Six Figure is a biweekly PiggyVest series that focuses on how real Nigerians achieved dramatic income growth that made them millionaires.

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For this week’s episode of Six Figure, we spoke to a consultant earning €8,000 (₦5 million) monthly. He tells us how he got his big break after five years and why he abandoned his full-time job for consulting. 

What was your first job and salary? 

I was the personal assistant to the director of a nonprofit, earning ₦25k. In some months, I earned as high as ₦100k. This was my NYSC PPA. 

What do you do now? 

I’m a consultant for a non-profit. 

How much do you earn monthly? 

Between €5,000 to €8,000. 

Oh wow. That’s a massive jump from when you started. 

Yes, it is. 

Please share your income progression over the years. 

After my NYSC, I got to work as a program assistant at another NGO in 2016. My initial salary was ₦40k/month, increasing to ₦100k/month in 2017, when I became a program manager. Fast forward to 2018, I landed a program manager position at another hub, receiving ₦220k/month. I did this job for two years. 

Then in 2020, I joined a major hub as their head of partnerships, earning ₦890k/month. While leading partnerships at that hub, I got a $2,300 (₦1.3 million) offer to head a startup. I took the opportunity and managed it simultaneously with my job as head of partnerships. One time in 2020, I got a €10k (₦6.3 million) crowdfunding consulting gig. This mind-blowing earning compelled me to resign from my full-time job and focus on building my consulting skills. 

I did that until 2022, when I moved to become a funds manager at an international nonprofit. Here, I earned $4,000/month (₦2.3 million). However, I resigned after 5 months when they proposed a restructure of the hub.  

Interesting. What would you say is your most valuable skill? 

Public speaking. I can go for hours talking about my interests in an engaging manner. This skill has helped me a lot; I am able to hook prospects easily. 

Have you had a career mentor/coach?

Yes. In fact, I owe my success to most of them. 

Really? 

Yeah. One of my mentors was my previous boss, who secured my first trip out of Nigeria. He also helped me get my first consulting gig. 

I have another friend-cum-mentor who always refers me to international opportunities. He’s extremely gracious with his referrals. One of my career coaches was responsible for the 10k gig I mentioned earlier. 

Having coaches and mentors has been instrumental to my success. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to earn six figures?

Be patient when building capacity. It took me 5 years to get my first big break, and I saw many of my peers and juniors surpass me during those years. However, I constantly reassured myself that I was on track and had made a good decision to build. 

While building capacity, don’t forget to help other people. I owe a lot of my growth to contributing to others’ growth. Many of these people reciprocate the favour when they make it. Finally, build your network. Meet new people, especially those who will challenge you.