Chasing KPIs isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people, emotions, and sometimes the downright ridiculous situations we find ourselves in.
Is it running across the city to beg strangers for sign-ups? Navigating impossible client requests? Marketers in Nigeria have stories that can make you laugh, cry, or both. These are six raw, unfiltered stories from young professionals on what it really feels like to chase growth at work.
*Names have been changed in this article to protect the storytellers.
What It’s Really Like to Chase KPIs in Nigeria
For many young Nigerian professionals, KPIs aren’t just targets on a dashboard; they’re daily battles that feel equal parts exhausting and absurd.
Some describe the experience as pure chaos, like trying to catch smoke with bare hands. Others admit it’s stressful but shrug it off as the price you pay for a steady paycheck.
And then there’s the group that has learned to laugh through the madness, turning the struggle into comic relief just to survive. Together, their voices paint a picture of modern work life in Nigeria: equal parts pressure, hustle, and resilience.
Clearly, KPI-chasing isn’t a one-size-fits-all experience. For some, it’s draining; for others, it’s oddly motivating. But when you strip the numbers away, what you find are very human stories; messy, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking.
Here are some of those stories.
1. Felix (Age 28, Bank Marketer, Lagos)
My target every month is simple on paper: get 100 new account openings. But in reality, it means chasing people all over Lagos like I’m running for office. I’ve stood under the sun at markets, gone from shop to shop with registration forms, begged business owners to give me five minutes, and even followed up with parents at PTA meetings just to convince them to open accounts for their kids. Every “no” feels personal, but when you’re trying to hit numbers, you swallow the shame and move on to the next person.
The most stressful part is the pressure from management. If I don’t hit 80% of my target, my job feels like it’s on the line.
I remember once standing at Ojuelegba bus stop for hours, just approaching strangers and pitching accounts. Some people looked at me like I was disturbing their peace. I finally closed one shop owner who signed up her entire staff, 10 accounts in one day. That single moment made all the sweat worth it.
But the truth is, it’s exhausting. Every month feels like a reset button, and I’m back on the streets, chasing numbers like my life depends on it.
Editor’s Note: Bank marketing is one of those corners of the industry that rarely gets the spotlight, yet it quietly shapes so much of marketers’ experiences. Back in 2018, stories about its struggles revealed just how demanding and underappreciated the work can be. Seeing this story now is a reminder that bank marketing deserves more attention, as a central piece of how we understand the realities of work and pressure in Nigeria.
2. Anita (Age 25, Growth Marketer at a SaaS Startup)
One particular lead almost broke me. I had followed up with this business owner for weeks, emails, calls, and even checking in on LinkedIn. He never gave me a straight answer, but he kept hinting that he might sign up “soon.”
I wanted the deal so badly that I started engaging with his social media posts, then replying to his statuses on WhatsApp. Before I knew it, I was so involved that his cousin accidentally added me to their family WhatsApp group. That’s how much I was chasing this lead.
I didn’t even leave immediately. I thought, maybe this is a sign, I’m already inside their “inner circle.” It took me a while before I politely excused myself.
The worst part? The guy still didn’t close the deal. I had spent weeks giving free consultations, explaining things he could implement, even helping him test his campaigns. Looking back, I realise I blurred the line between personal and professional. But in this line of work, you sometimes convince yourself that being “everywhere” in someone’s life is the only way to secure a client.
It was draining, and I promised myself never again.
3. Segun (Age 32, Agency Marketer, Abuja)
If you’ve ever worked with clients, you know they can come up with the most outrageous requests. One time, a client called us in for an “urgent” campaign idea. Their directive? “We want it to go viral.”
That was it, no budget, no clear objective, just “make it viral.” To make things worse, they gave us 48 hours to pull it off. My team looked at me like, “Segun, how are we going to deliver this?”
I ended up working around the clock. I reached out to influencers I had no business calling at 2 a.m., begged favours from friends in PR, and cobbled together a last-minute social challenge that somehow caught fire. The campaign trended on Twitter for two days, and the client acted like it was all part of their genius plan.
I was celebrated at the office, but what people didn’t see were the panic attacks I had that week, or how I didn’t sleep properly for three nights straight. That experience taught me that in marketing, half the job is turning chaos into something that looks intentional.
4. Zainab (Age 24, FMCG Field Marketer, Ibadan)
My role is straightforward: get our products into as many shops and kiosks as possible. But the reality is far from simple. I spend hours under the hot sun, moving from one shop to another with samples and flyers. Some shop owners welcome me, but others slam the door before I even finish my pitch. The rejection stings, especially when you’ve been walking for miles already.
One particular day, I covered almost an entire street and came back with only two confirmed orders. I was so frustrated that I cried on the bus home. My friends in tech laugh when I tell them what I do, but it’s real work. I’ve had days where I left home at 7 a.m. and returned at 9 p.m., feet swollen, voice hoarse from pitching.
And yet, when I see our product stacked on shelves in areas I pushed for, there’s this small sense of pride that keeps me going. Field marketing is a grind no one really talks about, but it’s the backbone of many consumer brands.
5. Tunde (Age 27, Fintech Growth Associate, Lagos)
As a growth associate at a fintech in Lagos, my targets are purely digital: run campaigns, generate leads, and convert users. But the pressure is relentless. There was a quarter when my manager doubled my KPIs without increasing the budget. I had to figure out how to do more with less, and I threw myself into it; optimising ads, testing multiple funnels, staying up till 3 a.m. just analysing data. For weeks, I was running on coffee and adrenaline, telling myself I’d rest once I “cracked it.”
By the time I finally hit the numbers, I was completely drained. I remember logging into a meeting and zoning out completely, unable to form a sentence. My manager congratulated me, but I couldn’t even celebrate. That moment made me realise how unhealthy the chase for growth can get. I had been so focused on meeting the numbers that I neglected my own well-being.
The irony is that the app we were marketing was about financial wellness, but I was nowhere near “well.” That quarter changed the way I see work. I’ve learned that burning out for KPIs isn’t worth it.
6. Chidinma (Age 22, Marketing Intern, Port Harcourt)
I’m Chidinma, 22, currently doing my NYSC year while interning as a marketing assistant in Port Harcourt. Coming in, I thought marketing would be about creativity, making cool ads and posting trendy stuff on social media. The reality hit when I was told to cold-call over 200 numbers in a week to pitch our services. I was terrified at first; my hands would literally shake when I dialled numbers. Most people hung up, some insulted me, and a few listened for less than 30 seconds before cutting the call.
One day, though, I managed to land a small client after three follow-ups. The manager actually thanked me for being persistent, and that gave me a confidence boost. But even with that win, I realised how much marketing is about resilience. Behind every “success story” is a pile of rejections nobody talks about. As an intern, I feel like I’m getting the rawest version of the hustle, but I also know it’s shaping me.
It’s not glamorous at all, but I’m learning what it really takes to make people buy into something.
The Bottomline
At the end of the day, these stories remind us that behind every KPI and growth target is a human being trying to make sense of it all.
Undergraduates about to step into their first job, youth corps members figuring things out, or an entry-level marketer chasing numbers - the hustle is real across-board, the pressure is intense, but the experiences shape you in ways no textbook ever could.
So, maybe marketing (in Nigeria) isn’t all… bad? As a marketer, what do you think?
