Why your big salary won’t make you rich in Nigeria (and what to do instead)

Picture this: you finally land that big job. ₦1.8M per month. O por. Life is looking up, parents are proud, siblings now call you “our boss,” and extended family members start introducing you as “our helper.”

At first, it feels good. You’ve tasted lack before, and you genuinely don’t want anyone around you to suffer. So when the school fees requests, hospital bills, rent top-ups, and “urgent 20k” texts roll in, you happily respond.

But months turn into years… and suddenly, you notice something strange. Your income has grown, but your life hasn’t. Nothing is moving forward.

What happened?

The crab bucket mentality

If you’ve ever watched crabs in a bucket, you’ll see something funny (and sad). One crab tries to climb out, the others drag it back down. Not because they hate it, but because survival instinct blinds them to a better way out.

That’s exactly what happens with money in many African families. One person makes it, but instead of using their new position to build sustainable wealth, they get pulled back into endless fire-fighting.

And here’s the truth most don’t like to hear:

That ₦1.8M salary is not wealth.
It’s just potential.

Wealth only happens when you take a portion of that income, save it, invest it, and let it compound over time. But if every naira goes into solving short-term problems, the seed of wealth dies. And everyone, including you, your siblings, your parents, and even the next generation, stays stuck in the same cycle.

Why many families stay poor for generations

This is the hard truth: poverty often continues because no one plants and protects the seed.

One person climbs up, but instead of building assets, safety nets, or businesses, they spend it all helping with endless needs. And because nothing is multiplied, the entire family remains at the same level, decade after decade.

Helping family is good, in fact, it’s beautiful. But helping with your seed is the problem.

Your seed is what should multiply into:

• Scholarship funds for nieces and nephews
• An estate where family members never pay rent again
• Businesses that employ cousins, neighbors, and church members
• Safety nets that stop everyone from panicking during emergencies

If you spend the seed recklessly, that tree will never grow.

Love sometimes looks like saying “no”

This part is hard, but let’s be honest: paying rent for family members forever is not love.

Love is building something sustainable, maybe an estate one day where everyone lives free, or a business that pays salaries for decades.

That’s why sometimes, the most loving thing you can do is say no today, so you can say yes tomorrow.

Help with what you can, yes. But protect your seed.

What you should do instead

So how do you balance being generous without ruining your future? Simple.

1. Set boundaries with love. Not every request needs a “yes.”
2. Create a help budget. Decide a percentage of your income you can use to support others, guilt-free.
3. Protect your seed. Your investments are untouchable. That’s your future and your family’s real security.
4. Multiply before sharing. It’s easier to lift 10 people when you’re standing strong on solid wealth.

Even Joseph in the Bible stored grain for seven years before helping Egypt and his family. Preparation is not wickedness; it’s wisdom.

That high-paying job you just got is beautiful, but it’s only potential. Please don’t waste it. Plant, protect, and multiply your seed before you try to carry everyone.

Because the truth is, we don’t grow by learning alone, we grow by doing.

So, what’s your next move?