MMXXV

A year in view

In A Year Review: From Kaduna to Lagos I wrote:

For 2025, I want to get a place of my own, an FT role, a routine, more on the business side of things and truck loads of learnings.

Started the year hopeful and open — without much expectation except that I wanted the things I wanted.

No detailed plans, just free to serendipitous activities.

I’ve come to realize that I have few major goals each year but no detailed plans on how to achieve them. This year is no different.

Looking back at 2025, I learnt a lot about myself, explored art, and achieved the big goals I had set out to achieve.

Fuad asking where are we going at The August Event

I: Work

Got an FT role in March, unfortunately, after my line manager who interviewed me had left. So for a couple of months I did my best figuring things out, can’t even say I attempted to fill in his shoes (way too big).

Then two people got employed to fill his shoes; one was my new line manager.

For a while things seemed to be going well, but in all honesty not so much. I had multiple fallouts with this person, and towards the end of the year (November) I switched teams.

I tried my best to hide it but some of my colleagues noticed and showed concern.

The switch to my new team was a happenstance as other members of the team had left, or were leaving. I had also been priming myself for a possible move.

And so far, it has been a learning curve. Learning more about the financial market in real time, seeing how strategies and actions affect managing portfolio.

For me, the switch was one of the best things that happened to me last year.

II: Lifestyle

Creating a routine is one I have not solidified yet, but I got into a rhythm and went out of sync during the year. The only thing that was constant was me going to the office everyday. Beyond that, my lifestyle was on vibes for the better part of the year. This is one area I hope to improve drastically this year.

I did get a place to rent, close to my work place which was one of the most important, if not the most important factor for me. Learnt in real-time that house hunting in Lagos is an abominable affair. Moving in was not hard, as I already moved from my cousins’ some months earlier to {redacted}. This will be a story I’d tell my grandkids one day.

Lagos Baby from Afrobeat Rebellion:Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Outside of work, house hunting and the usual Lagos life, I did go out a lot more this year — to art galleries, a few restaurants and events.

This part of life was sponsored mostly by F. Thank you so much for making my year colorful.

Gym

I did start going to the gym, for the first time in my life. The gym was part of my routine for a few months before I abandoned it. This is also another area I am looking forward to continue this year.

Books

I did not read a lot last year (read 11 books), and it does not look like this year is going to be any better. One thing that stood out was that I exclusively read hardcopies which I got for myself. I was also gifted a book — Stay with Me — for my birthday. Thank you Iz.

a stack of books on my office desk

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III: Projects

This year was one with little projects, but I did launch a project and revived another.

• Buying Your First Stock on NGX
• Stocks Basics

Newsletter

More importantly, my newsletter, where I sent out thirteen emails to my subscribers, far more than I sent in 2024. I also started a challenge to write 100 articles by December 2026.

I interacted with AI a lot this year and vibe coded this:

[embed]Personal Finance Guide Answer a few questions to get a personalized recommendation. Disclaimer: This tool provides a high-level guide and is…mtahirs.github.io

Business

On the business side of things, this year was muted as I did only one 1:1 session on personal finance. However, this year, I am taking steps to create structure so that I am able to deliver better to clients. (fill this form to get on the waitlist)

I did a lot of fun things

• Got free tickets to “Buffet of Anyhowness” courtesy of the co-authors of 1914 newsletter (Feyi Fawehinmi and Tobi Lawson) btw I won a book (Gambling on Development) in 2022 from Tobi. This was interesting because I missed the email only for me to see it after it had closed. I just bit the bullet (I always overthink things) and sent an email to please allow me join, and they were gracious enough to allow me join for free.
• Together with some other colleagues, I had dinner with our regional CEO, as one of the company’s young/future leaders.
• F and I spent time together a lot. The person I spent time the most with outside work. We attended the two GTCO Food and Drink festival, a lot of art galleries and exhibitions. Our favourite exhibitions for the year were Oshogbo at kó and Afrobeats Rebellion:Fela Anikulapo Kuti at Ecobank Pan African Centre.
• We also attended the August Event by Archiving (fund them, they are doing a phenomenal job)
• I got kitchenware from my mum, 199 piece cookware.
• As someone in finance, I am fascinated by behavioural finance and simply want to know how people earn and spend their money. This is why I am a lifetime reader of Naira Life on Zikoko. And what better way to enjoy these stories than seeing the people featured speak live at the Naira Life Conference.
• Halvest Wealth Summit at MUSCON center was also another finance conference — Islamic finance niche I attended courtesy of Dhee.
• I attended both finance village hangouts. Finance village is a community of entry level to mid level finance professionals which I belong to. We had our maiden hangout earlier in the year and one in December. I attended both, as always, wherever there’s food, people and fun, you’d find me playing Monopoly there.

IV Looking forward

For 2026, I’m keeping the same approach: a few major goals, no rigid plans, continuous learning, and staying open to whoever invites me to the next art show. But this time, I’m adding structure to the business side and finally sticking with the gym routine or finding a sport I’d enjoy.

As always: “Everybody wishes to get healthier, richer and wiser.”

photo dump of 2025

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful 2026.