“A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week. The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life” is Debbie, a stripper. She […]

This #NairaLife is a little strange. She earns enough to meet her needs. The only problem is, she’s dealing with some regrets, especially with her financial decisions in the past 10 years. What’s your oldest memory of money? In  1994, I got admitted to secondary school. My dad took me on a tour of the […]

I’ve always been fascinated by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and the relationships between each level of the pyramid– how one must be completed before other. According to his theory, physiological needs are the most important requirement for human survival. ‘Shelter’ is one of these needs. So, I decided to ask young Nigerians about their struggles […]

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

The experiences of queer people any and everywhere are far from monolithic. Oppression takes many forms and, sometimes, the fact that you can or cannot pass as a member of a non-marginalised community is what determines how much or what type of oppression/marginalisation gets thrown your way.  Passing, in the simplest terms, is the ability […]

At least 25 million Nigerians are living with a disability. This #NairaLife is about one of them. The subject survived polio when he was young, but that’s not the only significant life event he has had to deal with. This one is about resilience and hope. What’s your oldest memory of money? I don’t remember […]

Loaning people money can be a tricky situation because there is always a chance that they might default on payment. There are no guarantees, really. In this article, we asked 4 Nigerians to talk about being owed money by their friends. This is what they said. Dapo An ex was in a tough spot, and […]

“A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week. The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life” is Juliet Simone, and she’s […]

This subject of this week’s #NairaLife is an investment manager. He is in the business of helping people make money, and he has learned how to do the same thing for himself. What is most interesting about him? His motivations. What’s your oldest memory of money? Growing up, my dad did this thing where he […]

“At the end of the speech I wrote for her, her husband was crying. Everyone was crying.”

Times are tough for everyone. But for people whose friends earn more or have a higher purchasing power, social anxiety is always a thing. This is definitely not fun. In this article, 5 Nigerians talk about what it means to be the ‘broke friend’ and everything that comes with it. Dayo, 26 My friend buys […]

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

The actress in this #NairaLife has 99 problems. The biggest one? Not knowing her next payday and figuring out how best to manage this situation. What’s your oldest memory of money? It was walking in on my mum and her salesgirl counting money when I was 11. Out of curiosity, I asked my mum what […]

“Hmmmm…”

“A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week. The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life” is Anthonia,  an amateur footballer. […]

This #NairaLife is the story of a medical student stuck in a loop that is the Nigerian education system. One day, he got some information that changed his life forever, and he went from being a dependent to a provider. This is how it all happened. Let’s start with the first time you worked for […]

It’s safe to say that the culture of black tax has caught on. More than ever, young Nigerians are expected to support their families from whatever they earn. It’s a tricky situation to navigate, so we asked 8 Nigerians who’re paying a form of black tax to talk about their experiences.

“A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week. The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life” is an Alaga Iyawo. These […]

The subject of this NairaLife is a medical sales rep who works at a job where everything can go wrong and derail the trajectory of her life. But you see how to make money and build wealth? She kinda has it on lock. What was your first memory of money? When I was eight years […]

If your salary has finished or you’re on your last leg, I welcome you. Seeing as I fit into one the categories above, I asked 10 people how they’d manage their last  ₦10,000 till the end of the 100 days of January. Here’s what they had to say: 1) “Bless the money so it can […]

Tears!

“A Week In The Life” is a weekly Zikoko series that explores the working-class struggles of Nigerians. It captures the very spirit of what it means to hustle in Nigeria and puts you in the shoes of the subject for a week. The subject of today’s “A Week In The Life,” is an interstate driver. He […]

First, an important announcement: In case you missed it: Fu’ad wrote and published his last Naira Life story last week. My name is Toheeb, and I’ll be taking over from him. Also, I had an interesting conversation with him where he talked about the origin of Naira Life and his experiences writing the first 100 […]

On March 10 2020, I published the first-ever “A Week In The Life” story. It addressed the struggles of a female Keke driver who was punching her weight in a male-dominated field while also doubling as a breadwinner. This theme of understanding people’s work struggles set the tone for the rest of the episodes in the series. Since then, […]