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.
We published 51 Naira Life stories in 2024, sharing important insights into how Nigerians navigate money.
Before January 2025 arrives in a few days, we curated a list of the Naira Life stories from this year everyone should absolutely read. If you’ve read it before, read it again. It might give you added insight and the push to improve your relationship with money in 2025.
1. #NairaLife: She Endured Financial Abuse for 7 Years. Now She Earns ₦700k+/Month
This was my favourite Naira Life story this year, and I still remember the range of emotions I felt while interviewing the subject.
Her story is one of resilience. She talks about enduring financial (and physical) abuse in her marriage, eventually leaving with her two children and solely providing for them through several employment phases — from joblessness to juggling three jobs and then finding a ₦45k/month job. Thankfully, things are better for her now, and I hope things only go up from here.
2. #NairaLife: The 21-Year-Old Who Went From $5k in Debt to Multi-Business Owner in Two Years
Spoiler alert: After you finish reading this story, you’ll probably ask yourself if you’re doing the best you can.
The subject is a 21-year-old who thought he’d make it big trading crypto but ended up in a $5k debt and almost dropped out of school.
But that was in 2021.
In three short years, he’s settled his debts, built a full-time career and created two businesses, all before graduation. How did he do it?
3. The #NairaLife of a 45-Year-Old Living Her Best Life Driving Cabs
It’s not every day you find a middle-aged woman behind a cab’s wheels in Lagos, but the woman in this #NairaLife is making it work.
After losing her bank job in 2010, she started a fabrics and home decor business and tried several other hustles while raising her kids. She’s finally found stability with cabs, and with a >₦250k/week income, she doesn’t plan to stop soon.
4. The #NairaLife of a Baker Who’s Tired of Living on Handouts
This Naira Life was sad but also wildly relatable. From losing money to a romance scam to becoming homeless and surviving multiple depressive episodes, the subject has been through a lot
Her friends are the one constant in her life. They’ve always come through for her financially, but she’s at a point where she wishes she didn’t have to depend on them as much as she does.
5. The #NairaLife of a Corps Member Who’s Stripping to Pay Off Her Debt
This was yet another Naira Life that reminded readers how tough life gets. A series of unfortunate events pushed the corps member in this story into a cycle of debt, and she’s done many things to escape it, including stripping and bikini dancing. Her primary goal was to settle her debts so she could find work she actually wanted to do.
Fun fact: Some readers reached out after this story was published and graciously cleared her debt. We love stories that end well!
6. The #NairaLife of a Pastor Navigating Guilt and a Marketing Career
Some background on this story: I was curious about pastors and how they make money, so I searched and searched until I found this man.
He’s a youth minister who also moonlights as a marketing professional, and while he’s done other regular jobs, he’s convinced his current marketing job is affecting his relationship with God. Why? You’ll have to read it to find out.
7. #NairaLife: What Does Navigating Infertility for Over a Decade Look Like?
Since I started writing Naira Life in 2023, I’ve wanted to speak to someone struggling with infertility. I’ve seen friends and family go through it and had an idea of how expensive it was. I also knew many Nigerians didn’t know how draining infertility can be on wallets, so I pursued the story. However, it was a different ball game convincing people to speak to me. I finally found a willing subject this year.
The subject has been trying to conceive for 13 years, and for Naira Life, she shared how her journey has changed her perspectives and affected her finances. Sending baby dust her way.
8. The #NairaLife of an Engineer Who Survived Homelessness and a ₦40m Debt
This Naira Life is the very definition of “Never give up.” In 2016, the 36-year-old subject made wrong investment choices, which led to losing his home and drowning in debt. He thought it was over, but his story changed again in less than a year, and he’s back chasing investments like the past few years didn’t happen.
9. #NairaLife: The Fear of Retrogression Cured Her Spending Problem
This was the first Naira Life story in 2024. I found it interesting how the subject’s spending habits changed completely from “laulau” spending to prudent saving. She also dropped a few gems about freelancing with foreign clients. You should read it.
10. The #Nairalife of a Couple Dating on Unstable Freelance Incomes
This Naira Life was one of the first couple #NairaLife editions we did to mark lovers’ month in February. I distinctly remember how cheesily in love these subjects were during the interview.
They’re in a long-distance relationship, but that isn’t stopping them from working through their different spending habits and coming through for each other during bad financial periods because of their income instability as freelancers. God, when?
PS: We now have a flagship focused completely on exploring how money moves in relationships. It’s called Love Currency, and it’s published every Tuesday at 9 a.m. We’re currently closed for 2024 to resume in January, but you can read past editions here.
If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.
Find all the past Naira Life stories here.
