In many Nigerian homes, there is a difference between raising a boy and raising a girl. Nobody necessarily sits the children down to explain the rules; they just become obvious with time: who is expected to help in the kitchen, who gets asked to run errands, who is allowed to stay out later, who is expected to know how to take care of themselves and who is quietly expected to take care of everybody else.

A girl might be helping her mother in the kitchen while her brother is sitting in the living room watching TV. She may be asked to serve his food, wash his clothes or clean his room. If she asks why he can���t do these things himself, the answer might be, ���He���s a boy.���

And sometimes, that���s all the explanation she gets.

Who Teaches Boys That Women Will Take Care of Them?

Patriarchy is often discussed in terms of men’s actions, but some of its everyday rules are introduced much earlier and reinforced within the home. Sometimes, the person enforcing the rule is a woman.

Many Nigerian mothers were raised to believe that a girl should know how to cook, clean, care for children and keep a home running. So when they teach their daughters these things, it can feel less like enforcing inequality and more like preparing them for adulthood.

The problem is that their sons aren���t always given the same preparation.

A daughter is told to learn how to cook because ���you won���t be living with your mother forever.��� Her brother can grow up without knowing how to make anything beyond noodles because nobody considers it urgent that he learn because ���he will eventually get married and his wife will cook for him.

The daughter is preparing for a future where she will supposedly have to take care of a home. The son is preparing for a future where someone else might do it for him.

���You Will Marry and Leave���

The phrase ���you will marry and leave��� carries more weight than it seems.

Girls hear it when they���re being taught domestic responsibilities, when decisions about education are being made, and sometimes when conversations about money, property and family responsibilities come up. The assumption is that a daughter will eventually become part of another family, while a son remains part of his own.

That belief can shape what parents expect from their children.

A daughter may be encouraged to learn how to manage a household because she will eventually have one of her own. A son may not face the same pressure because his future wife is assumed to handle those things.

The same idea can also influence how families think about education, financial support and inheritance. If a daughter is seen as someone who will ���leave,��� while a son is seen as the one who will stay and carry on the family name, the two children may not always be treated as though they are building the same future.

Sometimes Favouritism Looks Like Less Responsibility

Favouritism isn���t always obvious gifts, better schools or being handed more money. Sometimes, the privilege is simply being allowed to do less.

One child is expected to help with younger siblings, wash plates, run errands and assist whenever there is work to be done. Another can leave the house, play games, watch TV or stay in his room without being called.

Over time, this creates a strange imbalance. The girl gets good at managing a household because she has spent years doing it. The boy doesn���t develop those same skills because nobody has required him to. Then, when both eventually become adults, the woman is expected to naturally know how to cook, clean, organise a home and care for other people.

It is difficult to call that ���preparation for life��� when only one person is being prepared.

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In the Fight Against Patriarchy, Women Have To Be Part Of The Conversation Too

This isn���t about blaming mothers for inventing patriarchy. They didn���t.

Many women are simply passing down rules they were taught themselves. A mother who tells her daughter to serve her brother may genuinely believe she is teaching her respect. A mother who insists that her daughter must know how to cook may believe she is protecting her from future embarrassment. A mother who gives her son more freedom may see it as part of raising a boy.

But good intentions don���t automatically make the expectation fair, and that���s where the conversation about women and patriarchy gets interesting.

A woman can tell her daughter to be financially independent and still tell her to serve her brother. She can complain about men who expect their wives to do everything while raising a son who has never had to wash his own clothes. She can tell her daughter never to depend on a man while teaching her son that women exist to take care of him.

That contradiction matters. The fight against patriarchy cannot happen only in conversations about men, workplaces, politics, or romantic relationships. It also has to happen in kitchens, bedrooms and living rooms, where children are first taught what men and women are supposed to do.

What Are We Actually Teaching Them?

Boys who grow up being served can easily grow into men who expect service. Girls who grow up watching women shoulder most of the domestic work can easily become women who see that arrangement as normal.

Of course, growing up this way doesn���t mean a boy will automatically become an entitled man or that a girl will accept the same treatment in her adult life. People unlearn things. They question what they were taught. They build relationships that look completely different from the homes they grew up in.

But children shouldn���t have to unlearn an inequality that could have been avoided in the first place.

A son can cook. He can wash his clothes. He can clean the house. He can look after his younger siblings. He can serve his sister food. None of these things makes him less of a man.

And a daughter shouldn���t have to become ���a good woman��� by learning how to serve everyone around her.

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There���s no one-size-fits-all approach to investments. How much you invest often depends on what you earn, what you���re comfortable risking, how long you���ve been investing and, sometimes, whether you actually understand what you���re buying.

We asked 10 Nigerians to break down their investment portfolios: how much they earn, how long they���ve been investing, what they own and, most importantly, how much money they���ve actually put into each investment.

Here���s what they told us.

I���m not investing huge amounts yet. I���m just trying to make sure I don���t spend everything I earn. – Blessing*, F, 24

I work in customer service and earn ���220,000 a month. I���ve only been investing for about seven months, so I���m still very much a beginner.

Right now, I have about ���180,000 invested, and all of it is in a money market fund. I started with ���20,000 because I realised that whenever money stayed in my regular account, I would eventually find something to spend it on. I started putting away small amounts whenever I got paid. Some months it was ���20,000, other months it was ���30,000 or ���40,000, depending on what was left after my expenses.

I know people my age who are already buying stocks and investing in dollars, but I���m not there yet. I���m still learning how different investments work, and I���d rather understand something before putting my money into it.

My immediate goal is to get to ���300,000. After that, I want to try buying my first stock. I don���t think my portfolio looks impressive right now, but at least I���ve started.

I���m trying very hard not to let my lifestyle catch up with my income. – Tamilore*, F, 26

I���m a product designer, and I currently earn about ���1.5 million a month. I���ve been investing for almost four years, and I started long before I began earning this much. As a university student, I earned between ���200,000 and ���300,000 in some months freelancing and juggling multiple gigs.  My first investment was only ���20,000 in Dangote Cement. I didn���t know much about investing. I just knew I didn���t want every extra naira I made to be spent as it came in. I now have about ���5.4 million in naira investments and around $1,800 in US investments.

The largest part of my portfolio is a money market fund, with about ���2 million. Then I have ���1.4 million in Nigerian stocks, mainly GTCO, MTN and Dangote Cement. I also have about ���1.2 million in Treasury bills and another ���800,000 that I���ve put towards land with two friends. My foreign portfolio is mostly Apple stocks.

I���m still young, so I���m not trying to have the most complicated portfolio. I just want to keep increasing my investments while I have fewer responsibilities.

I bought MTN shares because it was the only stock I felt I understood. – Danny*, M, 26��

I���m a junior copywriter, and I earn about ���280,000 a month. I���ve been investing for a little over a year. I currently have around ���450,000 invested ��� ���300,000 in a money market fund and ���150,000 in MTN Nigeria shares.

I chose MTN because I���m a beginner to stock investing. I figured it was better to invest in a company I use every day and understand the business, rather than a random one I had never heard of. I bought the shares and then basically left them alone.

I haven���t bought another stock since. I keep telling myself I���ll research more companies, but I���m still learning. I mostly invest in the money market fund because I���m more comfortable with it.

I also don���t have a huge amount of disposable income. After transport, food, bills and everything else, there isn���t always much left. So for me, investing is more about building the habit than trying to build a huge portfolio immediately.

I don���t own stocks yet. I���m trying to understand what I���m doing before I start. – Mariam*, F, 24

I���m an accountant and earn about ���310,000 a month. I���ve been investing for roughly a year and a half. I have about ���580,000 invested at the moment ��� ���380,000 in a money market fund and ���200,000 in treasury bills. 

I started because I was getting tired of saving money only to watch it slowly disappear whenever I had an unexpected expense. Someone at work introduced me to money market funds, and that was the first investment I felt comfortable trying.

The treasury bills came later. I liked the idea of putting some money somewhere for a specific period and knowing roughly what I was getting back.

I���ve thought about stocks, especially because everyone seems to be talking about them now, but I don���t want to buy something just because my friends are buying it. I���m still trying to understand how the market works.

My biggest investment lesson is that earning more doesn���t automatically make you better with money. – Habeeb*, M, 33

I work in tech and earn ���1.2 million a month. I���ve been investing for five years. I have about ���8 million in naira investments (mutual funds, stocks, property and treasury bills) and $1,500 in US investments.

My Nigerian stocks include GTCO, Access Holdings and Dangote Cement. My US investments are mostly in an S&P 500 ETF, with smaller positions in Nestl辿. When I first started investing, my income was much lower, so my first investments were pretty small. The biggest difference now is that I have more money available to invest, but I also have more responsibilities. I support family members, pay more bills and generally have a more expensive life. 

So, I don���t invest across my portfolio every month. Sometimes,  my money goes into one instrument. Other times, I don���t invest at all. I already built the foundation, so it���s easier.

My portfolio has grown with my income. – Ifeanyi*, M,�� 31

I currently earn ���650,000 a month as a banker, and I���ve been investing for five years. My portfolio includes Nigerian stocks and treasury bills and is worth around ���3.2 million. My Nigerian stocks are mainly GTCO, Zenith, Seplat and Dangote Cement. I didn���t buy them all at once. I started with one company, then gradually added another whenever I had spare money.

When I first started investing, I was earning much less than I am now. There were months when I could only put away ���20,000 or ���30,000. As my salary increased, the amount I could invest increased too.

I prefer Nigerian stocks because they���re easier for me to understand. I know the companies, I use their services, and I can follow what���s happening with them.

I���ve considered US stocks, but I don���t want to buy something just because it���s popular. Maybe I���ll get there eventually. My main goal now is to keep building the portfolio without neglecting my emergency savings.

My income is inconsistent, so I don���t invest every month. I invest when I have a good month. – Ray*, M, 26

I���m a freelance graphic designer, and my income averages around ���500,000 a month. It can be much higher or lower depending on my clients. I���ve been investing for about two and a half years and currently have ���2 million in my portfolio.

���1.4 million is in a money market fund, and the remaining ���600,000 is in Nigerian stocks, mostly Seplat and GTCO.  The money market fund is the easiest part for me because I can put money there whenever I have a good month. When I get a big freelance payment, I���ll usually take a portion before I start spending anything.

There have also been months when I didn���t invest anything at all. I have rent, subscriptions, family expenses and random things that come up. I used to feel guilty about that, but I���ve realised investing has to fit into my actual life.

My next goal is to get the portfolio to ���3 million. After that, I���ll probably start looking more seriously into dollar investments.

I���m more interested in owning something tangible, so I prefer to invest in land. – Obinna*, M, 34

I���m a secondary school teacher and earn around ���380,000 a month. I���ve been investing for about three years.

I have roughly ���1.2 million invested, and most of that (���800,000) is money I���ve set aside towards a piece of land I hope to buy next year. The remaining ���400,000 is split between a money market fund and a small holding in GTCO and Cadbury. 

I bought GTCO shares to try stocks, but I���m not someone who checks my portfolio every day. I bought them and left them there. Honestly, if you looked at my portfolio, you might not even call it diversified. But I���m okay with that. I have a specific goal, and right now that goal is property. After I get that, I can start considering other options.

I���m learning to start small. – Matilda*, F, 29

I work in marketing and earn ���1.2 million a month. I���ve been investing for around three years. I have about ���3.5 million in naira investments (mostly stocks) and around $2000 in US investments.

The US investments are a recent development. I invested in an S&P 500 ETF and Sony Group to gain exposure to investments outside Nigeria and because I liked the idea of having part of my portfolio in dollars.

I know $2000 isn���t a large amount, though. I started small because that was what I could afford. One thing investing has taught me is that you can earn a decent salary and still not have unlimited money. There are always things competing for your income.

It took me six years to build my current portfolio. – Yemi*, M,�� 34

I���m a software engineer and earn $12,650 (minus tax) a month. I���ve been investing for about six years. I currently have around ���15 million in naira investments and about $6500 in US investments.

Property is the biggest part of my portfolio. I���ve put around ���15 million towards landed property over the years. I also have money in treasury bills and Nigerian stocks. I just buy those and leave them alone.

It���s easy to assume I invest huge amounts every month, but the truth is that it took me years of investing small amounts to get here. You just need to start and be intentional about coming back to it.

There���s no single way to start investing. Whether you���re starting small or ready to diversify, Bamboo makes it easy to invest in stocks from your phone. You can also use Bamboo to subscribe to the Dangote Refinery IPO, which is currently open till October 13.

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*Names have been changed for anonymity.

If you���ve got to that point where you absolutely need to make more money without quitting your 9���5, a side hustle might be worth considering.

We spoke to Nigerians making money from different side hustles to find out how they got started, what they charge and what it takes to make at least an extra ���100k a month.��

I started making pitch decks for friends, then realised I could charge $100 for one.�� ��� Aisha*, F, 26

I was pretty good at designing on Canva and PowerPoint, and my friends always asked me to help with their presentations. It just clicked one day that I could make pitch decks and charge for them.

My first proper client paid me ���150,000 for a 15-slide pitch deck. I now charge $100 per deck, although I charge more if it���s a very detailed presentation or needs a lot of research.

I usually do about three decks a month, so that���s around $300 from the side hustle.

You don���t need to be a professional graphic designer to start. You need to know how to make information look good and, more importantly, how to organise information so that the person looking at the presentation actually understands it.

I���d recommend starting with Canva or PowerPoint and creating three sample decks. They don���t have to be for real clients. You can redesign an existing presentation or create a fake pitch deck for a business you like. Once you have something to show people, start reaching out to startups, small businesses and people in your network.

I started editing videos on my phone, and now I earn ���75k-���100k per short-form video. ��� Joseph*, M, 27

I started editing videos because I was already interested in content creation. I spent a lot of time watching Reels and TikToks and eventually started learning how to make them myself.

I learnt CapCut first because it was free and easy to use. I edited videos for myself and some friends until I had enough samples to start approaching creators.

I currently charge ���100,000 for a short-form video. It usually takes me about two to three hours, depending on the editing. I do about five videos a month, so I make around ���500,000.

The easiest way to start is to learn one editing software properly. You don���t need to buy a ���1 million laptop immediately or have a fancy studio. Start with what you have, build a portfolio and focus on one type of content.

I���d also recommend trying to get recurring clients. Editing five videos for the same person every month is much easier than constantly looking for five new clients.

I didn���t need thousands of followers to make money from UGC. I just needed to know how to make good videos.�� ��� Amarachi*, F, 26

I didn���t start UGC because I wanted to become an influencer. I actually didn���t have many followers. I just realised that brands needed people who could make videos that looked natural and relatable.

I started by making sample videos with products I already owned. I made skincare videos, unboxing videos, and short product reviews and put them into a portfolio.

I now charge ���40,000 for a basic UGC video. I usually get around four videos a month, which gives me ���160,000.

You don���t need thousands of followers because you���re not necessarily being paid to post to your audience. You���re creating content for the brand to use.

A good iPhone with a decent camera, good lighting and somewhere quiet to film is enough to start. You also need to be comfortable on camera and understand how to make a video that doesn���t feel like an obvious advert.

I���d make at least five sample videos before contacting brands. You can use products you already own, so you don���t need to spend money buying things just to create your portfolio.

I started writing LinkedIn posts for one person, and now I charge $200 per client.�� ��� Ope*, M, 26

I started ghostwriting after I realised that many professionals have things to say but don���t have the time or patience to turn their thoughts into LinkedIn posts.

My first client was someone I knew. They would send me voice notes and random thoughts, and I���d turn them into LinkedIn posts. After a while, I started doing it professionally.

I currently charge $200 per client every month. I have one client at the moment, so that���s $200 a month from the side hustle. If I get a second client, I���ll double that.

The important thing is that you can���t just be a good writer. You have to be able to capture someone���s personality. My clients don���t want posts that sound like a random copywriter wrote them. They want to sound like themselves, just better.

You need good writing skills, an understanding of LinkedIn and the ability to research someone���s industry. I���d start by writing sample posts for people you admire and putting them into a portfolio. Then pitch founders, consultants and professionals who already have something interesting to say but aren���t posting consistently.

I didn���t think research was something people would pay me for until I started helping businesses find the information they needed.�� ��� Chinaza*, F, 25

I got into research assistance because I���m naturally the person who wants to know everything. If someone mentions a company or topic I don���t know, I���m probably going to spend the next hour researching it.

A friend eventually asked me to help with research for a project, and I realised people actually pay for this.

I charge $15 an hour and work around ten hours a week. That gives me roughly $600 a month. Most of what I do is competitor research, finding statistics, fact-checking, compiling information and putting everything into a spreadsheet or report.

You need a laptop, good internet and strong research skills. You also need to know the difference between finding something on Google and actually finding a credible source.

I���d start by choosing a topic and creating a sample research report. Show potential clients that you can find information, verify it and organise it properly. You don���t need to wait for someone to give you your first project before you have something to show.

I started by helping a friend with his podcast for free, and now I charge ���100k a month to run the behind-the-scenes. ��� Ezekiel*, M, 27

I started helping with podcasts because I was already interested in content production. I noticed that recording an episode was only one part of the work. There was research, editing, show notes, social media and a lot of small things that had to happen afterwards.

I started by helping a friend���s podcast for free for a few episodes to understand the workflow. Then I started charging.

I currently charge ���100,000 per podcast per month. That covers research, show notes, episode uploads, captions and helping turn episodes into social media content. I currently work with one podcast, so that���s ���100,000 a month.

You don���t need to know how to do everything. If you���re good at research, writing or social media, you can start there and learn the rest.

I���d pick a podcast you like and create a sample package for one episode. Show what the research, show notes, captions and social posts would look like. It makes it much easier for someone to understand what they���re paying you for.

I started transcribing interviews online, and it became one of the easiest ways for me to earn in dollars.�� ��� Olabisi*, F, 29

I started transcription because I wanted something I could do remotely and fit around my other commitments.

My first jobs were transcribing interviews and adding subtitles to videos. Eventually, I started getting clients who wanted both, so I began offering them together.

I earn $10 an hour and work around 15 hours a week. That gives me about $600 a month.

The work sounds straightforward, but you need to be patient. Some recordings are difficult to understand, people speak over each other, and accents can make things harder. You also have to proofread everything because transcription software isn���t perfect.

You���ll need a laptop, headphones, good typing and listening skills, and reliable internet. There are AI transcription tools that can help you work faster, but you still have to check the transcript yourself.

If you���re starting out, I���d learn transcription first, then add subtitling. Offering both makes you more useful to podcasters, YouTubers, researchers and businesses.

I started tutoring people in subjects I already understood, and eventually I began getting paid in dollars. ��� Kayden*, M, 23

I started tutoring because I was already helping people around me with schoolwork. Someone eventually suggested that I should charge for it, and that���s how it became a side hustle.

I currently tutor English and academic writing online for international students. I charge $10 an hour and teach around 10 hours a week, so I make about $400 a month.

The most important thing is knowing your subject and explaining it clearly. You don���t need to know everything. You just need to be able to take something complicated and make it understandable.

You can teach school subjects, languages, writing, exam preparation or even a practical skill like Canva. A laptop, stable internet and a quiet place to teach are enough for most online tutoring.

I���d start with a subject you���re already genuinely good at. Get a few students through your network, collect testimonials and then use those to start looking for students outside your immediate circle.

With the cost of almost everything rising, Nigerians have very different ideas of what a first date should look like. For some, ���50k can get you good food, ice cream and a decent conversation. For others, anything less than ���200k means you probably haven���t planned properly. 

We asked Nigerians how much they consider acceptable to spend on a first date, where they���d spend it and what they expect that money to cover. Their answers reveal just how differently we think about money, dating and what counts as a good time.

������50k��� ��� Ruth*, F,  22, Delta

���50k works just fine for me. I���m still at a stage where ���50k is real money, so I can���t imagine expecting somebody to spend ���200k on a first date. I���d be happy with a nice caf辿 or casual restaurant where we can eat, talk and maybe get ice cream afterwards. If the food is ���25k and transportation is another ���15k, we���ve already had a proper evening. I also don���t want someone spending more than they can comfortably afford just because they think that���s what women expect.

������100k��� ��� Maxwell*, M,  29, Ibadan

���100k works best for me because it gives me enough flexibility. I���d probably budget ���60k to ���70k for a good restaurant, then keep the rest for drinks, transportation and anything spontaneous. I don���t believe the first date should be cheap just because you���re testing compatibility, but I also don���t think you need to spend ���300k to show that you���re serious. If I spend ���100k and we have an amazing time, that���s money well spent. If we don���t click, at least I haven���t spent my rent trying to second-guess chemistry.

������100k��� ��� Kamsi*, F, 28, Port Harcourt

���100k is enough for the whole date, but I wouldn���t expect the man to pay it all. I���m perfectly fine paying my half. He can get the food, I can sort out drinks and dessert, or we can just split the whole bill. 

We���re both adults, and we���re both going on the date because we want to meet each other. I don���t think paying for someone���s meal should automatically become a test of whether they���re a serious man. If he insists on paying, that���s different, but I���m not going to sit there pretending I forgot my wallet.

������120k ��� ��� Ife*, F, 30, F, Lagos

���120k feels reasonable because I want the person to be able to plan a proper evening without being financially reckless. I���d probably expect dinner at a nice restaurant, drinks and transportation, with enough left over for dessert or ice cream. I���m also not impressed by somebody spending ���120k if I later discover that���s half their monthly income. To me, the amount has to make sense for the person���s lifestyle. I don���t want a man performing wealth for me on the first date and then complaining about how expensive women are afterwards.

������200k��� ��� Chuka*, M, 31, M, Calabar

���200k is a good budget. I���d probably take her to a proper restaurant where dinner and drinks could come to around ���150k, then we could go somewhere else for cocktails or dessert. 

I���m at a point where I can afford to spend that amount without it becoming a financial crisis, so I don���t see why I should pretend otherwise. But I also wouldn���t judge somebody who wants to spend ���50k on a first date. Your budget should reflect your pocket, not what Twitter says a man should be spending.

������350k��� ��� Nneka*, F, 29, Lagos

���350k is a reasonable budget for the kind of date I���d enjoy at this stage of my life. I���d probably choose one of the more expensive restaurants, have dinner and drinks, then go somewhere else for cocktails afterwards.

 It depends on what we���re doing. I don���t think women should feel guilty for enjoying expensive dates when the person taking them out can genuinely afford them. What I don���t like is someone spending ���350k and then acting as if you���ve signed a contract to become their girlfriend just because they bought dinner.

������500k��� ��� Kunle*, M, 32, Ibadan

���500k is the maximum I���d budget for a first date, but I���m not necessarily trying to spend it all. I���d rather have the flexibility to take someone to a very good restaurant, order what we want, get drinks afterwards and not spend the evening doing mental calculations. 

If the whole evening costs ���300k, that���s fine. If it gets closer to ���500k, that���s also fine because I can afford it. But I don���t think a man should spend ���500k on a first date if that���s going to affect his bills. There���s nothing romantic about spending your rent money on dinner.

������500k��� ��� Faizah*, F, 31, Abuja

���500k is honestly around the minimum I���ve spent on a proper date before. I���m not saying that���s what everybody should spend, because obviously, people���s lifestyles and incomes are different. But if someone takes me to a high-end restaurant, then we go somewhere else afterwards, ���500k doesn���t shock me. 

The mistake people make is assuming that because a date costs ���500k, the woman must have demanded ���500k. Sometimes that���s simply the lifestyle both people are already accustomed to. I also don���t expect anything in return because somebody paid for an expensive evening. A date isn���t a transaction.

It started with Ball Up

The ball went up and the energy went with it. From the first play, the players were locked in, the competition was on and there was clearly no easing into this one.

Gravity took the day off

One minute, it was a regular play. The next, somebody was in the air and the entire court had something to say about it. This was the kind of move that made you understand why Red Bull and Half Court are a very natural pairing.

The crowd was playing too

The players had the court, but the crowd brought its own game. Every big play came with a scream, a cheer or somebody jumping out of their seat, turning the Half Court into one big feedback loop of energy.

Then Rexona turned up the volume

Basketball wasn���t the only thing keeping people moving. Rexona���s cheerleaders and drummers brought their own rhythm to the experience, adding even more energy to an already buzzing court.

Rexona was right in the middle of it

With the game moving at full speed, Rexona wasn���t content to sit on the sidelines. From the action on court to the brand moments around it, Stay Fresh With Every Move came to life exactly where all the movement was happening.

Even big energy needs a reset

After all that movement, everyone deserves a minute. The Rexona Stay Fresh Zone gave players and spectators a chance to refresh, recharge and get ready for whatever came next.

Somebody had to take the W

After the plays, the pressure and all that noise, the final whistle finally settled things. One team walked away with the win, but the energy of Rexona x Red Bull Half Court had already made its mark.

Then reality starts doing its thing.

The stock���s value drops, or the dividend you were expecting isn���t as substantial as you hoped. You realise the ���20 stock you bought isn���t necessarily cheaper than the ���100 one. And suddenly, you���re checking your portfolio every morning like the market is personally waiting to ruin your day.

Some investing lessons only make sense after your money is actually on the line. But if you���re buying your first stock, these are 10 things you���ll be glad someone told you beforehand.

1. Dividends Aren���t Guaranteed – Olumide*, M, 28

I genuinely thought buying 100 shares in a company meant I would automatically get dividends every year. I bought my first stock partly because I wanted that extra income. It was only later that I realised a company can decide not to pay dividends. Now, if dividends are part of why I���m considering a stock, I actually check its dividend history instead of assuming I���ll get paid.

2. Your Stock Can Stay Down For A While – Chidinma*, F, 25

Nobody warned me that I could buy a stock and watch it stay below my buying price for months. I thought that, if I picked a good company, the value would eventually rise in a reasonable amount of time. The first time mine dropped and stayed there, I was checking my portfolio as if I was waiting for exam results. I eventually learned that the market doesn���t owe me a quick recovery.

3. A ���10 Stock Isn���t Automatically Cheaper Than A ���100 Stock – Atinuke*, F, 32

I used to think a ���10 stock was automatically cheaper than a ���100 stock. So if I had ���50,000, I���d rather buy 5,000 units of the ���10 stock than 500 units of the ���100 one. I didn���t realise that the number of shares I could buy didn���t indicate whether a company was actually cheap or expensive. That was one of the first things I had to unlearn.

4. Don���t Invest Money You Might Need Soon – Sam*, M, 25

I had ���5million invested and then needed cash unexpectedly. I had to sell shares when the price wasn���t where I wanted it to be because I needed the money. That���s when I understood why people say you shouldn���t invest money you���ll need in the short term. If I had known that earlier, I would have kept my emergency money separate.

5. You Can Lose Money Even When The Company Hasn���t Collapsed – Abu*, M, 27

I thought the only way I���d lose money was if the company completely went under. So when my stock dropped by almost 20%, I was confused. The company was still operating normally, but my investment was worth less. That was my first real introduction to volatility. Nobody had explained to me that the price could move that much without the company disappearing.

6. Don���t Buy A Stock Just Because Everyone Is Talking About It – Habeebah*, F, 26

My first stock was basically a group project. Everybody around me was buying it, Twitter was talking about it, and I didn���t want to be the only person watching from the sidelines. I couldn���t even properly explain why I bought it beyond ���people said it was good���. When the price started moving differently from what I expected, I didn���t know what to do. Now I won���t put money into something I can���t explain to myself.

7. There���s More To The Cost Than The Price Of The Stock – Lami*, F, 28

I was so focused on whether the stock was ���50 or ���100 that I didn���t really think about the costs of actually buying and selling it. Then I saw deductions and realised there were other charges involved. They weren���t necessarily huge, but when you���re starting with a small amount, every deduction matters. I wish I���d understood the full cost before making my first purchase.

8. You Don���t Have To Check Your Portfolio Every Day – Steven*, M, 33

I was obsessed. I could check my portfolio three times before lunch and still check again at night. If it went up, I felt like Warren Buffett. If it went down, I was questioning every decision I���d ever made. Eventually, I realised nothing was changing because I was refreshing the app. Once I became clearer about why I bought the stock and how long I intended to leave the money there, I stopped treating every red number like an emergency.

9. Know Why You���re Buying Before You Buy – Yetunde*, F, 38

My first investment was just, ���I have money, let me invest it.��� I didn���t have a goal, a timeline or even a clear reason for choosing that particular stock. I just wanted to be able to say I owned shares. Looking back, that made it difficult to know what to do when the stock moved. Now, before I buy anything, I ask myself what I���m actually expecting from the investment and how long I���m willing to leave the money there.

10. Past Performance Doesn���t Mean It���ll Happen Again – Oluwatomi*, M, 44

I bought my first stock because I saw how much it had grown previously and assumed I was getting in before the next big jump. Of course, the market did not care about my plans. It didn���t perform the way I expected. That���s when I learnt that a stock having a good run doesn���t mean it will repeat that performance after you buy it.

And it���s not just the money. Beauty maintenance takes time, planning, and sometimes a level of commitment you never actually signed up for. It can feel endless, and not every woman even enjoys it. Some genuinely love it or see it as a way to take care of themselves. Others do it because looking ���put together��� makes them feel more confident.

Still, opting out isn���t always simple. There���s the pressure to look presentable at work, on dates, at social events, online, or simply when you leave the house. So even when you���re tired of spending money on your appearance, there can be a feeling that you can���t quite stop. 

In Nigeria, beauty and personal care are a multi-billion-naira market. says Nigeria’s beauty and personal care retail value even grew by 23% in 2025, reaching $10.17 billion, with skincare and colour cosmetics among the categories that maintained demand despite inflation. But the scale of the industry only tells part of the story. For women, the cost of beauty isn���t just reflected in the products and services we buy. It���s also in how often we have to buy them again and the time and effort it takes to keep up the appearance you���re expected to have.

This raises the question: ���How much does it cost to maintain the appearance you���re expected to have, whether you enjoy it or not?���

So, How Much Do Women Really Spend On Beauty Maintenance?

To better understand this, we asked seven women to break down what they spend on beauty and appearance, what they consider non-negotiable, whether they genuinely enjoy maintaining their appearance, and whether they���ve ever felt pressured to spend more because of how they might be perceived.

1. ��� I Spend Roughly ���500,000 on My Appearance��� ��� Salmah*, 44, Business Entrepreneur

My beauty spending is actually quite specific. I don���t spend money on everything people might traditionally consider beauty maintenance. My hair is in locs, and my daughter helps me maintain them, so that���s one expense I don���t have to worry about. I mostly spend on skincare, nails and perfume.

Skincare takes about ���90,000 to ���150,000 when I need to restock, and I spend around ���30,000 to ���50,000 on my wax. But my biggest expense by far is perfume. I can easily spend ���250,000 to ���300,000 on fragrances and Tuaren Wuta (Traditional Incense Perfume) in a month, especially when I���m buying something new or restocking. When you add it all up, I spend roughly ���500,000 a month on my appearance.

Perfume is my non-negotiable. I like smelling good, and I���ve always believed that how you smell is part of how you present yourself. If I have to cut back somewhere, I would rather reduce my skincare spending than compromise on my fragrance.

I genuinely enjoy taking care of myself, but for me, it���s less about following every beauty trend and more about maintaining the things I personally care about. I don���t need to have my hair done every few weeks or constantly have lashes and makeup. I know what makes me feel good, and I spend my money there.

I wouldn���t say I feel pressured to spend money on my appearance in the same way I might have when I was younger. As a business owner, I meet different people all the time, so being presentable is important to me, but I���ve become much more confident about deciding what that looks like for myself. I don���t think I need to spend money on every beauty service just because other women are doing it.

At the end of the day, I���d rather have my locs, good skin, and smell expensive.

2. ���I Spend About ���115,000 on Maintaining Myself��� ��� Adaeze*, 28, Chef

My beauty expenses are a little higher because fitness is part of my routine. My gym membership is about ���30,000 per month, and I spend roughly ���40,000 on face wash, moisturiser, and sunscreen. Hair is around ���20,000 whenever I need it done, while nails and other smaller things can add another ���25,000.

When everything falls in the same month, I���m spending around ���115,000 on maintaining myself.

My non-negotiable is the gym. For me, it���s not just about looking good. I like how I feel when I���m exercising consistently, and I���ve noticed a difference in my confidence and energy.

I genuinely enjoy some aspects of beauty maintenance, but I also think women are constantly being given a new list of things we���re supposed to fix. Your skin should be clear. Your hair should be laid. Your body should be a certain shape. Your teeth should be perfect. Your nails should be done. You should smell good. At some point, it stops feeling like one beauty routine and starts feeling like an endless maintenance project.

Social media definitely adds to that pressure. There���s always someone looking more polished, and because we see those images every day, it can start to feel like that���s the norm.

3. ��� I Wonder Why Being a Woman Is So Expensive��� ��� Treasure*, 31, In-House Legal Counsel

Hair is probably my biggest beauty expense. Depending on the style, I spend between ���30,000 and ���50,000. My nails are around ���15,000, and skincare and body care can come to another ���50,000. I���ll do lashes for certain events, but they���re not something I maintain every month.

On average, I spend about ���95,000 to ���115,000 when everything lines up in the same month.

My hair is non-negotiable. I feel completely different when my hair is done properly, and since I interact with people a lot, I like to look put together.

I genuinely enjoy beauty and getting ready, so I won���t pretend all of it feels like a burden. But sometimes I do wonder why being a woman is so expensive. There���s always something that needs to be done, replaced, touched up or maintained.

Events definitely make me spend more. If I have a wedding, birthday, or other important social event coming up, my normal beauty budget suddenly isn’t enough. You start thinking about whether your hair looks good enough, whether you need your nails done, whether your skin is behaving and whether you need makeup. It can feel like there���s an unspoken expectation to show up looking a certain way.

4. ���I Actually Hate the Phrase Beauty Maintenance��� ��� Zoe*, 25, Journalist

In a typical month, I spend about ���20,000 on skincare and haircare products, although I try not to have everything finish at once. I usually set that money aside separately. My hair has also been in twists for most of the year, which costs me about ���10,000 to do. My nails cost less than ���20,000, depending on the design, though I don���t necessarily get them done every month. I usually buy my skincare every three to six months, and none of my products costs less than ���10,000.

So, in a normal month, I���m spending about ���30,000 on beauty expenses, though months when I need to restock products or get my nails done can be more expensive.

If there���s one thing I won���t compromise on, it���s skincare. I have to have my skincare products. Right now, mine is almost finished, and I���m already looking for who will dash me money to restock.

I enjoy some aspects of self-care, but I actually hate the phrase ���beauty maintenance.��� The things I don���t enjoy, I simply don���t do. I���ll get lashes or nails done when I have a special occasion or when I feel like it, but I don���t feel like I have to keep up with them constantly.

I used to feel pressure to spend money on my appearance because of how people might perceive me, but these days, I just dey fight for my life, so I don���t bother. Na everybody sabi.

5. ���I���m Not Entering Debt Because an Instagram Woman Has Russian Lashes��� ��� Wunmi*, 26, Hotel Receptionist

My beauty expenses are fairly simple. Hair is usually around ���15,000 to ���20,000 when I need it done, while facewash, moisturiser, and sunscreen come to about ���30,000. I might spend another ���5,000 to ���10,000 on my nails, but lashes aren’t a regular expense for me.

On average, I���d say I spend ���45,000 to ���50,000 a month, depending on what needs attention.

For me, the non-negotiable is anything that makes me smell good. I can have bare nails and simple hair, but I don���t want to leave the house smelling anyhow. Perfume, deodorant and body care are more important to me than having every part of my appearance done.

I enjoy taking care of myself, but I like it when it feels simple. I don���t want to get ready to become a whole production every week just because that���s what everyone else is doing.

I definitely used to feel pressure to spend on my appearance, especially online. You���ll see someone with perfect hair, full makeup, lashes, nails and everything looking expensive, and suddenly your own face starts looking somehow. But I���ve reached the point where I���m not entering debt because an Instagram woman has Russian lashes.

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6.  ���I Won���t Abandon What Makes Me Feel Comfortable Because of Money������ Abigail*, 21, Student

I���ve actually reduced how much I spend on beauty because I got tired of constantly spending money on my face and body. Hair costs me around ���15,000-���20,000 when I get it done, and I spend roughly ���30,000 on skincare.

So in a normal month, I���m spending around ���50,000, though that can increase when I have an event or something else to prepare for.

Skincare is still non-negotiable because I���m not willing to completely abandon something that makes me feel comfortable in my skin just because money is tight.

I enjoy the parts of beauty maintenance that I genuinely like, but I don���t want my existence to revolve around looking presentable. Sometimes I ask myself, ���Do I actually want this, or do I just feel like I���m supposed to want it?��� That question has helped me cut down on a lot of unnecessary spending.

I have definitely felt pressure to spend money on maintenance before, especially in social situations and at events. There are times when you know everyone will be dressed up and you start thinking about your hair, nails, makeup and everything else. But these days, I���m more conscious about spending money just because I���m afraid of what people will think.

7. ��� I Spend ���300,000 – ���400,000 on Beauty and Appearance��� ��� Temilade*, 34, Project Manager & Content Creator

My beauty expenses can get pretty high because I maintain quite a few things at once. Hair alone can cost me between ���70,000 and ���100,000, while skincare is around ���65,000 to ���80,000. I spend about ���20,000 on body care, ���20,000- ���25,000 on nails, and ���15,000- ���20,000 on lashes. Brows, waxing, and other treatments can cost an additional ���70,000 to ���100,000, while makeup, perfume, and miscellaneous beauty purchases add to the total.

I don���t necessarily sit down and decide, ���I���m going to spend ���400,000 this month.��� It just happens. If I have an upcoming event, I can easily spend another ���30,000 to ���50,000 preparing for it. So, depending on the month, I spend between ���300,000 and ���400,000 on beauty and appearance.

My hair and skin are probably my biggest non-negotiables. I can cut back on some things, but those are the two things I notice immediately when I���m not maintaining them.

I genuinely enjoy getting ready and looking good. I like the process and how I feel when I know I look good. But I���m also aware that I���ve probably become accustomed to a certain standard. Once you get used to maintaining yourself a particular way, reducing your routine can feel like you���re letting yourself go, even when you know that���s not necessarily true.

To be honest, there���s pressure to do these things. Some of it comes from social media, some from work and social events, and some from within. I don���t want to look back at pictures and feel like I didn���t look my best. Because when I really think about it, ���400,000 is somebody���s entire salary.

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So, What Does This Actually Tell Us?

The first thing that stands out is that there isn���t one definition of beauty maintenance.

For one woman, it���s mostly skincare and hair. For another, smelling good matters more than perfect nails or lashes, while someone else considers the gym part of maintaining her appearance. Other women are tired of spending money on hair and skin care to maintain their appearance because the costs keep adding up.

Looking at these numbers, it���s clear that beauty maintenance is no longer an occasional expense for many women. It���s a recurring financial commitment, one that can quietly take up a significant portion of their earnings.

And the cost isn���t only about wanting to look good. For some women, being well-groomed affects how they feel about themselves, how they show up at work, how they���re perceived professionally, and how comfortable they feel in social spaces. Looking good can feel less like a choice and more like part of the cost of participating in everyday life.

But there���s another question worth asking: how much of this are we actually choosing, and how much are we maintaining because we���ve been taught that this is what a ���put-together��� woman should look like? Because the standard keeps moving. Natural hair is beautiful, but it still needs to be laid. Bare nails are fine, but they should at least be clean and manicured. No makeup is encouraged, but your skin should look flawless. And please, smell good while you���re at it.

There���s always another detail to fix, another product to buy, another appointment to make and  in a country where salaries are already being stretched across food, transport, rent, data and family responsibilities, spending tens or even hundreds of thousands of naira a year to maintain your appearance raises an uncomfortable question:

When did looking good become this expensive?

And perhaps more importantly, who decided what ���looking good��� was supposed to cost us?

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