Zikoko

Domestic violence does not always start with a slap. Sometimes, it begins with “jokes” that cross a line, controlling behaviour, insults, or small acts of violence that are easy to dismiss. For others, the abuse only becomes visible after years of emotional manipulation, financial dependence, or being made to feel like leaving is impossible. In this article, we spoke to eight women about experiencing domestic violence from partners they loved and trusted.

Ahmad* (59) and Godiya* (52) had a peaceful marriage for decades until the sudden death of their 17-year-old son changed everything. As they struggled to process the loss, their grief turned into blame and eventually drove them apart. In this story, they share how they nearly lost their marriage and found their way back to each other. Ahmad: I first saw Godiya in 1998 at a wedding. I asked around and learnt she was the groom’s cousin. I didn’t approach her that day, but she stayed on my mind.

For years, Ruth, a Lagos-based collections analyst, lived with the mindset that money would always return whenever she spent it. That lack of savings left her broke every December until a sudden rent increase to ₦1.2 million forced a complete lifestyle reset. In this story, Ruth shares how shifting her discipline, ditching traditional ajo schemes, and using targeted Yield wealth management options helped her buy a ₦700k work laptop cash and build a ₦2 million portfolio in eight months.

GridLocked is a daily pop culture guessing game built for Nigerians. Every weekday by 9am, you’ll get six clues, sixty seconds, and an answer only a Nigerian would know. Today’s GridLocked is a slang. How many clues do you need to get it right? πŸ‘€ Share your result when done, but don’t spoil the answer for others. (Missed the last GridLocked? Play it here.) Guess The Slang 01:00 How To Play The Goal: Guess the answer for the day before time runs out.

It constantly feels like Nigerians are being priced out of everything. But no matter how steep the cost of living gets, they make an effort to go out and have fun. These Nigerians share the most exorbitant prices they paid to attend social events, and what it cost them to make the sacrifice. In February, I spent 1 million to host my birthday with my friends.

Losing someone you love can leave you feeling lost and completely out of words. But sometimes, music can speak for us. For some Nigerian artists, music is  a safe place to process their pain after losing a friend, a sibling, or a parent. They pour their feelings into their songs to keep the memories of their loved ones alive and to make sense of the hurt. These tracks offer comfort when the days feel too dark and heavy.

Marriage doesn’t stop people from finding others attractive, but there’s often a considerable difference between having a harmless crush and acting on it. These Nigerian married women share the crushes that almost became affairs, how close they came to crossing the line, and what ultimately kept them from doing so. My daughter started swimming lessons during the long holiday in 2022, and I developed a crush on her instructor almost immediately. He was younger, fit and extremely charming.

For many girls, secondary school came with more than homework, exams and the usual teenage drama. It also meant dealing with grown men and older boys who felt perfectly comfortable catcalling them on their way to school, at the bus stop, or even outside the school gates. At an age when many of them were still figuring out their own bodies, they were already being made to feel sexualised and unsafe.

For many girls, growing up came with more than homework, exams and the usual teenage drama. It also meant dealing with grown men and older boys who felt perfectly comfortable catcalling them on their way to school, at the bus stop, or even outside the school gates. At an age when many of them were still figuring out their own bodies, they were already being made to feel sexualised and unsafe. In this article, we asked 10 women to share times they were catcalled while still underage.

GridLocked is a daily pop culture guessing game built for Nigerians. Every weekday by 9am, you’ll get six clues, sixty seconds, and an answer only a Nigerian would know. Today’s GridLocked is a song. How many clues do you need to get it right? πŸ‘€ Share your result when done, but don’t spoil the answer for others. (Missed the last GridLocked? Play it here.) Guess The Song 01:00 How To Play The Goal: Guess the answer for the day before time runs out.