₦airaland Forum

Ifeoluwadev:
Before anybody calls me a liar or a complainer, sit down and read this first. Because I have numbers. And numbers don't lie.

In 2019, I was earning ₦150,000 per month. Junior staff. I was not rich at all. But I was comfortable. I could breathe.

Today in 2026, I earn ₦500,000 per month. On paper that is more than 3x growth. I should be living large. I should have savings. I should be talking about investments by now.

Instead I am broke before the 25th of every month.

Let me show you exactly why.


THE NAIRA ITSELF
In 2019, one dollar was roughly ₦360.
Today in 2026, one dollar is over ₦1,500.

The naira has lost about 75% of its value against the dollar in 7 years. So anything imported, whether electronics, medicine, baby products or even some food, now costs 4 times what it used to.

My ₦500k today equals roughly $333.
My ₦150k in 2019 was worth roughly $416.

Read that again.

I earn more naira but fewer dollars. In real purchasing power I have gone backwards even though my salary tripled on paper.


FOOD

In 2019, I fed myself comfortably for around ₦30,000 per month. Decent food, market twice a week, occasionally a small restaurant.

Today that same lifestyle costs me at least ₦120,000 and that is me managing carefully.

| Item | 2019 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Bag of rice (50kg) | ₦18,000 | ₦85,000+ |
| Cooking gas (12.5kg) | ₦3,500 | ₦18,000+ |
| Groundnut oil (4 litres) | ₦2,800 | ₦12,000+ |
| Tomatoes (paint bucket) | ₦800 | ₦5,000+ |
| Full chicken | ₦2,500 | ₦10,000+ |
| Big loaf of bread | ₦350 | ₦1,500+ |

My food budget went up by 400%. My salary went up by 233%. The food is winning.



RENT

In 2019, I paid ₦350,000 per year for a decent one bedroom in a Lagos suburb. That is about ₦29,000 per month if you break it down.

Today that same apartment, same area, same size, same leaking ceiling, is ₦1.2 million per year. That is ₦100,000 per month equivalent.

I now spend 20% of my gross salary on rent alone. And landlords still want one to two years upfront. So every renewal season I need to drop over ₦1 million at once like I am buying land.



ELECTRICITY AND GENERATOR
In 2019, NEPA was bad but manageable. Fuel was ₦145 per litre. My monthly gen fuel was around ₦8,000.

Today petrol is close to ₦1,500 per litre. My monthly generator fuel alone is ₦45,000. And NEPA is still giving me the same 4 hours they gave me in 2019. Nothing changed on their side except the bills went up.


TRANSPORT

Bus from my estate to office in 2019 was ₦150 each way. That is ₦300 per day, about ₦6,600 per month.

Same route today is ₦700 minimum each way. ₦1,400 per day. Nearly ₦31,000 per month.

Ride hailing? Multiply that by three. I now spend between ₦30,000 and ₦50,000 every month just moving my body from home to work and back.



SO WHERE DOES THE ₦500K GO?

| Expense | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Rent (broken down monthly) | ₦100,000 |
| Food and groceries | ₦120,000 |
| Generator fuel | ₦45,000 |
| Transport | ₦35,000 |
| NEPA bill | ₦18,000 |
| Airtime and data | ₦12,000 |
| Toiletries and misc | ₦20,000 |
| Tithe | ₦25,000 |
| **Total** | **₦375,000+** |

That leaves me ₦125,000 for savings, emergencies, hospital, clothes, sending money home, school fees if you have children, and anything unexpected.

In 2019 on ₦150,000, my total expenses were under ₦90,000 and I had ₦60,000 left. That leftover was worth $167 at the time. My ₦125,000 leftover today is worth $83.

I saved more real money when I earned less. That is not a feeling. That is arithmetic.



THE PART NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
Beyond the numbers, what has changed is how money feels.

In 2019, seeing ₦100,000 in my account felt like safety. Like I had options. Like I could breathe easy.

Today I see ₦500,000 land on payday and my first feeling is anxiety, not happiness. Because I immediately start calculating what is owed, what is running out, what will still not be enough.

That shift from feeling okay to feeling like you are always one emergency away from trouble, even as your salary grows, is what this economy has quietly done to the Nigerian middle class.

We are not imagining things. We are not lazy. We are not bad at managing money. We are just running on a treadmill that keeps speeding up.



MY QUESTION TO NAIRALANDERS:
What was your salary in 2019 and what is it today? Are you genuinely better off or are you like me, earning more and living less?

Drop your numbers in the comments. No judgement for anybody. Let us count together.

You are among the lucky 10% that earn above 500k, you no be one of us joor
No where in your write up did you talk about being poor at any time

You be confirm NEPO BABY is all I have to tell you

brain54:
Atiku’s presidency will be synonymous to a Fulani presidency even as Bola Tinubu’s presidency is synonymous to a Yoruba presidency and the Yorubas are proud of him no doubt...


If I'm getting what this dude is saying clearly. Is that atiku's government would be tribalistic and nepotistic. This I beg to disagree on as atiku is the least tribalistic of all the candidates contesting the position at the moment.


His records are there and the evidence clear. They are a lot of things you can accuse atiku of but being a bigot is not one of them.


Secondly, atiku's followers are not toxic and as insultive as the other two major contenders. ( you know who)


Sometimes I feel atiku's supporters are too calm as they hardly react negatively with threats and violence especially the way other supporters do. Atiku's criticism often are also objective and on point!

Yes he has his right in a democracy but we all know there's the unwritten rule to rotate between north and South, this is the reason Atiku himself refused to support GEJ in 2014.... Cos as at that time it was the turn of the north as the south has been in power for 13 out of 15 years of this republic.
His argument that he won't contest only if the ticket is zoned strictly to the South east isn't tenable an just a smokescreen
He can't decide which part of the south should get power so long as it is the south
And his Position is flawed as Buhari a Fulani man just completed 8 years and he another wants to take over from him? No now, we the rest of the country are not here to lock their arses

Let him groom and support a Southern Candidate, too late for 2027 sha

I understand that this is his last chance if God still wish him be president he will be
But Obj already told us why he will contest till death
The same shamman that predicted he will be Adamawa governor and he was elected also predicted he will be president and he believes his shamman
His blind ambition will only make BAT get a second term as he will split the opposition votes like in 2023

Niwdog:
just like Tinubu this guy is a politician the only difference is he is not in the level of Tinubu but he is young still has prospect not easy to be opposition leading governorship flag bearer twice anytime leadership swings hand in Lagos he is likely to be the next governor so the guy no small like that

Doesn't always work out that way. In many states, theres always this guy that's the face of opposition, once in a while , some opposition comes to power, but most times they are just serial contesters that the gatekeepers will never allow to win
In Delta , it was Sonny Okogwu
In Benue it was Paul unongo

For years, the face of opposition in Lagos was Obanikoro, he never became anything

Atiku has been contesting forever
Does that mean he will become President one day?

MaziObinnaokija:
. Pa OBJ come dey PITY CHINEDU like Iwomode yi o mo nkan kan.Nah EMILOKAN U wan drag lagos with?

Give it to Obj, he has his faults
But the man doesn't know how to deceive himself, he says it as it is no matter whose horse is gored

PDP started dying the day this man tore his card and has never recovered from it, even though he later realised the damage done and tried remedy, it was too late as the hyenas baying for Blood quickly took over killed the party

MichaelSokoto:
What company did Tinubu found prior to his early 90's senatorial contest...

or which company did he own prior to 1999 state's guber?

make una dey grow sense.

Tinubus mother (adopted or not ) was a very powerful woman, Tinubu na proper NEPO BABY raised in wealth
Whether the wealth was made from trade or not, she had money and influence

Putindbutt:
Lol, Gov Yusuf decamped from NNPP, he was tagged a betrayer. Kwankwaso decamped from NNPP, what would he be tagged? a betrayo?. Will they set aside March 30 as Kwankwaso betrayal day?.

That clown 🤡 called Kwankwaso would have been an APC member if APC had conceded to his terms.

He has now gone to where his level could afford him - a big fish in a small pond (ADC). A rejected girlfriend that ran into the waiting arms of an aggrieved Ex.

He wanted VP slot, APC threw it back at his face, he wanted APC Northwest structures, APC threw it back at his face. Then Jagaban collected his golden boy from ( Gov Yusuf), E pain am d.i.e.

ADC quickly gave him his requests, infact, they laid down for him to walk on their head into the party, Lol. They conceded the party's regional structure to him.

But who would blame them?. ADC are desperately looking for relevance. Have you heard any updates about their e-registration?. They are hiding it, they are ashamed to inform Nigerians about their piss poor registration exercise.

They're struggling to hit 1million registered members, that's why they rushed to INEC to beg for a two week extension. Maybe Kwankwaso supporters will help them hit 1million and a little above, atleast. That's why they conceded almost to all his terms and conditions.

The bigger collapse is waiting for them after the primaries.

A very insignificant, rudderless and confused conglomerate of losers. Coalition of failures and a structure of criminality.

I dey wait for the explosion that will occur in ADC when Gbajue and his headless mob gets reality check and Atiku gets the Presidential ticket and Amechi gets the VP
E go loud

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
Who reduced their population? Nigeria committed the genocide and you want to use your unrepentant attrocity you committed to judge the people and remove them from the balance of the equation to maintain a perpetual inequality.

You agree they have less population so they don't deserve any more states
It's another argument if whether it was sensible for your ancestors to go against a national army with boys and men carrying sticks and a few dane guns , you tell us if that isn't a suicide mission

robosky02:
Nigeria’s Samson Adamu named CAF’s acting General Secretary


https://dailypost.ng/2026/03/29/nigerias-samson-adamu-named-cafs-acting-general-secretary/

Amos Adamus son, He must be a proud Father
Maybe the CAF presidency that has eluded Nigeria will be remedied by this young man if he plays the politics right

gidgiddy:
The issue of state creation is that one State should be created for the South-East, the only zone with 5 states, to bring it up to 6 like other zones.

Why should the South east have the same number of states like others when their population is far less, it's just to whip up political sentiment it has no logic to it ,and that's why the argument for a sixth state in the south east will always meet a brick wall.

ResidentSnitch:
This comment of yours is so shameful.
You're practically groveling, with mucous probably running down freely from your nose, begging Saudi to join forces with US and Israel to fight Iran, a nation that has been under sanctions for over 40 years.
Ah ah...

Them no get shame
The same war you said you have won already is still the same war you need help of allies in winning

obonujoker:
With what we are seeing in the country today, mhen, I really commend and appraise Dr. GoodLuck Jonathan. He was a great leader and Man. Honest no be by Gra Gra.

I remember my 1st Salary as a Field maintenance engineer for Telecom based stations in 2012 - 85,000 per amount. Mhen, Life was good.

Looking at the Stats of Nigerian presidents and their regime, you will do nothing but praise Jonathan. All the evil some people did to Jonathan, it has bounced back on their heads, no wonder nothing they do progresses, instead they inflict more pain and pain. See some stats below 👇

1.💵 NIGERIA’S MINIMUM WAGE OVER THE YEARS (IN NAIRA & USD)

🗓 Olusegun Obasanjo Administration (2000)
🇳🇬 ₦5,500 ≈ $64.04
💱 Exchange rate: 1 USD = ₦85.90

🗓 Olusegun Obasanjo Administration (2004, 2nd term)
🇳🇬 ₦7,500 ≈ $57.69
💱 Exchange rate: 1 USD = ₦130

🗓 Goodluck Jonathan Administration (2011)
🇳🇬 ₦18,000 ≈ $119.15
💱 Exchange rate: 1 USD = ₦151.05

🗓 Muhammadu Buhari Administration (2019)
🇳🇬 ₦30,000 ≈ $82.64
💱 Exchange rate: 1 USD = ₦363

🗓 Current Administration
🇳🇬 ₦70,000 ≈ $50.39
💱 Exchange rate: 1 USD = ₦1,389

*See picture below*... Wish we could go back to Jonathan Era

Theres are not the real rates of dollars as at then, it was heavily subsidized.
You can argue that subsidizing is part of governments function but they are artificial rates

This was one of the strategies used to address one of the fundamental issues of securing lives and property, FUNDING
Security isn't cheap anywhere
That's why I pity you if you get money and na aboki wey you go pay 30k be your security, my brother you no get security but maigadi

UTILITYMAY:
There is a fundamental issue of competence and accountability here. Quite frankly, this individual has no business aspiring to govern Oyo State. Oyo is not a small or insignificant state, it requires experienced, capable, and results-driven leadership. Someone who struggles to deliver effectively in a national assignment entrusted to him, it raises serious concerns about his capacity to manage the far more complex responsibilities of an entire state.

On the matter of appointments, I strongly believe in placing the right people in the right roles. Ideally, technical positions, such as Minister of Power, should be occupied by professionals with deep expertise in that field. However, once an appointment has been made, competence is no longer optional, it becomes a responsibility.

Coming from a finance background is not, in itself, a limitation. Leadership is not about knowing everything; it is about knowing how to assemble the right team. The moment you accept such a role, it becomes your duty to surround yourself with competent professionals, special advisers, technical experts, and experienced power administrators, who understand the complexities of the sector.

There are no valid excuses for underperformance. With the right support structure, even someone outside the field can succeed and deliver meaningful results. In fact, achieving success from a non-technical background would be a significant strength and would reflect positively on one’s leadership capacity.

At the end of the day, this is about national development, particularly in a critical sector like power. What is required is not excuses, but intentional leadership, strategic thinking, and measurable results. This is simply a matter of responsibility and common sense.

Adelabu has performed even worse than his predecessors. It would be a serious mistake for the people of Oyo to reward such incompetence with their votes. I have no tolerance for excuses.

You have a point, his businesses are not faring better but when it comes to politics , its beyond all these, if the President really wants him due to one reason or another , then he will be the next governor

Ofunaofu:
On what grounds should age falsification, certificate forgery etc be dismissed as pre-election matters? Just one credible reason.

It's a criminal matter and we have courts to handle criminal matters , let election tribunal face election matters that happened during elections not before elections

esnbrutality:
Remi Tinubu is seeking audience with the 1st family of the nation that is executing Iranian terrorists with alacrity.

And are negotiating with themselves after declaring victory but still needs help of the allies to win a war youve declared you've won about you don forget?

You supporters of trump even seems more confused than him.
Na you declare victory
Na you still dey send 15 points ceasefire through mediators the Iranians don't recognise
No be the defeated supposed dey beg you for ceasefire? But you the victor is and is making sure the whole world knows youve Sent in a ceasefire proposal, have you really won?

Galactics:
Remi gate crashing gatherings where she isn't needed.

She's making sure Nigerian Christians are not genocided

Putindbutt:
How many of them have allowed Local Government direct access to their allocations despite the Supreme Court judgement on Local Government autonomy?.

See why I laugh at Seyi Makindes Presidential Ambition, this is a man opposed to LG autonomy and even Forced Oyo state LG chairmen he handpicked to surrender their autonomy to him cos he has gotten so used to cornering LG money that he can't function without it just like many governors
If LG autonomy is implemented even 50% many governors nyash go open cos most of them are bereft of ideas and only rely on revenues generated by LG from markets and motor parks

Racoon:
Imagine the calibre of arms and ammunition in the possession of these killers. Guess these are the people the NSA of a country called "they are our brothers who are genuine and wants to repent" from terrorism?

Weapons supplied by Americans using USAID as cover as revealed by their own Senate .
Forget all DT is doing now, it's all to save face and deflect from the revelation that Americans actually funded BH for years

Ofunaofu:
Na wa for you o, So make we understand you well, if person commit forgery, win election, enter office, na ‘sorry for yourself’ be the solution because you no shout early? because you no dictate the forgery before him win the election?

Since when fraud get expiry date?

You talk say make we ‘use anti-forgery law’—who go remove am from office while that one dey go on? Or na decoration the law be?

And that Bayelsa example you quote sef contradict you, if forgery no serious, why dem no allow the person stay?

No be about ‘clogging tribunal’, na about integrity. Election no be hide and seek where once you cross finish line, every crime don expire. If certificate na basis to qualify, then forgery no be small technicality wey you fit wave off like that.

I no green with dis your explanation but you are entitled to your own opinion just like I am to mine. Age falsification, certificate forgery etc should be pre election matters and not used to clog the election tribunal, better still make a criminal case at a proper court

fergie001:
This one he is apologising all over the place, he has been told in no unclear terms, APC Oyo won't support his Guber bid.

The moment Ladoja became Olubadan the Political dynamics of Oyo state just changed and Sarafa Ali became a leading contender.
The gang up against Adelabu has even ebbed cos President intervened and made Teslim his Renewed hope ambassador for South west and Made Mrs Ajimobi an Ambassador, still the opposition persist , I really begin to pity him and think he might not clinch the ticket except President Insists on him

Josepholome:
The teaser got people guessing. Now we confirm it.

The brand is Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) - a diversified group operating across Nigeria’s food and agro-allied sectors.

For decades, the company has operated across different parts of Nigeria’s food and agro-allied space, connecting production, supply chains, and distribution under one group. While many people recognize the individual brands, not everyone always connects them to the bigger group behind them.

Some people guessed correctly during the teaser phase. Some are surprised by the reveal.

Now the name is out in the open.
So the real discussion begins:

Did you know this before now, or did this open your eyes?

Nairalanders, Let’s hear your thoughts.

#WeAreFMN

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ByoD5EZ3T/

Sponsored Post

I got the answer right , what's the prize ?

https://www.nairaland.com/8634980/probably-use-companys-products-every

Ofunaofu:
I mean, if person forge certificate, present am give INEC, win election, you no fit challenge am for court as regards election matter?

This is a lie , stop misleading people.
What the new electoral act did is say certificate forgery is a pre election matter and should be trashed pre election, abi wetin you dey look while your opponent present a forged certificate, if you dull yourself and your opponent got elected through a forged certificate, then use anti forgery law on them, and not clog election tribunal with matters that should have been trashed pre election .
Even in the old law, Who has ever gotten sacked for certificate forgery? Nobody
Even the Bayelsa case, the votes of the offender was simply transferred to the opponent

truthera:
Why did Sowore rubbish Alex Otti's achievements, calling him a failure even when it is obvious that Abia state is doing well under his government? Why have Sowore and many Yoruba people including those on this platform attack Peter Obi everytime, creating numerous malicious threads and posts every day to slander, attack Peter Obi, Alex Otti and Nnamdi Kanu?

I do not believe that all Yorubas are in support of the hate and injustice towards igbos but it is glaring that a majority of the Yoruba people are complicit over this issue.....

The video analyst may be right that Sowore is covertly working for Tinubu but the fact that there are so many Yorubas inluding Sowore who obviously, out of jealousy and hate can tow the line of peddling lies and propaganda against notable igbo politicians and igbo public figures like Nnamdi Kanu only reinforces the undeniable notion that there is no genuine unity among Nigerians.....

If a majority of Yorubas can not accept, love, appreciate or like the igbos but continue to pretend by championing one Nigeria, when a majority of the igbos are fed up and want to leave the toxic union over glaring injustices, there is no way Nigeria can progress as a nation....

Until a majority of Yorubas who genuinely do not like the igbos, embrace the truth and join the movement towards a national referendum that will ensure the igbos get their wish of exiting Nigeria, this toxic fake union that reinforces retrogression, a cosmetic union that only brings out the worse in Nigerians especially between the igbos and Yorubas will continue to foster hate, suspicion and animosity which is detrimental to progress....

They call his type of activism Controlled opposition
The other day Dele Momodu was recalling how he is closer to Tinubu than Atiku and how many of Atiku associates tell him to his face that he's Tinubu mole in their camp.
Know that Sowore is a political hustler and have peace , thats his hustle

Levels1:
He paid in your presence I guess?

The officer in question is one of the finest officer have ever met within Nigeria police force

He's not a corrupt individual and he's a upright person so don't just defend what you aren't so sure of.

The little I knew about the officer,I wish all Nigeria police officer can be like him

My Bro, please don't ever vouch for any Policeman ever, not even when they handle your case very efficiently, they are not to be trusted
That is not to say there are no Good Policemen, there are, it's the system that makes them bad and just like in most Police system the world over, once the system is fixed ,the Policemen won't have a choice but align.
For instance a DPO that doesn't have a budget for fuelling patrol vehicles have no choice than to illegally tax commercial drivers to even be able to fuel his patrol vehicle to do his job,in this case I don't blame the DPO, but the Police hierarchy that refused to fund them properly

AMINDA:
Touché. In a 3-horse race presidential election, where will Tinubu's votes come from? Contrary to what his water carriers will have you believe, Tinubu does not still have the South on lockdown. That's Obi's turf. He has made some in-roads in the middlebelt but that can easily shift if he repeats his muslim-muslim ticket. Plus, the middlebelt will ALWAYS be divided, just like the Southwest. Where will his votes come from? From the governors who defected under duress, inducements and engineered crisis?

He won't use a Muslim as VP in 2027, I'm guessing he will use SGF Akume or some Christian from North Central.
Too bad babachir Lawal wasn't chosen and he wasn't patient enough this would have been a perfect opportunity for him.

Modified: Boss Mustapha that replaced Babachir is also a good option

jericco1:
One spark and they're all gone

Don't they learn?

No
It's actually diesel and not as highly inflammable as petrol

SpencerForbes:
Israel is funding terrorism and the terrorist aren’t shouting YAHWEH or HALLELUYAH!!! How does that sounds? Do you know boko haram also observed the last Eid?

The only thing Iran has now is propaganda and conspiracy. I’ve been on this for a while now and I’m still posing the question, ‘why can’t Iran as a nation produce clear evidence that Israel and USA is sponsoring terrorism since the attack on 9/11?’ They can produce eipstein files, F-28 and bombing of bibi’s apartment but they don’t have any evidence that Israel is sponsoring terrorism— not even a digital footprint and you want me to believe all this Shia and Sunni crap?

The evidence full everywhere if only you look and with open minds
The Jews control the narrative for so long so it won't be easy for a brainwashed mind to change easily but you seem a reasonable person.
Do you know why MOSSAD has taken out the Iranian leadership easily?
Cos Iran was one of the very first place Jews sought refuge and were welcomed when Europeans were massacring them, and as such are embedded in the Iranian society, their fight started when US overthrew their leaders and imposed the Shah
Then Iran started being more vocal on Palestine and as such became an enemy of the Zionists.
Iran has problems with Zionists not Jews

ebubeson:
We have single Mums that can make good wives, and no matter what the society says, there are single Mums that can make good homes.

If you look deeply, a single Mum having a child may not be the main issue of many guys, but below may be the issue many guys avoid single Mums in marriage.

(1) Fear of she cheating with her baby daddy: Do you know how painful it may be loving and supporting a single Mum only to discover she is sleeping with her baby daddy who may be so irresponsible.

(2) Fear of not being a father to her child or children: If after a man marries a single Mum and treats her child or children so well like a true father, and gets dumped in the future because he is not their biological, such may be so painful to him.

(3) Fear of divided emotions: A single Mum may be emotionally connected to both her husband and baby daddy. This might make her husband feel unsafe in the marriage; and if he expressed his concern, there may be outburst that he is just being insecure.


As a lady, never accept to get pregnant before marriage, no matter the promises given. Just avoid pre-marital sex. Again, if baby Daddies had married their baby Mamas, this issue may have subsided.

No 1 is the main reason
Women can't just stay loyal to the ones that genuinely love them
I know the that death and financial struggles could make a relationship not work out but then the man that rescues you from him shouldn't pay a price for doing that

SpencerForbes:
You’re just venting with pure emotions; there’s no real logic in what you typed.

Jesus wasn’t a warlord, but the likes of Genghis Khan understood the language of the sword. If Israel followed that "turn the other cheek" Sunday School Christianity, they would have been wiped off the map long ago.

If Nigerian Christians handled Boko Haram the way Israel handles their neighbors, that insurgency would have ended since. The problem is that people often mistake Christian peace for weakness.

Sometimes, you need a little "madness" to cure a bully. Israel is simply the antidote to global terrorism. They understand that you don't use "please" for people who want you dead.

The more reason people like me will always support a Iran
Israel isn't the world police and doesn't even have the moral right to say they want to fight terrorism
They create and fund terrorists but will be the fist to shout IRAN is funding terrorism
NOBODY BUYS THAT BULLSHIT ANYMORE
in 2026 you still dey parrot that's tired line?
All Israel and US wants in the middle east are weak countries they can trample upon anytime they want and steal as much oil as they want without interference
Iran is in the way of that, so is Turkiye
And Israelis also want a greater Israel implemented , so Mr, this isn't about any religion or terrorists but Imperial ambitions of Jews and Americans