They say everyone in Lagos has a price; for some, it’s a new iPhone, for others, it’s just enough to cover next month’s rent. When you’re earning a ₦35,000 salary that disappears before the 15th of the month, the temptation to find a ‘sponsor’ can feel less like a choice and more like a survival strategy.
But for Faith* (22), some things are non-negotiable. She’s navigating the pressure, the broke days, and a job that underpays her, all while holding on to one firm belief: her dignity isn’t for sale. In this conversation, she talks about why she’d rather count lipsticks in a cosmetic shop than trade her peace for provision.
Tell me about yourself, Faith.
I’m from Imo State but I grew up in Lagos. I studied Business Administration for my National Diploma (ND). I finished two years ago.
Was it always the plan to stop at having a National Diploma?
Not at all. The plan was for me to go on to get my Higher National Diploma (HND), but my Aunt who is also my sponsor couldn’t afford it. And I don’t blame her at all. She had supported me all through my ND, but things became tough.
She lost her job around the same time I graduated, and there was no way I could continue. It broke me because I had already pictured myself finishing and maybe even going for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Instead, I had to start looking for work.
I am so sorry. So, what do you do now?
Thank you. I walked into a cosmetic shop one morning with my CV. I had been searching for months, submitting applications online, going for interviews that led nowhere. The shop owner said she needed someone to attend to customers and keep the place running.
She asked me if I could start immediately. I didn’t think twice. I just said yes. It wasn’t the kind of work I imagined for myself, but I needed to earn something.
I can imagine. How much do you earn here?
My salary is ₦35,000 a month. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get small tips from customers. But that doesn’t come often. By the time I remove transport, food, and small contributions at home, there’s almost nothing left. Most times, I’m already broke by the third week of the month.
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Phew. What takes the biggest chunk of your money?
Transport is a lot. I spend around ten thousand every month just to get to work and back. Then I live in a small room I share with two other ladies, so rent takes up another big chunk. I also send money home when I can. My mum tries her best.
I pay for my phone and data too, because I use it to apply for jobs and to run a small Instagram page where I try to sell things. The truth is, ₦35,000 disappears quickly. I end up borrowing from friends sometimes.
Have you tried finding other jobs?
Yes, plenty of times. I keep applying. I have gone for interviews where they say I don’t have enough experience. Some say they are looking for people with degrees. Others say they will get back to me and I never hear anything.
It feels like employers already know who they want to hire before calling others for interviews. Also, the economy doesn’t help. There are too many people looking for the same jobs, so they pay peanuts because they know someone else will take it.
That one cef dey. What about side hustles?
I try to. I do simple make-up for girls in my area on weekends. Sometimes it gives me two or three thousand. I also tried selling handbags and shoes online, but it didn’t last. I’m still trying, though. I sell small things like body sprays or earrings to neighbours when I can.
You are giving it all it takes, obviously.
Well, yes. But to some it’s not enough. Some of my friends tell me there are faster ways to get money.
Now, I’m curious.
They suggest going out with men who can sponsor me. One even told me she could link me to someone who would pay my rent for a year, so far I’m willing to do “normal”. She said it like it was the easiest thing in the world.
How did you react?
I grew up in church. My mum is a strong Christian. She always told me that our dignity is worth more than anything and I take that seriously. I don’t want to trade my body for quick money. I know myself, and I know I will hate it later. So, I would rather struggle and sleep hungry sometimes than live with that guilt. Some of them say I’m ‘forming holy’, but I don’t care.
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Has the pressure ever overwhelmed you?
Yes. Many times. I scroll through Instagram and see girls my age living soft. I know some of them didn’t get it from hard work. And I won’t lie, sometimes I feel envious. I think about how easier life would be if I agreed just once.
But then I imagine myself five years from now. Will I be proud of who I became? That thought always pulls me back.
If things changed tomorrow, what would you want to do?
If I had the chance, I would go back to school. That’s what I wanted from the start. Even if I had a stable job that paid well, I would still want to finish my HND and maybe go further. That would give me more options. Next to that, I would want a job where the pay matches the work.
Where do you see yourself in two years?
I hope I’ll be back in school, or at least working in a proper office job – not here, standing in a shop counting lipsticks. I want to be able to pay my bills without borrowing, and I want to support my mum more. In two years, I want to look back and be proud of my journey.
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*Pseudonym
