• Have you considered including erotic spanking on your to-dos with your partner or you want to try it but have been held back by your Nigerian mother’s home training? 

    Take this quiz and we’ll tell you where you belong.

  • You’re on a mission, and it involves getting your crush to like you back, or at least like you enough to suck face with. Throw those generic good morning messages you found on Google away and use these proven texts to win their heart. You’re welcome.

    “May NEPA keep the light till morning”

    If this doesn’t tell your Nigerian crush that you love and care about them, nothing else will. Has Nigerian heat dealt with you in a dark room before?

    “Dream of Canada”

    The Nigerian dream is to claim your Nigerian roots from the safety of “the abroad”, which is why this good night message is the best way to show your crush that you wish them well.

    “You survived another day in Nigeria. Just sleep, you deserve it”

    This is a plus if your crush lives in Lagos. They deserve all the encouragement they need after spending their whole day in traffic fighting keke and danfo drivers.

    “Don’t let the mosquitoes bite”

    Everyone and their cousin know that mosquitoes plus heat while trying to sleep is only slightly worse than the seven plagues. What better way to show your love?

    “Don’t forget to turn on the switch when you plug your phone”

    Have you ever plugged in your phone before bed, only to wake up and realise forgot to turn on the switch? Yep, show your crush you don’t want them to experience it.

    “May your neighbour’s generator stop working”

    You know that trying to sleep to the sound of “I better pass my neighbour” generators is the absolute ghetto, which is why this message is sure to have your love interest melting. 

    “Sleep so soundly that your alarm clock goes off unnoticed”

    Let’s face it — no one enjoys being woken up by annoying alarm sounds anyway. Your job will wait for you.

    If, after all these, they don’t fall in love, they don’t deserve you. Periodt.

    NEXT READ: These Nigerians Hate Having Crushes

  • One thing we don’t like about relationships is that you and your significant other will fight. Fighting brings out all of the annoying behaviours, such as ignoring each other, being passive-aggressive — and if you’re really petty — throwing shade. And If you’re as petty as I am and always want to win fights, this is where I can help you. Follow me.

    Which partner? 

    If you’re single and you opened this article, I don’t know what you’re doing here. How can you fight with someone you don’t have? Shift one side. 

    Create a burner account and start dragging them online 

    Do this: While you’re dragging your partner by their edges with your burner account, you’re out there defending them with your real account. Your partner will see you as their ride-or-die and will forget whatever the fight was about. Plus, you can hold this act of kindness over their head for later. 

    Cry

    Two things can happen here: they’ll feel sorry for you and apologise, then the fight ends, or it’ll get awkward, they’ll feel weird about you crying and just apologise.

    ALSO READ: 5 Obvious Signs You Should Totally Back Out of a Fight

    Buy them food 

    No matter how upset somebody is, food always makes them feel better. That’s why people eat when they’re upset. Buy your partner their favourite food and you’ve won. 

    Send them money

    I believe there’s no problem in this life that money can’t solve. And that includes the problem of winning a fight. Send your partner money with the narration: “Are we still fighting?” That fight you were having will cease to exist in the universe. 

    Remove your clothes in front of them  

    They’ll be turned on so fast that they won’t even remember what you were fighting about. You can always count on horniness to come through for you. 

    Whyne them 

    Call them all sorts of sweet names. Hype your partner up like your life depends on it. Before you know it, they’ll start blushing foolishly and saying, “Stop jo,” or, “Abeg get out.” 

    Surprise baecation 

    You give your bae a chance to leave this country to go somewhere and relax, and you expect them to continue fighting with you? You’ve won future fights sef. 

    Call their parents 

    If there’s anybody that can set your partner straight, it’s their parents. And you already know parents don’t want anything that will upset their future in-law. So they’ll gladly call their child and tell them to behave. 

    Always bring up your ex 

    They’ll be so shocked at the audacity that they’ll let the fight go. Because clearly, you’re not normal. 

    Send them nudes while at work

    Create sexual tension by sending them sexy naked pictures while they’re busy working. That’s what they’ll think about all day instead of the fight. Then they’ll rush home to you to fornicate, and gbam, the fight don end. 

    Act like you don’t know you’re fighting

    I promise you, they’ll be confused. Your partner will begin to question whether you two are actually fighting. At some point, they’ll give in. 

    ALSO READ: Love Life: We Didn’t Think We’d Fight Because We Were Friends First

  • Today, we’re bringing an end to the age-long debate of which child parents love the most.

    Whether it’s the first, middle, or last born, you can only be sure after you take this quiz.

    Choose the ones that are true for you:

  • There are times when you see things that other people have that you like and want. Sometimes, what you want is somebody else’s boyfriend. Here are the pros and cons of doing that first. 

    Pro: You can enjoy his money with no feelings attached 

    You can finish his money without feeling guilty. You’re not his partner, so you don’t have to worry about his future or the future of your relationship. If he can’t afford to pay rent, it doesn’t affect you because you’re not the one that’ll end up with him. Spend that man’s money with your full chest. 

    Con: They will beat you 

    See ehn, if by any chance you’re caught, they will beat you shege and disgrace you. You may end up in the ICU. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. 

     

    Pro: You get to fornicate with other people without guilt 

    He’s not your boyfriend, so no commitment. That means you can fornicate with as many people as you want without feeling guilty. If he begins to complain, tell him he should go and meet his babe and not stress you. 

    Con: You can’t complain if they cheat 

    As you’re doing your own, just know that he can do his own too. Because he’s cheating with you doesn’t mean that you’re the only one. And you’re in no position to get jealous or upset because he’s not your man. 

    Pro: You get a boyfriend 

    You may get some of the perks of having a boyfriend, such as dates, cute messages, gifts, etc. At the same time, you don’t have to do the duties that a partner would, such as family visits, being friends with his friends or worrying too much about fighting. 

    Con: You have to hide 

    You may have to travel to FESTAC to find a decent place to spend time together, where the original person that owns the man, won’t catch you. If you go anywhere public, friends of his partner or the actual partner may see you. And kasala might burst. 

     ALSO READ: The Nigerian Lover’s Guide to Cheating Respectfully

    ALSO READ: What’s the Difference Between Main Boyfriend Penis and Side Guy

    Pro: You don’t have to do too much 

    His actual partner has everything covered. In terms of gifts, intentional communication, quality time, etc. You don’t have to make too much of an effort; somebody is already doing all the hard work. Just show up, collect what you want to collect, and go. 

    Con: You’ll be hidden

    He probably saves your name as MTN. SMH no manners.

    Pro: He’ll give you a dick to ride on 

    When he’s upset about something that happened with his partner, he’ll come to you for comfort. Added to that comfort,  is fornication. After all, I’m-upset-and-I-need-someone-to-talk-to knacks is the second-best type of sex after we-shouldn’t-be-doing-this sex. 

    Con: You’re always a shoulder to cry on

    On the flip side, every time he and his partner fight, he’ll come and cry and whine to you, and that’s not what you signed up for. You’re not there to help him sort out his relationship issues. 

    ALSO READ: 6 Unmissable Signs You’re The Side Guy

  • Nigerian men have had their fair share of bad relationships. For this article, I was particularly interested in finding out the moment they realised they deserved better and walked away. I asked a few people, and this is what they said.

    “This person was stealing my joy, and I couldn’t stand for that”

    — Tobi*, 27

    I’m typically a happy-go-lucky person; I like to have fun and enjoy life, and I like to spend time with my family and friends. But the person I was dating at one time was sapping all my joy and taking more away from me than they were giving. 

    Over time, I realised I wasn’t happy in the relationship. At some point, it hit me that I was spending a lot of time with this person because they liked quality time, but they were not making me happy. It didn’t make sense. We were quarrelling constantly. Then, we had this big fight that finally made us call off the relationship. They reached out to me to get back together, but I realised I deserved better, and I was comfortable and happy being single. 

    “I hustled and worked hard so that we could both be happy, and that’s how I became her ATM”

     — Henry*, 25

    The last relationship I was in lasted four years. I was a foolish lover boy. When we started dating, she called me broke. She made subtle comments about the fact that I didn’t have money. Because of that, I hustled and worked hard for two years so that we could both be happy. Then, my new nickname became ATM. She had access to my debit card and she’d spend as much as she liked while I was working my ass off. The moment I realised that I deserved better was when my eyes cleared, and it hit me that the feelings I had for this woman were one-sided. She never made any effort towards the relationship; it was always about money. When I had money, she’d be all over me, spending it anyhow she liked. When I became temporarily broke, she’d begin to drop hints about not wanting to be with a broke man. I was putting my best foot forward in the relationship and trying to be my best for her, but she didn’t care. When I realised that was the kind of person she was and she wasn’t going to change, I walked away. 

    RELATED: “I Was Miserable AF” — Nigerian Men Talk About Leaving Toxic Relationships

    “My friend asked why I was putting all my effort and feelings into someone who obviously didn’t like me”

    —Ahmed, 31

    I wasn’t in a relationship with this person, but we were in the talking stage for a bit. When we first started talking, her energy was always on and off. Sometimes, she’d be very chatty with me; other times, she’d give me one-word replies after ignoring for a while. I just assumed this was because she had a demanding job in the IT industry. This was also the reason we cancelled on dates quite a lot. When we finally went on a date, I went straight to the point and told her about my feelings for her and where I wanted our relationship to go. Then she talked about this guy she had been seeing recently who had just relocated to the US. She said we could still try for a relationship to see where it went. 

    After spending a lot of time together, texting, calling, and sharing car rides to work (her car had issues at some point), I finally decided to ask her to be my girlfriend. She gave me the same answer she gave at the beginning of our first date. After that, I just decided to back off. I was heartbroken. I told her I’d need some distance from her, which meant I couldn’t pick her up and drop her off at work and home. But she guilt-tripped me into continuing by making me feel bad and promising me her car would be fixed soon. She knew how much I liked her. During the car rides, she would act like she liked me, so my feelings for her intensified instead of going away. 

    I realised I deserved better when a friend of mine was in the car with us one day. After we dropped her off, my friend asked why I was putting all my effort and feelings into someone who obviously didn’t like me. I explained the whole situation, and my friend told me to drop her immediately, that I was wasting my time, and I deserved much better. 

    “The lack of communication and reciprocity on her side was what I couldn’t stand”

    — Tunde*, 25

    I had been receiving the barest minimum from my girlfriend for about five months. I was always the one who had to call and text for long periods without a response or feedback. When I got one, it was an excuse about being busy with work. We both had 9-5s, and it had recently become a long-distance relationship.

    The funny part is, I started working first, and she was on my neck to always keep in touch despite my schedule. Her turn came, and all I got was radio silence. The lack of communication and reciprocity on her side was what I couldn’t stand. But I didn’t know how bad it was till a friend of mine asked me about her, and I told him everything. Doing that helped me realise that I was being shortchanged. I was like, “Is this really me?” That’s when I realised I was doing too much for nothing, and I ended the relationship.

    “My ex constantly reminded me in every way possible that I didn’t have the kind of money she wanted”

     — Emeka*, 29

    My ex constantly reminded me in every way possible that I didn’t have the kind of money she wanted. She was the first daughter of her family, so there was a lot of pressure on her to take care of her siblings. I understood that, and I tried my best for her. But no matter what I gave her, it wasn’t enough. Aside from the family pressure, I think she was generally greedy. One time, she told me I gave her the least amount of money for her birthday. I can’t even begin to describe how badly that statement hurt. 

    The moment I knew I deserved better was when she cheated. When I questioned her, she told me nothing happened, and that she and the man she went to see just laid on the bed. She didn’t even make an effort to lie to me properly. 

    ALSO READ: Who Do These 6 Married Nigerian Men Talk to When Times Get Rough?

  • The subject of today’s Sex Life is a 23-year-old woman who loves giving blowjobs. She talks about her curiosity about what made men tick, not enjoying sex because she couldn’t tell them what made her tick, finding her voice and how it helped her prioritise her sexual health. 

    Tell me about your first sexual experience

    I was 18, and it was with a secondary school crush of mine. I went over to his house to chill, we started making out, I don’t know what initiated it, but I do know I wanted to give him a blowjob. I had never given one before. All I knew about it, I learned from porn. But that didn’t stop me from trying. He kept complimenting me on how good it was and for not using teeth. He also returned the favour by giving me head; a win-win situation. The only downside was having a sore throat days later. 

    Penetrative sex happened a whole year later. I was in university at this time and in a relationship. It was easily the most disappointing experience of my entire life. I didn’t have high expectations of my first time, but I could still tell it could be better. At a point, I started asking myself if this was the sex everyone kept hyping up. I was thoroughly frustrated. 

    Why do you think it was so bad? 

    He was obsessed with porn, and it showed in the way he had sex. Everything was theatrical, and he wasn’t invested in things I liked. His only redeeming quality was his fingers. He was good with those, but he never fingered me long enough to make me cum because he didn’t care enough about my pleasure. After a couple of months, the relationship ended, and I continued looking for good sex. 

    RELATED: Sex Life: Vaginismus Isn’t Letting Me Enjoy Sex

    How did that journey go? 

    I ended up with partner number two, who I was head over heels in love with. Sex with him was better because it was different. Unlike the man before him who kept trying to perform, he was gentler. I tried to communicate the things I liked with him because I wanted to enjoy sex. He’d listen but never actually do anything about it. Eventually, he told me he had decided to revive his faith in God, and as such, we couldn’t have sex again. 

    I went on to partner number 3, still at the age of 19, but something stuck with me. I found it almost impossible to tell any other partner what I liked during sex. Opening up to the last one about what I liked, and not having it implemented, made me not want to repeat it. I wasn’t talking to my partners about anything sex-related. I assumed that the same way society spoke about how much a woman should be able to please a man in bed, men were also expected to please their women. I was wrong, and I have the terrible sexual experiences to prove it. 

    If the sex was so bad, why keep having it? 

    Because I knew it could be better, and I was inquisitive. My parents never let me leave the house, so university was my one chance to act my age and explore everything I wanted to know. 

    My curiosity, combined with my inability to speak up about what I liked during sex, led me into situations I shouldn’t have been in. 

    RELATED: Sex Life: Sex Felt Like an Exam I Had to Pass

    Explain, please

    I’ve been curious about what makes men tick and what doesn’t, so I replicated many things I saw on the internet. Blowjobs seemed to be that thing. It also helped that I love the taste and feel of a dick in my mouth; like having a lollipop in my mouth. So, whenever I had sex with a man, a blowjob would come out of it. The only problem is that not all dicks should be in your mouth. 

    There’s this thing I like to call “dirty dick smell”. It’s this odour that hits you when a dick is dirty. It’s very common when the penis has been cooking for a while. It’s just a mixture of sweat and dick and is very unappealing. 

    The intelligent thing to do when you smell a dick like that is to ask them to take a shower or just outrightly refuse to blow them, but I didn’t want to humiliate them, so I’d put it in my mouth either way. The result? Days and days of battling an extremely sore throat. 

    That’s something that particularly annoyed me about sex with men who never put in any effort. Because when it came to sex, I was researching how to arch correctly, trying to eliminate my gag reflex, being called the throat goat and giving sloppy top, but I couldn’t even get one orgasm out of it — risking my physical health for loads of mediocre sex. Sometimes, I wanted to bite down on the dick while it was in my mouth.

    Did the blowjobs stop?

    No. I enjoyed the power trip that came with giving blowjobs. It was a turn-on for me; I just had to make it more sanitary. When I eventually gathered the balls, I started asking men to take a shower before we had sex. Sometimes, they’d act embarrassed, but my health was more important. It was either that or nothing.

    Finding my voice also stopped the sufferhead Olympics I engaged in regarding sex. Men would tell me they never had orgasms from oral sex, and I’d get on my knees because I felt like I had something to prove. No more. If you can’t get an orgasm through a blowjob, good luck to you and yours. 

    I’m ashamed it was not something I started doing earlier, but I had finally had enough. Better late than never, right? 

    Yeah, definitely. How did that go? 

    I met someone. He’s my current boyfriend, and I almost ruined what we had because I never spoke up. After a while of having sex with men who never cared about my orgasm, it built resentment, and I carried that into our new relationship. I’m glad he is patient enough to help me figure it out. 

    He asks me questions and is very intentional with foreplay and aftercare. Unlike my previous partners, he’s very open to having conversations with me about sex. 

    How’ll you rate your sex life on a scale of 1-10? 

    I’d give it a 7. I’m finally enjoying sex, but the sex is not as frequent as I’d like because it’s a long-distance relationship. 

    RELATED: Sex Life: My Goal Is to Pleasure Myself Not to Orgasm


    READ ALSO: Sunken Ships: Her Jealousy Almost Ruined My Life

  • Your partner is someone’s child and they deserve a Children’s Day gift.

    Take this quiz to figure out what to get your partner on that day.

  • Sunken Ships is a Zikoko series that explores the how and why of the end of all relationships — familial, romantic or just good old friendships.

    To *Yinka, *Chioma was the closest friend she had in university, until she asked her to make a choice: Jesus or their friendship.   

    Chioma approached me in school after a workshop my department organised, and as we walked to the bus stop together, we talked about everything, from the classes we shared to the lessons we learnt. The next day, we both actively searched for the other person in class and walked home together after. Thus began our friendship. 

    We had exchanged numbers, so once we both went our separate ways, we picked up our conversation over the phone. Although we lived at opposite ends of campus, we’d walk each other to and fro, eventually choosing a middle point to depart. We were inseparable. 

    I would go over to Chioma’s house just so she could braid my hair. We’d also bake cupcakes and fry eggs with crayfish and noodles. Sometimes, we’d ditch classes to do these things, just so we could spend more time in each other’s company. 

    Since we took whatever chance we could to spend time with each other, I started going to her church. Not because I felt drawn to God, but because she was there, and religion made her happy, so I was going to suck it up. Unfortunately, that’s where the problems started. 

    The closer we got to one another, the more obvious how different we were became. Before, the snide comments she made about feminists were only met with eye rolls from me, but then it started causing little fights that would make us not speak to each other for hours. The fights never lasted longer than a couple of hours though. We’d rush back to apologise to one another, promising to never let it happen again, but it would happen again. In fact, it happened a lot of times. And the fights started moving from arguing about feminism to religion. 

    The longer I spent in the church, the more miserable I became. Sometimes, I’d snap at her about Christianity, and it would lead to more fights. When I started talking more about being bisexual, she said I could pray it away, and then, that led to even more fights. 

    One day during the holidays, she made a statement on her WhatsApp status about how homosexuality is wrong, and I texted to ask if it was directed at me. We had a long conversation that made me realise, nobody is going to come back begging this time. We had two different stances we weren’t going to budge on, so we just stopped talking. Maybe we were waiting for the other to apologise. 

    School resumed, and we still didn’t talk to each other. When Chioma did try to reach out, I asked her if she finally saw me as a human being. She told me I was asking her to make a choice, Jesus or me. I told her that if that’s how she saw it, then she should make the choice. I wasn’t the answer she chose. She said she’d always choose Jesus, and we’ve barely said more than three words to each other since then.  

    You were so different. How didn’t you know the relationship was going to end? 

    We were both lonely people, and I think we bonded over that loneliness. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much other than an insane love for one another. Love wouldn’t always be enough, and I learnt that the hard way. You have to understand each other. Make allowance for one another and communicate greatly and compromise. 

    The thing is, I love her so much. I was willing to forgive everything she’d ever do. It’s just the day we had that conversation on WhatsApp, I had hoped she’d pick my side. Me, the person she claimed she loved more than anything. 

    She told me she loved me but hated what I did. I tried so hard to explain to her that what I did was me. It’s not something I had a choice in just as much as she didn’t have a choice when she was breathing, but she didn’t listen to me. That’s why I asked her if she was choosing Jesus over me. She told me it wasn’t a choice, and that Jesus will always be number 1. That statement hurt more than it should have, but it finally gave me the push I needed to leave. We should have stopped being friends after the fights about feminism and Christianity, but I forgave her every single time. 

    We were never a good fit, and that’s okay. Her faith is important to her. I respect that, but my sexuality is important to me just as much. Before, I thought we could have had a middle ground. Now? Not really. 

    How did you feel after you stopped talking? 

    A mess. Do you know how hard it is to break a routine? I had to physically stop myself from texting or calling her. I no longer knew what she was doing every time of the day. I’d see things we’d usually make inside jokes about, but I wasn’t able to share them with her. 

    When school resumed, I was still waking up early so I could go to her house before class. On occasion, I’d take walks close to her house because I was tempted to knock and ask her if she missed me the way I missed her. 

    What was the hardest part about seeing her in school? 

    Not being able to say hi. I felt like if I talk to her even once, I’d forget all the pain her statements caused me, and I’d move on. I couldn’t go back to being friends with someone who’s made it clear she doesn’t like a serious part of me. 

    How long has it been since the fight? 

    About three years. Almost four. We’ve had situations where we’ve had to talk because of assignments, but it wasn’t like how it was before, and I don’t think we’d ever get there again. 

    What if she apologised? 

    I don’t know. I’d have to be sure there’s actual changed behaviour. We’ve apologised to each other a lot of times in the past, and still gone back to doing the things we didn’t like. I’d have to know she’s changed, and if she has? I’d probably cry. I’ve missed her and her smile. 

    Have you considered apologising? 

    Yes, the first few weeks I spent without her was miserable, but if I didn’t apologise then, I wouldn’t now. She stood her ground and made her choice. I did the same. I won’t apologise to someone for their own homophobia. 

    Do you think anything good came out of the ship sinking?

    I definitely do. Cutting her off was what I needed to help me figure myself out, in a space with no judgement and condescension. I’m a queer woman, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s also definitely not something I’d stop being because someone doesn’t like it. I’ll be queer till the day I die, and that’s just how it is. 

    RELATED: Sunken Ships: Our Friendship Ended Because of My Childishness