Story of My Life: The Things That Make Me Who I Am Today
Welcome to Daily Reality NG, where we break down real-life issues with honesty and clarity.
I'm Samson Ese, founder of Daily Reality NG. I've been blogging and building online businesses in Nigeria since 2016, helped over 4,000 readers start making money online, and my sites currently serve 800,000+ monthly visitors across Africa.
I was eleven years old when I first understood what poverty really meant. Not the abstract kind you read about in textbooks, but the kind that wakes you up at 4 AM because your mother is crying in the kitchen, staring at an empty pot, trying to figure out what to cook for breakfast.
We lived in a face-me-I-face-you compound in Ajegunle, Lagos. Five families sharing one toilet, one bathroom, and the constant sound of generators humming through the night because NEPA had taken light for three weeks straight. My father worked as a bus conductor on the Oshodi-Mile 2 route, coming home every evening with ₦800 to ₦1,200 that had to feed five of us.
That morning, I watched my mother from the doorway. She didn't know I was awake. She just sat there on the low wooden stool, her head in her hands, silent tears running down her face. The kerosene stove was cold. The food basket was empty. And I realized, even at eleven, that I had to do something. I couldn't just go to school and come back expecting food on the table like it would magically appear.
That day changed everything for me. Not immediately, not dramatically like in the movies. But something shifted inside. A quiet determination settled in my chest. I didn't have words for it then, but looking back now, I know exactly what it was. It was the moment I decided that poverty would not define my story.
Let me be honest with you. This isn't going to be one of those motivational stories where I tell you I had some grand vision at age eleven and everything worked out perfectly. Life doesn't work that way, especially not in Nigeria. What I'm about to share with you is the real story. The struggles, the failures, the moments of complete hopelessness, and somehow, against all odds, the breakthroughs that brought me here.
Many Nigerians know this struggle. The feeling of wanting more but not knowing how to get it. The weight of family expectations pressing down on your shoulders. The constant battle between survival and dreams. If you've ever felt like you were born into the wrong circumstances, like the deck was stacked against you from the beginning, then you'll understand this story. Because it's not just my story. It's the story of millions of us trying to build something from nothing in a country that doesn't make it easy.
Humble Beginnings - Where I Came From
My father, Mr. Ese, was a proud man. The kind of man who would wake up at 4 AM every morning, iron his only good shirt, and head out to work even when he knew the day might bring nothing. He conducted buses for almost twenty years, hanging off the side of yellow danfos, calling out "Oshodi! Mile 2! Oshodi!" in that particular rhythm Lagos conductors have perfected.
My mother sold akara and pap in front of our compound. Every morning before dawn, she'd be grinding beans, heating oil, frying those perfect round balls that people would buy on their way to work. On a good day, she'd make ₦1,500. On most days, it was closer to ₦800. And some days, when rain fell or customers were scarce, she'd come back inside with less than ₦400 and a basket of unsold akara we'd eat for the rest of the week.
Real Talk: What Poverty Really Looks Like
Poverty isn't just about not having money. It's about the choices it forces you to make. It's choosing between buying exercise books or buying food. It's wearing the same uniform to school for three years straight until the seams are literally falling apart. It's pretending you're not hungry during break time because you don't have ₦50 for meat pie.
It's watching your parents age faster than they should because stress and hard work have weathered them like old wood in the rain. That's what shaped me. Not in some inspiring "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" way. But in a raw, painful way that made me understand that I had to change this.
We were five children. I was number three. My elder siblings had both dropped out of school to work and help support the family. My older brother became an okada rider. My sister started helping my mother sell akara. When I turned thirteen, there was serious discussion about me dropping out too. The secondary school fees were ₦8,500 per term, and my father simply couldn't afford it alongside feeding and housing us.
I used to think about this a lot back then. Why was I born into this particular family? Why couldn't I have been born into one of those families in Ikoyi or Victoria Island where children went to school with drivers and had multiple pairs of school shoes? I used to think it was unfair. Now I understand it was preparation.
The School Years - Dreams Versus Reality
Somehow, I stayed in school. My uncle, my father's younger brother who worked as a teacher in Surulere, offered to pay my school fees. In exchange, I had to live with him and help around his house, basically serving as a houseboy while going to school. I was fourteen when I moved to his one-bedroom flat in Surulere.
Those were the loneliest years of my life. I'd wake up at 5 AM, fetch water from the compound well, sweep the compound, cook breakfast, prepare my uniform, and rush to school. After school, I'd come back, do house chores, cook dinner, wash plates, study if I had energy left, and sleep around 11 PM. Every single day for three years.
But school opened my eyes to possibilities. I was good at English and Economics. Really good. My teachers noticed. They'd give me extra books to read, encourage me to participate in debates and essay competitions. I started dreaming about university, about studying Business Administration, about becoming someone important.
Here's what nobody tells you about having big dreams when you come from nothing: they feel impossible. Every time I imagined myself in university, reality would crash in. University fees were ₦250,000 per year minimum. Where would that come from? My uncle was already struggling to pay my secondary school fees. My father was getting older, his body breaking down from years of hanging off buses. My mother's akara business wasn't growing.
Real Example: The Power of One Teacher
In SS3, my Economics teacher, Mr. Akindele, pulled me aside after class one day. He said something that stayed with me forever: "Samson, your background is not your destiny. But you need to be strategic. University might not happen immediately, but knowledge is everywhere if you know where to look."
He gave me his old laptop. It was slow, the battery was dead so it only worked when plugged in, but it had internet. That laptop became my window to a world I didn't know existed. YouTube tutorials, free online courses, blogs about making money online. I didn't understand most of it then, but I was fascinated.
I finished secondary school in 2011 with five credits in WAEC including English and Mathematics. My uncle threw a small party, bought me a shirt and trousers as a gift, and told me he'd done his part. I was on my own for university. I understood. He had his own children to think about now. I moved back to Ajegunle with my parents, determined to find a way forward.
The Dark Years - When Everything Fell Apart
The truth is, 2012 to 2015 nearly broke me. These were the years I don't talk about much because they're painful to remember. I tried everything. I mean everything. I worked as a shop attendant in Computer Village, earning ₦15,000 monthly. I sold recharge cards at bus stops. I worked as a conductor on my brother's okada. I tried learning tailoring, barbing, even phone repairs. Nothing stuck. Nothing worked.
I failed JAMB three times. Each time, I'd study with all the hope in the world, write the exam, and fail. The third time, I scored 178. Four marks below the cutoff for the course I wanted. Four marks. I sat outside the JAMB office in Yaba that day and cried. A grown man of 21, crying on the streets of Lagos like a child. I felt like God himself was against me.
Many Nigerians know this feeling. When you try and try and try, and the door just won't open. When you see your age mates moving forward, going to university, getting good jobs, while you're stuck selling recharge cards for ₦200 profit per day. When your parents look at you with a mixture of pity and disappointment because they sacrificed so much and you haven't "made it" yet.
Real Talk: Depression in Lagos
I went through what I now know was clinical depression. I didn't have a name for it then. I just knew I felt empty. Like nothing mattered. I'd wake up and immediately feel tired. Not physically tired, but soul-tired. The kind of tiredness that makes you wonder what's the point of anything.
My girlfriend at the time left me. She said I had "no future" and she couldn't waste her time. My friends were moving on with their lives. Some were already married. Some had traveled abroad. Some were in their third year of university. And here I was, stuck, broke, hopeless.
If we talk am well, I contemplated suicide twice during this period. Once, I stood at the Third Mainland Bridge at night, looking down at the water. I don't know what stopped me. Maybe cowardice. Maybe a tiny spark of hope that refused to die completely. But I stood there for almost an hour before walking back home.
My lowest point came in December 2015. I was 24 years old, completely broke, living with my parents who were also broke, watching the year end with nothing to show for it. No job, no admission, no clear path forward. Just existence without purpose. Just breathing without living.
Want to know the truth? That darkness was necessary. I hate saying that because it sounds like toxic positivity. But I genuinely believe now that I had to break completely before I could rebuild properly. Sometimes rock bottom is the foundation you build your life on.
The Awakening - Discovering Online Business (2016)
In January 2016, something shifted. I can't explain it exactly. Maybe I was just tired of being tired. Maybe the desperation finally pushed me to try something different. But I remembered that old laptop Mr. Akindele had given me years ago. It was still in my room, gathering dust. I plugged it in and started watching YouTube videos about making money online.
Here's what nobody tells you: the information was always there. I'd looked at these videos before during my secondary school days but didn't take them seriously. Now, with nothing to lose and everything to gain, I watched with different eyes. Blogging. Affiliate marketing. Content writing. Digital products. Words I'd seen before but never really understood.
I spent the entire month of January consuming information. No action, just learning. People would come to our compound and see me glued to that laptop and laugh. "Samson don go mad. He dey watch YouTube make he think say na work." My own family members mocked me. But I didn't care anymore. Something inside me knew this was the path.
Real Talk: The ₦2,000 That Started Everything
In February 2016, I did something crazy. My mother had given me ₦2,000 to go buy foodstuff from Oyingbo market. Instead, I went to a business center and registered a Blogger account, bought a .com.ng domain, and used the rest for internet. I came home with no food, and you can imagine the wahala that followed.
My mother cried. She said I'd gone mad. My father threatened to throw me out. But I'd already made the decision. I was going to build something online or die trying. At that point, I had nothing left to lose. Rock bottom gives you a strange kind of courage.
I started a blog called "Lagos Hustle NG" (not the current Daily Reality NG). It was terrible. Honestly terrible. The design was basic, my writing was clumsy, and I had no idea what I was doing. But I published my first article on February 15, 2016. I remember the date because I took a screenshot. The article was titled "5 Ways to Make Money in Lagos Without Capital" and it was maybe 400 words of barely coherent advice.
Nobody read it. I promoted it everywhere I could think of. Facebook groups, WhatsApp statuses, Twitter. I got maybe 7 visitors that first week. Seven. But I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. This was all I had.
Building Daily Reality NG
For six months, I published articles consistently. Three times a week, sometimes more. I wrote about everything I was learning, everything I was trying. I documented my journey trying to make money online. The failures, the small wins, the lessons. Slowly, very slowly, people started reading.
By August 2016, I was getting about 50-70 visitors per day. Still tiny, but it felt like progress. Then something unexpected happened. One of my articles, "How I Made My First ₦1,000 Online Using Fiverr," went viral in a Nigerian Facebook group. I woke up one morning to 847 visitors on my blog. I thought it was an error. I checked multiple times. It was real.
Real Example: My First ₦1,000 Online
Let me tell you about that first ₦1,000. I'd created a Fiverr account and offered to write 500-word articles for $5. It took three weeks to get my first order. A Canadian client wanted an article about Toronto tourism. I stayed up all night researching and writing. My hands were shaking as I submitted it. He approved it, gave me a 5-star review, and $5 appeared in my Fiverr account.
That $5 was about ₦1,800 at the time. I withdrew it to my bank account. When the alert came, I showed it to my mother. She looked at the phone, looked at me, and started crying. Not sad crying. Happy crying mixed with relief. Her son wasn't mad after all. This internet thing was real.
That viral article changed everything. People started sending me messages. They wanted to know how I did it. Could I teach them? Would I mentor them? I realized something crucial: people didn't just want information, they wanted someone who understood the Nigerian struggle to show them the way.
In November 2016, I rebranded to Daily Reality NG. The name came from a simple idea: I wanted to write about the daily reality of trying to make it in Nigeria. Not motivational fluff. Not get-rich-quick schemes. Just honest, practical information about building income online while dealing with epileptic power supply, expensive data, and limited opportunities.
The Beginning
Started blogging with ₦2,000. First ₦1,000 earned online. Rebranded to Daily Reality NG.
First Breakthrough
Reached 10,000 monthly visitors. First ₦100,000 month. Moved out of Ajegunle.
Rapid Growth
100,000+ monthly visitors. Helped 1,000th student start making money online.
Major Milestone
500,000 monthly visitors. Expanded to multiple sites. Team of 5 writers.
Today
800,000+ monthly visitors. 4,000+ students helped. ₦500M+ generated for community.
People Who Changed My Path
Let me be honest with you. I didn't build this alone. There were people along the way who helped, who believed, who pushed me when I wanted to quit. Mr. Akindele, my Economics teacher who gave me that laptop. He passed away in 2018, but I think about him often. He'll never know how much that single act of kindness changed my life.
My mother, who forgave me for using her ₦2,000 for domain registration instead of buying food. Who defended me when neighbors and family members said I was wasting my time. Who believed even when she didn't understand. When I made my first ₦100,000 month in 2017, I gave her ₦50,000. She cried again. We've cried together a lot over the years, my mother and I.
There was also Tunde, a guy I met in a Facebook group in 2017. He was also trying to make money online. We became accountability partners, checking in with each other daily, sharing what we learned, celebrating small wins. He's successful now too, running his own digital marketing agency. Some friendships are forged in struggle, and those are the ones that last.
Real Talk: The Importance of Community
One thing I learned: you can't do this alone. Not really. You need people who understand the journey. People who won't laugh at your dreams. People who celebrate your ₦5,000 like it's ₦5 million because they know what it took to get that ₦5,000.
That's why I built Daily Reality NG to be more than just a blog. It's a community. Every success story I share, every student who makes their first money online, every person who escapes the 9-5 trap, it reminds me why I started. We rise by lifting others.
The First Real Money
My first ₦100,000 month came in March 2017. A combination of AdSense earnings, affiliate commissions, and sponsored posts. When I saw the total, I had to sit down. ₦100,000 in one month. More than my father made in three months as a conductor. More than my mother made in four months selling akara. From typing on a laptop in my room.
I did something that day that I still do every time I hit a major milestone. I went back to Ajegunle. I walked through the compound where I grew up. I stood in front of the room where I'd watched my mother cry over an empty pot. And I thanked God. Not in some religious performative way. But genuinely, deeply, from a place of gratitude for still being alive to see this moment.
The money changed things practically. I moved my parents out of the face-me-I-face-you compound into a better place. Not luxury, but better. A place with their own toilet and bathroom. Where my mother didn't have to queue at 5 AM to fetch water. Where my father could rest without generators humming all night.
But here's what I want you to understand: the money wasn't the point. The money was proof. Proof that the internet was real. Proof that you could build something from nothing. Proof that your background doesn't have to be your destiny. That's what mattered most.
The Growth Journey
From 2017 to 2025, Daily Reality NG grew beyond anything I imagined. From that first 7 visitors, to 50, to 1,000, to 10,000, to eventually 800,000+ monthly visitors. Each milestone felt impossible until it wasn't. Each goal felt like a dream until it became reality.
I made mistakes. So many mistakes. I've been scammed by supposed "partners." I've had writers steal my content. I've made bad business decisions that cost me months of earnings. I've trusted the wrong people. I've doubted myself more times than I can count.
But I kept going. When Google updated their algorithm and my traffic dropped by 40 percent overnight, I adapted. When Facebook changed their rules and killed my reach, I found new channels. When competition increased and everyone started blogging, I focused on quality and authenticity. The people who win aren't the ones who never fall. They're the ones who get up every single time.
Helping 4,000+ Nigerians Win
This is the part that matters most to me. More than the traffic numbers, more than the income, more than any personal achievement. Over the past 9 years, I've helped over 4,000 Nigerians start making money online. Not millions. Not get-rich-quick money. But real, practical income that changed their situations.
Students who paid their school fees from freelancing. Mothers who supplemented their husbands' income with online businesses. Young people who escaped unemployment. Retirees who built second careers online. Each story reminds me why this work matters.
The calculation shows my students have collectively generated over ₦500 million. That number is both humbling and inspiring. It means jobs that didn't require anyone's permission. Income that came from skills and effort, not connections or godfathers. Freedom that came from knowledge, not luck.
Real Example: Messages That Keep Me Going
Last week, I received a message from a lady named Blessing. She'd been following Daily Reality NG since 2019. Started freelance writing using my guides. Today, she makes ₦300,000+ monthly working from home while raising her two children. She sent me a photo of her daughter's school fees receipt with the caption: "Your free blog post changed my life. Thank you."
That's why I do this. Not for the millions of visitors. For Blessing. For her daughter who'll have better opportunities because her mother discovered she could earn online. For the ripple effect of one person's transformation touching generations.
Who I Am Today
Today, I'm 33 years old. I run Daily Reality NG and several other online properties. I have a small team of writers and virtual assistants. I work from home (or anywhere with internet). I don't have a boss. I don't deal with Lagos traffic. I don't worry about where the next meal will come from.
But here's what defines me more than any of that: I remember. I remember that eleven-year-old boy watching his mother cry in the kitchen. I remember the conductor hanging off danfos for ₦1,200 a day. I remember sleeping hungry. I remember contemplating suicide on Third Mainland Bridge. I remember, and I refuse to forget.
That memory drives everything I do. It's why I write with such honesty. Why I don't sugarcoat the struggles. Why I share both successes and failures. Why I'm obsessed with helping everyday Nigerians find practical paths to better lives. Because I was them. I am them. Just a few years and some right decisions ahead on the same journey.
My values today are simple: Authenticity. Community. Impact. Growth. I'd rather reach 100 people deeply than 100,000 superficially. I'd rather help one person change their life than make an extra million telling people what they want to hear. Success without meaning is just noise.
Real Talk: What Success Actually Feels Like
People think success feels like constant celebration. Like you wake up every day feeling accomplished and peaceful. The truth? Some days I still feel like that broke 24-year-old wondering if any of this is real. Some days I'm terrified it'll all disappear. Some days I work 14 hours because I remember what it felt like to have nothing.
Success doesn't erase your past. It doesn't heal all your wounds. It gives you better problems. More comfortable struggles. But the hustle mentality, the fear of going back to zero, the drive to prove yourself, those things don't just disappear because you made it. You learn to manage them.
My mission moving forward is clear: reach more Nigerians with practical knowledge. Build more systems that create opportunities. Document everything I learn so others can follow faster. Leave a legacy that outlives me. Make sure that when I'm gone, thousands of people can point to Daily Reality NG and say: "That's where my journey started."
Life Lessons I've Learned
- Your background is not your destiny. Where you start doesn't determine where you finish. I started in a face-me-I-face-you compound in Ajegunle. Today I serve 800,000+ people monthly. The gap between those two realities is decisions, not luck.
- Rock bottom can be your foundation. My darkest period (2012-2015) taught me resilience I couldn't have learned any other way. Sometimes you need to break completely before you can rebuild properly.
- Information is everywhere, but application is everything. I watched YouTube videos about making money online for years before I actually took action. Knowledge without execution is just entertainment.
- The people who believe in you matter more than you think. Mr. Akindele giving me that laptop, my mother defending me when I "wasted" her ₦2,000, Tunde being my accountability partner—these moments shaped everything.
- Start before you're ready. I had no idea what I was doing when I published my first blog post in February 2016. I just started. Perfect planning is often just procrastination wearing a suit.
- Your struggle is your story, and your story is your strength. Everything I went through became content that resonated with others facing similar struggles. Pain processed becomes power shared.
- Success without service is selfishness. The money and recognition mean nothing if you're not helping others climb. True wealth is measured in lives changed, not bank account zeros.
- Consistency beats talent every single time. I'm not the smartest Nigerian blogger. Not the most talented writer. But I showed up consistently for nine years while others quit after nine months.
- Your biggest competition is your former self. Don't compare your chapter 3 to someone else's chapter 20. Just be better than you were yesterday.
- Never forget where you came from. The moment you lose touch with your humble beginnings is the moment you lose your purpose. Remember. Always remember.
Frequently Asked Questions About My Journey
How did you survive financially while building Daily Reality NG in the early days?
Honestly, it was rough. I combined multiple small income streams. I worked as a freelance writer on Fiverr and Upwork earning 20 to 50 dollars weekly. I sold airtime and data cards in my neighborhood. My mother still fed me, so accommodation and food were covered. Every kobo I earned online went back into the blog, buying data, improving design, learning new skills. It wasn't sustainable long-term, but I only needed it to work long enough to break through.
What would you tell your 24-year-old self standing on Third Mainland Bridge?
I'd tell him to hold on. That in exactly 9 years, he'd be writing this story to inspire others. That the pain he feels right now will become his power. That every struggle is preparing him for the success he can't yet imagine. I'd tell him his mother will cry tears of joy instead of tears of pain. I'd tell him to trust the process even when the process feels like it's killing him. And I'd tell him he's stronger than he knows.
How do you deal with imposter syndrome even after all your success?
Imposter syndrome doesn't disappear with success. Some days I still feel like a fraud. Like someone will discover I don't actually know what I'm doing. What helps is remembering my results are real. 800,000 plus people don't visit your site monthly by accident. 4,000 plus people don't change their lives because you're a fraud. I focus on the evidence, not the feelings. And I surround myself with people who knew me before success who keep me grounded.
What's the biggest mistake you made building Daily Reality NG?
Not starting sooner. I wasted years watching YouTube videos and thinking about blogging instead of actually doing it. If I'd started in 2012 instead of 2016, I'd be four years ahead. The lesson is: start messy, start imperfect, start scared, but start. You can't edit a blank page. You can't improve on content you haven't created. Action beats perfection every single time.
How do you stay motivated when growth slows down or challenges arise?
I revisit my why. I go back to Ajegunle and walk through the compound where I grew up. I read messages from students who changed their lives. I look at photos of my parents in their new place. Motivation based on feelings is temporary. Motivation based on purpose is permanent. When I remember why I started, staying consistent becomes non-negotiable regardless of how I feel.
What advice would you give to someone starting from zero today in Nigeria?
First, accept that it will be hard. Anyone promising easy money is lying. Second, choose one skill and master it deeply instead of trying everything superficially. Third, document your journey publicly. Your struggle is your story and your story will attract your audience. Fourth, focus on helping others genuinely before focusing on making money. The money follows value, not the other way around. Fifth, persist longer than you think is reasonable. Most people quit right before their breakthrough.
Do you ever regret not going to university?
No regrets. University would have been great, but it wasn't my path. I got an education through the internet that no Nigerian university could have given me. I learned business by building businesses. I learned marketing by actually marketing. I learned writing by writing millions of words. Would a degree have helped? Maybe. But my lack of degree hasn't stopped me from building something that impacts hundreds of thousands of people. Different paths work for different people.
What keeps you humble despite all you have achieved?
Memory. I remember sleeping hungry. I remember wearing torn uniforms to school. I remember my father's tired face after conducting all day. I remember my mother's tears. I remember standing on Third Mainland Bridge ready to jump. Those memories aren't sad to me anymore. They're anchors. They keep me grounded. They remind me that success is a gift, not a right. That I'm one bad decision or one unfortunate circumstance away from starting over. Humility isn't an act. It's a choice to remember where you came from.
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Samson Ese has been helping Nigerians build wealth online since 2016. His strategies have generated over ₦500 million for students combined.
© 2025 Daily Reality NG — Empowering Everyday Nigerians | All posts are independently written and fact-checked by Samson Ese based on real experience and verified sources.
Written by Daily Reality NG
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