₦airaland Forum

IsraeliAIRFORCE:
You mean salary increase from N150,000 to N500,000 is actually a fake? You are coming closer to the truth but ....

Paying exorbitantly for darkness is what you referred to true economic indices? Haba.

There is nothing like fake life. This government has borrowed and accumulated more debt without anything to show for it since removing subsidies.

You are lying to yourself by saying this government is accumulating debt without nothing to show for it. If you truly want to know, the information is in the public space both in paper and on ground. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria where a government is spending a lot on capital project. I will not need to educate you on the long term benefits of capital projects on infrastructure. Also, the benefits are in the public space and if you choose to know, you will definitely know.

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.

The summary is that you were living a fake life back then when government is borrowing money to subsidise the dollar and fuel for you. But this time, that fake life is no longer realistic. Welcome to the new reality and adjust instead of lamenting

I'm surprised they are yet to blame Tinubu for using Dickhead to cage Obi. I'm still surprised

I think I am enjoying the tears of this obi people. Any positive news brings sadness to there heart. Henceforth, once I see them wailing bitterly, I will just keep smiling because I know for sure they are wailing at a good news .

BlackViper:
These Americans sha. Imagine being a $12.7 billion company and not knowing that BAT will always fall your hand consistently.

If BAT human beings are always malfunctioning and breaking down, why will BAT Drone be different?

Nigerians could have given you this advice free of charge.

You want to sound Compos mentis just for nairaland likes but you eventually sounded very asinine

CodeTemplar:
I refuse to believe that.

We know you people. Very quick to believe bad news but will never believe good news. You people can only breath when bad news happens but become sad and bitter when good news occurs. Na today

Wao!!!! I never knew I used this much.... omo

Na everything all this mumu people dey read meaning to. Wetin be this again? Is it a crime that the president sent those delegates?

Richtaiwo:
The IG appears to believe Nigerians will approach this policy with restraint and responsibility. The moment he publicly stated that citizens were free to record police officers on duty, I knew that abuse of the privilege was only a matter of time.

I would not be surprised if the policy is reversed soon. The fact that the IG had to make such a clarification suggests that recordings are already being repurposed for content creation. And, trust elements of lawlessness, this is just the beginning.

There is also a small but vocal segment of frustrated ragtags determined to test every limit of law and order, treating every freedom as an opportunity for mischief rather than responsibility. A quick glance at some of the reactions online, even on this thread will attest to this fact.

This is the only reasonable comment I have read so for on this thread and I don't have to read anymore comment. Nice submission

Tjra:
Stop posting these ... posts because we all know it's coming from a place of hate. It's not like you care about the cildren. If you do, the comments of you folks on social media already reveals your true state of mind.

The Ijebus scrapping their festival won't bring back the children in Oyo state. I am sure you didn't stop eating neither did you stop touching your wife because children were kidnapped.

The happiness of the people will not be dimmed. They will solve their challneges and all spiteful bitter souls will be put to shame.

They are hypocrite. They are making those comments not from a place of genuine concern but from a place of hate and jealousy. The country is too big and great than for it to be held hostage by terrorists.

MadPolitician:
Keep consoling yourself

My self right? None of your business dude. Face your front

kenn4rill:
My guy don't allow posterity to come for you.
This your tweet today may come back to hunt you very ruggedly tomorrow.

Mind your word

I advise you should be worried more about your life than me a stranger you don't know and someone like me that doesn't give a shit about you or what you become

FatimaAbubakar:
Keep kwayet there! He's a Nigerian and he can discuss any political issues that he likes. Shameless people.

I actually enjoy your barks.

WhiteIverson:
Na why I say make una enjoy nau

Hopefully the bandits don't unalive all the school children in the region before you find a solution to YOUR "PROBLEM"

That is still none of your business dude

WhiteIverson:
It seems the people of the Southwest are aware of the people who carry out the kidnappings but still allow them to live amongst them. They are even given traditional titles.

That means na family affair. No wonder Tinubu isn't bothered.

Toh make una enjoy

We in SW are not noisy and chest beaters like you people. We will solve our problems without constituting nuisance to the social media and society at large. You should be more worried about your region and what happens there and not pretend like you want progress for the SW. Remove the log of wood in your eye. We don't want your fake love

[quote author=Insipidvamp post=139557007][/quote]Olofo, oloshi, ashiere, oloriburuku, alayebaje, olofo... Trump actually knows you are a monki

DeepSight:
Shattap!

Ignoramus!

I actually enjoy your barks

[quote author=Insipidvamp post=139553028][/quote]Are you done with tears under my comment? You can actually do more

Let them keep wasting there time. After 2027 elections, they will see shege banza

QuinQ:
I think it is a limited edition kind of deal - to commemorate 250 years of American independence (July 4, 1776 to 2026), also called semiquincentennial.
Trump happens to be president at this time - who else would you consider if not the president?

Most of them comment out of ignorance, emotion and delusion.

tesseract:
Wonderful, now please go to Oyo State with this same energy and rescue those innocent children and teachers from the camp of kidnappers in the bush...ensure that all kidnappers are neutralized.

Seems you are sad Ifeko was neutralised by the police in a failed kidnapping attempt

clevybrown:
U are just pained he is what u can never be, not even in ur 3 lifetime.... In all he says about the government of the day, where is the lie? Bro, drop the hate and embrace the truth. Just Be human at least, cos I strongly believe u are not an animal...

What I can never be you say? Are you this asinine? On what premise did you make that submission? So you want me to be like a guy that is agege, a guy selling is prik for money? A liar, a manipulator? Ain't going to be like that guy dude. You can make him your mentor and lord, that's your business because like minds like you are attracted to people like him. And stop been a delusional 🤡 talking about embracing truth because you don't know what a truth is and you don't have the capacity to know. And yes I am a sane human being and I doubt same with you.

Edoreborn:
Are u not ashamed? Millions are calling for good governance and some privileged few like u are saying otherwise..The wrath of God will soon be on u guys head...

I will advise you get out of my mention because your opinion stinks to me.

They will soon be here crying that she was paid and an APC tool.

jmoore:
VDM should use this to cashout. Bayo onanuga has low IQ.

Arrest VDM and get sued for damages. Cos there is no evidence it was posted on his page.

Just look at yourself in the mirror and read out what you wrote again but slowly and see how you sound. Honestly, you sound very self derogatory

I just hope his supporters would keep his company in Kuje prison. I will be the most happy guy alive if that guy is taken off once and for all. He is such a nuisance to the public space, manipulating delusional people just to advance his own personal financial capability.

TEYA:
You are just jealous he was first to comment.

Jealous?Who is this funny dude..., Them dey give trophy for comments? I'll not be engaging you further

WriteerNg:

---

Keeping the thread active and engaged. More comments pushes it to trending topics.

It doesn't take a genius to know that.

You don't have to be a nuisance before your thread would be pushed to the front page. An interesting topic will naturally get engaged by people without all those unnecessary spamming

I am more worried about the creator of this thread than me been worried about Trump because I'm trying to figure out the meaning of this nonsense spaces he is booking by tagging modertors almost everywhere on the first page