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  • It’s popular opinion that firstborns are third parents. They form the last leg of the Holy Trinity of Nigerian parenthood. But it’s hardly bliss to the firstborns themselves, who are managing their own lives while being the bridge between two generations; their parents and siblings. 7 Nigerians share their experiences about what it really costs to be a first-born child.

    Toyin, 56, Male

    Damages: ₦1,000,000/month

    I think my case is peculiar because I’m not just the first-born child, I am also the first-born in a large polygamous family. I have 14 siblings, all of whom I have to cater to in some way. This gets overbearing sometimes because I have my own family to care for. On a good month, I spend an average of ₦1m on helping the family alone. This ranges from school fees and rents to my mum’s medical bills. While I wish I didn’t have to carry such a heavy burden, it’s quite gratifying to help out in every way I can.

    Ibraheem, 25, Male

    Damages: ₦30,000/month

    I recently started working full-time. And I transitioned into this by taking freelance jobs from time to time. I don’t think I make a lot of money, but I feel like I give out a lot. I often have to send some money to my parents every month for upkeep, and to both of my siblings as allowance. It feels good to be able to do that. But it just constantly reminds me that my money is not really my own.

    Shade, 38, Female

    Damages: ₦200,000/month

    I don’t have to spend this much every month, but I find that I often end up doing so. If I had to describe how it really flows out, I’d say it’s the random requests for favours I get from family. I’m often seen as the most successful member of the family, even though I don’t think it’s true. This puts a lot of financial expectation on me that simply doesn’t make sense. I used to spend a lot more on these favours, but I had to make a clear plan. ₦100,000 for my parents and another ₦100,000 for my siblings. Anybody else, I give them excuses. This has worked really well.

    Nkechi, 22, Female

    Damages: ₦50,000/month

    I’m not bleeding a lot of money right now, but I can already feel it coming. The small jokes that end with “sha give us money”. The random calls I get from my siblings because “I don’t want to ask daddy”. I appreciate them though. They make me feel good and useful. I’m also already hearing whispers from my parents about monthly upkeep. God, abeg.

    Demola, 45, Male

    Damages: ₦400,000/month

    I get random calls from my siblings about how they just want to check up on their big brother. But no, it’s all lies. They know I’m fine. They’re really checking up on my bank account and the amount of money that’s going to depart from it. If, like me, you have six female siblings, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

    Olutayo, 60, Male

    Damages: ₦500,000/month

    Yorubas have this mini-title, “Olori Ebi”. It loosely translates to “Head of the Family”, and the surest way to get it is to be the first-born child. I took this title after our parents died and I had to be the one keeping everyone together. It comes with a lot of responsibility, mostly financial. It’s the same as adding three nuclear families to your own. Whatever financial situation they face, your pocket will feel it somehow. I help out on everything from school fees to upkeep and even rent. I don’t even keep track as much as I used to.

    Seliat, 57, Female

    Damages: ₦10,000/month

    Apart from my kids, the only things that take money from my pocket are my business and my mom’s health. I have my husband to pay for most other things. Also, my siblings are doing pretty well for themselves. So there’s really no pressure to spend money on anyone.

    ALSO READ: How Much You Earn vs How Much Your Parents Think You Earn

  • The Nigerian universities’ god of thunder, ASUU, went on a labour strike from the 14th of February 2022, and the everyday lives of Nigerian students came to a stop. What is customarily a 4 or 5-year programme now has a “plus x” clause to it, where x is the number of years ASUU decides to go on strike during your time in school.

    In addition to being unplugged from the academic life, students’ social lives relationships are also being affected. We’ve previously discussed what Nigerian students really do during strikes. But what does it feel like to have your social life upended because of strikes? 


    These five Nigerian students told us how the ASUU strike has affected their relationships.

    Asake, 22

    I wouldn’t say that it has affected it so much. Most of my friends are introverts so it’s not like we used to go out to see each other or anything. We were all very comfortable being online and talking. But even now, that has reduced a lot. It just feels like I’m unplugged from the kind of life I used to have.

    Debola, 19

    The strike hasn’t affected my personal relationships in a bad way at all. Maybe it’s because I’m introverted. I have a closed group online where I keep up with friends and it feels like we never left. But if I have to think about whether or not I’ve met new people, then it gets worrying. 

    Tola, 21

    My relationships have taken a hit. I used to have a lot of friends, and we’d play football and basketball every week. I also talked with my boyfriend every day. Now I’m just a couch potato who just wants to eat and watch movies all day. It’s like I’m slipping deeper into aloneness and there’s simply nothing I can do to stop it.

    Chioma, 24

    I think my personal relationships are in a coma right now. It’s not even from my side alone. No one is talking to me and I’m not talking to anyone. It’s as if we’re all totally cut off from each other. It feels like COVID-19 all over again.

    John, 21

    Being home for this long feels like a prison sentence. I haven’t gone to a party in months. I can’t get drunk and have fun with my friends like I used to do. Even with WhatsApp and all that, it’s still quite boring. I was a “hoe” back in school. But here, all I do is go to church and talk to old people. I’m trying to convince myself that it’s not all that bad. At least, I still have Call of Duty: Mobile that I play with my friends every day.

    NEXT READ: What Do Nigerian Students Really Do During ASUU Strikes?

  • If you think you are a huge fan of football, take this quiz and see how big a fan you are. You have one minute to unscramble these names:

  • We’ll give you a popular statement. Can you guess who said it?

    Give it a try:

  • Is your account balance singing “Buga” or is it wailing “God abeg”? This quiz knows the truth.

  • Tea is gossip, tea is gist. But when we speak of things like BBNaija, Tea is more than just that. Tea is drama, and we love ourselves a good one. Take this quiz to find out who brings you the most tea on the show.

  • From bad roads, to stealing ballot boxes, Africa is currently going through a lot. Take this quiz and we’ll tell you which African predicament you are.

  • Are you the uninvited mogbo moya or you’re the person who just came to eat party Jollof rice and go home? This quiz knows which one you are.

  • Are we going to one day find a video of you dancing at a party and shouting at the top of your lungs? Or are you sure that’s never going to happen because you never leave your house?

    Take this quiz and find out.

  • Telling them about it for the first time

    They’ve probably heard about it on a WhatsApp group and got curious, so they decided to put the school fees they paid to use by asking you about it.

    Then you innocently start mentioning blockchains and wallets

    They’ll follow you till the end of your speech like they perfectly understand, but just know it’s a scam.

    Then you mistakenly mention “invest”

    This sparks all kinds of red flags for them. “Is it like MMM?” “Will they run with my money?”. They somehow start to ask all the critical questions.

    They give up and say they’re not doing it again

    If anything sounds like too much risk, you can expect them to move in the opposite direction.

    But they see you making money from it

    As a wise man once said, “If you no make am, no evidence say you try your best”. They’ll eventually see you balling with the money you’re making from crypto and they’ll get interested too.

    Then they’ll invest

    Eventually, you’ll explain the whole thing one last time and they’ll pretend to understand, but they just want the money. You’ll help them sign up for a crypto exchange like Luno where they can buy some Bitcoin and Ethereum. Their money will go up and they’ll start looking at you like they’re reaping the fruits of their labour.

    Then it dips for a moment and they’re holding your shirt

    They’ll hold you like you’re the one who turned down the price. Even though you explained everything to them from the start.

    Investing in crypto can be a stressful thing. So, why not use an exchange that simplifies it for you and makes it easy to use? A perfect example is Luno, which allows you to buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin very easily. All you have to do is download the app and sign up to get started.