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  • Nigeria is currently experiencing a wave of illnesses. While some Nigerians are concerned about a fourth COVID-19 wave, many others are chalking the symptoms to malaria and a change of weather. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has recorded a significant surge in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks attributed to newer variants of the virus — the Delta and Omicron variants.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the newest Omicron variant and how to stay safe this Detty December period.

    1. What is Omicron?

    When a virus spreads rapidly enough, it is more likely to change. The process of a virus changing is called a mutation. In the case of COVID-19, the virus has undergone several mutations forming the variants: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta; the newest variant is called Omicron. 

    The Omicron variant has been detected in many countries, including Nigeria. 

    2. How quickly does it spread?

    In November 2021, 111 people attended a party in Oslo, Norway. Out of the 111 attendees, 80 of them caught COVID-19. Sixty other people who later dined at the same venue also caught the virus. When a virus spreads so quickly at large gatherings, such an event is called a superspreading event. A study from the University of Hong Kong suggests that the Omicron variant infects and multiplies in the body 70 times faster than other variants of COVID-19. This information is crucial in Nigeria, as we are in the season of potential superspreading events — owambe parties, music concerts and Detty December celebrations.

    3. Does the Omicron variant cause different symptoms?  

    Right now, all the symptoms of Omicron seem to be consistent with other variants — cold-like symptoms which include:

    • Runny nose
    • Headache
    • Fatigue (either mild or severe),
    • Sneezing
    • Sore throat.

    Early results suggest that Omicron may not be as severe as the Delta variant, but it is too early to conclude. The World Health Organization (WHO) insists that more data is needed and warns that Omicron should not be dismissed as “mild”.

    4. Do COVID-19 tests detect Omicron? 

    Yes. PCR and antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests detect COVID-19 infection, including the Omicron variant.

    5. How can we protect ourselves?

    While Omicron spreads rapidly, we can reduce the risk of exposure. To protect yourself and your loved ones from the virus, make sure to: 

    • Wear a mask properly — make sure it covers your nose and mouth. Also, be sure your hands are clean when you wear or remove your mask.
    • Practice social distancing — keep a physical distance of at least 1 metre from others. 
    • Avoid crowded spaces or poorly ventilated rooms.
    • Wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face. When you cannot wash your hands, use a hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol.
    • Get vaccinated. WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. 

    This is a developing story. Check back for updates and follow Zikoko on Twitter.

  • Last month, the Nigerian government resumed giving both the first and second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. It is important that every Nigerian over the age of 18 gets vaccinated to protect themselves from the deadly virus. With the new strains of the deadly covid-19 virus, the importance of a vaccine cannot be overstated. The vaccine being issued in Nigeria is the AstraZeneca vaccine (also known as the Oxford vaccine). Here’s all you need to know about the covid vaccine:

    Where to get the coronavirus vaccine

    With a population of 200 million people, only 3.4 million people have been vaccinated in Nigeria and only about half of that number have been fully vaccinated. Please visit any primary health care centre close to you for information on the time and days the vaccine is being given. Click here to view a list of approved vaccination centres in Lagos. For other states, visit your closest health centre for information about approved vaccination centres.

    Why you should get the coronavirus vaccine

    You should get vaccinated so you can live long and enjoy your life. Getting the vaccine is an important step in protecting yourself and the ones you love from dying from the  Covid-19 virus. It is also a step in restoring normalcy to the world.

    throwing up the peace sign.

    What to expect after getting the coronavirus vaccine

    Everyone reacts differently to things, so the reaction to the side effect of the vaccine differs. It is advised that people use painkillers before taking the vaccine. The reaction to the side effects of the vaccine does not last long enough to scare you away from getting the vaccine.

    coronavirus vaccine

    What to do after getting the vaccine

    The vaccine does not offer 100% protection. It drastically reduces the chances of getting sick or dying if you get the virus again, which is more likely than you think, seeing as the Alpha and Delta covid variants are now a thing. Please continue to wash your hands, wear a mask and practise social distancing.

    coronavirus vaccine

    Please do the responsible thing, stay safe, stay protected and get your Covid-19 vaccine shot. 

  • Yes, we’re still in a pandemic, and COVID-19 is lurking out there. Worse still, you CAN catch it. Wait fess, before you shout “God forbid!” take this quiz to find out just how safe you are.

    Do you know about #ProjectSafeUp — an initiative developed by My World of Bags, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation? The project produces and distributes free personal protective equipment (PPE) to the general public and health workers in Oyo, Lagos, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti. You can follow them on Twitter, Instagram or visit www.myworldofbags.com for access to PPE.

  • As told to Mariam

    Early last month, I saw a tweet on my timeline — Bimbo* had spent a long time in quarantine even though she didn’t have the virus. I have had the virus before so I was curious about her story. I messaged her and our conversation led to this article. 

    This year started in the wildest way. I work as a wireline field engineer in Port Harcourt. This means I get to travel a lot. My plan for the year was building my competency so I can be promoted at the office. I was scheduled for jobs that would enable me to reach my goal and I was looking forward to learning more about my job. Before we travel, we have routine checks that include running a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test — performed to detect the presence of a virus. That was how I tested positive for coronavirus on the 3rd of January even though I wasn’t showing any symptoms.

    I was shocked because I took COVID-19 precautions seriously. I always wear my masks. In the office, I wear it even when I am alone. Some of my colleagues joke that they have never seen my face without a mask since the pandemic started. I have a small bottle of hand sanitiser. I refill it very often. On public transport, I pay for two seats so nobody is in my space. I was interacting with everyone from at least 1m away. I was also sad that I had to stay back while my colleagues went on the job. 

    I was immediately moved to an isolation centre, which was the annexe of a hotel in Port Harcourt. Since I was unable to go to work and I wasn’t feeling sick, it was easy for me to get bored. At first, it wasn’t so bad. My office paid me an inconvenience allowance so I was a bit comfortable. I tried to get into a routine. I worked out in the mornings. I took virtual courses. I read my bible. I wrote competency exams for work. I also finished all of my work deliverables. That productivity level fizzled out fast. I started watching cartoons — I finished my favourite cartoons on Netflix while I was there. I watched a lot of shit on Youtube. I had a lot of information in my head so I started making videos of my opinions on different topics. I moved to games at some point and then I just started sleeping a lot. 

    It was like a holiday I did not need. Most of my work is done on the field so I couldn’t do a lot from the isolation centre. I was looking forward to leaving the facility and going back to work but on the 10th day, my second test came back positive. Wahala! At this point, there was nothing particularly interesting to do so I would find myself just staring out the window. It’s interesting how much you can notice when you look long enough every day. I also started taking drugs even though I still had no symptoms. My mum contacted her friend who was a nurse and she prescribed hydroxychloroquine, zinc and vitamin C. I had read somewhere that hydroxychloroquine doesn’t cure COVID-19 but I was desperate. My parents also sent me green tea, honey and ginger.

    After another 10 days, I took another test and it came back positive again. This time, I asked to go home since I had no symptoms, there was no point staying there. By this time, I had spent 23 days in that centre. I live with my parents so when I moved back home, my mum would boil ginger, garlic, honey, onions and lime and I would inhale the steam. It was recommended by my dad’s cousin who is a doctor in America. I believed he knew what he was doing plus we were all worried. We did this for about seven days before I took another test. 

    Guess what? It was positive again. This was my third positive covid test after about a month of first getting diagnosed with it. My dad was quite suspicious because we had been following the instructions given to us by my dad’s cousin – the doctor, my mum’s friend – the nurse and the internet religiously.  Also, I still wasn’t showing any symptoms whatsoever and neither of my parents was sick. So I decided to take another test at the government testing centre in Port Harcourt. It was negative and both tests were just a day apart. I sent the negative result to my office and they were sceptical about it because that’s where we had all been getting tested. In a bid to investigate further, I decided to visit a different private centre and take another test. Let’s call it Centre B. Centre A is where I had been getting positive results. Centre B’s result came back negative as expected. In all of this, I was annoyed that I was spending a lot of money and I wasn’t even sick! I spent 30k to print out my government result and the private tests cost me 50k. Luckily, my dad paid for them.

    When I went back to Centre A with both negative results — from the government and Centre B, they had an explanation, something about antibodies but I believe that they were lying. I couldn’t chase the case any further because of how grave it would be to accuse a whole health centre of doctoring coronavirus results and I was the only one who had done an external test so far so I let it go. Moreover, I was relieved to not have COVID-19 after 40 days of isolation. Looking back, I feel like I could have utilized my free time better but I have no regrets. My goals are calling me and I have to answer. I may have lost some time but you never know what’s going to come out of that. What’s mine will always find me. 

    For more women-centred content, click here

  • COVID-19 threw a well-aimed spanner in everyone’s plans this year. Nobody escaped unscathed. Some of Miss Rona’s victims were people who wanted to tie the nuptial knot and spend the rest of their lives together. Instead, they found themselves donning Sanwoolu face masks.

    However, some brave couples decided to go ahead with their weddings. I wanted to know what it took to get married during the pandemic, so I reached out to a few people who said their vows despite the coronavirus.

    Mojola, 26

    We initially planned to get married on April 18 and it was supposed to be massive. We had paid everyone; the vendors, the venue, everything. When we tried to get refunds, all the vendors refused, saying we should let them know when we’re ready to do the wedding.

    Our parents were meant to sponsor most of the wedding. Nevertheless, my husband and I had spent more than 3 million already before the government announced the lockdown.

    We later decided to get married in a private registry ceremony. We still plan on having the ceremony later in the year, when everything has cleared up. Our families and friends are still on our necks to have a proper wedding ceremony, so that’s what we’re going to do. Besides, all our money cannot just go down the drain like that. So we’ll wait.

    Zipporah, 25 

    “My husband didn’t even get time off work. We got married during his break. Even during the wedding, he was replying to work emails.”

    We originally planned to get married in April and we had planned a huge ceremony. We already paid for everything; the hall, the caterer, the band. Everybody was ready for the wedding, flights had been booked from all over Nigeria, clothes had been sewn, everything was set.

    Then, the Federal Government announced the lockdown.

    We tried to get refunds from the vendors but you know you can’t get all your money back from Nigerian vendors. The venue and decoration guys still haven’t refunded any of the money till date.

    After waiting for a while, we decided to go ahead with the wedding in a much smaller way.We finally married on the 4th of June in a small ceremony. Because the state government hadn’t allowed places of worship to open fully yet, the pastor placed a 20-person limit on the ceremony. We didn’t even use microphones, just to avoid attention; police had been arresting whole weddings at the time.

    My husband didn’t even get time off work. We got married during his break. Even during the wedding, he was replying to work emails.

    Right after, we had a small reception for guests. The number of guests suddenly ballooned because tons of people in the area got wind of the wedding. Many of them were without work due to the pandemic so they came for the food. 

    This really increased the cost of the wedding. Added to the fact that the pandemic drove up the price of everything, it ended up being more expensive than a regular wedding.

    Muyiwa, 32

    I proposed sometime in November 2019 and planned our wedding for April 4. Two days to our wedding, the Lagos State Government imposed the lockdown.

    Of course, everything had been paid for, people had come into town and everyone was set. We waited to see how long the lockdown would last for. When there was no end in sight, we opted for a very lowkey wedding on May 27, which we had at my wife’s father’s house.

    There were only 20 people in attendance. Everyone was wearing a facemask, even in the wedding photos. Interestingly, we never planned to hold a reception for our original wedding. We were just going to go to church. So we didn’t pay any money to vendors or anything, lucky for us. 

    My wife is from Delta and you know how expensive Delta weddings are. We spent about 2.5m for the traditional wedding, and most of that was on feeding. The traditional wedding list from the bride’s family also took a bulk of the money. For the revised wedding, we spent less than 300k. We didn’t even have to spend on food. The smaller wedding was ideal for me because I personally don’t like being around crowds. God just worked it out for us and it was perfect. 

    Imade, 27

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Imade-1024x1024.jpg

    We set a date in April to allow ample time for his family, who lived in the US, to come down and prepare. Then COVID happened. We had no idea what to do. We didn’t know if or when we were going to do the wedding.

    Eventually, we decided to just get married anyway in July, when the lockdown was finally eased. His parents still couldn’t make it down because of the international travel ban. They were represented by his sister and uncle.

    We had our traditional wedding on the 1st of August. Every single person was wearing a mask. Even when we were dancing, people were coming to spray us one by one, not like you usually find at weddings, just so they could maintain social distancing.

    We couldn’t get much of the money back. Most of the vendors all insisted on taking a service charge out of the refund, mostly about 30%. And even at that, they are all saying they don’t have the money.

    There was no reception at our white wedding on the 8th of August. We just received church blessing and a small reception for friends who travelled and that was it. We had about 150 people in attendance in all.

    For our original wedding, we had spent about 10 million. For our scaled wedding, we ended up spending about 2.7 million, in all.

    Dami, 24

    “I’m the firstborn and he’s also his parent’s firstborn, so that wedding has to happen. Besides, we’ve already spent about 25 million. And I just want to dance on my wedding day, abeg.”

    We set our wedding for April 12 in Lagos and it was going to be huge. Unfortunately, our flight to Nigeria was canceled in March.

    We were supposed to have over 1300 guests in attendance. People had booked their flights to Nigeria from London. We haven’t even attempted to get refunds because we decided to wait till December or next year to have the wedding ceremony. 

    We already had a court wedding here in London. We had a few people as witnesses and that was it. 

    I’m the firstborn and he’s also his parent’s firstborn, so that wedding has to happen. Besides, we’ve already spent about N25 million. And I just want to dance on my wedding day, abeg. 

    You might be interested in “I Was Fired From Work While Sick”: Stories From Nigeria About Surviving Coronavirus

  • COVID-19. It’s pretty much all we hear these days. Never before has any singular event altered the course of human history. Every other day, we hear about new ramifications of this deadly disease: damaged organs, lung scarring, stroke, impact on the brain and mental health.

    Like these aren’t enough, reports and studies are showing ways in which the coronavirus affects women more than men.

    Men are more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than women

    For some reason, men appear to be more likely to be infected with this deadly illness than women. Although researchers are not sure why, but they think it might be due to certain biological differences between men and women.

    Men are more likely to get worse symptoms and die from COVID-19 than women

    Looks like our male bodies are set up to sell us out. Apparently, androgens in our bodies such as testosterone boost the virus’ ability to get into our cells, according to research. Talk about betrayal. 

    Another study showed that the fatality rate for men infected with COVID-19 was much higher at 2.7%, compared to 1.8% for women.

    Your penis is not spared either

    Shocking investigations have been surfacing to prove the fact that men who recover from COVID are very likely to be plagued with sexual problems. In other words, you might have trouble getting your John Thomas up when you need it to. Wahala.

    We hope these few points of ours are enough to convince you to renew your vigour NOT to catch COVID-19. Use a mask in public spaces, wash your hands, maintain social distancing and be watchful of symptoms.

    You might also want to read Preventing The Coronavirus And Seeing The End Of 2020. That’s if you want to see the end of 2020.

  • surviving coronavirus

    A woman fired from the job where she got infected. A man who thinks that losing his sense of smell was a blessing in disguise. A woman worried about the future of her work at the Stand To End Rape Initiative – Three Nigerians describe their hospital journeys during a pandemic. 

    Since February 2020, when Nigeria reported its first case of Coronavirus, almost 40,000  Nigerians have been infected. Over 14,000 have recovered. And about 1,000 Nigerians have died. Since the third infected person recovered, Zikoko has been speaking to survivors. The aim is to put a face to the numbers we see everyday: stories are more powerful than statistics. The human mind just can’t grasp the gravity of large numbers.

    On April 27, a 5-week lockdown put in place by the Nigerian government was lifted. Since then, there seems to be a reversal to the norm. Nigerians are throwing “small parties”; rules of social distancing and self-isolation are not being followed. Meanwhile, the number of cases are rising. The hope is that by sharing stories of real people who have survived this virus, we are all reminded that the Coronavirus is very real, and there’s still a lot of work to be done.

    MRS. ALEXANDER

    Age: 33

    Isolation center: Onikan Center

    Symptoms: Asymptomatic

    surviving coronavirus

    I was not with my family when I got infected. My family members don’t stay in the same state as me. It was from a live-in job where I was a nanny that I went into the isolation centre. I told the doctors not to contact any member of my family. Except in case of an eventuality [God forbid]. But I knew I was going to survive. With the information people had about the virus, any family member who was told about my situation would have panicked. Especially my mum. She’s hypertensive, so I didn’t want to bother her. The doctors took care of us and visitors weren’t allowed, so there was nothing any family member could do to help.

    I got tested because I came in contact with someone who tested positive. The NCDC tested everyone who was in contact with the person. At the point of testing, I was asymptomatic. The only thing I remember is having constant heartburn and chest pain which I attributed to ulcer – I am an ulcer patient. It wasn’t until my result came out positive that I thought the pain might have been caused by something else. 

    I wasn’t scared the day I was taken into isolation. The hospital called in the morning and they explained that they were sending an ambulance to pick me up. So, I packed some clothes and waited for them.

    My hospital experience was initially tough for me because I couldn’t eat the food. It wasn’t bad or anything but I am picky about food. Also, because of my ulcer, I couldn’t eat some food they served like yam and beans. At some point, I had diarrhoea, so I was scared to eat. The doctors said it was part of the COVID symptoms, but I think it’s because I forced myself to eat the moi moi they served one time. At a point, I requested for beverages and someone on the medical team got it for me. I think that was when I started to adjust. 

    The worst part of my hospital stay was the sample collection. At intervals, they would dip a long cotton bud down your nose. I had to stay still while it was pushed down my nose to a particular point. I suspect it even hit my brain because I felt it there. The process was very uncomfortable, and I always sneezed. There was a particular day where they had to take my sample twice because the first one got contaminated. I almost cried that day, but that was the test that declared me Corona free so I wasn’t sad for long.

    Isolation Centre

    In the middle of all this, I got fired from the live-in job where I got the virus. When the lockdown started, my old boss asked if I had money to send home for my family to stock up. I told her I had no money after which she gave me ₦20,000 to send home. Not once did she mention that this was out of my salary ( my salary is  ₦50,000). While I was in the hospital, I got a call from home that my kids were sick and they needed money for treatment. To keep up appearances that all was well on my end, I promised to send some money. I texted my boss for my salary for the month I worked before falling sick. I made sure that I explained the situation of things at home.

    That’s how she started: “I feed you, you are ungrateful, didn’t I pay you last month?” The money I gave you was a part of your salary. I protested that she never mentioned it. She called me a fool and told me she couldn’t condone my attitude and relieved me of my job. She sent the money after deducting the ₦20,000 and I didn’t say anything.

    To further worsen things, she called to say that her laptop was missing, and I had to produce it. I explained to her that I couldn’t have taken it seeing as I left the house in an ambulance to the isolation centre which I hadn’t left. At that point, I was starting to feel uncomfortable, so I complained to the COVID team. It was surprising to me because this was someone I used to help withdraw from her ATM card; I know her pin. When she was in the hospital caring for her son who tested positive and infected me, I was in charge of the house. It was shocking to me. 

    For the first time in my life, I had high blood pressure. My blood pressure went from my usual range of 107 to around 130/90. I just had to look for a way to take my mind off it. I remember Easter Sunday when a gospel musician called BJ Sax was invited to the centre to play. I danced and danced. That day, I danced my problems and Corona away. Before that, I had been lying on my bed and feeling sad.

    When the doctors told me that I was discharged, I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t go back to work, I couldn’t travel home to my family because of the lockdown. Luckily, a friend agreed to let me stay with them while I recovered.

    I have gotten to the point where I no longer allow things I can’t control bother me. The conditioning of your mind is very crucial to whether you survive a difficult situation or not. There’s a way your mind helps you fight that your body eventually agrees. These days, I am staying positive while I fully recover.

    At least, the worst part is over.

    HILARY

    Age: 29

    Isolation center: Mainland hospital, Yaba.

    Symptoms: Loss of taste and smell.

    surviving coronavirus

    I travelled to the U.K. On my last weekend there, I sprayed my perfume and I realized that I couldn’t smell anything. My initial assumption was that maybe it was the flu. Now and then, I get catarrh and my nose gets blocked.

    The next day while having a shower, I couldn’t smell my soap. I had been coughing for a while before this happened but it had gone so I didn’t imagine that I had the virus. I just felt it was allergies that would go on its own.

    I got back to Nigeria on Tuesday. My housemaid made fried rice, but the taste was unusual so I became worried. I called my doctor who asked me a few questions to ascertain if I had the virus or not. The common symptoms at the time I got tested were cough, fever, sneezing. But when I told my doctor that I couldn’t smell anything, she advised me to get tested. After going around, I was referred to the Infectious Diseases Center at Yaba. 

    At the centre, I was directed to a place called the “isolation centre.” I met a doctor there who asked me routine questions. Because I wasn’t exhibiting common symptoms at the time, he told me to come back in 14 days if I developed regular symptoms like cough or fever.

    surviving coronavirus
    Picture by Hilary.

    I refused.

    I explained that I couldn’t smell anything and that my sense of taste was also altered. I asked that rather than come back after it was too late, I wanted to get tested and start treatment. There was no way I was leaving their facility without getting tested. After a back and forth, they tested me. This happened on a Wednesday. 

    On Saturday morning, I got a call from the NCDC saying that I tested positive and an ambulance was coming to pick me.

    At that point, my body was shaking from fear because I didn’t understand what was happening. My colleagues from work advised that an ambulance would be too dramatic and might expose me to social media drama. They advised that if I was feeling well enough, I should quietly drive down to the centre. I packed a few things: Water, Aboniki balm, vitamins and I drove down. 

    My time at the hospital was fairly okay. The nurses and doctors were empathetic, but I guess they were overwhelmed. They didn’t plan for the number of cases they got so there were times they spoke out of turn. 

    At some point, we ran out of water in the ward. Part of our treatment involved drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. In the beginning, we got as many as 3 – 4 bottles of water per meal. But as our numbers increased, this reduced to one bottle per meal. On one occasion, someone needed more than a bottle and the staff said: “tell your people to bring you water.” It didn’t make sense because that person’s only family member was his pregnant wife. And she stayed in Ajah. It was a silly statement asking his wife to drive down to Yaba because of one bottle of water. We eventually called them out, and they started giving us more than one bottle again.

    Losing my sense of smell was a blessing in disguise because it meant that if the hospital toilet was dirty or smelling, I wasn’t affected. This gave me a soft landing as I settled in. People were checking on me and that occupied my time so I didn’t feel lonely. During my sickness, my boss sent me ₦100,000. My sister sent me fruits, kettle, ginger, and green tea. I also had two friends that sent me food – one sent a smoothie with salad. Another friend sent me special fried rice, with pasta, sauce and a smoothie. 

    After getting discharged from the hospital, I now know that I can stay alone in my own space for days and not get bored. I discovered my need for Netflix in the centre. Before I went to the isolation centre, I never bothered with Netflix because I am not a movie person. At the hospital, I saw the movie 93 days about Ebola in Nigeria. The movie gave me the strength to pull through.

    Since I got home, I now take regular evening walks to stretch my body. Sometimes, I run into people from work who still avoid me. It makes me feel somehow, but people see things differently. If the roles were reversed, I don’t think I would do that to them.

    Coronavirus is a deadly disease, but it’s not a death sentence. I have not fully recovered. My sense of smell hasn’t fully returned, but I feel it coming back. However, I think my sense of taste is back. I look forward to the day I can finally smell my favourite Hermes and Versace perfume again.

    AYODEJI

    Age: 29

    Isolation center: Mainland Hospital, Yaba.

    Symptoms: Fatigue and fever.

    It feels good to be out and to be able to move around in my house. I was in the isolation centre for too long, and my freedom was limited. It was a tough experience because it’s not your regular malaria where you understand the pattern, and you know how your body will react. 

    I had symptoms like fatigue and fever. I had just returned from a trip to the UK so I reached out to the NCDC to get tested. It was a nerve-wracking period for me because my life was in the hands of one organisation, and I was not getting  prompt responses. I just wanted to know what was happening to my body. I could not go to the hospital because I didn’t want to put health workers at risk, but I also needed to be out of my misery.

    Because of the novelty of the virus, I had so many unanswered questions: Was I going to survive? Was I going to die? I was also thinking of all the money I hadn’t spent, all the things I had yet to enjoy. As much as it was a physical illness, it was also a mental sickness.

    After a lot of back and forth, I finally got tested by the NCDC and I was taken to the isolation centre.

    At the hospital, I had so many negative thoughts. There were days I’d try to be positive and days that I’d be negative. The way the media plastered the death scare as opposed to the cases of recovery worsened it for me. Also, because of the way the Nigerian healthcare system is structured, it’s a gamble knowing what you are getting out of that system. It was a mental gamble on whether I was going to live or die. 

    What kept me going was my faith in God because I kept on reminding God about his promises to me. I kept reciting these verses: John 10 vs 28, Jer. 17 vs 14, Isiah 41:10 -13. I also read Psalm 91.

    My family and friends were supportive. They sent me prayers, emotional support, and constantly checked up. My organisation was also on my mind because we have a lot planned for 2020. The idea that I could be dying was scary.. 

    I experienced some of the greatest kindness  at the isolation centre. One time, someone’s husband brought pizza and we had a pizza party. It’s a kind thing when people who are otherwise strangers are connected by one issue and they help each other. When one person was throwing up and losing energy, people were supportive: “Take one gulp, oya use your medication.” The communal love was one of the best things that I experienced. This made it become like a game; a game for your life. 

    It was touching. They had no reason to care about you because they were in a similar condition, but they did. It was one of the biggest kindnesses I have experienced. 

    The day my test results came back negative, I moonwalked in the isolation centre. Everyone was like “go Ayo.” I felt happy knowing that I had beaten the virus. Coming from a place where I thought I might not survive it to beating the hell out of it was a good feeling. It was a victory of hope for other people in the centre. As one of the first patients in the isolation centre, it re-assured my fellow ward mates that they could fight and win. It re-assured me that even when life throws lemons at me, I always make  juicy lemonade.

    Photo by Ayodeji on the day of her discharge.

    Beating the virus changed a lot of things for me. When I came out, I was like do I even need to have savings? Should I just have a lush life as I’m not guaranteed tomorrow? [laughs]. On a serious note, it made me appreciate life more. I now understand that sickness is a leveller. You can have a chronic disease at any time and you might not survive.

    Visit www.coronafacts.africa for the latest updates on the pandemic.

  • “A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week.

    The subject for today is Chizzy. A trader in Yaba in his twenties. He walks us through life in Yaba market, his doubts on Coronavirus in Nigeria, and his struggles with weight gain.

    MONDAY:

    I wake up by 7 am today. The first thing I do is morning devotion, followed by press-ups. I have to keep fit both spiritually and physically. I wake up early because if I don’t get to Yaba market on time, sales may have finished for the day. Since the lockdown was lifted, we have new rules in the market. We open by 9 am and close by 4 pm. If I don’t leave my house early, I may not get a bus. Missing the bus can ruin my sales for the day.

    I quickly have a bath, brush and set off for the day. I make sure I always leave my house latest by 8:30 am. It takes 30 minutes to go from my house to the market – it’s two buses and one pedestrian bridge away. 

    The first thing I do when I get to the market is to find food. I don’t play with morning food because without it, I can’t concentrate when you’re talking to me. Especially if I didn’t eat the night before. Also, I can’t eat the same food I ate last night the next day. For example, I ate rice last night so I’m eating swallow today. I no dey like to chop the same food twice. 

    The sad part is that with the way I eat, I’m still not fat. The thing annoys me. I want to drink fat medicine because I am tired. Sometimes, I’ll do press-ups to see if I can even get muscle. I think I am cursed to not have body.

    After eating, I greet my neighbours for them to know that I am around. I like to be jovial in the market. I always announce my presence so that the day I don’t come, they will feel my absence. 

    I work under someone but I still run my own packages. My oga gives me goods to sell, and my job is to record the sales. I can sell it at any price as long as I record my oga’s profit and cost price. Other people even bring goods for us to sell and I have my own percentage from whatever I sell. It’s funny because the people that bring goods for us to sell have money to buy plenty but they don’t have the connection to move them. I have the connection to move it, but no money to buy plenty goods. Sometimes, if I see someone going to China, I give them small money to help me buy things. For them to just arrange the reigning fashion wears for me. Then I resell here as my own and keep all the profit.

    Sadly, the last stock I bought from China has finished and I haven’t been able to get more because of the lockdown. Some people have dropped their goods with me and we have agreed on my own percentage. My plan for today is to sell as many as I can so that I can earn it.

    TUESDAY:

    I go to the market 4- 5 days a week. I go on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.  Sometimes, depending on the sales for the week, I don’t go on Thursday. However, no matter what happens, I don’t go on Tuesday and Sunday at all.

    Tuesday is for sex.

    At least it used to be. In the past when I was still a game boy, my Tuesdays were for that. I used to call myself a game boy because I was a multi-player. I had different partners. But now I am in a serious relationship and things have changed. In the past, Monday nights were exciting in anticipation of Tuesday. These days, things are no longer the same. 

    My routine in the past was like this: if it’s a first time visitor, I’ll change the bedsheet. I’ll clean the house and also make sure the curtain is not dirty. I’ll even mop the house. Then I’ll spray perfume, have a bath, scrub my teeth, and wait for the babe.

    However, if it’s a regular person that’s coming over and we are already sexing, I don’t need to change the bedsheet. It’s not that the bedsheet won’t be clean but it’s not going to be a special affair or I’ll overdo the cleaning. Also, I always make sure my mouth doesn’t smell because I hate bad breath. I enjoy being able to talk to women with confidence. The babe has to enjoy a cool scent when I am talking to her. It also makes kissing easier. If my mouth is smelling when I’m talking, the girl will just be running away.

    Anyhow sha, I no longer have sex on Tuesdays. My girlfriend isn’t available like that. She’s at home and she can’t leave the house without her parents’ permission. Even when she leaves, we have to plan the lie she’ll tell her parents ahead. Coupled with lockdown, everything is just somehow.

    It hasn’t been easy, but I feel that this relationship is meaningful and heading somewhere. Based on that, I decided to stop being a player. 

    Nowadays, I sleep on Tuesdays because the rest is also as important. And that’s exactly what I will do today.

    WEDNESDAY:

    Corona no reach Yaba market. 

    Today, I shook one guy, and he said that he didn’t know why he shook me. I told him that since Corona started, plenty of people have died, and as long as we haven’t died, we will keep shaking ourselves. 

    The only reason I wear a mask is to avoid Nigerian police. They are arresting people without masks and using it to make money. 

    In the market, we shake, we hug because nothing dey happen. In fact, there’s nothing like sanitizer. If you come to the market every day for one week, you’ll forget about this virus issue. It’s people who don’t go to crowded places that still talk about the virus. If you go to a crowded place regularly, you’ll get used to it. I am tired of wearing face masks because the sun is beating me and I can’t breathe well in the market. Everywhere is choked. It’s just unnecessary punishment. 

    Yaba market has its own culture. And our culture is full of werey werey people and we have all agreed that nothing dey happen.

    In the first week after we resumed, we all used to tie nose masks. After one week, people got tired and stopped wearing it. 

    I believe that this Corona thing in Nigeria is a business. I think so because I don’t personally know anyone that Corona has killed. If it’s really in Nigeria the way it is in other countries, why have 5 million Nigerians not died by now? The way it’s potent in other countries, why is it not that potent in Nigeria? And why is it mostly Lagos state that they say people are dying? Don’t they die in other states?

    Abroad people are even more civilised than we are, yet they got the virus. In Nigeria, we go to ATMs all the time, we press the keys without wearing gloves. In a public house like face me I face you, people share the same toilet and bathroom. If it’s real, how will they survive it?

    The bus I sit in every day, it’s 3 per seat. They say Corona lasts for a long time on the surface and yet we are still surviving it. Why aren’t we dead? Are you telling me that God is saving Nigerians? 

    We keep saying no church yet some people keep going to church secretly and we don’t know. Police who are supposed to follow the rules will grab you and put you in their motor when you are not supposed to touch anyone. Police will arrest you for not using face masks but they too aren’t wearing it. Can I say that God is protecting us or what’s the explanation?

    As I am like this, anything that has made me survive in Yaba market since we reopened, I can never die! I can’t contract Coronavirus. (See disclaimer below)

    I have survived two months now since they opened the markets. I believe the politicians are using it for business, but that’s politics for you. 

    Nothing like Coronavirus at my side. I shake people every blessed day and I never die. 

    THURSDAY:

    I am not going to the market today. Thursdays are usually dull around the middle of the month because people have finished spending their salaries. People come to shop well around that end of the month time. I am using today to rest.

    I plan to do laundry and just balance. I am going to watch plenty Korean films and just enjoy myself. The very first Korean film that captured my heart was Ju Mong. It’s even the only movie title I remember. I don’t remember titles, I only remember how the film made me feel. I fell in love with Ju Mong because of their culture and tradition. I like the way they practise their government in Korea. They have a monarchy and normal government, so sometimes they clash against each other. It’s nice to see a different culture from what I am used to. 

    Another reason I enjoy Korean movies is because it’s real to some extent. At least better than American films. In American films, they’ll shoot someone and the person will hide inside the river for 10 days. Afterwards, they will come out and treat themselves. I don’t like that kind of movie. 

    FRIDAY:

    Coronavirus taught us a lot of lessons in Nigeria. Firstly, overwork kills. You need time to relax. If you watch this lockdown time, people came out fresh. It’s just the hunger that spoiled everything. If people had money to eat well, maybe they would have come out fresher.

    I was discussing with my boys the other day. In the past, we used to come to the market from 8 am – 8 pm every day. However, these days, because of government rules, we open from 9 am – 4 pm. If you check it, we are making the same money we used to make from working morning till night. Because everything now has time, we can plan ourselves well.

    We overstress ourselves in Nigeria. We are supposed to have time to rest. Work for some time and rest for the other. In this Yaba, plenty of people pray for KAI to lock their shops so they can at least use that day to rest. You know there’s no public holiday for market people. No New Year, no Christmas. You rest when they lock your shop or Corona comes.

    Lockdown has been a blessing because slim people have added weight. Somehow, instead of adding weight, I have gotten slimmer,even though I eat. They should count me as people that hunger is killing because I didn’t add weight.

    Today, before I go to the market, I plan to drink tea. Maybe it’ll help my condition.

    SATURDAY:

    I made a mistake at work earlier today. I forgot to remove money for one of the goods I supplied. When I realized it, I went to tell the person I supplied.

    The guy denied the mistake with his life. 

    He was shouting that I removed the complete money. I wanted to rush the guy but I realized that if I fight the guy, I’ll lose. Last last, I’m the one that made the mistake. I just told the guy that the money will not change his life and I freed it. It’s street hustle and e don guy me be that.

    I’ve been thinking about the incident throughout the day. How could they run me street? A whole me. This thing is scattering my day.

    Abeg, I am going home to sleep. 

    SUNDAY:

    Sundays are for domestic work and sleep. I usually clean and cook. After what happened yesterday, I find myself thinking about my future today.

    Yaba is too rough. I don’t even like Yaba business like that. It’s just that I have spent a long time and people know me here already. If I had better money, I wouldn’t be in Yaba. I don’t really gbadun their lifestyle here.  But I also catch fun too so it balances. 

    I met all the girls I’ve dated in Yaba. I have also made all my money from Yaba. In addition, on the days where sales are bad, I have friends that make me laugh and happy. These are people I play with, laugh with, cry with, fight with. My life revolves around Yaba because that’s where I spend all my time. I go to work during the day and I return home at night.

    The fact that too many people know me here also bothers me. If I start my own business now, people will start replaying my history. They will start saying I started from here to here. If I don’t play with them, they’ll say I am now proud. That they know where I am coming from. The eye service is too much, but this is the only place I have known.

    This is my life. If I leave Yaba today, my plan is to jaapa. 

    I’d like a fresh start – a chance to meet new people – a chance to become a new person.

    Disclaimer: Coronavirus is very real and it shouldn’t be joked with. If you or anyone you know exhibits any symptom, please contact the NCDC here.

    Glossary:

    Jaapa – To relocate from Nigeria.

    Werey Werey – A crazy or mad person (derogatory)

    E don guy me – He has cheated me.

    Gbadun – To enjoy something.

    Check back every Tuesday by 9 am for more “A Week In The Life ” goodness, and if you would like to be featured or you know anyone who fits the profile, fill this form.

  • COVID

    Ever since the lockdown eased up, there has been a relaxed atmosphere among Nigerians. Fewer people are wearing masks and there are “small parties” happening all over the country. Understandably, people are tired. 

    How worried would you feel if you avoided these parties, followed the necessary guidelines, and still got COVID-19? Today, Lisa and Tomiwa share their experience with taking precautions and still getting infected.

    When did you first suspect that you had COVID-19?

    My wife fell ill, and that made us get tested. I wouldn’t have known I was sick if she hadn’t fallen ill because I’m completely asymptomatic.

    Damn, what were her symptoms?

    She had a fever that lasted two or three nights. The type where the fever disappeared during the daytime and came back at night. She was also tired – a lot of fatigue – like constantly tired.

    Then she lost her sense of smell.

    Wow.

    Prior to her falling ill, she would go to work once a week. Other than that, we only went out for essential shopping like groceries. And that was like once every two weeks. Apart from grocery shopping, I’ve not had any reason to go out because I’ve been working from home.

    At the beginning of her illness, I think she went to work once – One day when she was feeling better, and before we got the diagnosis that it was COVID-19. Immediately we got the diagnosis, we informed people in our compound. Now, we’re just isolating inside our house.

    We are fitness people. Before this started; we were dosing up on vitamins, keeping fit and just staying healthy. Our cook came in one Monday morning after going home for the weekend and said he had malaria, so we sent him home. We told him to go isolate and get tested. Then my wife fell ill the next day.

    We are a little bit concerned that she might have gotten it from him. Now it’s just the two of us at home and I’ve been looking after her. It’s been two weeks of giving her vitamins, food, and just kind of keeping the house together. She’s been fine and hasn’t been doing too much. 

    Has this affected the quality of your 9-5?

    Not significantly.

    The best thing about working from home is that your schedule is your own. If you want to wake up earlier, you can do that. If you want to work later in the evening, you can also do that. The difference between being in the office and now is that I’ve done a hundred loads of laundry since this thing started. 

    It just feels like I’m always washing clothes. It feels like I’m always doing dishes. It’s just the two of us at home, why are there so many bloody dishes? Why are there so many bowls? 

    You just do stuff on your own schedule. If you have a call, you take your call. The thing about calls is that if it’s a conference call where you’re not the one talking, you can mute and be doing the dishes while it’s happening. So, you’re taking your phone and moving it around while you’re doing things. You finish a call, you make lunch, you do some work, you do the dishes.

    Because we’re home, it’s a bit easier to manage the time pressure and the logistics of the thing. If she were ill and I had to go to the office, that would change the equation completely. In a sense, it’s a blessing that it’s happening this way.

    I’m curious. Are you saying she got Corona even with preventive measures?

    In the first two months of the quarantine – like March, April and most of May, we were super strict. As I said, we have someone who works with us, but for at least the first 8 weeks, we just sent him home – and we were paying salary o. Just sit down in your house and be collecting salary, don’t come to work. We also didn’t receive visitors.

    The lockdown eased in like two or three stages. When the government eased it the second time, we were like “we’re tired”, so we let the guy come back to work.

    Then, after they released the lockdown again, my wife started going to work.

    When the cook came back to work – we told him to have a shower, change his outside clothes to inside clothes, and wear a mask before coming into the house. We knew that wasn’t the most ideal protocol but we relaxed a little bit, with the mask.

    Why didn’t your wife continue working from home?

    She works in manufacturing and they sometimes have to go in.

    Ah, I see. What has been the scariest day since she got ill?

    The scariest day health-wise was the first day. She had a fever so bad that I really wanted to take her to the hospital but we knew that hospitals would turn us back because of COVID fear. She had really bad headaches, and was super tired; that was worrying. When she lost her sense of smell, we were like “oh, this might be COVID.” Then when we got our results, we were like “right, we’re positive.” 

    Then there was having to tell people. There’s still a huge stigma to it; different people react differently. Some people were angry with us for not telling them quickly enough, others were really worried for us – We were just like we have this thing but don’t be scared, she seems to be okay. Thankfully, I think her case is relatively mild. She hasn’t had any breathing issues. She’s been taking her vitamins and just resting. She took paracetamol to break the fever. But it hasn’t been as bad as some of the cases we’ve heard of.

    So, I think the health scare hasn’t been as bad for us.

    Whew! How did you guys even get tested?

    So we did two tests.

    A friend had the antibody tests and we took two of those. It’s a blood test that you do at home. The way it’s supposed to work is that if you have the disease or you’ve had it, there are antibodies to show that your body is fighting it. Or that your body developed antibodies to fight it.

    There’s an IgG antibody. Basically, if you have it, it means your body is currently fighting it. Then, there’s IgM which means you had it and your body developed antibodies to fight it. So, we took that and they came back negative. But we were advised to still take a proper COVID test.

    My dad told us about Mainland hospital in Yaba where we could get it done. So we just drove down there and got tested, it took about 90 minutes and it was completely free. They sent us back home, and we got our results back in about 3 or 4 days.

    How did you guys handle the apprehension as you waited? 

    She became sick on a Tuesday. We thought it doesn’t seem like COVID. It’s just a headache, fever, tiredness. Then by Friday of that week, she lost her sense of smell. So, we were like “ah, this might be COVID.”

    Before we even knew it was COVID, we went to a regular hospital. They did a blood test for malaria and it came back negative. We then went to Mainland hospital in Yaba to get tested for COVID. And remember, it took them 3-4 days to get our results. So, we were basically managing it ourselves for almost two weeks.

    The instructions from the internet have been to boost your immune system: Eat food that’ll boost your immune system. Take vitamins like Vitamin c, Zinc, Vitamin D and then a general multivitamin. If you have a fever, take paracetamol. So, there’s no chloroquine, or treating yourself for malaria and all of that. Just treat your symptoms, isolate at home, and drink lots of fluids. 

    We did have some apprehension after we took the test that she might have to go to an isolation centre, but we’ve been able to isolate at home. 

    So, it’s been like DIY?

    Ish.

    Cool. What about this current crisis gives you hope based on your own experience?

    There are two or three things that give us hope:

    One – She got it and it wasn’t as bad as we’ve heard it can be. I don’t know if it’s because we have a lighter strain in Nigeria. I don’t know if it’s because she has no relevant underlying conditions. She was in really good health ahead of time. We are fitness people and take vitamins even when there’s nothing on the horizon. If you have a healthy immune system and no underlying condition, there’s a possibility that it won’t be that bad. I’m not saying people shouldn’t take it seriously, but we got a relatively mild case of it.

    Secondly, I’ve been asymptomatic. so that gives some kind of hope. Like my test came back positive, but I’ve been fine. I don’t know if I’m immune or anything, but I’m fine.

    Thirdly, the testing was efficient even though 90 mins is a long time to wait. To be fair, we were number 98 on the queue. There were a lot of people and it was relatively well-spaced and organized. It was orderly, there was not too much shalaye. The process was just to fill this form and give them that information, then we got tested. It looked like it was a well-run process.

    The results take some time to come out, which can be a bit annoying. Other than that, it’s fine.

    Nice. How have you been coping with the isolation boredom?

    So, both of us have been working out at home. Even with this thing, we’re still exercising. It’s also been work, tv, and books. 

    The silver lining of this thing is that I’ve never hung out alone with my wife for so long – that’s a good thing. I’m enjoying that.

    COVID

  • 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.

    Tell me that story that’s going to cross your mind now from when you were a kid

    I was watching a movie on VHS and we needed to get a tissue to clean the tape. So I told my dad “let’s just buy it, it’s just ₦20”. My dad asked me to beg God for forgiveness because I said “just ₦20” Hahaha. I think I was about 6, and this was in 2001/2002. 

    Also, there was that one time in 2005 when my dad gave me 50k to keep for him. I kept that money, and you know what happened? 

    What? 

    I forgot where I kept it. Hahaha. My dad was angry, but Nigeria was better at the time. I didn’t find it for another month though. He beat me and then took me to Mr Biggs to apologise. 

    You know, 2005 was a generally interesting year. 

    I’m listening.

    My dad was a pastor. He was also a businessman, but he had a partner who did all the day to day running of the business. They were traders – they imported stuff and sold. They were also taking their proceeds into real estate, buy properties and stuff – they were diversifying, basically. 

    But my dad made one mistake. 

    What did he do? 

    Trust. They were friends, so he didn’t put all the details in the paper. This man duped my dad of ₦16 million. 

    What?! 

    Yes. It hurts to date. 

    It’s not even my money and it hurts. 

    My dad could have done better. I didn’t even know the money was that much. I overheard him talking about it later. It was a big big issue at the time. He called church elders, they had meetings. His partner agreed to pay back, then he turned his back. It was so annoying, watching my father frustrated. 

    Do you know what my dad did?

    Tell me. 

    My dad let all that money go. He was a man of peace, and to be honest, I think it was a weakness on his part. He said he wouldn’t allow anything to get between him and his God. That’s why sometimes I don’t like the Christian way. It kept happening, debts that never got recovered. 

    Wow. 

    ₦500k here. ₦1 million there. It was such a rough time. 

    Do you think it affected you in any way? 

    I think we’d have just had better odds generally. Maybe a better secondary school. Maybe it’d have been invested in something that’d be useful to us. When he was alive, I knew my dad was just working to pay our school fees at some point, and I pitied him. There were four of us. 

    Ah, he passed away. Sorry about your loss man. 

    2016 – I finished university the following year. He was 55. He used to tell me what he’d have given us had he not been miscalculating his money decisions. He wanted all of us to school abroad, he wanted to get each of us a car when we finished school at some point. A trust fund, all of that. Gone. 

    What did he leave behind? 

    A house. Some landed property in a remote place. To be honest, I’m not even sure anymore because I haven’t seen a document. Sometimes I wonder what was going through his mind. 

    You clearly think about this a lot. What about your mum? 

    She’s a teacher. I don’t have a relationship with her beyond the mother-son one with her, it’s just there. 

    What’s the first thing you did to earn money?

    I’d just finished school and was tired of staying at home so my mum told her pastor who knew someone – the CEO of the firm. It was supposed to be a ‘marketing’ job. 

    What I quickly realised is that it was a sales job at an agency where they sold shaving sticks. My salary was ₦30k in 2017 – I started Uni in 2013 and finished in 2017. I’d go to the office to take stock, get transport money and trek around streets to sell stuff so I can meet my target. It was crazy. 

    Tell me about your most memorable day on that job. 

    I was supposed to sell at a market, but I went there and no one wanted to buy. so I started selling in the streets. I trekked for at least 15km that day. Then I saw one church and took a nap on the pews. That nap lasted for 4 hours. 

    That is intense. What was your daily target? 

    It is what it is. ₦16800 or so. I realised that in the corner streets, I could sell to smaller stores and people with kiosks. I eventually quit, of course. 

    When you quit the sales job, what did you do next? 

    I went to serve in April 2018. I was a teacher in a very small town. I earned ₦5k monthly, plus ₦19,800. 

    What type of life did that fetch you?

    I used the ₦5k for data. I used the ₦19800 to buy provisions for the month. Whenever I got broke, I’d call my uncle or mom. 

    Post-NYSC?

    I finished serving in March 2019. I was unemployed for a while, then an editor from a legacy publisher called me and asked me to write for him for ₦25k a month – I was writing about 3 articles per day. I did the job for a month, but I was unmotivated because I like money. Luckily, I got another job as a content coordinator of sorts. Basically, I was in charge of reviewing people’s submissions, and I was doing that for at least 1,000 articles a month. 

    Wild. How long were you there for?

    4 months. I interviewed for a job at another startup. This one was a digital marketing role. Also, the offer was double what I was previously earning. The work was also double. I started there at the end of 2019. 

    Something interesting happened. 

    Tell me. 

    One day, they sent us a mail that we’d gotten a salary increase. I was happy. What I didn’t know what that I’d just lost my weekends. we started working 6 days a week 

    How much was the raise?

    +₦9,000. Hahaha. 

    So, the almighty 2020. What plans did you have at the beginning of the year? 

    Since I’m just about 2 years or so into my career, I didn’t aim too high to be honest. I just set my mind to learn as much as I can. Get a new job. Learn new skills on the job. 

    Despite getting a raise at my job, I wasn’t learning as much as I wanted, so I started job hunting in February. For someone in a formative stage, I need quality experience. I feel like I made a mistake, but I’m not angry at myself anymore. 

    So it was good for your salary cap but bad for personal growth.

    Something like that. Anyway, I got informed that I’d be getting placed on furlough at the end of March. Since then, I’ve been doing little dummy projects to keep my brain active.

    Ouch. How much cash did you have left when the furlough began?

    I had about ₦150k. 

    How much do you have left?

    ₦8k. It went to mostly data and food. I sent a friend ₦10k for his birthday. I think it was a mistake. I shouldn’t have done that. He’s a good friend, and I love him so much. So –

    You know what? I don’t regret it. If I hadn’t sent it, I’d still have spent it on something. It is what it is. 

    What’s the toughest thing about being without a job in this period? 

    Apart from money, I don’t know. I was unemployed for 4 months before I got my first job. I used to feel useless and unsmart. I was just fresh off NYSC with no relevant experience. Now. I’m calm. I know I’m smart. I know I’ll soon get a job. In fact, I see this time as a rest period. I do lots of sleeping and writing. Now, I have some experience. I understand how recruitments work. I know more people who’ve access to jobs.

    I also now know my job isn’t my identity. If I rest. I’ll get a job. If I don’t, I’ll still get one.

    Let’s say you get a job offer right now, how much are you asking for?

    At least ₦200k.

    Let’s talk about the future, and how you want it to be different from the past. 

    For starters, I don’t like to think I have an inheritance. I want to have legal documents in all my dealings. 

    I plan to educate myself before investing in anything. I’m off land wahala. before putting my money anywhere, there’ll be something legally binding. No trust. Never!

    Also, I see myself heading the comms or marketing team of a top financial institution. I don’t know when. let’s see how the next 5 years pan out. that’ll be a big determiner.

    Random, but did your dad have a will?

    Will ke? For where?

    What’s something you want right now but can’t afford?

    A new laptop and phone. My current laptop has been since 2015. I bought it for ₦66k at the time. 

    What’s the last you paid for that required serious planning?

    I’d say I paid ₦55k last year for a course on the financial models, but my mum paid.

    When do you think you’ll be called back to work?

    I’ve already zeroed my mind that I’m unemployed. The chances of us being called back are slim, I like to think. In the time being, I just want my skills to get better. I want to be a better writer. I want to learn the technicalities of marketing and comms. I want to experience a PR or ad agency. 

    Let’s talk about financial regrets

    I’m learning the importance of emergency funds the hard way. 

    I ask as routine, but what’s your happiness level on a scale of 1-10, and why?

    5. I’d be happier if I have a job. but I can’t kill over a situation I didn’t cause.

    What happens when you run out of your last ₦8k? 

    Honestly, I don’t know. I’m even going to use about $5 out of it to learn how to br proficient with PowerPoint. Luckily, I have a support system. Thank God. I’m just going to keep looking for paid opportunities.