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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When did you first realise the importance of money?
In primary 5, I begged my dad for three days for ₦1500, which I needed for a school excursion. When he eventually gave me the money, I lost it on my way to school.
When I told my dad what had happened, he shook his head in disappointment and said, “That’s my profit for two days gone like that.”
I felt so bad. He wasn’t angry and didn’t beat me, but his reaction touched me. The incident taught me that money doesn’t just come; someone has to work for it, and I have to be careful how I handle it.
What did your dad do for money?
He fixed phones and watches. The money wasn’t great, so we — that’s me, my younger sister, and my dad — used to manage a lot. We’d cook a pot of stew with crayfish to have something to chew on. Then we’d stretch the stew for about four days.
You’ll notice I didn’t mention my mum.
Why’s that?
She left my sister and me with my dad when I was 5 years old. My dad said it was because he didn’t have money. I sometimes wish I’d asked more questions about her. I can’t do that anymore; my dad passed away in an accident in 2011.
Oh my. Sorry about that
Thank you. I was in SS 2 and almost stopped school. No family member wanted to carry extra responsibility. An aunt had already taken my sister under her wings and couldn’t afford to take me, too.
Thankfully, my school principal allowed me to move in with her at school and complete my education for free. After I graduated in 2012, I stayed back to work in the school.
What was the pay like?
I didn’t get or even expect a salary. I had free accommodation and food, and my principal treated me like a daughter. Helping out was the least I could do.
Between 2012 and 2015, I worked as a personal assistant and helped with academic records and other administrative tasks. In 2016, the principal started paying me ₦10k/month. That happened because she asked me what I wanted to do in the future, and I said I didn’t know. So, we agreed she’d start paying me so I could save for JAMB, tutorials and apply to the university.
How did that go?
JAMB ‘jammed’ me. After I wrote and failed the exam three times, I declared that university wasn’t for me. My scores could’ve gotten me into a polytechnic or college of education, but the principal thought it was a waste of time, mainly because of the ND/HND discrimination..
I wrote my last JAMB in 2019. By then, I had about ₦120k left in my savings. I sent ₦50k to my sister who was already in uni and used the balance to start a mini female clothes business in school. I sold items like tops, skirts and the occasional shoes and bags to teachers and other staff.
What was profit like?
I’m not sure. I sold a wide range of items, but I made between ₦1k – ₦3k on each item I sold.
Also, I sold on credit a lot of times, so my customers paid at the end of the month. This was an extra ₦20k – ₦25k to my ₦15k salary — the principal added ₦5k to my salary in 2018.
I had limited responsibilities, so I just saved my income. Things were good.
Then the pandemic came, and everything scattered. The principal died, the school shut down, and I would’ve become homeless if I had no savings. I got an ₦80k/year apartment and tried to continue my business, but everyone was just focused on surviving.
Phew. I can imagine
I lived on my savings in 2020 and 2021. I sold a few items here and there, but nothing was consistent.
In 2022, I moved in with a friend who lives on the island in Lagos. She told me she could help me find a job with a restaurant or hotel, and I thought there was no harm in trying.
It took two months of searching, but I finally found work at a hotel’s restaurant. The salary was ₦30k/month, and I kept asking myself if that was all I left my house to go and squat on the island for. Then I started the work and was like, “Oh, maybe this isn’t so bad.”
What changed your mind?
The tips. It was a pretty expensive restaurant, so the regulars had money. I typically made up to ₦8k in tips every week, and my monthly income got as high as ₦60k.
The only downside was the restaurant didn’t allow the wait staff to collect tips individually. They expected us to drop the money so they could “share it” with everyone. No one wanted that, so we collected our tips under the table. Management caught on in 2023 and fired almost all the wait staff. I was among those fired.
Yikes. Sorry about that. What did you do next?
I found a job at another restaurant a month later, and that’s where I currently work. My salary is ₦48k/month, and I work six days a week. Thankfully, my current employer doesn’t get involved with tips.
I make around ₦30k – ₦40k extra from tips every month. The restaurant has a ₦40k minimum spend, and people can spend ₦100k – ₦300k on one meal. In December alone, I made ₦90k extra in tips because everyone was outside, including the IJGBs.
But tips have sort of slowed down this year, which I think might be because of the economy. I only made ₦25k in tips in March.
That said, I can’t complain. In this economy, it means a lot for someone to still open their wallet to give you free money. Plus, I know I make more than some of my colleagues, so I have a lot to be grateful for.
Why do you make more than your colleagues?
I think it’s because I’m a woman. Everyone can offer great service with a smile, but I have the added advantage of being able to flirt a little if I sense it’ll make the customer more willing to drop money.
Of course, I have to be careful because you never know with all these big men, but I think I’ve gotten the hang of it. At least the tips have been fairly consistent, and I’m surviving.
What do your typical expenses in a month look like?
I save all the tips I receive and only dip into my savings when everywhere has turned red. I currently have ₦380k in my savings and plan to use it to start an online distance learning university program later in the year.
You changed your mind about uni?
Yes o. I can’t be a waitress for life, and I can’t get a good job with only SSCE. Some friends have said I don’t need school and should just learn a skill. But I believe I can do both. What if business doesn’t work again like the last time? I’d like to have a backup plan. I can study part-time while working as a waitress and maybe learn a skill on the weekend.
I’ve already wasted so many years of my life. I’m not getting younger. I need to be decisive, and the time is now. Who knows, maybe I’ll be able to afford to drop ₦300k on a meal in a restaurant like my regulars someday?
Energy. What’s something you bought recently that made you feel good?
Haha. A screen guard and pouch for my phone. I was fantasising about changing my phone, but since I don’t have ₦300k for a phone, I did the next best thing. It feels like I have a brand new device and the “upgrade” cost just ₦3500.
Out of curiosity, where do you think you’ll be in the next five years?
Hopefully in a better job or preferably out of the country. I should have a degree, which should help with a japa option. Or if not japa, I should have a job and thriving business here, and both bring me at least ₦800k monthly. It’s possible.
It is. How would you rate your financial happiness on a scale of 1-10?
6. I know things will be better soon. I just need to be more intentional with saving and planning.
If you’re interested in talking about your Naira Life story, this is a good place to start.
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