Side Hustles | Zikoko!

Everyone wants to “make money while they sleep,” but what does passive income actually look like for Nigerians today?

In this article, we spoke to five Nigerians who are doing just that — from dividend stocks to short-term rentals and side hustles that now run themselves. They shared how they got started, how much they earn, and what it really takes to build an income that doesn’t require your 9–5 energy.

Spoiler: It’s not always as “passive” as it sounds.

“Agritech investing brings me extra money without getting my hands dirty” — Tunde*, 29, Bank Executive

What drove me to start: I’ve always liked the idea of making money from agriculture, but I couldn’t farm full-time. Then, in 2023, a friend introduced me to an Agritech platform that pools investors for farms and pays returns after harvest. My friend’s colleague runs the platform, and at the point my friend brought it to me, he’d made a 30% profit on his own investment. It seemed like a good way to make extra money without getting my hands dirty.

How I did it: I began with ₦300,000, split among three projects: poultry, maize, and plantain. I didn’t want to put all the money in one project to reduce risk. By harvest time, I had made a total profit of about 25% across the three different projects.

What I earn now: I mostly reinvest my profit, and right now, I have ₦1.5 million in two crops. These bring me around 20% ‑ 25% in annual returns during good cycles. So, that’s approximately ₦300,000 per year on my portfolio, or ₦25,000/month. Payments don’t come in monthly, though. It’s usually per harvest, which is yearly or quarterly. It feels like a reward for just leaving my cash somewhere.

That said, there’s risk in Agritech investing, and sometimes, crops just don’t do as well as you hoped. In 2024, I invested ₦400k in fish farming and barely made my capital back because most of the fish died. So, I try to study risk levels and farmers’ track records before putting my money.

“I wake up to see money in my account” — Diane*, 28, Digital Marketer

What drove me to start: I got my first digital marketing job out of uni in 2019. I handled social media content and ads. After a while, I realised I was always reading blogs and forum posts about affiliate marketing: you share a link, someone buys, you earn. I liked that I didn’t need to worry about stocking and delivering physical goods. The risk was lower. So around 2022, I decided to try.

How I did it: I chose a niche I understand — beauty & skincare, because I love trying new creams and products. I converted my amateur writing blog into a space where I reviewed products, wrote “before/after” content and shared discount codes. I also started posting regularly on my Instagram and TikTok.

Everything I read about affiliate marketing pointed to the need to have an audience I could actually sell to. So, my goal was to invest time upfront: create high-quality content and build a following. Plus, if affiliate marketing didn’t work, I could use my page as evidence of my work to apply for social media management jobs.

Then I joined Jumia’s and Selar’s affiliate programs (the latter to sell digital products). After that, all I needed to do was insert my affiliate links to the products I referred to in my content, and I made money when people made purchases with my link. Initially, I made random ₦10k here and there. Then Jumia started moving funny in 2023/2024, so I abandoned them.

Fortunately, Temu reached out to me around that time, and I now make money through their influencer program. I’m not sure if they have an actual affiliate program, but they allowed some influencers and creators to earn commissions from sharing referral codes and links for new members to sign up.

What I earn now: I make about ₦30,000 to ₦150,000/month passively from affiliate sales on Temu and Selar. Most of my Selar earnings come from repeat content I posted long ago, which continues to bring in clicks. I rarely create new content these days because I get so busy with my main job. I literally wake up and see money in my account. I still have to do videos for Temu, but I don’t consider it “active work” because I’d still create content for my social media regardless.

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“My shortlet apartment pays my bills” — Sean*, 33, Music Producer

What drove me to start: I inherited a two-bedroom apartment in Lagos from my dad in 2018, and for the longest time, I rented it out on an annual basis. However, I kept having troublesome tenants who either delayed payments or frequently requested that I fix one thing or another.

Then, in late 2023, I came across the idea of running a short-let business. Some friends came to my area for a daycation, and I learnt they paid ₦50k per night for four nights. The apartment they rented was almost the same size as mine, and the owner made ₦50k practically every day. Yet, I was there struggling to get tenants to pay ₦1.2 million a year. I decided then that I needed to change my approach to renting.

How I did it: I evicted my tenant and spent ₦1.8m renovating and furnishing the apartment. Then, I listed it online (Instagram and Booking.com) at ₦45k/day and also did a lot of word-of-mouth advertising.

The first few months were rough. I hardly got bookings, and I didn’t realise how stressful managing guests could be. Guests would literally steal pillow cases and damage the entire place if one isn’t careful.

Thankfully, things got a bit smoother towards the end of last year, and it has now become a more passive source of income. I have a manager on standby to handle cleaning and operations when needed. So, it runs without me. I just get paid.

What I earn now: In a regular month, I book about 12 nights, which translates to about ₦660,000 in gross income (I now charge ₦55k/day). Out of that, I spend around ₦350k on staff fees, utility bills (NEPA, fuel, Wi-Fi, etc), platform fees (Booking takes about 10–15%) and occasional maintenance. So, my net monthly income ends up somewhere around ₦310,000, depending on how well the month goes. At least it covers a good chunk of my bills.

“I make ₦200k ‑ ₦500k monthly from dropshipping” — Ebere*, 32, Teacher

What drove me to start: My friend was into dropshipping, and I liked how it worked. She only needed to list the products; the supplier handled shipping when customers made orders. Zero capital, just handle customer service and marketing. I wanted that kind of ease, too. So, I started in 2022.

How I did it: I set up an online store on Instagram, sourced trendy items from local suppliers and tested small batches to see what people were more interested in. I found early success in female fashion and home decor, so I focused on that. Also, I ran multiple ads and kept my profit margins small to stay competitive.

What I earn now: I make between ₦200k ‑ ₦500k/month. I now have an online store on TikTok, and I also post my products on declutter pages to find new audiences. These pages charge a 10% – 15% commission on every item sold through their page.

When I first started, I managed day-to-day orders and connected buyers with suppliers. However, since last year, I’ve had a virtual assistant who handles that task. I pay her ₦85k/month to respond to customer messages and get pictures from the supplier. I only come in occasionally to tweak ads and ensure everything is running smoothly.

“For me, investment feels like earning money just to hold onto it” — Sotayo*, 33, Product Designer

What drove me to start: I’ve always been a chronic saver, but as I started earning more and interacting with people in similar income brackets, I realised I was just doing myself a disservice by leaving all my money in my savings account. I could take calculated risks in investments and actually get rewarded for that.

How I did it: I opened a brokerage account in 2020, and with professional advice from finance colleagues, I started buying shares in established Nigerian firms that consistently pay dividends (banks, telecoms, consumer goods).

I started with ₦1.5 million, diversifying among four to five companies. Since then, I’ve directed at least 20% of my monthly income to investments. The goal is long-term growth, so I reinvest most of my returns. I hardly sell.

What I earn now: My portfolio is currently worth ₦16m. With an average annual dividend yield of 10%, that’s ₦1.6m in returns. Of course, that’s a modest estimate. Some stocks do more than that, and the stock market has been on a bull run recently. So, I’m sure of making something. I also try to pick companies with stable earnings to minimise my risk and heavily lean on financial advice from professionals.

So far, my investment journey has been pretty interesting. It feels like earning money just for holding onto it.

*Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

NEXT READ: How This 27-Year-Old Built a Steady $500 Monthly Income from Investing in Real Estate

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Every week, Zikoko seeks to understand how people move the Naira in and out of their lives. Some stories will be struggle-ish, others will be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.

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What’s your earliest memory of money?

Money was a big part of my childhood. My mum’s a hairdresser, and growing up, my siblings and I spent our extra time at her shop. At the end of the day, we’d organise my mum’s money from the smallest to the highest denomination.

My mum also sold hair products and drinks at her shop. She always told us how much she bought and resold each item, so I understood how money worked pretty early. I knew I had to add a particular percentage to items before reselling to make a profit, and to only calculate the profit as the money I made.

I applied that same knowledge to my first money-making attempt, when I sold beads at 10 years old.

10 years old?

My dad made sure his kids learned multiple skills early. He’s a well-to-do data engineer, but it was never a “My dad has money, so I’m okay” situation. He’d always tell us, “My money is my money. Learn skills so you can make your own money.”

I remember one time I sold a lot of red bracelets during Valentine’s season in school. Then I needed to buy a textbook, so I asked my dad for money. He was like, “Aren’t you making money? Use your money.” It didn’t make sense to me. In my head, my parents’ money should attend to my needs, while my money should go into my savings. But my dad thought differently. That’s the kind of person he is.

Hmmm

Anyway, back to my skills. I learnt a bunch of them. At 10, I learnt how to work with beads, which I made into bracelets and sold to my classmates. I can’t even remember how much I sold them. In JSS 2, I upgraded my skills to include wirework jewellery.

Then, in uni, I attended a two-month goldsmith training course. I’ve always loved jewellery, so I guess I followed the natural order and acquired skills related to it.

Did you try to make money from jewellery in uni?

Interestingly, I didn’t actively try to sell jewellery in uni. I may have made a few pieces, but I focused on and made a lot more from fitness.

Let me break it down. In 2019, I was in 200 level and very broke. My ₦20k monthly allowance barely covered my food, data and textbooks, so I felt like a poor church rat.

It was so bad that I literally counted how many pure water sachets would take me till the end of the month and planned around the number. Whenever my best friend came to my hostel and drank water, I’d get destabilised because it’d throw my entire ration off and trigger my anxiety.

For context, I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety and depression for years. I had my first mental breakdown after secondary school because I had to wait seven months at home. I graduated at 15, a year younger than the minimum age requirement for uni, so I had to wait and then get into a diploma program before I could get into uni.

So, when I started feeling the same way again, I saw a doctor, and at the first appointment, he said, “I know you suffer from anxiety and depression, but your biggest problem now is your finances. If you can earn more now, half your problems would go away.” He told me to think of something I could teach people to make money, and I picked fitness.

Were you already a fitness enthusiast at the time?

I’d picked it up after my mental breakdown. The doctor advised me to get into something, and I decided to try exercise. Plus, it was a way to lose weight. After a while, I tried a fitness trainer but wasn’t satisfied with the process.

It didn’t make sense to me why a trainer would tell me to squat, and when I asked why they added squats to my routine, they’d be like, “Why are you asking? I’m the professional here.” I’m someone who likes to know why I’m asked to do stuff, so I ditched the trainer and became best friends with Google.

I did my own research and learnt everything I needed about building muscles, training people, and even exercises to avoid when you have injuries or how to modify exercises based on different medical conditions.

So when the time came to pick a skill I could monetise, fitness was the easiest option. I already had a pretty good idea of what I was doing.

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How did monetisation work?

I started with one person. One thing I’ve learned from business is, you see extroverts? Hold them tight. My first client was an extrovert, and I charged her ₦5k for a month. My uni had a gym, so we’d both go there, and I’d show her exercises to do.

When my client’s friends started seeing results, they asked her, and she told them I was her trainer. That’s how I got more clients. I charged between ₦5k and ₦7k for a month, then I’d make the clients register at the gym I used so we could both attend and train. Some clients preferred morning sessions, while others preferred evening. I only had to be there whenever they were at the gym.

I had about seven regular clients, and it was my major source of income until I got to 400 level and added hairdressing and locs to my hustle.

Tell me about that

I started hairdressing by chance. I knew how to do it because that’s my mum’s job, but I grew up in an area where my mum would do hair for six hours and make ₦1500 or ₦2k. She was even one of the most expensive hairdressers. It felt like a lot of work for little money, so I never planned to do it.

Then, one day, a friend randomly posted a hairstyle on her WhatsApp status, asking for people who could do it. I told her I could, and she became my first client. It was a very complicated, niche hairstyle, and I think she paid me ₦17k or ₦20k.

Remember what I said about extroverts? This friend was an extrovert, and she brought me three more clients. And those ones also brought more people. That’s how I kept getting customers. At one point, I did my best friend’s hair, and it went viral on TikTok. That hairstyle brought me so many customers.

I also started getting requests from people who wanted to install locs. In my final year, I comfortably made between ₦50k and ₦100k/month from hairdressing and fitness training.

Did you have to learn how to install locs?

Yes and no. There are about three installation methods for locs; I already knew two and learnt the third one on YouTube.

Some context: I wanted to install my locs in 2022, but locticians charged ₦50k. That was big money for me, so I learnt how to do it, taught my mum, then had her install my locs for me.

I respect the dedication to not paying a dime. Did you continue both hustles after uni?

Yes, I did. Instead of returning home after graduating in 2023, I rented a ₦20k/month hostel around school and continued my work. Managing both gigs was pretty seamless. I could do hair in the morning and then go to the gym in the evening. I just made the appointments work around my schedule. Plus, I didn’t always have clients every day.

My rates for fitness training remained in the ₦5k – ₦7k range because I had the same set of clients.

But I made more money from hair and installing locs. My rates for locs were a flat ₦20k for installation and ₦7k for retie. I typically got at least one new client monthly. I also got the occasional food and allowance from home. My dad slashed the latter to ₦10k as punishment for refusing to return home.

I’m curious, was there a reason why you didn’t want to return?

All I can say is, that neighbourhood isn’t a place for young adults who want a lot from life. It’s full of Yahoo boys and their girlfriends, whose goal in life is to own a frontal hair and an iPhone XR. It’s a shitty way to live, and I can’t go back there.

In September 2023, I dropped the fitness training gig because I got a 9-5 job and couldn’t handle everything together.

What was the job?

A telemarketing, commission-based role at a fintech. My income was typically between ₦50k and ₦80k monthly. The job was hybrid, so I’d work two days onsite, three days remotely, and then take on hair clients during the weekend.

In January 2024, I moved from telemarketing to a growth intern within the same company. My salary became a fixed ₦76,500/month. The plan was to become a full-time staff member, and they said the easiest way was to go through an internship.

However, office politics entered the matter, and even after my internship ended in October 2024, they said something something “hiring freeze”. Meanwhile, they made another intern a full staff member. Then they moved me to another team and made promises. It was a lot.

The straw that broke the camel’s back was when they added multiple new KPIs to my responsibilities in February 2025. One of them was a monthly revenue target of ₦5m.

For someone who wasn’t even earning ₦100k?

See. My job title was still intern, and I was managing 25 people in POS operations. I complained to my line manager, who promised to see what he could do, but I’d already checked out.

At this point, I was earning about ₦150k – ₦200k monthly as a loctician. I honestly should’ve left the 9-5 much earlier, but anxiety is a terrible thing. I’m very risk-averse, so I hesitated. It was like a “the devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know” situation.

One day, I gathered strength and resigned.

My manager tried to get me to stay and promised I’d become a full-time staff member in the same month, but I was tired of hoping. Plus, my salary would’ve only increased to ₦200k, which I was already getting from making hair. I’d also started taking some clients during the days I worked from home, and a full-time role would mean cutting down on the hours I could manage.

I considered all that and decided I’d rather focus on increasing my efforts as a loctician and making more money.

What’s your income like these days?

I currently make at least ₦550k/month from doing hair and locs. Since I left the 9-5, my clients have noticed that my work has become faster. Maybe it’s because I no longer have to worry about my line manager calling or feeling guilty that I’m neglecting my 9-5 duties. I’m at peace. There is no stress.

That said, I have an insatiable need to earn more. Once I notice I’m earning in the same range for three months in a row, I start brainstorming how to increase my income in the coming month. This especially applies to my business. I’m always thinking about what I can do to improve my earnings. I use social media extensively; I even walk into the DMs of people who have locs and pitch my services to them.

My income has been around ₦550k for about three months, and my next move is to look out for events targeted at creatives, attend and start conversations with as many people as possible. I also plan to run social media ads as the year ends, especially as the IJGBs will soon begin planning their return.

Sounds like a plan. Are your charges still within the ₦20k range?

Ah. God forbid. Installation rates now range between ₦50k – ₦200k depending on the loc style, size and hair length.

Dying at “God forbid”. You mentioned living with anxiety. How does it impact your work?

Therapy and medication help me a great deal. I used to have really bad anxiety and depressive episodes. I like to describe it as having a random person in your head who’s always trying to gaslight you. So, I had to learn a lot of coping mechanisms.

In school, I practised complimenting people to overcome my anxiety. Now, I find it easy to strike up conversations with people, and I get a ton of clients that way. I’ll live with anxiety and depression forever, so I just learn to manage them.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

It’s pretty good. I live within my means. I’m an introvert who doesn’t go anywhere. So, 50% – 60% of my income typically goes to savings, and then I use the rest for my upkeep.

I can also ascribe my financial habits to anxiety. I grew up with a dad who could wake up one day and be like, “My prayer in life was to do better than what my father did. My father stopped paying my school fees in secondary school. Now you’re in 200 level. I’ve definitely done more than what my father did. You should start paying your school fees yourself.”

I never knew when he’d wake up and actually decide he wasn’t financially responsible for me anymore. I never want to live with that kind of anxiety due to being dependent on another person again, so I guess that’s why I save so much.

Let’s break down what your typical month in expenses looks like

This is an estimate because I don’t receive my income all at once at the end of the month. So, what I typically do when a client pays me is to save 50% and use the remaining 50% to cover living expenses, transportation and anything that comes up.

I have about ₦1.2m in my savings and $35 in stocks via an investment platform. I’m just starting to build my stock portfolio, though. I still don’t really have an idea what I’m doing, but I have financial analyst friends who help answer the questions I have. I’m hoping, from next month, I can put at least ₦50k in stocks monthly and see where that takes me. I hope to have at least $1k in stocks by the end of next year.

You’re a full-time loctician now. Do you think you’ll stay that way for much longer?

I don’t know really. Anxiety is a goddamn bitch. My doctor still asked me the same question recently.

I know my heart is more at peace right now that I don’t have a 9-5. But the economy isn’t smiling, so I don’t know. I know I need more than one income source to survive in this country, but I’m not sure what to do right now.

There’s also the fact that I’m an Oliver Twist who just always wants more. I’m not suffering, but I still want more. I was talking about this with a friend, and when she asked why I wanted more, I said, “I just want to be looking at it in my account.”

Is there an ideal amount you’d like to earn monthly?

At least ₦700k – ₦800k/month, and I’ll see where I can go from there.

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

A better apartment. I currently share a ₦300k/year room with someone. I want a room and a parlour or a mini flat — I could work out of my parlour and live in the room. But the rent prices these days? It’s like the government wants us to work just to pay rent.

Phew. I can relate. Is there anything you’d like to be better at financially?

Investments. I hate being risk-averse so much, and I’m actively trying to be better at taking risks.

Rooting for you. How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

6.5. I’m happy, but I’d like to save more. My rating will increase when I earn more and have more in investments.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life!

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

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Nigeria’s economic realities often demand creativity and resilience to survive. For many, this means turning to side hustles to supplement their income. For some, these side gigs have become more lucrative than their primary jobs.

We spoke with Nigerians who are earning more from their side hustles, and the numbers are more than impressive. From freelancing and e-commerce to fashion design, these individuals revealed how they turned their side hustles into major income streams, and how you can do it too.

Samson*, 33

Occupation: Federal Government Civil Servant

Side Hustle: Meta Ads Media Buyer and Creative Strategist

Monthly Income: ₦161k (from 9-5) + ₦2.5m (from side hustles)

How do you make money from your side hustles? My side hustles bring me at least ₦2.5m monthly. This is from my e-commerce hustle and a digital marketing agency in the US where I work as a Meta Ads media buyer and creative strategist. I also build websites for brands around the world using Shopify. I typically get these clients from LinkedIn. A Nigerian company also pays me ₦50k/month to manage their website.

How did you start? Months after I started my civil service job in 2019, a friend introduced me to Shopify websites. He’d built one for a client, and when he showed me his invoice, I wanted to learn too. I can’t even remember how much he charged. I just wanted to experience the joy of earning dollars while working from home.

With his help, I began watching YouTube tutorials and learning how to build websites via Shopify. He also introduced me to Fiverr, and I was lucky to get my first client after two weeks on the platform. I charged her $20 for the website, but also managed to upsell her to make a few more dollars by telling her things I could do to improve her website. This was in January 2020.

The Shopify tutorial videos also led me to dropshipping videos, which made me interested in e-commerce. My idea was to import items from China and sell them using Meta Ads, so I started learning how to run the ads. I also worked with some marketing agencies on Fiverr to improve my skills.

Between 2020 and 2023, I made an average of ₦300k – ₦400k monthly freelancing on Fiverr, Upwork and LinkedIn.

I started making good money from my side hustles, specifically e-commerce, in 2024. I initially tried to sell to only Americans because I didn’t think Nigerians would buy, but my efforts weren’t successful. Then I visited my mum and noticed she had a big massage machine and a sitting massager. When I asked where she bought them, she said, “Facebook.” I thought, “If my mum can buy something worth over ₦200k via Facebook Ads, there must be many other Nigerians ready to buy too.”

So, I switched my strategy to selling physical products to Nigerians and only services to my US audience. It worked.

Now, I make at least ₦1m/month from e-commerce alone.

For anyone willing to start, I recommend taking a course on how to run Meta Ads and stack up on skills like copywriting, marketing, designing, and building websites — these skills complement each other.

How do you juggle your side hustles with your 9-5? I’m not married, so I have all the time to work. I’m also considering leaving my civil service job soon. I don’t like the job, and it doesn’t let me actively use my brain as my side hustles do.

Also, I don’t fear going broke without a salary. I know all I need to make money is to get a product people want and sell it to them by creating great offers and pushing them with paid ads.

Jane*, 19

Occupation: Social Media Manager

Side Hustle: YouTube Script Writer

Monthly Income: ₦70k (from 9-5) + ₦300k average (from side hustle)

How do you make money from your side hustle? I search for as many script-writing gigs as I can find. Currently, I make ₦15/word writing YouTube scripts.

How did you start? I found scriptwriting by chance in December 2024. A friend called for YouTube script writers to work with someone she knew, and I said I could do it. I’d actually never done it before, but I learned on the job.

My employer paid me ₦5/word, and I made ₦300k in the first month because of the volume of scripts I worked on. I worked with him for a few months until he started moving funny and lying about things to reduce my pay. So, I found another client around July.

That one initially paid ₦6/word but then cut it to ₦2.5 after claiming that the channel owner cut down on what they were willing to pay. It was stressful work because I still had to find YouTube clips and pictures to insert into the script, but at least I made the urgent ₦15k or ₦12k per script. I was also still taking gigs from my first employer occasionally.

Then, while scrolling on Twitter in August 2025, I saw another script-writing job opening. I applied and got the job through the actual owner of the YouTube channel, not the exploitative middlemen I’d worked with previously. This job pays ₦15/word, and I can make between ₦300k – ₦450k/month depending on the number of scripts I write.

I’ve not done script-writing for so long, but I’d advise anyone who wants to do it to just search for gigs. As long as you’re actively searching, you’ll definitely find something. Search first and learn on the job. At least that’s what I did.

How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? My job is a hybrid role, so I only need to be on site a few days a week. I think I’ll stick with both jobs for a while. I don’t exactly enjoy social media management; the pay isn’t so great. But I figure I’m just gaining expertise and experience for the future.

ALSO READ: How to Make Money Online in Nigeria With Insights From Naira Life Stories

Olamide*, 27

Occupation: Customer Service Officer

Side Hustle: Fashion Designer

Monthly Income: ₦250k (from 9-5) + ₦500k average (from side hustle)

How do you make money from your side hustle? I get clients through word-of-mouth, social media, and my outfits. I work in an insurance company, meaning I wear corporate dresses day in and day out. People always ask me where I get my dresses from, and I plug in my hustle.

I make at least ₦500k monthly from ready-to-wear corporate dresses and a few custom orders. I’d easily make far more if I didn’t have to divide my time between my office job and my side hustle.

How did you start? I’ve always known how to make clothes. My mum is a tailor, and tailoring was the first skill my siblings and I learnt growing up. I knew how to make my own aso-ebi dresses and the occasional Sunday outfit.

In 2020, I got my first office job and realised I couldn’t keep up with buying cute corporate dresses on my ₦100k salary. So, I started watching YouTube tutorials to learn how to make corporate dresses. I also experimented a lot and taught myself how to design. I decided to monetise my skills in 2021 because people saw my outfits and wanted me to also make dresses for them.

At first, I took custom orders, but those took more time. So, I switched to making one design at a time and selling them as ready-to-wear — I only had to make size adjustments where necessary. My dresses usually cost between ₦30k and ₦35k. I make the occasional custom order, but those are usually for aso-ebi dresses and cost at least ₦100k.

How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? It’s hell. I live in Lagos, and traffic usually means I don’t get home until at least 8 p.m. Then I sew from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. before I sleep and wake up by 5 a.m. to begin the grind again.

I’m still holding on because I actually love my 9-5 job. I like going to an office and wearing my dresses. I also really like fashion design. The goal is to get a job that pays me at least ₦600k so I can get a tailor to sew for me while I just give them the designs.

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Wisdom*, 29

Occupation: HR Personnel

Side Hustle: Academic Writer

Monthly Income: ₦400k (from 9-5) + ₦700k average (from side hustle)

How do you make money from your side hustle? I write statements of purpose, essays and research papers for people who are either trying to relocate for studies or are already there. Most of these clients come from my social media push — I’m pretty active on Twitter and Instagram. I also rewrite CVs and write cover letters occasionally.

How did you start? I’m honestly just an efiko. There was a period between 2019 and 2022 when I was actively trying to get into a postgraduate program abroad. I always got the admissions, but funding and visas were the problem. The few times I got partial funding, I didn’t get a visa. So, I just gave up and took an HR job.

In 2023, a friend asked me to help write his statement of purpose for a scholarship. I didn’t charge for it; he just gave me ₦10k to appreciate my help. After he landed the scholarship, his circle of friends asked to see his statement of purpose. He shared it and plugged my services, and that’s how I got my first set of clients.

I made about ₦120k writing statements and essays for his friends and decided to make it a full-on side hustle. So, I started making noise about my services on social media, and the clients kept coming.

Besides knowing how to write, learning how to sell your skill is very important. In fact, anyone can learn how to write if they practice enough. But you also need to ensure people know what you do.

A portfolio helps when applying to jobs. Academic writing can be a bit tricky because I can’t always share people’s personal essays as evidence of work, even though I wrote them. But I work around that by blurring out personal details where applicable. Fortunately, most of my clients come to me, so I don’t have to struggle to show workings.

How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? It’s not too much to juggle. I just have the mindset that I’m in my hustle era. Plus, my jobs afford me the ability to picture my japa dreams coming true in the near future. I’m aggressively saving my income and have started an Express Entry japa route. I hope to leave this country by the end of 2026.

ALSO READ: How to Register a Business Name in Nigeria: A Step-by-Step Guide

Kola*, 36

Occupation: Site Manager

Side Hustle: Architectural/Building Designs

Monthly Income: ₦200k (from 9-5) + ₦300k average (from side hustle)

How do you make money from your side hustle? I’m already in the construction industry and get design gigs through referrals and word-of-mouth. Whenever people ask me about landed properties, I make sure to chip in that I can design their buildings too. I also have some architect friends who I whine to give me work from time to time.

How did you start? I’ve been designing since uni. I learnt a bit of architectural design as part of my building degree in school, and over the years, I’ve improved my skills by practising 2D and 3D designs with different software like AutoCAD, SketchUp and Revit.

My income from the designs became more regular after joining my current workplace in 2023. Before, I’d make ₦50k – ₦100k every other month from 2D designs. But now, I’m sure of at least ₦300k, and that’s if I only make one 3D design for a client. Most times, I get at least two gigs a month.

How do you juggle your side hustle with your 9-5? Fortunately for me, my side hustle closely ties into my day-to-day job, so it’s pretty seamless. There are the usual late nights to meet deadlines, but it’s not difficult to handle. It’s the price I have to pay to provide a fairly comfortable life for my wife and kids.

*Names have been changed for the sake of anonymity.

NEXT READ: Top 10 Apps to Make Money in Nigeria (2025)

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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.

What’s your earliest memory of money?

I started helping my dad at his shop in primary four and continued until I finished secondary school. He did a couple of photography-related things: he sold photo accessories and photo printers, and made picture frames.

In exchange for helping him, he allowed me to take a cut of the daily profits.

How big a cut are we talking about?

It wasn’t specific. He’d just give me a daily sales target, and if we exceeded the target, I could keep the extra money.

I mostly spent the money I made from the shop on toys — nothing reasonable. The only memorable thing I bought was my first phone in primary 5. It was a Multilinks phone, but I don’t remember how much I bought it.

However, I remember not telling anyone before I bought the phone. My parents just saw me with a phone. While my dad didn’t mind, my mum was like, “Why would you buy a phone just like that?” She was only on the subject for a few days before the whole thing died down.

Can I assume this solo spending adventure meant your folks had money?

There was money in the beginning. My dad had his business, and my mum had a big provision store. We were comfortable, and I got whatever I wanted.

Things suddenly changed in 2014, after I finished secondary school. Both my parents’ businesses crashed for reasons I don’t understand, and we had to start managing.

My dad’s business crashed first, and my mum used hers to support the family. Then, she got scammed by an agent while trying to send me abroad for school, and she lost all her savings.

Oh my

We had to adjust to our new financial situation. My dad went from giving my siblings and me pocket money every morning to nothing at all.

After secondary school, I started looking for ways to make money. I tried to follow in the footsteps of my friends who were hustling and finding jobs as bar attendants and security guys, but my dad didn’t allow me. He said he didn’t want me to work for anyone. Instead, I should keep helping him out with his business.

When the job plan didn’t work, I decided to upgrade my photography and videography skills instead. I already knew the basics from working with my dad, but I needed advanced training to monetise the skills. Still, my dad refused to let me go to work with someone else.

I stuck it out for about a year, but when my dad didn’t change his mind, I did the only thing I could do: I left home.

Where did you go?

I started living in a church. I played the piano and often played at events, earning small money. I did that for a few months until I met a photographer at a wedding. I watched him work, and after the event, I went up to him and told him I really wanted to learn photography. Thankfully, he gave me his business card.

A few days later, I contacted him, and he asked me to meet in town. I did, and I told him my life story and why I wanted to learn the trade. He spoke to my mum before he agreed to take me in as his apprentice. This was in 2016.

Was this a paid apprenticeship?

I didn’t have a structured salary, but I often travelled around Nigeria with my boss for jobs, and he regularly gave me stipends. After we completed a job, he’d transfer between ₦50k and ₦100k, and we had an average of four jobs monthly. He was very kind and generous in that regard.

At this point, I had moved in with a friend. Then, in 2017, I got my one-room apartment at ₦70k/year. That same year, I bought three cameras at once. It was a distress sale, and I paid around ₦1m for cameras worth about ₦3m.

The money for that purchase came from the income I’d saved from my boss, a ₦20k weekly ajo contribution I was part of, and income from side hustles.

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Zikoko Daily Ships Money by Zikoko Her

What side hustles?

I didn’t want to rely only on photography gigs, so I learned graphic design and made some money by taking printing gigs. I designed and printed everything from picture frames to flyers.

I also used my cameras to take on side jobs and earn money. But that didn’t last long, as they were stolen in 2018.

All of them?

Yeah. My boss got a new apprentice who turned out to be a thief. The one time we left him alone in the office, he emptied it. He took my cameras, my boss’s cameras, and several equipment.

My boss didn’t really recover from that loss because it prevented him from getting gigs. No gigs meant no money came in. I had to look for something to sustain myself, and I found a job as a cashier at a barbing salon.

What was the pay like?

₦12k/month, and I was also the cleaner. It was a very depressing period for me, from earning so much to that level. Most people didn’t know what I went through because I still looked regular on the outside.

I worked at the salon for six months until I met someone who asked why I was cleaning. I told him how I’d lost my cameras, and it turned out he was into cinematography. He offered to train me, so I left the salon and went to work with him.

I only lasted three months with him. He was toxic, constantly complaining about everything, and the atmosphere was just off. He also didn’t pay me at all while I worked with him. He just kept feeding me ”It’ll get better” stories.

What did you do after you left him?

I moved in with my uncle in 2019. He was into home security solutions—CCTV, home automation, and the like—so I stayed with him to learn the business and assist him. He didn’t pay me either, but I got small cash here and there from my graphic design and printing side hustle.

In 2020, I was admitted to the university and had to leave my uncle’s place. Of course, I needed money for school, so I found another hustle. This time, it was a job at an oil and gas firm. I was employed as an IT/Admin officer.

My employer knew I was in school, so I needed to show up at the office only twice a week and work remotely for the rest of the week. My pay was ₦50k/month.

How did you manage work and school?

I’m honestly not sure how I managed it because it was a real struggle. But I needed to pay myself through school, so I guess I had no choice.

I graduated from university in 2024 and still work at the same job. My pay is now ₦150k/month, and I supplement my income with side gigs. I make signage — yes, I learned that one, too — and take up CCTV installation gigs from time to time. I also occasionally go out for photography gigs. I do a lot of jamajama just to sustain myself.

What’s the income from your side gigs like?

I honestly can’t say because it’s once in a while. I can make ₦1m today and nothing for the next few months. I haven’t been able to go out to look for gigs as much as before because I’m struggling to meet my 9-5. My salary is the only income I’m sure of, even though it doesn’t sustain me. I just do it so I can leave the house daily.

2022 was the last time I made big money from my side hustle. I got a contract worth ₦20m to make signage for a hotel. My profit from that job was over ₦8m, but I didn’t handle that money well.

What did you do with it?

I sent ₦2m to my uncle to help me buy a car, but I haven’t seen any car or received my money back.

Then, in January 2023, I got scammed of ₦4m while trying to buy a CNC router machine from China for my signage business. I still had some change from the contract money, which I used to buy a few needed tools, but it was nowhere close to the difference the machine would’ve made.

I eventually lost that hotel client because I couldn’t meet up with subsequent jobs.

Yikes. Sorry about that

Thanks. I feel like I’m in a cycle where I can make good money from my side hustles today and be very comfortable, and then be very broke for the next three months. I think it’s because I don’t make the best financial decisions when money comes. In fact, I can say I have bad money habits.

Tell me more

When I have money, I like to spend it. I love gadgets, so I often buy things I don’t need. But I’m learning to be better. I now draw up budgets to plan my expenses and try to limit my spending unless it’s necessary.

I’m now at a stage where I believe money comes to you when you treat it nicely. I used to spend lavishly, but that hasn’t exactly helped me. I’m now pursuing financial discipline so I can be financially stable.

I don’t go out so much anymore because when I do, I spend money. I’m also trying to save money to get a physical space for my business. I don’t know what it’ll cost yet; it’s just on my wishlist.

What does your typical month in expenses look like?

The ajo contribution is my savings; I’ve been doing it since October. I expect to collect ₦600k in September, and I want to put it towards my plans to get a car. I also have ₦300k locked in a savings app.

Is there any aspect of your finances you wish to be better at?

My earnings. I just want a stable cash flow every day. It would make a world of difference.

Is there anything you want right now that you can’t afford?

Studio equipment. I learnt music production…

Is there anything you haven’t learned to do?

Haha. I learned this one during COVID from YouTube and with help from a neighbour. I even produced my own song just for fun. I also learned web development and web design during that period. I just randomly learn different things.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. I know a lot of upcoming artists around my area, and music production would be a stable income source. I once produced music for someone in 2023 and got paid ₦70k.

If I get like ₦1m now, I should be able to get a studio space and basic equipment. I still want a shop for my business, too. It’s now a matter of whichever opportunity comes first. My long-term business plans are music production, the signage business, and CCTV installations. Maybe I’ll even find a way to put everything under one business label.

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

4. I’m still struggling financially, and I don’t feel stable at all. Maybe when I get a physical shop space, I’ll become serious about my business and change my finances.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life!

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Davido recently faced backlash for launching a meme coin that plummeted just a day after its release. The crypto venture marks one of the singer’s many attempts to try his hands at something besides music. He’s not the only Nigerian music star exploring side hustles to varying levels of success.

From real estate to nightlife, here are eight top music stars and their side hustles:

Banky W

Banky successfully transitioned into Nollywood, starring in box office hits like The Wedding Party, UpNorth and Sugar Rush. And in 2018, the Yes or No singer went into politics, vying for a seat to represent the Eti-Osa Federal Constituency in Nigeria’s House of Representatives. He went again in 2023 and was unsuccessful on both occasions. He also co-founded Sooyah Bistro, a quick-service restaurant with branches across Lagos, in 2018.

Don Jazzy

When the music executive isn’t minting new talents, managing Mavin Headquarters as founder and CEO, he focuses on Jazzy’s Burger, a restaurant he launched in 2022 after he turned 40. Specialising in burgers, the restaurant has occasionally stirred controversy with its ₦10k starting price. Don Jazzy also ventured into skincare in 2023, launching his line of body soap, Drip Beauty.

Sheyman

The singer has taken a break from music completely. In 2021, he launched his exotic strip club, Secret Palace, in Lagos, attracting heavyweights like Burna Boy, Dbanj and Yhemo Lee. The Paper hitmaker also owns Folixx, a restaurant-style lounge operating on Lagos island.

Peter Okoye (P-Square)

When he’s not making music or performing his hits, the singer manages his lottery company, ZoomLifestyle, which he launched in 2019. In March 2024, he announced the launch of his logistics company, WYN, operating in Calabar, Uyo and Abuja.

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Mr Eazi

Before he got into music, the Leg Over hitmaker had a flair for business. In 2014, he pitched a tech platform he co-founded, Obiwezy, at the 440 Accelerator. In 2018, Mr Eazi established EmPawa Africa, a talent incubation enterprise, followed by Zagadat Capital in 2021, an investment firm focused on tech startups.

MC Galaxy

Popular for his hit, Sekem, MC is now more active in the culinary realm. In 2021, he launched Sekem Kitchen, an indigenous eatery in Lekki, frequented by celebrity patrons like Davido and Uti Nwachukwu. In 2024, he expanded his venture with a branch in Abuja.

Zlatan Ibile

When he’s not releasing street bangers or managing Zanku Records, the street-hop artist focuses on fashion. In May 2024, he unveiled his clothing line, Zanku To The Word (ZTTW), showcasing streetwear items like jerseys, tees and beanies.

Patoranking

Away from the studio and stage, Patoranking has a side gig as a social entrepreneur. In 2023, he launched The Patoranking Foundation to advance Africa through education and entrepreneurship, providing scholarships and business grants in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Read also: What Your 7 Nollywood Faves Do Outside Their Main Hustle
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.

“Do crypto with Quidax and win from a $60K QDX prize pool!” Bayo, a 28-year-old Lagosian tells Jide, his Ibadan friend seeking the most secure way to trade crypto in Nigeria after a major exchange he trades with announced its plans to leave the country. Find out more here.

What’s your earliest memory of money?

I must’ve been around three years old when my elder brother was resuming Nursery 3. He was reluctant to start the new class because everyone thought the class teacher was mean. So, my cousin promised to give him 50 kobo if he went to the class without making a fuss. It worked; my brother stopped complaining.

It was my first time realising money could insulate someone from certain experiences. Or at least, make the experience better. I became more convinced of that when I got into primary school.

How so?

My mum never gave me lunch money; I went to school with home-cooked meals. Other kids had money to buy stuff during break. They looked like they were balling, and I wanted that lifestyle. I knew I needed money to make that happen. So, I started a mini-rental business in Primary 3.

My elder brother was good at sketching storybooks. Whenever he made new ones, I’d lease them out to my classmates for ₦5 or ₦10. What I made went into sweets, sugar cane and snacks. I was finally balling like my mates, and I loved it.

What was the financial situation at home like?

It mostly depended on my dad’s job. He was a geologist who did several stints at private oil companies throughout my childhood. When he worked at a good place, there was money. But when he didn’t, we struggled. My mum’s tailor income couldn’t do much for five children.

One of the times we really struggled was when my dad lost a job as I was about to start SS 1. I had to stay home for weeks because he couldn’t pay my fees.

He got a new job a few months later, and things returned to normal. I never forgot that period, though. I noticed how trying to hold the family finances together stretched my mum. That’s when I started associating having good money with having a job. But interestingly, my parents didn’t allow us to work while in university — they were against whatever business my siblings tried their hands at. It was always, “Go to school and get a certificate”.

Did you try a business in uni too?

There was no point. I lived on allowances. I got into university in 2013 and was on a ₦40k monthly allowance right from the first year. In 2016 — my third year at uni — my allowance increased to ₦80k, then there was the extra ₦15k – ₦20k from my mum.

My dad lost his job that same year, thanks to Buhari. That man came and introduced policies that affected oil prospecting companies, and the whole sector became unstable. Even when my dad found another job, he had to take a nasty pay cut. I think he went from earning about ₦600k in allowances alone to an ₦100k salary. Of course, it meant he could no longer fund my lifestyle.

What were some of the changes you had to make?

I was a baller before my dad lost his job. I lived in a two-bedroom apartment my dad paid for and used to host house parties once a month. I also regularly bought food for my friends and splurged on gadgets and expensive shoes. In 2016, you could get good Nike shoes for like ₦20k.

However, when my dad lost his job, I became totally broke. In fact, the right word is poverty. I didn’t have any savings, and my allowance dropped from ₦80k to ₦12k to anything I got. I moved into a self-contained apartment and started missing meals. Obviously, the parties stopped. I suddenly became the “I don’t have money” friend.

Thankfully, this was close to a compulsory six-month internship period, so I left school for another town where the internship was.

Were you paid a stipend at the internship?

Nope. It was unpaid. I stayed with an uncle, so feeding and accommodation were sorted. But I wasn’t comfortable with not having money.

About three months into the internship, I was with a photographer friend’s phone when a ₦100k credit notification popped up. He saw the message and was like, “Oh, this person has paid their balance”. I asked what the balance was for, and he said a photoshoot. I was shocked. How much was the full amount if the “balance” was ₦100k? I decided there and then I could take pictures too.

LMAO

This was in 2017. My friend hooked me up with someone who owned a studio, and I started hanging around him to learn the photography business. After a month, I ditched my internship to focus on photography. I got a job at a studio — after forming like I knew what I was doing — and got paid ₦28k/month. I started as a photography assistant, but I was pretty much a full-time photographer.

At this point, I’d stopped calling home for money because the answer was always the same — there was no money. I was fully in hustle mode. I worked Sunday to Sunday — it was stressful as hell — but it felt good to earn my own money. I also made extra money on the side assisting other photographers and taking pictures on my own. These, plus my salary, usually brought my income to ₦50k monthly on average.

I should mention that I didn’t tell my boss I was still in school. I thought it’d spoil my chances. I only told him when I had to return to school in February 2018. I’d worked for about seven months in total and saved most of my income, so I used it to sort my school fees and the ₦90k rent for my self-contained apartment.

Did you continue with photography in school?

Yes. The friend who introduced me to photography was in my university too, and he had a studio in a nearby town. I’d gotten a number of clients from my time assisting photographers, so I still got gigs.

It was that time when everyone was doing model shoots and polaroids. Whenever I got clients, I’d use my friend’s studio and fuel his generator as appreciation for using his space. I usually made like ₦20k – ₦30k per shoot. I also set up an Instagram page for my pictures and became a mini-celebrity in school. I had photography jobs almost every weekend.

How much did that bring you in a month?

Between ₦30k – ₦50k.

I graduated uni in October 2018 and returned to the studio I worked at during IT. This time, my pay was ₦35k, and I worked for five months before I went for NYSC.

I chose a photography studio for my PPA, and they paid me ₦50k/month in addition to NYSC’s ₦19,800 allowance. I also joined the media department of a church and had access to their camera, which was useful for my side gigs, bringing in an extra ₦20k here and ₦30k there. During my NYSC year, I was averaging around ₦120k/month.

Not bad.

In January 2020, I got a ₦150k product shoot gig for someone’s website. Until that time, it was the most money I’d ever made from a single photography job, and I felt like I’d finally made it. It also sparked my interest in documentary photography. I love telling stories and had even written briefly at one point. I figured documentaries would let me combine storytelling with photography. I didn’t know many documentary photographers, but if I could learn it, I would stop taking portraits and covering events — I’ve always found the latter stressful.

Then, COVID lockdown happened immediately after I finished NYSC, and I couldn’t even find the events jobs I didn’t like. The studio I worked at also closed down, and they never reopened even after the lockdown was lifted.

Damn. So, no gigs and no salary

It was brutal. Thankfully, I went back to living with my uncle after university, so I wasn’t homeless. I didn’t have any savings, though. When people started coming out again after lockdown, I decided to focus on freelance photography rather than keeping a studio job. I realised I could make more money that way.

So, I started taking on a few jobs here and there, including corporate headshots for organisations. One thing I did was make sure to charge well — my rates were from ₦100k. I knew I did great work, and I wasn’t afraid to call money. At least, if I did only one job a month, it’d be something. Of course, there were months I didn’t see anything.

I also had a two-month stint teaching students at an academy. The organisers paid me ₦20k/month per student, and there were 10 students, making ₦400k for the two months.

Did you still pursue documentary photography?

Oh, yes. I applied to quite a number of brands, offering to make documentaries for them, but nothing came out of that.

Towards the end of 2020, I decided I’d lived with my uncle long enough. So, I moved into a two-bedroom apartment with a friend from school. The cost was ₦800k, and I contributed half of the bill.

In 2021, I partnered with a photographer friend who had an abandoned studio, and he allowed me to run it. There was equipment there and everything— I just had to sit down there. I even had an office like a proper big boy. It didn’t come with additional income sha. My clients were still mostly from my freelancing gigs, and I averaged around ₦200k – ₦400k monthly.

Then, in 2022, I got a job with an international NGO.

How did that happen?

A friend randomly shared the vacancy with me and asked if I was interested. It was a communications intern role, and I thought, “Well, let me try”. It was my first 9-5 job, and it paid ₦130k/month.

I didn’t stop photography, though. A few months into the job, a colleague noticed I took really good pictures for my reports and introduced me to a one-time project that involved covering photography for an NGO event. That paid ₦400k.

My job also involved a lot of travel, which translated to additional per diem allowances. That usually brought in an additional ₦100k every other month. There was also health insurance and other small benefits. I kept thinking, so this is what 9-5 people have been enjoying?

What was having two incomes like?

It was great. I was finally able to save up to buy my own camera. I’d been using my church’s camera and borrowing from friends until that point. It was a Sony Alpha 7 III, and it cost me ₦1.3m. I still use that camera today.

My roommate moved out at a point, and he owned most of the appliances. But I was able to re-furnish my apartment with a new TV, couch, air conditioner and a few other things. Generally, I felt like I was finally setting up my life. I hadn’t called home for money in forever, and I was living well.

I also finally landed a documentary gig in December 2020. An organisation I’d previously worked with said they wanted to produce infographic video content in five different languages. I randomly charged ₦1.8 million for a three-minute video, and they agreed. I bought myself a Macbook Pro after the project ended because why not?

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How was the internship at the NGO going?

It was initially for six months, but it got extended to a year. After the year ended, there was an opportunity for me to apply to become a regular communications officer, but I didn’t get the role. I could’ve renewed my internship, but I was angry that I didn’t get the regular role, so I left in March 2023.

Back to freelance photography?

Yes. However, I also became a subcontractor for the NGO. I’d left some projects unfinished and some decision-makers thought I should be the one to do it. I even made more money that way. I did about five gigs for them within seven months, and each paid between ₦100k and ₦200k.

However, I still wanted a 9-5. I’d tasted how the other side lived, and I liked it. So, I applied and got a communications officer role with another NGO in September 2023. My salary was ₦469k/month. I was back to balling levels.

Love to hear it.

It also involved a lot of travel. I could be on the road for three weeks in a month, and with per diem allowances, my monthly income came to around ₦800k. The only downside was I no longer had so much time for photography side gigs.

Interestingly, I found out after about four months of working at the NGO that I was like the least-paid person there. Someone else on my level was earning ₦1.4m.

AH. How did that happen?

I asked HR, and it turns out I wasn’t supposed to accept the first offer I was given. I had no idea I could negotiate. It really affected my morale, but shit happens. My salary was slightly reviewed to ₦600k, and I had to take it like that.

I’m still at the NGO. With travel allowances running into ₦350k – ₦400k, my income from my 9-5 runs into ₦1m monthly. Then, an added ₦350k – ₦400k approximately from photography — mostly portraits and documentaries.

I’m actively on the job market, sha. I’m hoping to land a managerial role and make more money.

What’s an ideal amount you think you should be earning?

If I were to change jobs now, I’d hope to earn nothing less than ₦1.6m – ₦1.8m/month. But comfortable money for me right now would be $9k – $10k/month, and I think I should be able to achieve that within three to four years if I stay on my current career course or expand my photography clientele.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

Money is a means to an end. I want to live a life without stress, and I know money is what can give me that lifestyle. So, I don’t hoard money. The moment I get it, I’m thinking of things that money can facilitate for me or how it can make my life easier.

I hardly save these days. I once put about $2k in a cryptocurrency just to have something somewhere. But I lost $1,500 out of it earlier this year when I took someone’s idea to trade it. I just removed my remaining $500 and left it in a dollar account. I recently added $1,500 to it, so it’s back to $2k now.

I’m also not into investing because I think there’s a gap between what I’m earning now and what I want to earn, so I prefer to focus on that.

Let’s break down your typical monthly expenses

Tell me about a recent unplanned expense you made

Reebok sneakers. I move around different communities for my job regularly, and the sneakers are so comfy. I can walk around in those things all day. It cost ₦45k, and I still think it’s worth it.

I’m curious. Do you see yourself juggling a 9-5 and photography for much longer?

I even have construction in mind. That’s what I studied in school, and I might pivot into that when I’m around 40 years old. But I definitely plan to set up my own media organisation so I can do media and communication consultancies and work on more documentaries. That’ll probably cost around $15k.

For now, I like working in the development sector because it makes me feel like I’m making an impact. So, I’ll probably stick to it for a while. I also hope to japa soon, so I’m deliberately applying to foreign-based jobs.

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

Maybe a car. But it’s more of something I have to wait for, rather than can’t afford. I have about ₦4.5m saved for it, but prices have increased, and the car I want now costs around ₦9m, so I have to gather money for that.

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 – 10?

6. I’m not really happy with my finances, and I think I can do a lot better. My income seems like a lot of money because of where Nigeria is right now, but it’s really not. I’m not where I want to be financially. Maybe if I can bridge that gap and develop better money habits, that number could grow to an 8 or 9.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life!

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.
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.

“Do crypto with Quidax and win from a $60K QDX prize pool!” Bayo, a 28-year-old Lagosian tells Jide, his Ibadan friend seeking the most secure way to trade crypto in Nigeria after a major exchange he trades with announced its plans to leave the country. Find out more here.

What’s your earliest memory of money?

In Primary 1, I tore my ₦10 lunch money in front of a fellow student. I’m honestly not sure why I did that. Maybe I was trying to prove a point or was just being mischievous. The student was shocked and said I had cursed myself because tearing money equals a lifetime of poverty.

Ah.

I remember thinking, “What nonsense is this one saying?” I wasn’t living in poverty, so I wouldn’t just suddenly become poor.

Tell me more about that “not living in poverty” bit

My dad worked as an engineer with the ports authority, and my mum worked at a TV station. We weren’t wealthy, but we weren’t poor either. We lived in our own house with a couple of other tenants. I don’t remember us lacking anything even though we were a large family.

How large?

My parents have nine children. I’m the last born. My second eldest sister was already in university when I was born.

What was living with eight siblings like?

All nine of us were hardly at home at the same time because of the considerable age gap between us, but I had a good relationship with my siblings. I regularly made money from them, too.

By billing them?

Yup, and they were happy to give me money. My eldest sibling paid my secondary school fees and gave me pocket money. I decided I could rotate the billing among my siblings, so I’d collect ₦1k from one brother, then go and meet another sister for more money. Getting money that easily meant I also learnt to spend it quickly on whatever caught my fancy.

I continued that way when I entered uni in 2010. I didn’t have a monthly allowance, and my parents were retired, but I could always call my siblings for money whenever I needed it. I abused that privilege a lot sha. I remember being disgusted about going to the bank to withdraw anything less than ₦20k. I was always shocked to see people withdraw ₦5k.

Rich kid

My siblings caught on to my rotational billing one day. I was still in 100 level, and I think I had ₦16k in my account — which, in my mind, meant I was broke. I called one of my siblings, and she said, “What happened to the money our other sibling gave you?” I didn’t expect that.

She asked me to give an account of how I spent the money, and when I couldn’t, she revealed that they’d noticed I had no value for money, was spending anyhow and asking them all for money at the same time. She refused to give me any money, and I felt betrayed. I called another sibling, and that one said the same thing. I was like, do these people hate me?

Screaming. Did they later give in?

No. But after a few days, I began to see their point. A friend in class told me he survives on ₦1k weekly, which made me really think about my money habits. I wasn’t spending money on clothes or girls; it was food. To be fair, I was squatting with someone for free and paid 100% of the food expenses to show my gratitude, but it didn’t mean my money management had to be that bad.

I moved into another hostel the following session, and my new roommates always managed very little money for weeks. They changed the trajectory of my relationship with money. I learnt to save and budget and even began to live on ₦2k – ₦3k weekly like they did. We also contributed money to buy foodstuff and handle other shared expenses on a monthly basis.

I also changed my billing strategy. Instead of calling all my siblings for money at once, I’d call one this month and another the next, so I never asked the same person for money twice in eight months. Till I finished university in 2014, my siblings believed I no longer billed them.

When was the first time you made your own money?

My NYSC service year in 2015. I was posted to a school that didn’t pay an extra allowance, so it was just the ₦19,800 stipend from the government. But I had free corpers’ accommodation at a fellowship house, so I didn’t have to worry about rent.

I ran into many issues at my PPA, though. It was my first work experience, and I didn’t have the “discipline” required for a workplace. I didn’t see the point of coming to school at 8 a.m. when I only had a 10 a.m. class or waiting till 2 p.m. when I wasn’t doing anything. I also never wrote lesson notes.

Thankfully, I befriended someone in the school who always helped me beg the headteacher at month’s end when it was time to sign my voucher.

It was also during this time that I became interested in a tech career.

How did that happen?

There was this ghost corps member in the fellowship house — only came around to sign important stuff — but we connected over finishing from the same university. It was obvious he had money — he regularly bought fuel and subscribed the cable TV at the fellowship house whenever he was around and regularly took us out to eat. I was always fascinated by him. One day, he told me he was a developer and earned ₦100k/month. I was blown away. I thought earning ₦100k/month was more than enough to solve any problem I’d ever have.

I immediately became interested in developing, but I studied linguistics in school and thought mathematics was necessary to learn how to code. He insisted I just needed logic. But I still thought it’d be too hard.

When did you eventually give it a try?

In 2016, I moved to another sister’s house after NYSC because the one I stayed with wanted me to apply for a Master’s Degree and pursue an academic career. I wasn’t feeling that.

I was just sleeping and waking up at the other sister’s house. Her husband even tried to help me get a bank job, but I deliberately failed the test because I wasn’t under any pressure to make money.

But after three months of doing nothing, I remembered my corper friend who was probably somewhere balling on his ₦100k salary, and I decided to take my life seriously. My sister had a spare laptop, so I applied for Coursera financial aid and began learning HTML, JavaScript, Python and other programming languages online. I did that for about three months and designed a basic web app with Python, which I showed my corper friend. He didn’t believe I’d learned it just by taking courses.

Did you try to make money from your new skills?

The same friend reached out to me in 2017, complaining about his hectic workload. He asked if I’d like to join his team to assist him. I said yes, of course.

The company he worked for used Angular2+, a web framework I wasn’t familiar with, so I spent two weeks learning it before I attended an interview with his boss in Lagos. I even made a demo application. But the interview was a formality; the man just wanted to see who my friend recommended. I was asked to resume immediately at ₦100k/month.

You finally got the ₦100k salary

It was about ₦91k after tax, but I was so excited. My sister said the money was too small and asked me to negotiate for more. In my head, I was like, “Does this one want to pour sand in my garri?” I was too scared to lose the opportunity.

She was right, though. I became a one-man software department. My friend worked remotely from another city, so I was the on-ground data analyst, web developer, desktop app developer and backend developer. But it was my first real job, and I enjoyed it.

I also began to save at least ₦50k/month and made my first big boy purchase after five months — a laptop at ₦250k.

Neat. Were you spending on anything else?

Not really. I didn’t have much of a social life — most I did was join tech groups online to network and ask questions. I also didn’t really have responsibilities, so I just went to the office and saved the rest of my money.

My salary was increased to ₦105k after a year, and around the same time, the company hired two new guys who changed my perspective on earning.

How so?

The new guys were also software engineers, and they once let it slip that they shared a ₦900k/year apartment. I was surprised, to say the least. How could they afford to live like that? I interacted with them and observed that they did a lot of side gigs and religiously hustled to upskill.

One of them was also a mobile developer who shared how he charged ₦600k for a gig. My initial reaction was, “This guy is greedy. Why do you need so much?” Me, I was satisfied with earning ₦105k and saving ₦50k for the next 20 years.

But after observing them some more, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to have the same financial privileges they did, so I decided I’d also learn mobile development.

What did that involve?

I procrastinated learning the skill for an entire year, but in 2019, I eventually took courses and began practising.

Interestingly, within a week of learning it, someone on a WhatsApp group I was part of mentioned they needed a mobile developer for a ₦200k gig. I reached out and got it. They paid ₦70k upfront. I should’ve asked for a 70% upfront payment because getting the balance became a problem after I delivered the job. It took a year of back and forth to get it.

Damn

I decided to still pursue a Master’s Degree in Linguistics in 2019. I was still working in Lagos, but they allowed me to go remote because my school was in Ibadan. Moving to Ibadan meant I somewhat became responsible for myself. I rented a ₦120k/year apartment and handled my fees too.

In Ibadan, I got an opportunity to take on a ₦600k job. The employer found me in one of the tech groups I belonged to and offered me the role. It was the biggest amount I’d ever been offered in my life. You’d expect that I’d jump at it, right?

You didn’t?

I didn’t. I felt I wasn’t good enough, so I recommended someone else — an undergraduate — and he got the job. And I was still earning ₦105k o.

The same employer offered me a one-time gig sometime later. I guess he felt I did an honourable thing recommending someone else for that job. The gig was to build a fintech app. I charged ₦300k; he said it was too small and he’d pay ₦700k instead. He also paid 70% upfront.

I was still so doubtful of my skills that I didn’t touch that 70% until I completed the job, so he wouldn’t use police to arrest me if he didn’t like it. I completed the job in two weeks instead of the stipulated two months. I was that anxious. The guy thought it was because I was extremely fast.

LMAO

He recommended me for a job at a telecommunications company. I did the interview, and they gave me a ₦5 million/year offer. But imposter syndrome struck again, and I lied that I couldn’t take the job because of my Master’s Degree.

Fortunately for me, they couldn’t find anyone else for the role, and they contracted it to the same guy who referred me. That one subcontracted it to me and put me on a ₦600k salary for a five-month contract. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I took the contract position in addition to my regular ₦105k 9-5.

After the contract ended in 2020, a former co-worker told me about an open mobile engineer position with a UK company. I applied and got employed for a one-year contract. It paid ₦400k/month.

Did you still juggle this with your 9-5?

I resigned after getting the UK job. But I didn’t even stay at the job for the complete year. It was so toxic; my boss desperately wanted to be the centre of attention. A 30-minute meeting could last for hours because he’d just keep talking. Plus, I noticed my foreign colleagues were earning as much as $8k/month, and I only got ₦400k.

So, I started job hunting again after eight months and got a ₦500k/month mobile developer role at a Nigerian company in 2021. By this time, I’d abandoned my postgraduate studies. The lockdown in 2020 had paused school for too long, and I just got tired.

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How long did you stay at the new job?

I stayed for about a year and a half. My salary was increased to ₦750k/month at a point. Then I got another opportunity with a US company via LinkedIn. That one paid $35/hour and approximately $3,500 per month, depending on my hours. So, I basically had two incomes from 2021 to 2022.

I felt financially comfortable enough to get married, so I did in 2022. Fun fact: I interviewed for another job the night before my wedding.

How did that happen?

I’d helped some of my friends get jobs at the US company I worked for, and one of them left to join another US company. So, I jokingly said I was open to opportunities at his new job. They were hiring, and I applied.

I didn’t even think I’d get the job because I was in my wife’s village the night of the interview, and there was no light. But they gave me a couple of tasks and an offer of employment a month later. They offered $5k, but I negotiated, and we eventually settled for $5,500.

This is the first time you’ve mentioned negotiating

Right? I was deliberate about it, too. I’d always been scared to negotiate because I felt I wasn’t good enough and didn’t want to chase people willing to “give me a chance” away. But I had nothing to lose this time. I had two jobs, and I’d become comfortable acknowledging that I was good at what I did.

I accepted the offer, quit the Nigerian job and focused on my two US jobs. I felt like the biggest boy in the world. There were some months I earned close to $12k.

What lifestyle changes came with your increased earnings?

I still wasn’t much of a social person, so it was just small home and personal changes. I bought my sister’s old car for ₦1m and started regularly sending my parents at least ₦40k/month. My wife and I moved to a new ₦2m/year house in 2022. I paid for two years upfront and made extensive renovations, bringing the total bill to around ₦10m.

The major change was in how much I saved. I started saving 80% of my monthly income and only lived on 20%. For instance, in the months I earned $12k, I’d leave $10k in my domiciliary account. I get a 6% APY dollar investment from my bank, so it’s my primary savings and investment option.

However, around September 2022, I got laid off from the company paying me by the hour.

Oh my. Why?

Business wasn’t doing great, and my role became obsolete. My income was reduced to $5,500/month, so I reduced my savings to $4k.

Something else that helped during that period was my good relationship with the CTO at the company that laid me off. I didn’t tell him I had another job, so he thought I was jobless. I’d also mentioned that my wife was pregnant, so he felt he had to help me find another job.

And he did. Two months later, he landed me a €40/hour role with a European company. That’s about €4,000/month, depending on hours worked. I didn’t think much of the job because I had another one, but it turned out to be a lifesaver.

How so?

I got laid off from my second US job in April 2023 due to clashes with colleagues. I lowkey think a lot of it was racism because the Black staff members were always treated differently, but I sha lost the job.

Again, having a second job saved me from total unemployment. I’ve been job-hunting since, but it hasn’t been successful. My quality of life hasn’t exactly reduced because I’ve always saved more than I spent. In total, I have saved about $80k so far.

Do you have a saving goal?

I’m honestly just saving for saving sake. I might buy a house down the line, but I’m concerned about building a healthy safety net for my family in case anything happens to me.

Does the high probability of layoffs in tech bother you?

Always. There’s huge insecurity in this industry, and it’s always on my mind. But I try to focus on making myself indispensable. Layoffs will always happen. That’s why I’m very interested in upskilling.

How would you describe your relationship with money?

Growing up, I had this laissez-faire attitude to it; it was always there to spend as I liked. Then I got a reality check in university and suddenly became a conservative spender. It’s been like a full-circle journey, and I like that I’m intentional with spending and budgeting. I think I’ve become even more conservative since I became a husband and father. I just want to give my family a good life whether I’m here or not.

Let’s break down your typical monthly expenses

What was the last thing you bought that significantly improved your quality of life?

I like being in the kitchen, so a food processor and blender that cost about $500 and a new fridge that cost a little above ₦1m. These purchases have made cooking much faster, and I make smoothies all day.

You said something about still looking for opportunities. What’s your ideal salary?

I’d be thrilled to get a job that pays $10k/month. I’m upskilling in preparation for that. In 2023, I spent about $550 on courses and scrum master certifications.

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

A house. A good one will cost around ₦60 million, and I wouldn’t want to spend all my savings on one thing, so that’s still a future want.

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 – 10?

9. I’ve lost income, but it could’ve easily been worse. I’m in a better financial position than most, and I’m grateful for the fact that I can give back to my parents and even siblings, if necessary. I only need to keep upskilling to increase my earning potential.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life!

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

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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.

What’s your earliest memory of money?

My parents would give me ₦20 or ₦50 for food in primary school, and I’d spend everything before I got to school.

Wait… how?

I walked to school with my siblings and neighbours, and we bought anything we saw on the road — puff puff, popcorn, sweets, you name it. The money never followed me to school, and I’d power through the day and trek home after school.

Would you say there was money at home growing up?

We were a basic middle-class family. School fees were paid on time, at least. My mum’s a banker, and my dad did everything he could for money. When I was younger, he sold cars. He’d bring in cars from Benin Republic and Cotonou and sell them to buyers in Nigeria. It wasn’t fayawo [illegal importation], sha. He also did some construction and cleaning gigs at different points in time.

I had a comfortable childhood, so making money wasn’t top of mind for me as a child.

So, when was the first time you made your own money?

It would’ve been during my fourth year in the university, around 2016. My ₦20k monthly allowance always finished within two weeks. So, I decided to start a business to make extra income and worked on a whole plan. But I told my mum, and she refused to give me money for it.

Why? What was the business idea?

I was going to buy shirts at ₦300 each and sell them to law students at ₦500 so I could use the profit to hold body and soul together. I think I asked her to give me ₦20k – ₦50k to start.

She insisted I focus on school instead.

Did you?

Sort of. At least, I didn’t try anything for money again till after university in 2018. That was the actual first time I made my own money, and I made it by grooming a dog.

How did dogs get in the picture?

Well, I grew an interest in dogs in uni. A schoolmate and I became friends because he had a dog I grew fond of. I tried to convince my parents to get a dog too, but my dad said, “In my family, we don’t keep dogs because the dogs always die.”

Ah

But after my dad passed in 2017, we were robbed. I was away at school, so I only heard that my mum eventually decided to get a security dog.

After I left university, my mum and siblings stopped giving me free money. I noticed many of our neighbours had dogs too, so I approached one of them and offered to groom their dog.

I bathed the dog, cleaned its space, and took it for a walk. When I returned, the owner gave me about ₦3k.

Interesting. Did that happen often?

I did a few other grooming gigs here and there. Then I convinced my mum to sell the dog she’d gotten — a German Shepherd and Boerboel mix that was more fearful than protective — for a fiercer purebred Rottweiler. I’d take the dog for walks regularly and meet other dog owners. People soon knew me as the guy who was always with one dog or the other.

I’d also get fellow dog people’s numbers, with the intention of contacting them when my dog had puppies. Sadly, I never really had a successful litter myself — most of the puppies died — but I became a middleman for people who wanted to sell puppies and those who wanted to buy.

How much did this usually bring you?

At first, I made ₦5k – ₦10k on each purchase I helped facilitate. The buyer or seller would give me something small, or I’d add something on top. I got like two or three of these deals monthly. My mum was so supportive; she’d occasionally pitch in with money to buy dog food.

2020 was my big break — the lockdown, specifically. That was when I got my first major payout. Over the years, I’d made myself something of a dog breeding expert on Twitter by researching and sharing long Twitter threads about caring for different dog breeds and all that stuff.

So, this person reached out to me for help. He wanted to buy a purebred Boerboel. I mentioned one random price, and he didn’t even negotiate. I also said he’d need feed and a cage, and he sent me the money for it. The guy hadn’t even seen me before, but he sent me over ₦400k. I made ₦80k profit on that one deal alone.

If 2020 was your big break, it means you got other profitable gigs, yeah?

I did. I’m not sure why, but people bought so many dogs during the lockdown.

I became friends with a vet who had a medical pass to move around because of his job, so we’d go together to different people to groom, treat and sell dogs. I made about ₦100k/month in 2020 from clients I mostly met on Twitter. There’s a huge community of dog owners online o.

Did you know anything about this community before you started?

I didn’t. All I did was come online to talk about dogs, and they found me. Whenever I shared health and wellness tips for different breeds, random people would DM and be like, “Oh, my dog isn’t eating. What should I do?” or “My dog isn’t barking well. What do you advise?”

Those questions pushed me to research more on YouTube and Google search, so I could help them. In return, they recommended me to other dog owners. Others would come and ask me to recommend dog breeds they could buy.

I didn’t highly mark up my prices on dog sales at first. Someone could say they wanted to sell a puppy for ₦180k, and I’d just add ₦20k. The price would end up being more reasonable and sell faster than others who’d put up the same puppy for sale at ₦300k. So, people trusted me.

Can I tell you something?

Please do

Dog money is one of the easiest money you can make. Someone can just wake up and say they want a ₦500k puppy, and the seller agrees to sell at ₦300k. You easily make ₦200k on one single transaction.

Why did you increase your markup?

Omo. I got tired of making ₦5ks and ₦10ks in late 2020 and decided I only wanted to serve people who could pay premium prices. Plus, my low prices started to drive high-paying customers away. When we discussed prices, they always thought the dogs were too cheap to be purebred. No one told me before I gradually started charging well.

Nigerians spend good money on dogs o. In 2022, I facilitated my most expensive single sale yet. It was an adult female Boerboel which I helped transport from Ghana. It cost ₦1.5m, and I didn’t add anything to the price because I wanted to build a relationship with that client. He gave me ₦50k for my stress, though. The dog’s owner also gave me ₦20k.

₦1.5m…

Around Christmas 2020, I added dog boarding to my services. Money from dog sales was good, but it was also unpredictable. So, I told people they could bring their dogs to stay with mine whenever they travelled and just drop money for food. The first client brought his three dogs for the holidays and dropped ₦100k for food.

At first, I didn’t have a fixed price. I charged based on the dog’s size — to determine how much they needed for food — and how long they intended to stay. Now, I charge ₦3k per day. I board dogs all year round, in addition to helping to facilitate dog sales.

How much does this typically bring you in a month?

In a bad month, I make approximately ₦200k from everything dog-related. January, June, July and December are my best months. I think it’s due to a combination of people travelling and 9-5ers getting mid-year bonuses. In those months, I can make up to ₦1m. That’s minus my bank job.

I was coming to that. When did a bank job enter the picture?

In 2022. You know how I said dog money can be unpredictable? Add that to the fact that I’m not a saver — seeing money in my account is reason enough to spend it — so I can be really broke if nothing comes from dog sales in a while. There was a month I didn’t make any sales, and only earned ₦10k from a dog I boarded. I had to sell my TV to supplement my income.

I first tried to get a bank job in 2021 through my uncle, but I failed the interview. Then, I took up a small marketing job at an e-commerce company. My salary was ₦80k/month. In 2022, I applied to the bank again, passed and got the job. It pays ₦165k/month, and an additional ₦165k every quarter. But I like to tell people I’m not a banker. I’m a dog dealer and breeder who happens to work in a bank.

LOL

I do love my bank job, though. I’m a marketer, but it isn’t stressful because I have a chill boss. However, I can easily double my salary with just a few dog transactions.

I feel you. Let’s talk about your relationship with money

I’m not afraid of money. I feel like money will always come. It’s why I can sleep comfortably with ₦1k in my account. I can wake up the following day, and something will bring ₦100k to me.

However, I know I spend a lot. So, I’ve resorted to writing down every single thing I spend on so I know where my money is going, at least. I’ve done this for a few years now, and it’s helped me keep track of my expenses. That way, I know I spent 10% of my income this month on airtime, for example. Or that I spent 50% of it giving it away to people.

Speaking of, dashing people money is a big problem. In 2023, I gave out a total of ₦1m to people, and I made ₦9.3m that year. That’s about 11% of my income, and I don’t even pay tithe in church. I want to learn how to say “no” to people in 2024.

What else takes your money? Let’s break it down for a typical month

I live with my parents, so I don’t have to pay rent. What I spend on dog food depends on how many dogs I have in my house that month. Sometimes, I spend up to ₦50k.

Up until December 2023, I was in a ₦100k/month ajo contribution to save for my car. I started in January, but it hadn’t amounted to much in August when I bought the car. The car cost ₦2m, and I took a ₦400k loan from a neighbour to complete it. Even the loan, I had to sell one of my dogs to repay it because some money I was expecting didn’t come through.

Out of interest, what do your finances look like at the moment?

I currently have zero savings, but I plan to save ₦1m this year. That means I’ll need to take out ₦80k every month and leave it in a savings app.

What’s something you bought recently that improved the quality of your life?

I was going to say the car, but it didn’t improve anything. I’m always fixing one thing or the other. I recently had to pay ₦90k to fix something. Yesterday, the mechanic said I should bring another ₦140k.

But I plan to do something for myself this year. Before the end of the first quarter, I intend to use my leave allowance, which is ₦100k, for a staycation weekend. I’m considering a neighbouring state, so I can spend about ₦75k on transportation and hotel fees. Then, I can use the remaining ₦25k for food.

Is there something you want right now but can’t afford?

I’d like to own a house. It feels like the next sensible step after buying a car. I’ve made some enquiries about a mortgage arrangement in an estate in my city. Buyers need to pay ₦3m upfront for a two or three-bedroom bungalow, and you can spread the payment annually over 15 – 20 years. The houses are worth ₦15m – ₦25m on outright payment. I can’t start the mortgage this year, though. Maybe next year.

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1 – 10?

7. Apart from the house, I don’t think there’s anything I want that I can’t get. It may just take a while. But I want to be rich-rich so I can buy a ₦30k shirt without thinking too much about it or feeling like I’m spending too much on myself. My dogs even enjoy my money more than I do.

What do the next few years look like for you? Will you stay in banking?

I should. I see myself getting promoted this year, and that could bring my salary to ₦400k.

Honestly, I don’t think I will ever be broke again. If I lose my job today, I can go into cab driving. If that doesn’t work, I can become a POS agent or go and be bathing someone’s dog every week. I just know I can’t go back to urgent ₦2k levels of broke with the amount of things I can do.

Plus, like I said, I’m not afraid of money. I have less than ₦5k in my account right now, but I know there will always be something. Things can be bad for one week, but it can never be bad for one month.

Is there something else you’d like to share that I didn’t ask?

There’s plenty of money in this dog business, but I’ve also lost a lot too. I once brought in a dog from Ukraine that cost about ₦1m, and it died after it got to Nigeria. I’m still not sure what killed it because there was no money for an autopsy. Obviously, I didn’t get anything from that sale.

There was another one from Serbia that accidentally got hit by a keke while I took it for a walk. I paid ₦70k for surgery and treatment, but it still died. Or is it when I’d just wake up and find one of my dogs dead? Now, I try not to put myself under undue pressure. Dog wey go die go die.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

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Nigeria has gotten to a point where it’s almost laughable to live here and have one source of income. Every citizen uses what they have to get what they want. So it comes as no surprise to us that the comedians on this list have taken their love for comedy, merged it with their musical talents, and doubled their hustles.

Chigul

Chigul started her career as a singer called C-Flow. Although she quickly transitioned into comedy, she never dropped her first love, mixing music with comedy and featuring on songs like MI Abaga’s Monkey and Falz’s Karishika.

Nasboi

Nasboi came to the spotlight, mimicking Davido and dropping skits that made us all laugh. But as someone who started his music career signed to Omotola Jalade Ekeinde’s label, he quickly returned to his first love — music. Nasboi dropped his first single, “Lover Boy”, in February 2023 and blew us all away. On the 24th of November, he dropped his second one,Umbrella featuring Wande Coal that’s made it to top ten on Apple’s Top 100: Nigeria chart.

Josh2Funny

Joshua is too funny, no doubt, but he’s also what some might call a musical genius. In 2020, he dropped a remix of his popular Don’t Leave Me challenge with rappers like Vector, Falz, AO and Magnito. He dropped an album in 2022 and still constantly puts out funny covers of popular songs.

Carter Efe

https://youtu.be/kGtxYQscUZc?si=zyrG5c3vdlv7ygwI

He transitioned from comedy and skitmaking to hitmaking when he dropped Machala in 2022. Although the original Machala, Wizkid, paid the song no mind, it still blew up. Since then, Carter Efe has dropped two more bangers.

Broda Shaggi

If you watched his “Dumebi don carry belle” video one too many times, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that Broda Shaggi has always had a penchant for music. He’s since dropped covers of popular songs and just released a song with Pasuma.

Emma OhMyGod

A man of many talents, Emma OhMyGod wields his creativity however he wishes. On some days, he’s an actor. On others, he’s a comedian. On most days, he’s singing original songs and covers with his live band, the OhEmGee band.

Kenny Blaq

While we know him for his stand-up comedy, in which he easily infuses music into his jokes, Kenny Blaq took his vocals to the studio in 2022 and released Je Breakfast. The song samples the line “E don cast… Na everybody go chop breakfast” on Burna Boy’s Last Last and pays homage to the apala genre.

Basketmouth

He started his career as a rapper, forming two rap bands before he ever moved to comedy. So it’s no surprise that after fame, he returned to his first love in 2020 and has since released two albums.
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.

What’s your earliest memory of money?

My mum made sure all our holidays — right from primary school— involved me and my four sisters learning a handicraft to keep us busy. When I was about to enter JSS one, we learnt how to make beads, and I sold some beaded bags I made for ₦150 – ₦300 at a church’s Children’s Day display.

Did that spin off into a proper business?

Not really. My siblings and I made those bags from the spare beads left over from what we used to learn. We just brought them to the display and ended up selling them.

We also learned how to make beaded flower vases and sold a few at church for around ₦800 each. We spent nothing on procuring the materials; my mum got them for us, so we just shared what we made among ourselves and used it to buy wara, suya or ice cream at school. My mum didn’t like that because we always got lunch boxes, but you know what they say about outside things being sweeter.

Talking about your parents. What was growing up like financially?

Both my parents are medical professionals, so we didn’t lack anything. We even had a driver who took us to school.

Plus, we lived in Maiduguri where things were affordable. Thinking about it now, growing up in the North was one of the best times of my life.

How so?

It was quiet and secluded. The people were also good with crafts. It wasn’t strange to find a four-year-old braiding her hair.

Fun fact: my siblings and I first heard about stuff like the Home Alone movies and Boney M Christmas songs after we relocated to the North Central in 2012 —years after the rest of the world had seen them. That’s how secluded it was up north.

Why did you relocate?

The Boko Haram crisis had started to gain ground, then my dad got another job. So we used the opportunity to move. I remember my sisters and I had to be picked up from school to leave in a hurry because everyone was just running helter-skelter.

That must’ve been terrible. Were you still making stuff?

Before we moved, I had a stint making beaded yarn crochet mini purses, and I sold about four of them to classmates for ₦100 each. I also made some crochet tops for my siblings.

After we moved, my mum paid ₦15k for a one-week training at a baking school so my siblings and I could learn how to bake cakes and snacks. Of course, that meant I had to monetise my skill somehow.

Let me guess. Another business?

Yes, also a stint. I baked a cake for a neighbour’s wedding but was only paid for the ingredients. I didn’t try to bake for money again after that.

The next one-off gig I did was play the piano for a Valentine’s Day program in 2013. I was paid ₦2k for it.

How did you even get the gig?

I learned how to play the piano when I was seven years old — thanks to my mum for getting someone to train us. I got the gig through some of my secondary school friends who also played instruments. Some of them were playing the drums and guitar, so they just told me to join them and play the piano, and the organisers paid me afterwards.

It looks like you’ve always had an entrepreneurial calling

Tell that to Nigerian parents. Now, everyone knows you can make money from business or on social media without a certificate. But medicine was what my parents knew. To them, it was: Study medicine, enter the labour market, and you’ll get money.

I was confused when it was time for uni because I knew how to do a lot of things. For example, I was good at graphic design from practising on our home computer. But I was also considering biomedical engineering. Eventually, I followed my parents’ advice and got into uni to study dentistry in 2017. I’m in my final year now.

Do I even need to ask if you’ve tried your hand at any business since you’ve been in school?

LOL. I currently run a shoe-making business I started a few weeks before starting uni.

How did it happen?

During the waiting period between getting provisional admission to the university and resuming the new session, my cousin was supposed to visit from the U.S, and I decided to gift them something unique.

I didn’t want to crochet a blouse because it was too basic. So I thought, “Why not crochet sandals?” I had a design in mind and wanted to use the stronger cobbler threads instead of typical yarn, so I bought some for about ₦300 each and started work. I had to change the design several times because it wasn’t working.

I finally designed the top of the sandals, then I found a shoemaker to help cobble the sole. He gave me a list of materials to buy, which cost me about ₦1,500 and in three days, he taught me all I needed to know, and we produced the sandals. Unfortunately, my cousin didn’t visit Nigeria that year, but I was so proud of my production.

What did you later do with it?

I carried myself to a studio and paid ₦100 for professional pictures of the sandals on my crusty feet for Facebook.

LOL

The Facebook post helped. Two coursemates saw it and asked me to bring one each for them when school resumed. It cost me ₦700 to produce one, and I sold it for ₦2k.

When we resumed, I made a couple more shoes and sandals for my personal use. Then, my hostel roommates started asking me to make one for them too. My bestseller was a crochet beaded gladiator sandal that I sold for ₦1,500 each.

Subsequently, I started advertising to students outside my hostel. I even got someone who bought fifteen pieces at once to retail. In my first year, I averaged ₦20k in monthly profits.

What was it like just starting school and getting thrown into a successful business?

It was crazy. I’d be at lectures all day and return home in the evening to work all night so I could meet up with orders. I was also running around different shoemaker shops to borrow their filing machines to finish the shoes because I didn’t have one.

Now, I realise I was underselling myself. Because how was I spending seven hours making one sandal only to make ₦1k as profit?

It was big money to me then because I had no responsibilities and still got a ₦25k/month allowance from my parents.

When did you start charging more for your skills?

2019. Word-of-mouth advertising wasn’t working again, so I stepped up and became intentional about advertising on social media. After one tweet blew up my business and helped me sell about 50 sandals, Twitter quickly became my major channel. I sold each sandal at ₦4,500, making ₦3k in profit on each. I used the money I made to buy most of the machines I needed.

Several people also reached out to support me, and the goodwill meant I could get a generator and register my business with the CAC. Someone even gave me a filing machine for free. I still use it till now.

So, 2019 was the year your business blew

2020 and 2021 were even better. I got part-time staff to assist me with the shoemaking, running deliveries and taking pictures for content. At some point, I had six people working with me and paid them based on how much work they did per week. But it usually ranged from ₦10k to ₦50k weekly for each of them.

How much were you making yourself?

Between ₦500k – ₦800k monthly. I usually had to set aside about ₦250k to settle my staff. By 2022, I was making ₦800k in a good month after paying salaries and other business expenses.

That’s serious balling figures. What were you spending on?

I was barely spending anything I made from my business because my mum sent me foodstuff in addition to my ₦35k monthly allowance.

I only touched it when I wanted to pay rent for my off-campus accommodation, which was ₦400k. The other thing I constantly spent money on was fuel for the generator I used for the business — the rest I just saved.

I should add that I hardly spend on unnecessary things. I’d rather take a keke than spend money hailing a cab. Besides, I can’t take a car to the market where I go to buy shoe materials. I only use cabs when absolutely necessary. I’ve been using the same phone since 2019. It’s doing its work, so why change it?

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You mentioned saving most of your income

Yes. I used most of it to rent a two-bedroom apartment for my workshop in 2022. It cost me about ₦6m to settle rent, set up the space, and get more machines for work. To be honest, I initially wanted to buy a car, but I thought about it and decided to invest in my business.

How are you still juggling everything with medical school, though?

I’m not juggling —it’s been very tough doing both full-time. One aspect always suffers; if I’m not having logistics issues, my staff will come with their own. I’ve failed a lot of tests, and reading is a hassle. I don’t have a social life because school and business take up all my time. I even had to pause my business at the beginning of this year and only resumed a few weeks ago.

What happened?

I had a mental breakdown in 2018 due to some personal issues, which kept me out of school for roughly six months, and I had to repeat a year. So, this year came with many back-to-back exams and the backlog from that year. I also had to move back to the hostel since I wasn’t really making money anymore.

You weren’t making sales at all?

My shop was still there, and we still had a few walk-ins and repeat customers. But I wasn’t advertising on social media, so sales slowed to about ₦70k – ₦100k monthly.

I laid off some staff when I started running at a loss. Since I was busy with exams, I couldn’t monitor what my staff were doing, and they’d typically deliver poorly finished jobs to customers who’d complain and ask for a refund. Sometimes, I’d remake the shoe and send it again at my own cost. I often had to dip into my personal allowance to fill those gaps.

Some other staff stopped coming because I couldn’t afford to pay them. At the moment, I work with only three people.

Omo. How’s it going now?

I just resumed advertising again, so I’m still trying to find my feet, but making sales isn’t difficult for me, and I know I’ll get back to 2022 figures soon. I’ve had to become even more prudent with money. I’ve only braided my hair once this year; the rest of the time, it’s been in twists.

I even switched to an old 3G sim one time because I knew data wouldn’t finish as fast as it would on 4G. I also sometimes turn off data mode on most of my apps and avoid Instagram and TikTok. But I still have to be online because of my business, so data is a necessary expense.

Let’s break down the expenses in a month

My mum still sends most of the foodstuff I need, so my food expense only includes perishable items.

What would you say is the toughest part of being a business owner?

Apart from the obvious challenge of doing it as a student, managing staff is really tough. When they don’t do the work properly, we end up remaking the product multiple times, which comes at a cost. It’s difficult getting people who actually care about the work; they’re just interested in the money.

That part is confusing for me because it also affects them when we run at a loss. So, why misbehave?

You’ve been at this for six years. What are some things you’ve learnt?

I now know how to better determine my price point, based on how my competitors are pricing, the rising cost of materials and how much effort I put into a piece of footwear. On average, one piece costs ₦30k now. Some people still tell me I should charge more, but I can’t do that. Is it until I get 500% ROI on one item?

On the other hand, I noticed that there were some people who never patronised me until I increased my prices. It’s a Nigerian mindset. People think the more expensive, the better it must be.

So, you’re in your final year. What does the future look like for you?

I’m still unsure about whether I’d practise after medical school, but I know I’m going to take a full year to give all my attention to my business. The business is here to stay, no doubt about that.

I also want to get an MBA, partly to add a title to my name, and also to get actual business insights. I may also go back to study biomedical engineering like I wanted before listening to my parents and studying dentistry.

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

I’ve always wanted to go into bag-making, and there’s this tagging machine I’ve been eyeing. I’d also like to get a better phone and filming gadgets to make shoemaking tutorials on YouTube and take better pictures for content. Everything should cost about ₦900k.

How much do you think you should be making from your business now?

₦3m/month. I honestly think I would’ve gotten there already if I hadn’t taken a break.

Rooting for you. How would you rate your financial happiness?

Currently a 4, but I’m hopeful that once I settle into pushing my business again, it’ll be a 7 by the end of the month.

If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.

Yes, I want to do a Naira Life

Find all the past Naira Life stories here.

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“Agritech investing brings me extra money without getting my hands dirty” — Tunde*, 29, Bank Executive

“I wake up to see money in my account” — Diane*, 28, Digital Marketer

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“My shortlet apartment pays my bills” — Sean*, 33, Music Producer

“I make ₦200k ‑ ₦500k monthly from dropshipping” — Ebere*, 32, Teacher

“For me, investment feels like earning money just to hold onto it” — Sotayo*, 33, Product Designer

What’s your earliest memory of money?

10 years old?

Hmmm

Did you try to make money from jewellery in uni?

Were you already a fitness enthusiast at the time?

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How did monetisation work?

Tell me about that

Did you have to learn how to install locs?

I respect the dedication to not paying a dime. Did you continue both hustles after uni?

I’m curious, was there a reason why you didn’t want to return?

What was the job?

For someone who wasn’t even earning ₦100k?

What’s your income like these days?

Sounds like a plan. Are your charges still within the ₦20k range?

Dying at “God forbid”. You mentioned living with anxiety. How does it impact your work?

How would you describe your relationship with money?

Let’s break down what your typical month in expenses looks like

You’re a full-time loctician now. Do you think you’ll stay that way for much longer?

Is there an ideal amount you’d like to earn monthly?

Is there anything you want right now but can’t afford?

Phew. I can relate. Is there anything you’d like to be better at financially?

Rooting for you. How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

Samson*, 33

Occupation: Federal Government Civil Servant

Side Hustle: Meta Ads Media Buyer and Creative Strategist

Monthly Income: ₦161k (from 9-5) + ₦2.5m (from side hustles)

Jane*, 19

Occupation: Social Media Manager

Side Hustle: YouTube Script Writer

Monthly Income: ₦70k (from 9-5) + ₦300k average (from side hustle)

Olamide*, 27

Occupation: Customer Service Officer

Side Hustle: Fashion Designer

Monthly Income: ₦250k (from 9-5) + ₦500k average (from side hustle)

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Wisdom*, 29

Occupation: HR Personnel

Side Hustle: Academic Writer

Monthly Income: ₦400k (from 9-5) + ₦700k average (from side hustle)

Kola*, 36

Occupation: Site Manager

Side Hustle: Architectural/Building Designs

Monthly Income: ₦200k (from 9-5) + ₦300k average (from side hustle)

What’s your earliest memory of money?

How big a cut are we talking about?

Can I assume this solo spending adventure meant your folks had money?

Oh my

Where did you go?

Was this a paid apprenticeship?

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What side hustles?

All of them?

What was the pay like?

What did you do after you left him?

How did you manage work and school?

What’s the income from your side gigs like?

What did you do with it?

Yikes. Sorry about that

Tell me more

What does your typical month in expenses look like?

Is there any aspect of your finances you wish to be better at?

Is there anything you want right now that you can’t afford?

Is there anything you haven’t learned to do?

How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?

Banky W

Don Jazzy

Sheyman

Peter Okoye (P-Square)

Mr Eazi

MC Galaxy

Zlatan Ibile

Patoranking

What’s your earliest memory of money?

**“Agritech investing brings me extra money without getting my hands dirty” — Tunde*, 29, Bank Executive**

**“I wake up to see money in my account” — Diane*, 28, Digital Marketer**

**“My shortlet apartment pays my bills” — Sean*, 33, Music Producer**

**“I make ₦200k ‑ ₦500k monthly from dropshipping” — Ebere*, 32, Teacher**

**“For me, investment feels like earning money just to hold onto it” — Sotayo*, 33, Product Designer**

**Samson*, 33**

**Jane*, 19**

**Olamide*, 27**

**Wisdom*, 29**

**Kola*, 36**