Independent research · Lagos, Nigeria

How Nigerians manage their money

I'm running a short study on how people in Nigeria actually handle their income, savings and investments. I'm interested in how it really works in practice, including the parts that are difficult or inconvenient.

There are no right answers, nothing is being sold, and your responses are private.

Take the survey Works on a phone. No app, no sign-up.
5–7 minTypical length
No sign-upNothing to create
No banking informationNever requested

What this is

A study, not a product

I wanted to start with how people actually manage their money, rather than assume what works for them.

The survey asks how you earn, where you keep your money, what you've tried before, and what you find hard. It asks about cooperatives and thrift savings alongside banks and apps, because they're part of how people manage money in Nigeria.

Answer as honestly as you can, including where the honest answer is “I have no idea”. That answer is genuinely more useful than a tidy one.

Who is asking

Ayokunle Olatunbosun

Finance professional, Lagos

I've spent my career in corporate finance, strategy consulting and investment research. I'm running this study in my own time, out of my own pocket, because it's a question I've wanted a real answer to for years.

  • ACCA
  • MBA, Lagos Business School
  • Based in Lagos

This research is personal and independent. It isn't funded by, connected to, or being conducted on behalf of my employer or another company.

Your safety

What you'll never be asked for

So there's no ambiguity about what taking part involves, here's exactly what the survey doesn't ask for.

Never requested, at any point

  • Your BVN or NIN
  • Your bank account or card numbers
  • Any password, PIN or OTP
  • Access to any of your accounts or apps
  • Your exact account balances or net worth
  • A payment, deposit or “registration fee” of any kind

The research doesn't need any of these to be useful.

Your answers

What happens to what you tell me

  • The survey doesn't ask for your name or other direct identifying information. It also doesn't ask for BVN, NIN, account numbers, passwords, PINs, OTPs, or access to your financial accounts.
  • If you choose to take part in a follow-up conversation, you can provide contact details at the end of the survey. Those are used only to arrange the conversation and to send you the findings.
  • Individual responses are never published, sold or shared with anyone. Only combined results are.
  • Contact details will be deleted after the follow-up conversations and research are complete.
  • If you provide contact details and later want them removed, you can contact me using the address below.

What you get

The findings, if you want them

If you'd like a summary of what comes out of this, email me at the address below and I'll send it to you once the research is finished. You'll get that, and nothing else. No newsletter, no marketing, no follow-up asking you to buy anything.

There's also an optional last question asking whether you'd be willing to talk for half an hour. If you say yes, there's a small thank you for your time. If you say no, you won't hear from me again.

Questions people ask

Why is the survey asking about money?

The research is about how people actually manage their finances. It doesn't require access to your accounts or any banking credentials.

Is something being sold to me?

No. This is independent research. There's nothing to buy and nothing to sign up for.

Who is paying for this?

Nobody. It's personal research conducted independently.

How long does it take?

About 5–7 minutes. Most of it is tapping options, and a few questions ask you to type an answer. Those are the ones I read most carefully.

Can I skip a question?

Some questions are required because they help make the research useful. Sensitive questions include a “Prefer not to say” option where appropriate.

Can I stop?

Yes. You can stop the survey at any time. You don't have to submit it.

A few minutes, and you make the picture clearer

The more people who answer, the less this rests on guesswork. If you find it useful, passing it to one other person helps more than anything else you could do.

Take the survey Questions first? Email me and I'll answer.