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Naira Life Vol 144

Naira Life Vol 144

Also: The Naira Life Conference is this week!

Toheeb Lanlehin
August 04, 2025

Volume 144

In partnership with

Good morning 🌞

This is it — the Naira Life Conference is THIS WEEK. We’ve teased it. We’ve talked about it. Now it’s go-time.

If you’ve ever read a Naira Life story and thought, “I wish I could ask them a question,” this is your shot. We’re bringing the stories to life. Live Naira Life sessions are the heart of the event. Come hear from Nike Ogunlesi (Ruff n Tumble), Amb. Nimi Akinkugbe (Fmr. Ambassador to Greece, Founder Bestman Games), Godwin Tom (MD, Sony Music Publishing Nigeria) as they open up about their money journeys: the wins, the mistakes, the real-life strategies that have driven them.

But that’s not all.

We’ve lined up workshops and masterclasses with some of the smartest people building and managing wealth today. Think Tosin Olaseinde (Money Africa), Odun Eweniyi (Piggyvest), Seye Dele (PaidHR), Babajide Duroshola (M-Kopa), Fola Olatunji-David (Kickoff Africa), and more.

Want to earn more at work? Scale your business? Manage your money better? Build long-term sustainable wealth? There’s something here for you.

You can still save up to 30% when you buy a bestie ticket or corporate pass for your team. Grab your tickets now.

See you soon!

In this letter:

The Chaotic #NairaLife of a Comms Manager Who’s Struggling With Financial Control

This 27-year-old’s #NairaLife is a series of lucky breaks and questionable financial decisions. His family’s support is the one constant he can count on. But now, he’s hoping to finally make sense of his money.

How’s that going?

Let's find out

A virtual card that actually works. Stop the online payment drama. Get your Misan USD Virtual Card now and flex confidently.

Start here

Love Currency: The Undergraduate Dating on a ₦60k Monthly Allowance

Joseph* (20) and Felicia* (19), both 300-level students, have been dating for a year.

For #LoveCurrency, Joseph talks about their different spending habits and how he’s navigating a relationship while entirely dependent on pocket money. Read the full story here

The Naira Life Conference is a one-day personal finance and wealth-building event featuring bold conversations, immersive workshops, and content tracks designed to help you get your money up.

Expect powerful sessions, speakers, and the community support you need to stack, scale and sustain wealth.

Secure your spot here

I Got a Liposuction and BBL in Nigeria. Here’s What It Cost Me

Martha* (42) spent ₦8 million on a BBL, liposuction, and almost twice as much on post-operation aftercare. But the surgery wasn’t just about looks.

It was about grief, control, and taking her body back after losing a pregnancy. Read the full story

Ask Aunty M with Reni

I'm a lawyer and work as a legal and compliance officer for a finance company. My monthly income is ₦640,000. I have side incomes from CAC, legal consulting and the like that bring about ₦100-₦150k monthly, but this is not steady. While I have a good savings culture, I'm afraid I don't have emergency funds, and I also don't know if my savings are commensurate with what I earn. Mind you, I have spent the past two years preparing for grad school in the US, and I honestly believe that is the next step forward for my career. In 2022, I saved about ₦4 million, which is down about ₦2.5 million. The rest went into paying for transcripts, LSAC, my parents' hospital bills, etc. However, I'm sure that that amount should triple between now and next year's fall. I save ₦300k monthly from my earnings, and I don't know if that amount should double. I also have some investments here and there in the money market, commercial paper, real estate, shares, and dollar fixed deposits -- this should be about half a million. I also want to improve oan this. I used to have self-sponsored health insurance but stopped when they failed to pay for my new glasses. It felt like I was dashing money to people who didn't care about me. How do I have emergency savings separate from my regular savings? Also, do I need to do better with my savings? I'm the first child; although the black tax is there, it is not a must. I give what I can when I can. - Sugar, 28

Hi Sugar, thanks for writing in. Congrats on your job and your great salary + side hustles. You are very thoughtful about your finances and your life, so kudos.

The first step would be to house your emergency savings separately from all your other money. You already know how to save; you just need to have all your savings goals in separate accounts to track how much you have to reach your goal accurately. I gather that your priorities are an emergency fund, a black tax fund, and a grad school/japa fund. I suggest opening a high-interest account for each of these and contributing to them monthly. This way, if hospital bills pop up, you won't be taking from your grad school funds to help out. You may want to consider saving in dollars for things like your grad school fund because of the devaluation of the Naira.

You also asked if ₦300k is enough to save. Only you can answer that because it depends on your goals and the timeframe they need to be achieved. ₦300k is an amazing amount if you want to save ₦3.6m in a year, but if you need to save ₦5m in a year, it's not.

So, I want you to work backwards…what are your financial goals? How long do you have to save up for them? Once you know that, you can calculate how much you need to save toward each goal to reach your goals. Also, remember to account for your expenses. I hope this helps.

Xoxo, Reni

If you're here, you probably have a money or work dilemma. Ask your question and we'll figure out an actionable solution for you.

Where The Money At?!

We can't say we're about the money and not actually help you find the money.

So we've compiled a list of job opportunities for you. Make sure you share this with anyone who might need it because in this community, we look out for each other.

Again, don’t mention. We gatchu.