Women & Money is a monthly Piggyvest series that explores the relationship between real Nigerian women and money. This series sheds light on money, career and business from a female perspective.
For this month’s episode of Women & Money, we spoke to 30-year-old Victoire Mahounou. In this interview, the Lagos-based Beninoise digital creator, content mentor, and creative coach discusses growing up in Benin Republic, moving to Nigeria, and turning her pain into a content career built on radical honesty.
Growing up, what was your family’s financial dynamic like?
I don’t think I experienced money until I got into university. I lost my mom when I was ten, so we had to grow up with a cousin. My dad was financially responsible for us, but he had to go out to work to make sure his four girls were well fed and cared for. As a young father who lost his wife early, there was no other way.
I was well fed and taken care of. But that emotional investment? I didn’t have that. My friends have been teaching me emotional intelligence as an adult. Before now, I knew nothing about it. So I didn’t have any experience with money, life or love. I literally had to teach myself. From age 10 to about 19, I grew up on my own.
Aww.
In secondary school, I got feeding money, and that was fine. But when I got into uni, my dad told me, “You’re responsible for yourself now.” So I had to step up. I sold SIM cards to buy deodorant and small things. Federal education in Benin Republic is free, but I still had to sustain myself and pay for my hostel.
I’ve been taking care of myself since I was 19.
Did that early independence fuel your entrepreneurial drive?
No, honestly. I grew up in a very relaxed country. Everybody is content. If you have 10k CFA (about ₦23,700k as of June 2026) in your account, you’re good. There was no pressure to do anything.
When I finished school, I worked at a telecommunications company for about a year. Then moved to Transsion, which handles Infinix, Tecno, and Itel, and I worked there as a data analyst. I was about 22 years old, and I felt like a proper adult. I had my own apartment and bike. In my country, everybody rides bikes, so that was a normal, basic young girl setup.
Interesting! What did you study?
Mass Communication.
How did you go from Mass Communication to data analysis?
Honestly, I don’t know. I was just looking for a job. They initially offered me a sales role, but I thought, “I’m a graduate. I can do better than this.” Also, the data analyst position paid better, 120k CFA (about ₦284k as of June 2026) versus 80k CFA (about ₦189k as of June 2026) for the sales role. The role basically involved collecting data, creating graphs, and sending monthly reports.
How long did you work here?
Two years.
So how did you end up in Nigeria?
A mutual friend introduced me to a Nigerian man. He and his friends came for vacation in Benin Republic, and we hit it off. And after a while, we got married.
Was it scary leaving everything you’d built?
Not at all. He was a digital marketer already doing well; his salary was ₦300,000 as of 2020. He convinced me that I’d do even better in Nigeria. And guess what. I’m doing well now.
Period.
We had the conversation one night, and the next day I sold my bed. I’m a lover girl like that. That whole week, I sold my fridge, my television, everything. He came to my dad, asked to marry me, and that’s how it happened.
I leased my apartment to someone else, but the little money I got went towards the wedding. So I arrived in Nigeria with practically nothing.
What was it like when you first arrived?
He was everything. He helped me find work, put me on to content creation, and taught me how to edit videos and pitch to brands. He took me to Balogun Market and bought me my first ring light and tripod. He gave me the leverage I have right now. He’s really creative.
What was your first job in Nigeria?
I was an admin staff at the Nigerian-Belgian Chamber of Commerce. He helped me draft the application email, and I eventually got the job. This was in 2020. However, when COVID happened, I lost my job.
Was that when you started content full-time?
Not really. In 2020, I was just posting natural hair and beauty content for fun. I wouldn’t call myself a content creator because I wasn’t consistent. And I had about 2,000 followers.
Then, in December 2020, things went south between me and my partner.
What happened?
Long story short, in February 2021, we separated. He left the house, and I was alone. And the rent was expiring in August.
That must have been terrifying.
It was the most humbling experience of my entire life. I don’t want anybody to ever go through that.
Did you think about going back home?
I was about to. But I remembered one time when he said I was too relaxed and unwilling to grow. I’d seen a message on his phone, where he was telling some girl he couldn’t wait for me to go back to Benin Republic because there was nothing I could do here.
So I told myself: if he thinks I can’t make it in Nigeria, I’ll show him. If I’m honest, that’s why I invested my energy into content creation, to prove that whatever he thinks doesn’t define me.
What did those first months alone look like?
I was broken. I was in therapy. I almost took my own life. Then I started job hunting and found a position as an administrator at a funeral home for ₦100,000 per month. I started in March 2021 and stayed for a year. It was fine, but I knew it wasn’t where I wanted to be.
I started content creation fully in April 2021, right after my birthday. And when my rent expired, I moved out.
Did you stick with beauty content or pivot immediately?
I doubled down on hair and makeup at first. I wasn’t making money from it, but I met a lot of people like Aisha and King Zab. We’d collaborate and hang out. Those people helped me get out of my depression. Spending a lot of time with people made me think about my ex less.
I’d use my salary to buy makeup products so beauty brands could notice me and invite me to events. My first brand event was Rubelite Cosmetics in late 2021. That’s how I started connecting with people in the industry, and each person introduced me to the next.
What happened next?
By April 2022, my boss at the funeral home told me I wasn’t performing well, which was true. I was making too many mistakes. He suggested that I resign and focus on content full-time, but the content wasn’t paying me yet, so I couldn’t leave.
Around that time, I’d picked up mobile videography on weekends. I’d earn ₦50k here and ₦80k there. One month, I added up the videography and content money and realised I’d made ₦150,000, which was more than my salary.
One day, my friend Deji told me, “If you focus and brand yourself properly, you can easily make ₦300,000 to ₦500,000 a month. Try it and see.” But I was too scared. I was seriously considering resigning, and the next day, I made a mistake at work, and my boss fired me.
And that was it? Full-time content creator.
Yes. But the first week, I cried. As it turned out, the mistake cost the company ₦50,000, so after deductions, I was paid ₦80,000. A terrible start.
No. What did you do differently?
I created a page called Vee shots and started shooting content for other people, and charged ₦50,000 to ₦80,000 per shoot. I was booked and busy. In the first month, I made ₦300,000. Second month: ₦800,000.
A businesswoman
Haha. Then there’s this creator called Aisha who made beautiful lifestyle vlogs. I asked her to teach me, and she invited me to a restaurant and walked me through everything, from zooming to editing and cutting. Vlogging is different; you have to do it in a particular way.
I can never forget Aisha. Every time I have the opportunity to be grateful, I mention her.
Thank you, Aisha.
Yes! Thanks to her, I started vlogging. But I did things a little differently. It was a fusion of everything—my life, relationships, friendship, dates. By 2023, I was no longer broke. I also moved in with my friend, Joyce, and we shared an apartment.
How did your platform’s growth translate to income?
Visibility is the new currency. The more eyes on your page, the more people want to work with you. In 2023, Opeyemi Famakin discovered me because I used to post French content. He reposted me, and after that, brands were willing to work with me. So networking and collaborating are basically how my income grew.
Why did you leave beauty content behind entirely?
It was strategic. I was limited to working only with beauty brands, and I didn’t want to be a niche or aesthetic creator. Some people do that beautifully, but it’s not for me. It’s not something I can sustain; it would just be me lying to myself.
I didn’t want to be the type of creator who has to overthink or present herself a certain way before posting. If I’m in a robe, then I’m in a robe. I could have niched down for big fashion brands, but I really wanted to be myself.
Do you have a long-term plan?
I do. I’d like to have my own content academy. I want to create a physical space where people come and discuss everything: content, personal branding, the whole nine yards. So I might become a business owner. Who knows.
What does financial responsibility for your family look like now?
I have black tax. At this point, I don’t have a choice; it’s expected. My dad is on my monthly payroll. I also have to renovate the house, and all these responsibilities have influenced how I approach making money.
How did you learn to put a price on your time?
I watch a lot of creators—South African, Kenyan, American—mostly foreign creators. They’re very transparent about pricing. They taught me to account for my time and resources. There’s also one Nigerian creator I love, Salem King. I’ve learned a lot from him and my creator friends.
Do you feel at home in Nigeria?
Kind of. I’ve considered moving back to my hometown, but it’s too calm. I’m a different person now.
What does financial freedom mean to you?
It’s more than having money. It’s being able to do things because I want to, not because I’m desperate. And I promise you, I’m not desperate right now.
Do you feel close to it?
If I triple what I’m doing now, yes. Freedom for me is choice, and right now, I choose the brands I work with.
Speaking of brands. You’re Selar’s first ambassador. What does that mean for your career?
It’s a very good portfolio piece for what I’m building. I’m still at the foundation stage, my ideas are scattered, and I haven’t launched anything yet. But it’s an amazing way to set myself up for the future.
What do you want to mean to creators?
I want to be the person they can run to. The go-to for content. Someone who helps people believe. My content has always been built in a way that feels human and honest. I want people to look at my story and think, “If Victoire can do this, I can too.”
I want to represent the creator who made something real out of consistency. I want to be proof that being loud and talkative can be powerful. I want to blend lifestyle, business, and storytelling. And I don’t gatekeep, I put people on all the time.
Would you say you’re good with money?
There’s impulse spending. But when I make money, I do the 50-30-20— except I flip it. I save 50%, spend 30% on things I want, and use 20% for personal and family expenses.
Fifty per cent? That’s impressive.
I save a lot on Piggyvest. Yesterday I had to break one of my wallets to buy a generator. I have solar and light, but it’s been raining, and the solar’s not working great. Hence, the generator.
Is there anything you wish you knew when you were younger?
Nah. Everything that happened to me has been a lesson that has made me better. Whether about money, life, or relationships. Every mistake was meant to happen so I could be where I am today. I don’t regret or wish for anything to be different.
Great outlook. What advice would you leave for aspiring content creators or women in general?
Build your own money. Even if someone loves you to death, have your own money. Love, partnership, and support are all beautiful, but have your own money. Financial independence changes how you see the world.
And learn a soft skill. Hard skills are good, but soft skills carry you further because they are transferable. Creating multiple income streams matters.
Right now, I have brand deals and coaching. I made ₦150,000 this morning talking to somebody for one hour. I know how to negotiate, charge, and turn my knowledge into income. You need to have your own for your safety and freedom.
