Working Lives: The Working Girl Who Specialises in Rich Guys

The Working Girls of Lekki

This is one of our most unusual and revealing in the series- the olosho edition. Working Lives provides insights into the lives and finances of people on low incomes or in “offbeat” vocations. The world’s oldest form of self-employment (aka olosho work) remains “off-beat” after all these centuries but the incomes of the ladies we spoke to-at an average of N100,000 per week- is by no means modest. We have of course used the “working names” of the ladies. Read and discover the different reasons why they started the “hustle”, the different things they do with their income, their different plans for the future and more.

Remilekun

“I would not call them loyal clients. I am only rendering a short time service”.

Where are you from?

I was born in Edo State and I had all my education in the state. I have a B.Sc. degree in Mass Communication.

Can you tell me a bit about your family?

My dad was a civil servant with the Edo state government. He was not very senior.

He was just like level 10 or so. I can’t really remember but he wasn’t like a big guy in the ministry. My mum was a teacher in a primary school. I am the second child.

How did you start this job? 

To be honest, I wouldn’t say “it’s condition”. My family isn’t rich but I would be lying to say I got into this because I am from a poor home. It was simply peer pressure. There were these girls in the university using the latest iPhones and expensive wigs. I just thought if these girls could be getting money from just sleeping with men instead of just having sex with random guys on the campus all in the name of relationship why can’t I too do the same?

Did you start by hanging out at clubs?

Well I did not do any of that. Once I set my mind to doing “runz”, I started mingling with just the big boys in University of Benin then. That’s how it started. I started getting the small N10,000. But I was making more money than my parent could give me. It was not like I was suffering or I was having any financial issues. But you know as a student, that extra money could buy things you wanted- bags, shoes, wigs etc. It was free money. You get it just by sleeping with guys. My first clients were fellow students. How they could afford to pay? They were yahoo boys. Some of them were driving Lexus SUV in 300 level.

Who are your main clients now? 

The normal average guy. He sees a beautiful girl and approaches, then we get talking and agree on the fee. Guys really pay a lot for sex. I am talking about guys that really have money. A lot of them are married. Big man, small man, it doesn’t matter to me as long as they have money to pay.

Do you ever worry about your safety?

I try not to jump into a guy’s car immediately. You learn to read people. I first chat to a potential client and try to know them, you know build some rapport. I know that the killers, murderers, ritualists and kidnappers don’t write on their foreheads who they are but you can sense danger signals when you talk to people and seize them up. I try to know a bit about a potential client.

We would have probably spoken and had some drinks before I go home with you. If my spirit doesn’t go with you, then nothing is happening. Not even one million naira would convince me. I just move on and find someone else I vibe with naturally.

Have you had any funny experiences with a client, for instance, someone who refuses to pay?

I specialize in very rich people. I deliver my service and I get the pay.

What’s the highest amount of money you have gotten from a client?

Are you talking about quick, overnight service? The highest I have ever gotten is $500. I get paid in dollars by many clients. I try my best to package myself, wear really nice things. It pays off. I also drive a really nice car. Guys always like to show off that they have money. I charge as much as possible based on my calculation of how rich the client is after interacting with them. That’s how it works for me.

Do you know you could invest in dollars so your money doesn’t lose value when naira depreciates?

Oh really? Wow! I didn’t know of that. All I always do is just change the money from the Bureau de Change guys and deposit it in my domiciliary account. Maybe after this interview, you can tell me more and put me through on how I can go about investing in dollars.

What kind of car do you drive?

I drive a really cool Mercedes Benz. It’s not like the latest Mercedes but it’s really nice. Nobody can just give me N10,000 to have sex with me. It’s not possible. A guy once paid me N500,000. I would have to calculate how much that is in dollars. I tend to regularly get paid between N50,000 and N70,000. But the highest I have been paid in naira for an overnight service is N500,000.

Why did he pay so much!? He is a politician?

Look at you. Why are you so surprised? I don’t think you know the way guys spend money is this same Lagos we are both in. Bros money dey this city, na person wey sabi way dey cash out. This person who paid me N500k is not a white man or a politician. He is a businessman. These men like to show off when they see big girls. He just wanted to impress me. He could see that I wasn’t a small girl in the game.

Do you have loyal clients? 

I would not call them loyal clients. I am only rendering a short time service. Anybody is allowed to do whatever they want to do. So, the same way I have sex with not just one person, the people I sleep with are also free to have sex with other girls. But I put in my best to render a very good service. I think of things I can do to them that make guys want to come back. Guys like girls who are very neat and smell nice. If you put effort into giving them pleasure and you show you have class, they will come back.

Being a sex worker or prostitute is basically being available to any man who can pay does not mean you should look cheap. It’s a business. In Western countries, sex workers are recongized by the government. I don’t see why we are seen as a problem in Nigeria. Doing runz should not be illegal.

How much do you make in a good week?

Well, sometimes I spend the whole weekend with just one person. One of my guys in Abuja could just come to Lagos and be like “I am in town and want to spend the weekend with you.” Or they will tell me to fly over to Abuja or Port Harcourt to spend the weekend with them. So, if I am spending the weekend with you, you pay between N200,000 to N300,000. Oh, don’t think this is a lot of money. All the big girls here charge this sort of money.

But not every girl in Farm City makes this sort of money. Some get as low as N20,000 or even N15,000 for the night. This could go down to N10,000, N7,000 or even N5,000 on bad days.  Imagine standing for six or seven hours with no client. When someone finally approaches you when it is almost daybreak, you have to take whatever they offer. Sometimes runz girls are lucky to meet someone who is actually rich and pays decent money. Other times, you meet broke boys who just want to f*** and give you N5,000.

Do you ever feel ashamed about your job? 

Well, I wouldn’t say I am ashamed. Nobody knows I do this, not even my friends. Though I have run into a couple of people I know but they didn’t think I was working as a prostitute. They just thought I came to chill around here. But even if they get to know, I wouldn’t be ashamed. But this doesn’t mean I would go out of my way and start telling people “Ohhhh, do you know that I do olosho work.” I just keep it lowkey. If anyone finds out, too bad.

Also Read: Working Lives – The Uber Driver Who Prefers Cash to Sex

Do you have a lot of savings?

I actually do not save! But I have a lot of money. I don’t save because I know that there is always someone somewhere who is going to send me good money. So, I never worry about getting broke. Someone will send me money, even if it is N50k. Likewise, there will be someone who will pay my rent. Since I moved into my house, I have never paid my house rent with my own money.

I just tell one of my sugar daddies that I am broke and then he pays maybe half of the rent. Another one pays the other half. So, for me, there is nothing like “I need to save for the rainy days”. There shall be no rainy days as long as I am still alive and my body is functioning well. I am going to get money.

Oh wow! So much confidence. So, what do you spend all this money on?

I invest my earnings in clothes, bags, shoes, jewellery, and stuff. I spend more on jewelry. I buy a lot of gold. I also buy land. I just bought a piece of land in Ikorodu. That is something I know I can always go back to when I eventually want to settle down.

Plans for settling down? 

I might and I might not. I might just have a child or two for a guy and live as a single mother. But my mom has been on my neck about the whole husband thing. Let’s see how it goes.