Financial independence is a big deal for the 26-year-old front-end engineer in this #NairaLife. Despite receiving a ₦5m inheritance from his late dad in 2018, he left most of it untouched, determined to make it on his own. He has gone from having zero negotiation skills to earning $2,500/month, and has amassed ₦28.5m in savings in two years by living below his means. But even with his success, he has a lingering fear: poverty.

The 24-year-old social media manager in this #NairaLife is living well above her means, thanks to "pretty privilege". She talks about receiving gifts driven by her looks from childhood, wanting a stronger safety net, and how, even though she’s sure of extra money most of the time, she’s always broke now.

For the 32-year-old partnership manager in this #Nairalife, the key to financial growth isn’t saving but making oneself a channel through which money flows. He’s grown his earnings by almost 3000% in a decade, and now, he wants $5m/month.

This 33-year-old started his career in transportation as a wheel barrow pusher in 2001. Since then, he’s gone from okada rider to personal driver and more. In 2019, he joined the e-hailing market, making up to ₦60k/week until the recent fuel subsidy removal that’s put him in debt.

The 31-year-old subject of this #NairaLife tried a few things for money before realising freelance writing paid him more than his colleague’s bank jobs. He thought he’d reached his final bus stop, but that only lasted four years. Now, he’s down on his luck, sending 10 job applications weekly, and hoping that a structured job will provide him an escape.

Between 2018 and 2023, this 28-year-old worked as a photographer in his state's governor's office. At first, his official salary was ₦50k, then it grew to ₦120k. Now that's over, he's returned to his first love -- software development. His plan? Building tech businesses.

In the past seven years, the 27-year-old in this #NairaLife has grown her income from ₦35k to ‎₦810k. However, her financial satisfaction is 5.5. Why? Doesn’t she earn enough or does she live above way her income means?

It may be a crypto bear market right now, but this 29-year-old makes decent money from the same industry. His trick? Not focusing on the speculative parts of crypto. However, his financial happiness is at 4/10. Why?

The 37-year-old subject in this week’s #NairaLife might feel less exhausted if she earns ₦500k/month or gets a visa out of Nigeria. She doesn’t have a clear path to either at the moment, so she’s making do with what she has, as she's done for over 10 years.

Inside this week’s #NairaLife is a 38-year-old who was forced to leave her husband of 19 years when he kicked her out. Now she’s hoping her job will get her two of her most important needs — accommodation and a business. Her salary? ₦25k