Every week, Zikoko seeks to know how individuals transfer the Naira out and in of their lives. Some tales will likely be struggle-ish, others will likely be bougie. All the time, it’ll be revealing.
What’s your earliest reminiscence of cash?
I didn’t pay a lot consideration to cash till I graduated from secondary faculty and received my first job as a trainer. Prior to that, my mother and father offered all the pieces I wanted. It’s not like we have been wealthy. My dad was a civil servant, and my mum was a petty dealer, so issues have been common at finest. But they did their finest to verify my siblings and I have been snug in class. If we didn’t take selfmade lunch with us, they’d give us lunch cash. So occupied with the place cash got here from wasn’t prime of thoughts till I received that job.
Let’s speak about your first instructing job
I completed secondary faculty in 2009 and determined to do one thing whereas ready for college admission. So, I received a job instructing major 4 college students all topics for ₦4,500/month. My wage was elevated to ₦5,500 three months later.
The very first thing I did once I began incomes a wage was to save lots of up for a Nokia torchlight cellphone, which price about ₦10k – ₦11k. Then, my dad took me to the financial institution to open an account so I may save my cash there.
I didn’t save sha. When wage landed, I’d purchase garments and recharge playing cards for my cellphone and even my secondary faculty academics. Sometimes, I’d give my mum cash. I used to be fairly beneficiant as a result of I had no bills or tasks, so I gave it out freely.
I left the job after a yr to show at my former major faculty as a result of they have been going to pay extra.
How a lot?
₦7,500/month. But I solely labored there for one month throughout summer season classes. The principal didn’t need to rent me when faculty resumed as a result of he knew I used to be going to go to uni quickly. So, I returned residence till uni resumed in November 2010.
Did you do something for cash whereas in uni?
If you rely scholarships, sure. I’d been listening to about them since my first yr, however I didn’t pay any consideration till my second yr. I topped my class and was routinely shortlisted with one different particular person from my division. I did the evaluation and received a full scholarship until my remaining yr.
How a lot did the scholarship include?
They paid ₦150k into my account yearly. My tuition was solely ₦50k, so I had ₦100k to do no matter I wished. I needed to keep a selected CGPA yearly to stay on the scholarship, although. Another rule was that I couldn’t take one other scholarship, however I did anyway.
The second scholarship was from an oil firm and was value ₦100k yearly until commencement.
Baller
I solely loved the second scholarship twice earlier than I used to be caught. Actually, I confessed. The individuals from the primary scholarship had come for the same old assessment, and the particular person in cost was like, “I heard certainly one of you is on one other scholarship”. I believe they only stated that to scare us, however once they began asking us one after the other, I stated, “I’m”, when it received to my flip.
They made certain I discontinued the opposite one. I needed to write to the oil firm asking them to cease the funds.
So, I used to be left with simply ₦150k. After paying my tuition, I’d often spend the remainder carelessly on my girlfriend, meals, associates and my mother and father. I received a laptop computer too.
At the top of my third yr, I received one other ₦50k scholarship.
What occurred to not taking over extra scholarships?
Technically, I didn’t course of the scholarship myself. I wrote the examination on behalf of a pal. We agreed to make use of my title and a few of his personal particulars — his yr and division — and if I received in, I’d give him some share of the cash.
I gave him half of the primary fee, however I didn’t give him a lower within the subsequent two funds.
Was he okay with that?
He complained, however the cash was coming into my account immediately, and I principally did all of the work, so he dropped it. I used to be now in my fourth yr and wanted cash for my mission and different off-campus lodging bills, so the additional revenue got here in helpful.
Final yr got here, and the scholarships ended. I failed certainly one of my remaining exams and had an additional yr.
Yikes. So sorry about that
Thanks. I didn’t need to take any dangers, so I began going for evening lessons recurrently. That was how I stumbled right into a enterprise alternative. I observed there have been no snack or drink distributors at evening within the constructing we studied in, so I began setting water and snacks on my desk each time I got here to learn. People would come to purchase, and the demand turned so excessive that I ended studying for my class and targeted on the enterprise.
I moved my “stand” to the doorway of the corridor. I’d recurrently promote ten luggage of pure water and several other cartons of biscuits in a single evening. I even needed to make use of two part-time college students to face at my spot whereas I moved round to market my items. I paid my workers in free biscuits and, generally, ₦1k per day. I made near ₦30k day by day, however I often put most of it again into the enterprise.
How lengthy have been you at it?
About two years. I began in 2015 and continued even after I sorted the additional yr as a result of I used to be nonetheless in class processing my NYSC and mission.
By this time, another individuals had observed I used to be making a living and determined to start out their very own evening snacks and water enterprise too. Then the varsity administration turned conscious. Normally, companies in class needed to register via the authorities, however since I offered at evening, they didn’t shortly catch on. I finally stopped in 2017 due to the varsity’s wahala.
I actually made cash inside these two years. At one level, I used to be sponsoring my youthful sister on the polytechnic and recurrently sending cash residence to my mother and father.
What did you do after?
I went for service in 2018 and taught maths and different science topics at a authorities faculty. They didn’t pay an additional allowance, and I had simply the NYSC ₦19,800 month-to-month stipend. So, I began searching for different revenue alternatives. I first tried after-school tutorial classes for ₦100 day by day, but it surely didn’t fairly take off. I used to be serving within the north, the place college students hardly got here to high school through the regular hours. So, I simply made the teachings free as a type of neighborhood service.
Six months later, I received a secondary place of project from NYSC. It was at a personal faculty on the town that paid ₦15k/month, bringing my whole revenue to ₦34,800.
I additionally determined to strive the tutorial enterprise on the town — that one labored higher. Though, the mother and father at all times negotiated fee to the acute. It was ₦5k per little one, however they’d deliver two different siblings and say the ₦5k ought to cowl them too. I sha accepted it. I simply wished to make cash.
What have been your bills like throughout this era?
It was principally feeding and transportation. The faculty I labored at gave me a two-bedroom house, so I wasn’t spending on lodging.
Remember the scholars I used to be giving free classes? I additionally paid a few of their faculty charges and acquired books and math units for a few of them to encourage them to come back to high school and hold collaborating in my class.
Apart from these, I additionally despatched cash residence and sometimes financially supported my pastor. I didn’t have any financial savings.
Interesting. What occurred after NYSC?
Job functions. There was one which had 5 interview phases. I handed three and failed the fourth one. I used to be nonetheless within the north and was travelling right down to Lagos for every of those interview phases. When it didn’t pull via, I made a decision to maneuver to Lagos to deal with job searching. This was late 2019.
But when nothing got here after two months, I returned to instructing for ₦15k – ₦20k monthly. When COVID lockdown occurred in 2020, I used the chance to study copywriting and social media advertising. All the cash I constituted of instructing paid for my digital advertising lessons. It was like a brand new world. I began providing providers as a freelancer, although I did a number of free work to start with. Once shortly, I received social media administration and digital advertising gigs and made the odd ₦10k – ₦20k.
In October 2021, I landed my first full-time job as a content material author and social media supervisor at an actual property firm. My wage was ₦40k/month, and I received free lodging in Ikeja.
I used to be additionally freelancing on the facet: CV writing, LinkedIn optimisation, private statements, social media administration, and all the pieces else that got here. My aim was to save lots of ₦100k monthly, and I deliberate to do this with the facet gigs.
How did you handle the facet gigs with a full-time job?
My job required me to be on-line, and I had entry to the workplace Wi-Fi and electrical energy, so I used the assets to work on my freelance gigs.
I didn’t hold a document of how a lot I made, however I met the ₦100k/month financial savings aim a few occasions. Then across the finish of 2021, the workplace headquarters moved to Banana Island. The lengthy commute from Ikeja was so costly, and I couldn’t sustain, so I resigned in January 2022.
Did you’ve got one other job lined up?
I freelanced for a bit, taking over social media administration gigs to remain afloat. But in March 2022, I received a digital advertising function at an agribusiness firm in Abuja, so I needed to transfer. My wage was ₦100k/month.
This one didn’t include lodging, and I initially squatted with a pal. But his place was removed from the workplace, so I began dwelling within the workplace to save lots of transportation prices. There was at all times mild and knowledge, so I didn’t should pay for these. It additionally meant I may save extra. With my freelance gigs, I saved ₦150k in some months; different occasions, I saved ₦100k.
Was there a selected financial savings aim?
I wished a brand new house in January 2023, so I used to be simply locking the cash — like fastened deposits — in a financial savings app till the brand new yr.
But my financial savings plan derailed a bit once I left the job after 4 months. They may now not afford to pay me, so that they discontinued my contract, and I returned to Lagos.
Back to social media freelancing?
I made a decision to focus extra on CV writing and LinkedIn optimisation coaching. I realised the demand for social media managers was far decrease than the availability. Anyone can get up and begin managing pages for ₦50k. I’d slightly practice somebody in social media administration than handle their web page.
Going freelance meant my month-to-month financial savings needed to cease. I used to be dwelling in a single room that my elder brother left after getting married, and my youthful brother got here to stick with me, rising my month-to-month bills. The fastened financial savings I had couldn’t mature quicker.
When it matured in January 2023, I received paid ₦500k+, which went into renting and furnishing my one-bedroom house. I nonetheless freelance full-time, however my revenue has gotten higher. Since January, I’ve been getting extra gigs. I resumed my ₦100k month-to-month financial savings, and I’m now locking it until subsequent yr. My new aim is ₦1m by 2024.
How a lot do you make from freelancing in a median month?
I’m horrible at conserving observe of my revenue. But I discover an influx of a minimum of ₦300k/month on my financial institution app, and I religiously save ₦100k.
You appear to take saving very severely
If I don’t save, I’ve no choice once I’m in want. It’s my security web; I don’t have anybody else to run to. I even really feel I ought to be saving greater than I at the moment do. I’m not as prudent with my bills as I need to be. I plan to take monetary programs quickly and discover long-term funding choices like shares and actual property.
Can you break down your month-to-month bills?
Sometimes, I take a look at my revenue influx on my financial institution app and marvel the place all the cash goes. The factor is, once I’m broke, I am going on social media and aggressively market my providers. When I get purchasers, they usually pay, the cash goes to unravel any pressing want at that second. I believe that’s why it’s so troublesome to trace.
Do you ever fear concerning the unpredictability of freelancing?
All the time. If I see a neighborhood administration function in a good firm prepared to pay ₦350k – ₦400k/month now, I’ll take it.
I’m nonetheless actively job-hunting, however recruiters have simply been ghosting me. I’ve gone via a number of interview phases with main firms. After creating three-month content material technique plans or visibility case research as the ultimate check, they go, “Unfortunately, you’re not certified”. I’m not even excited about doing any case examine once more. It’s like free work.
Is there a backup plan in case each freelancing and the job search don’t work?
I’m at the moment taking a six-month software program engineering program I began three weeks in the past. A politician sponsored it, so I didn’t should pay something. There’s additionally the potential for job placement on the finish, in order that’s my long-term profession aim for now. At least, they are saying tech is the place the cash is.
Is there something you want you could possibly be higher at financially?
Definitely monetary record-keeping. Maybe I’ll go and withdraw all my cash so I can watch it bodily go away my hand as a result of, proper now, I don’t know precisely the way it strikes.
How would you price your monetary happiness on a scale of 1-10?
5. I’m incomes moderately properly, but it surely’s not secure. A full-time job would assist me plan my funds higher, and I’d then use my freelance revenue to enhance it.
If you’re excited about speaking about your Naira Life story, this can be a good place to start out.
Find all of the previous Naira Life tales right here.
http://www.zikoko.com/cash/nairalife-freelance-social-media-manager-trainer/
