Introduction
If you told me in early 2024 that I’d be paying over ₦21,000 every week just to use Wi-Fi, I’d laugh and say, “That’s not my portion.” But here we are. Welcome to the story of my transition from Ibadan to Lagos as a remote worker, NYSC corps member, and full-time freelancer under Dennis Yu at BlitzMetrics. It’s a tale of routers, relocations, unreliable landlords, and the never-ending hustle to find stable internet.
This is not a review. It’s not even a complaint post (well… maybe a little). It’s a real-life documentation of what it’s like working remotely in Nigeria when electricity, network coverage, and sanity are not guaranteed.
Chapter 1: The Ibadan Honeymoon (Before the Darkness)
Let’s rewind to where it all started.
I was posted to Ibadan, Oyo State, for my NYSC after redeploying from Niger State (Paiko camp). Why the redeployment? Let’s just say as a freelancer and techie, electricity and network are non-negotiable. The camp in Niger had me re-evaluating my life goals. I landed in Ibadan and got a place at Ring Road, a location that seemed central enough to accommodate both my NYSC office (Agodi Secretariat) and my Place of Primary Assignment (PPA) at Stagic Solutions, Bodija.
The apartment at Ring Road was perfect, the internet? God-tier. I was running both MTN 5G router and a Spectranet router, and both were solid — sometimes touching 500Mbps on MTN and 40Mbps on Spectranet. No lags. No drama.
The Spectranet router had over 8 hours of battery life, and I even used the MTN family plan to share data across devices. Life was beautiful… until July 2024.
That’s when IBEDC decided I had sinned.
Electricity in Ring Road disappeared. And not just the occasional outage — I’m talking about 3–5 hours of light per day. Max.
I was burning ₦10,000 in fuel every 3 days just to power my devices and routers. My productivity tanked. My stress shot up. And I started browsing property listings like a heartbroken lover stalking their ex on Instagram.
Chapter 2: The Lagos Move – Love, Rent, and Rooftops
My brother works in Lagos, and as someone who needed a reset, I decided to move in with him temporarily in Egbeda.
His apartment was a 2-bedroom space — enough for two young men until life started lifing. He was planning to get married, and between his new wife, work, and space issues, I knew my stay there was short-term.
Also, let’s talk about Lagos rent– only to realize that most of them required you to be a Dangote or at least have a First Bank app notification that says, “You may now breathe.”
I finally found a seemingly perfect apartment in Yaba. Great view, good price, responsive agent. I followed up for months, only for the agent to start ghosting me like I asked him to refund my bride price. I moved on.
Eventually, I found another apartment in Yaba and paid immediately. Big mistake. I forgot to test the network coverage. I assumed that Yaba — the Silicon Valley of Lagos — would be covered with fast internet.
Wrong.
Chapter 3: Yaba – The “No Network” Chronicles
Day one in my new place: WhatsApp messages wouldn’t send.
Let me repeat that — WhatsApp. Wouldn’t. Send.
This is with an MTN 5G router, not some 2G “palasa” device. I ran speed tests. Zero. I climbed the window. Nothing. Switched to Airtel. Nothing. Even Glo only worked at night like a network vampire — a bit fast between midnight and 5AM, then dead during the day.
I was desperate.
So began my fiber journey.
Chapter 4: The Fiber Fiasco (Tizeti, MTN, IPNX)
Tizeti
They had coverage in my area — hallelujah! But guess what? They scheduled installation two months away.
That’s 60 days of paying cafe bills just to meet my work targets. I eventually requested a refund, which took about 2 weeks with follow-up.
MTN Fiber
I called. I begged. They confirmed no coverage on my street. I called again — hoping someone would give me a different answer. Same story.
IPNX
“We currently do not have coverage in your area.” That was what they had to say.
At this point, I was working out of Nest Lounge at Alagomeji, Yaba — paying ₦21,000 per week just for daily internet access from 9AM to 9PM (Monday–Friday). Weekends? Additional fees.
Calculate that monthly: ₦84,000+ (excluding food and transport).
I even considered Etisalat (yes, still exists somehow), just to find something that worked. I was close to tethering from a microwave oven at this point.
Chapter 5: Back to Basics – Spectranet to the Rescue
In desperation, I visited the Spectranet office. Because Spectranet has multiple devices so hoping a different kind of device would help.
A rep calmly told me, “Network dey. You just need to place the router outside.”
I live on the third floor. So, I placed both MTN and Spectranet routers on my AC unit outside the window. Guess what? Super-fast speeds returned.
Rain can’t reach it. Sun doesn’t affect it much. And finally — I can work.
Now I alternate between:
- MTN 5G Router (₦24,000 for 120GB, at least twice a month)
- Spectranet DOMORE Plan as backup
I no longer use MTN’s family plan (they stopped it), even though I wrote about how to activate it a few months ago, so now I use Glo for mobile data when I step out.
I still keep screenshots and email threads with all those failed fiber services — maybe one day I’ll make a “Nigerian Tech Startup Comedy” blog.
The Work Side of Things
Throughout this chaos, I still worked full-time under Dennis Yu at BlitzMetrics. If you know Dennis, you know he’s one of the most disciplined and structured bosses in digital marketing. He understands people but doesn’t play with timelines.
There were days I couldn’t show up, days I couldn’t complete delegated tasks, times I had to edit websites at the cafe. Evenings when I had to walk minutes to find a signal to send one email.
But I made it work. Because that’s what we do.
Cost Breakdown (Just So You Feel My Pain)
| Item | Monthly Cost Estimate |
|---|---|
| MTN Data (x2) | ₦48,000+ |
| Spectranet DOMORE Plan | ₦18,000+ |
| Nest Lounge (Wi-Fi Cafe) | ₦84,000 |
| Transport to Cafe | ₦15,000 |
| Fuel (Ring Road months) | ₦100,000+ |
| Airtime (Glo/Airtel trials) | ₦10,000 |
| Misclellaneous | … |
This doesn’t include rent, food, electricity bills, or emotional damages.
Lessons I’ve Learned
- Always test network before paying rent. Even if it’s “central Lagos.”
- Never rely on promises from ISPs. Coverage maps lie.
- Backup your backup. I now have two routers and three SIMs.
- Work-life balance matters. Working from a cafe every day will drain your mind and wallet.
- Nigeria needs better infrastructure. But you already knew that.
Final Thoughts
This post is not just a rant.
It’s a peek into the reality that many remote workers in Nigeria face every day. The dream of working from home is valid — but sometimes, home isn’t built to support that dream.
Here I am. Still working. Still hustling. But now, I know better.
I hope my story helps at least one person avoid the mistakes I made. Or at least makes you laugh.
If you’ve gone through similar issues, I’d like to hear your story!
We go dey alright.
I’m Felix Fagbuyi, a passionate web designer, developer, digital innovator and a blogger. With years of experience in the industry, I’ve honed my skills to craft captivating online experiences that leave a lasting impression. From stunning websites to seamless e-commerce solutions, I’m dedicated to helping businesses and individuals thrive in the digital landscape. Let’s collaborate and bring your digital vision to life!