ve been to the UK about eight or nine times. My dad lived in the UK for 15 years when I was growing up, so my brother and I went to visit him on most holidays.
How was your experience in the UK different from Germany?
The UK is different from many European countries because they speak English. It’s easy for a Nigerian to move around and interact in the UK because everyone speaks our official language. Also, everywhere you turn in the UK, you see Nigerians and Nigerian restaurants. Here, the language is different, you probably won’t run into many Nigerians, and you’ll be lucky to find Nigerian food.
And how did the fact that you’ve travelled a lot help you settle?
I guess it meant I was used to travel itineraries, flights, immigration, and generally just being outside Nigeria.
When did you get married?
April this year [2022]. Before I left last year though, I saw my girlfriend’s parents to ask for their daughter’s hand in marriage. I returned in April to do the traditional introduction and court wedding so we could start the visa process for family reunion. It typically takes nine months, so we’re waiting. In the meantime, I’ll travel to Nigeria to stay with her?
You can work remotely?
Yep.
So why did you have to go to Germany to resume?
German laws. First, because of tax purposes. Germany wants all employees of German companies to be paid within the German economy. They don’t want the tax going to other countries. So I had to be here at the beginning to set it up. Then, my passport is the EU blue card which mandates me to be in Germany for the most part of a year. So if I stay six months and one day in Germany, I can leave and spend the rest of the year elsewhere and my passport would still be valid.
But for work, I can stay anywhere, anytime. We’re only mandated to meet four times a year for hangouts and team bonding.
What’s it like living in Munich though?
Is it crazy if I say I miss the craziness of Lagos sometimes? I have Nigerian friends in Germany who moved to Berlin because it’s more bubbly than Munich. Munich is quiet. In fact, it’s almost too quiet. You can almost hear ringing in your ears from being in a place so quiet. And it’s because the people here are composed and mind their own business. I could wear my AirPods, put it on noise cancellation, commute for an hour, and not have missed anything because nothing out of the ordinary happens. There are German laws that you can’t take a bath or use your washing machine after 10 p.m. because you might disturb your neighbour. So imagine how lonely it’ll get if you move from Lagos to a place like that. It took me some time to get used to it.
I also look at how perfectly the systems like healthcare and transportation work and wonder how soon Nigeria can get there. See, there are trains from everywhere to everywhere that are never even one minute late. This place works like a machine. A German Machine.
But one of the biggest changes I’ve had to adjust to is realising my blackness. I’m not very dark-skinned o. But you don’t realise how black you are until you’re in a society filled with white people. Picture this: you’re on a train with 200 people and the only black person is you. It’s like a drop of blood on snow. It’s crazy. It’ll make you uncomfortable in your own skin. You’ll start to compare your physical features to white people’s. It takes some getting used to, but the more I made friends with them, the easier it was for me to understand that we’re all the same.
Let’s talk about food. What do you eat?
Food is pretty cheap here, to be honest. Let’s see, apart from the government taking 42% of my salary as tax, I spend —
WHAT?
Oh yeah, there are different tax brackets in Germany. You won’t get taxed if you don’t earn up to €9,985 a year. But the higher you make, the more you get taxed. The highest is 45%.
Tax brackets in Germany
But the thing is, after a couple of months, you become okay with the idea of giving the government your money because you can see it being put to work. The healthcare system is one of the best in the world, the country is safe, everything works. But your money is used to take care of older people and people without jobs. To combat the possibility of young people sitting at home and waiting for the government to take care of them, the government makes sure every young unemployed German goes through a fully-sponsored skill acquisition programme. They even house them until they can get good jobs and reconnect with society.
Also, random, but since we’re talking about money and taxes, one of the reasons people get married here is so they can get reduced taxes and a €400 monthly stipend for every child they have till that child turns 18. In fact, I have a friend who got her €400 every month till she turned 25. Other than that, people don’t really get married. I mean, it’s not a very religious society, so there really isn’t any need for people to solemnise their unions.
Interesting. Back to food.
I eat rice, swallow and spaghetti like a regular Nigerian, and there’s a Nigerian woman here who makes soup in bulk for me. I also visit a Nigerian restaurant from time to time.
Also, let’s go back to your plans to build projects to help Nigerians. How’s that going?
I’d say staying here gives me a better chance because I have better access to money, people and venture capitalists that can sponsor projects.
What are your plans for the future in Germany?
I want to stay at this job for at most two years and then move because thats the best way to massively increase your earnings in tech. I also want to be in Germany for at least three years so I can get my EU permanent residence and move to wherever my wife and I want.
Does your current passport allow you travel within the EU?
Yes, it does. A couple of friends and I have been to Prague and Budapest. We were planning another trip for August, but I’ll probably be in Nigeria by then.
Hey there! My name is Sheriff and I’m the writer of Abroad Life. If you’re a Nigerian and you live or have lived abroad, I would love to talk to you about what that experience feels like and feature you on Abroad Life. All you need to do is fill out this short form, and I’ll be in contact.
Dogs are spoilt these days. Have you seen what dog owners on Instagram are feeding their pets? Foods with names you cannot even pronounce, much less afford.
If you have a dog and want to spoil them, try any of the delicacies in this article and watch your furry companion appreciate you forever.
Sacrifice
With the way the economy is these days, is it not better to pick free food from the road and give your dog to eat? Will Busky complain? The answer is no.
Your enemy’s American passport
This one is of no nutritional value, but nobody will arrest your dog for eating someone’s passport. How did the dog find it? That’s not anybody’s business. You know dogs: Destructive little suckers. Last last, you’ll spank it a bit, but your enemy will never travel again.
If it’s a small dog, give it bread and beans
Its mates are growing tall, but it doesn’t want to? Never.
Bread and coke
You know how they say bread and coke is food for handymen and security guards. Well, if your dog’s job is to protect you, then it deserves such a meal too.
Glucose
Clearly glucose
Since dogs want to be running up and down like crackheads, fuel their passion by feeding them glucose.
Chocolates
If your motto in life is “Take risk and succeed”, why not apply the same principle to your pet? Yes, chocolates are poisonous to dogs. But what if the dog likes chocolates? This life is once, please.
Pawpaw
Because this fruit was obviously not created for humans to eat, and dogs love it. Next time you think of eating pawpaw, ask yourself, “Is everything okay with me?”
Amala and gbegiri
Your dog has to be treated to quality swallow, and there’s no better swallow and soup combo to grace God’s good earth than this.
Dry gin
To fight the agbero, your dog must first be the agbero.
Your own food
Don’t let the enemy catch you lacking. Let the dog eat your food and you eat the dog’s food instead. That way, if someone wants to poison you, they’ll poison the dog. What greater sacrifice is there? And you? You can never die.
Don’t get it twisted: Designers are annoying as fuck. They think they’re better than the rest of us because they know how to use simple Photoshop, and say words like “harmony” and “sans serif”. So don’t think this article is a list of things curated for you to take out of your vocabulary when talking to designers. Far from it. These are phrases and sentences to say to your annoying designer friends (or coworkers or enemies) if you want to piss them off.
P.S.: I got this list from actual designers. I approached them pretending that I wanted to tell people not to say these words. Now, I’m weaponising their fears.
Make it pop
Someone said, “Make it pop? Na pussy?” And it just reminded me of this video.
It’s not giving
Say this to them and end it there. No extra feedback, nothing. Just look at it, say those three words and watch their entire day get absolutely ruined. But remember, they deserve it.
I’m a designer too, I can do it myself
When you say this, just duck behind something because they will attack you.
Fix it. You’re the designer
You can throw in a little, “Do your job.”
I want to learn photoshop/figma
The fact that they don’t like people saying this shows that they’re proper haters. Like, you don’t want me to be a designer too? Why?
You should learn product design
Apparently, designers get asked if they do product design like three times day. Be the person that makes it four times.
It’s just a small design. It shouldn’t cost much.
For maximum effect, you can use this one in combo with any of the above, most especially, “I’m a designer. I can do it myself”.
Is it not just Canva? Why are you wasting time?
When your designer is taking more time than required to finish a task, simply berate them by saying the above words and watch them fall on their knees in agony. Works every time.
My wife/cousin/(any random person) doesn’t like it
Even if you like the design, say someone else doesn’t like it and then proceed to not give a reason why. We’re turning you into a villain small small.
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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The 26-year-old nurse on this week’s #NairaLife lived in wealth until her dad died mysteriously when she was 12. Since then, she’s sold sweets, bread, eggs and even written love letters to make money. Now, she works at two different hospitals and is saving to japa.
Tell me about your earliest memory of money
When I was five, my mum used to travel to Warri three times a month to buy 33,000 litre tankers of kerosene which she’d then resell. We’d stay up all night counting the cash she brought home. My dad worked with cocoa farmers to produce cocoa exports.
Sounds like money
Oh, we were rich. Me, I was very spoiled. I was the only child for eight years, then my sister was born. My dad always wanted daughters, so he showered us with gifts. I went to the most expensive school and even had my own car and driver.
All of this got to my head and made me unintentionally condescending.I thought everybody had money like us, so if someone in school mentioned that they didn’t have money, I’d say something like, “Go and ask your daddy.” It was only gradually I understood that there were people who didn’t have as much as we did. But everything changed when my dad died.
Oh I’m sorry. What happened?
Strange stuff. He collected money from his foreign business partners for a delivery and sent it to the farmers. They never delivered the products. Because of mounting pressure from his business partners for their products, he went to challenge the farmers. The next day, his body began to harden. It kept hardening for months until he passed away. The doctors never figured out what was wrong.
Wow. How did this affect your family?
Terribly. We spent so much money trying to treat him that we gradually sold off everything we had. The cars, the estate house, everything. We had to move to more humble living conditions.
My mum had already stopped the kerosene job by the time she had my sister and was now a teacher. She wasn’t making so much money anymore. So imagine us going from being very rich to being absolutely poor all because of my dad’s death. We couldn’t even eat well. Amidst all of this, I was also sick a lot.
Sick why?
I live with sickle cell. I woke up one day when I was seven and started limping because I had pains in my joints. At first, my mum thought it was because I was trying to play smart and miss school, but when the limping kept going and coming over a couple of weeks, they took me to the hospital where I was diagnosed with sickle cell. Initially, my parents disagreed. My dad was AS, and my mum, AA, so where did SC come from?
After a few tests, they discovered my mum was actually AC and not AA. Also, my dad’s side of the family has a terrible history of rheumatism, which I inherited. So, I was in a lot of pain growing up. There were times when I couldn’t stand or hold a pen to write. I don’t even want to think about it.
Did your dad’s family help?
First, they gave us ₦50k to cover our house rent, then they disappeared. They abandoned us. After he died, they even tried to steal a plot of land my mum bought, but she didn’t let them. It was only after many years we reconnected with some of his siblings.
Because it was just my mum, my sister and me, we had to look out for ourselves. In addition to her salary as a teacher, she travelled to buy materials like lace, ankara and kampala and sold them to people in her office. When highway robbery became a problem, she started selling plantain chips and groundnuts instead.
We worked all night slicing and frying plantain chips and groundnuts. My mum used her salary to pay off loans and we used whatever profit we made from selling stuff to survive.
You know, for four years after we stopped selling plantain chips, I couldn’t stand the sight or smell of them.
Did you do anything personally to make money?
Ah, yes. Letters. I’ve always had a beautiful handwriting. I was a day student at a school that had boarding students, so whenever the boarders needed to write love letters to their partners in other schools, I helped them for a small fee of ₦200. I collected a ₦200 delivery fee from the receivers too. I delivered about 15 letters a month.
Cupid is shaking
Whenever I needed money to buy school stuff like socks and books, I just used my own money.
After secondary school, I was home for one year because my score was below the cut-off mark to study nursing at the university I wanted. They gave me chemistry instead. The next year, they gave me Zoology. Instead of waiting at home for one extra year, I decided to go to a polytechnic instead.
In 2013, for my OND — first year at polytechnic — I studied science and laboratory technology. Second year, ND, I did biology technology. In ND 2, the school portal closed when I was still owing ₦1k, which meant I had to retake the semester.
You were owing ₦1k?
One thousand naira.
Not long after I started the semester again, my mum advised me to drop the polytechnic programme because polytechnic graduates don’t get good jobs. She told me to go to school of nursing instead. It made sense to me because I knew the chances of getting good jobs after polytechnic were slim, and we didn’t have connections, so I followed her advice. Late 2016, I resumed at the school of nursing.
I was super broke by this time. To make money, I’d go to my uncle’s shoe shop whenever I was free and sell for him. He’d give me ₦2k per day. When things became unbearable, I decided to start a business.
What business?
I don’t know why, but I just decided it was bread I wanted to sell. I told my uncle about my plan and he gave me ₦5k. ₦3,500 to start my business and ₦1,500 to eat for that day. Instead of bread, I went to the market and bought eclairs, Butter Mint, Milkose, lollipops and popcorn. The next day, I used what was left to buy a few loaves of bread.
Everyday, I would go around the hostel shouting for people to come out and buy bread or snacks, and slowly, my business became stable.
At some point, someone advised me to start selling eggs too, so I did that.
It’s when I started this business I realised small ₦10 here and there can build up to become something.
Tell me about it
I bought a pack of eclairs for ₦550. By the time I sold each piece, my profit was ₦650. I sold about 12 packs a month. For the other sweets too, I made double of what I bought them for. I bought a crate of eggs at ₦800 and sold each egg for ₦50. So I made ₦700 in profits per crate, and I sold eight crates in a month. My profit from popcorn was ₦4k a month, and bread made me ₦2k a month. I was making about ₦30k monthly all from small ₦10 and ₦20 profit.
Also, whenever I went to the market, I told my customers to bring their grocery lists and money so I could shop for them. The catch here was that each person gave me ₦200 transportation money. I could get as many as 10 people per trip. That’s the money I would use to cook for myself.
How were your mum and sister in this period?
They were surviving. My mum had opened a small provisions shop, so she was able to take caare of herself and my sister.
Did all that physical activity affect your health?
Very badly. I fell sick a lot, but it was either sickness or be broke and hungry. I didn’t want to go hungry.
Damn
I graduated as a registered nurse in late 2019. By December, I got a job at a police hospital. The pay was ₦30k. I lived far away, came late to work a few times, and was always getting home late, so I was very stressed. By February, I requested an apartment and they gave me one within the police base compound. By March, they transferred me to the MOPOL base. That’s where I met one of the kindest people ever — the commander. My salary was still ₦30k, but I’m pretty sure he gave me up to ₦30k on top of that every month.
How?
I had to check his blood pressure twice a week, and every single time, he would give me money as a “thank you”. Sometimes, ₦5k, sometimes, ₦3k, sometimes, ₦7k. He never missed.
That’s mad
By April, they increased my salary to ₦35k. So my ₦35k salary was going to my mum — ₦10k for her, ₦20k to put in an ajo for me and ₦1500 for my sister. The remaining ₦3,500 was tithe. I survived fully on the money I was getting from the commander. Transportation was ₦8k, and the rest went into feeding and buying appliances for my apartment.
In October 2020, my mum told me she didn’t want me to waste the year working instead of developing myself and positioning myself for much better jobs, so I needed to find a way to improve my skills.
understood her. I’d already been thinking of training to be an emergency nurse, so her advice was just perfect timing. I eventually found that Igbobi, Lagos, is one of the only places that teaches emergency nursing. I applied, wrote the exams, got in and moved to Lagos.
The entire program cost ₦575k to be paid over a year, but we had to pay a ₦40k acceptance fee. Please, tell me why when I asked my mum to bring all my ajo money, she could only come up with ₦30k instead of ₦200k?
Ah!
I could not even say anything. I collected it, added my own ₦10k and started school. Then I went to two of my dad’s siblings who checked in once in a while and told them my plans for school. They gave me a total of ₦178k. I had to borrow money to pay the rest.
How did you survive though?
I moved to Lagos thinking the Igbobi campus would have hostels for us. Nope. I had to sleep on class benches before my study partner introduced me to a friend who I’ve lived with ever since.
Moneywise, I got occasional gigs from classmates who wanted me to help them do assignments and projects. ₦2k here, ₦3k there, that’s how I survived. I tried to get jobs but nothing worked out.
After I graduated in 2021, I moved back west to my hometown. Three days later, a hospital in Lekki called me for an interview. When I got there and we spoke, they offered me ₦100k as salary. I rejected it.
What was the lowest you could take as a salary at that point?
₦100k, but not on the island. I’d be spending ₦40k on transport and that’s just not wise. Also, public transportation in Lagos gives me anxiety, so I wasn’t about to be doing long and expensive trips for ₦100k. No.
Because I was already in Lagos, I decided to stay and keep dropping my CV at hospitals. A friend told me a government hospital on the mainland was hiring and I applied. I remember being in church in January [2022] when the message that I’d gotten the job came in. Omo, I danced.
LMAO
I resumed in February. The pay was ₦95k, and my shifts meant I only had to be at work seven times a month. Shortly after I started the job, one of the private hospitals where I’d dropped my CV reached out to interview me. I told them I already had a job and would be juggling both jobs, and they agreed. They pay ₦100k.
Let’s goooo
My February salary from the government job and my March salaries from both jobs paid off all my debts. Now, I live on the ₦95k and save the ₦100k every month. I’m trying to japa to the UK.
What do you spend your money on?
On some months, I make an extra ₦10k or more from the private hospital when I fill in for someone when they’re short-staffed.
What’s one thing you want but can’t afford right now?
Sending my sister to a private university so she can have a good and hitch-free education.
Again, how are you managing all this work with your health?
My health has improved over the years. I prayed for it to, and it has. I also make sure I eat well, sleep every chance I get and avoid anything that can stress me emotionally. Because I’ve had the condition for a long time, I can bear the pain to an extent and still work.
I also drink lots of water and take folic acid and a pain reliever once I can’t bear the pain any longer.
My government hospital job has doubled the days I need to come to the office, so it’s getting stressful, but I can still handle it. If it gets too much, I’ll drop the private job.
Why not the one that pays less?
I can always get another private job. Government jobs are difficult to get and they come with better job security.
1-10, how happy are you?
6, because I know I could be in a worse situation. I have it better than others.
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