Top 12 Most Interesting Money Books That Can Change How Nigerians Think About Money
If you’ve ever tried to read a book about money and felt your brain switch off halfway through, you’re not alone. Money books can be boring, preachy, or downright confusing, but some can be worth your time and might even make you laugh while teaching you how to get that bag.
We have curated the 10 money books that have been game-changers for Nigerians looking to level up their money game.
1. The Smart Money Woman – Arese Ugwu
A relatable Nigerian fictional story about friendship, money struggles, and financial glow-ups.
This financial chick-lit follows Zuri, a 30-something Nigerian woman who appears to be successful on the outside, but is drowning in debt, bad money habits, and financial ignorance. Her squad ultimately helps her take control of her finances. This book has also been adapted into a show you can stream on YouTube or Netflix.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: Learn how to budget, invest, and save without losing your social life or sanity, all with relatable characters you’ll root for. This is perfect if you want money advice that feels like talking with your besties.
2. The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
Money isn’t math; it’s psychology, and this book shows you why.
Through 19 short, sharp, and easy-to-digest stories, Housel explores how emotions, luck, and human behaviour influence financial decisions more than logic or knowledge.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it:
Understand why smart people make poor money choices and how to build long-term wealth by mastering your mindset. It’s essential if you want to stop sabotaging your financial goals.
3. You’re a Badass at Making Money – Jen Sincero
The pep talk you didn’t know you needed to get rich.
Sincero shares her journey from living in a converted garage to travelling the world as a successful coach, focusing on dismantling the limiting beliefs that keep people broke.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it:
You’ll learn how to uncover and overcome the subconscious beliefs sabotaging your financial success and find practical exercises to shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance.
4. I Will Teach You To Be Rich – Ramit Sethi
A practical, no-fluff plan for young people ready to master their money life.
Sethi combines personal finance basics with psychology and investing, laying out a six-week plan for managing your money like a boss.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: Learn budgeting, automating savings, and smart investing tailored for young people who want financial freedom without sacrificing life’s fun. The book teaches you to spend extravagantly on the things you love, cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t. Good for Nigerians starting out or looking to level up.
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5. Die With Zero – Bill Perkins
This book challenges the usual “save till you die” advice and encourages readers to live their best lives now.
It’s a radical rethinking of retirement that argues spending too little during your prime years is just as bad as spending too much.
Perkins argues for balancing money and experiences, encouraging you to spend wisely while you can still enjoy it.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it:
You’ll learn how to balance your spending across your lifetime, why memories are more valuable than money, and practical frameworks for deciding when to invest in experiences versus saving for later.
It challenges the typical “save till retirement” mindset and encourages living your best life without reckless spending, perfect for Nigerians juggling hustle and joy.
6. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant – Eric Jorgenson
A collection of wisdom from one of tech’s most successful investors, and it’ll change how you think about wealth, happiness, and the pursuit of both.
Naval is a Silicon Valley legend, and this book distils his wisdom on wealth, happiness, and decision-making.
This almanack compiles Naval Ravikant’s best insights on wealth creation, happiness, decision-making, and living a fulfilling life from his various tweets, podcasts, and interviews.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: You’ll learn the difference between wealth and money, why specific knowledge is key to creating your fortune, and how to build wealth by creating products that work while you sleep.
7. The Latte Factor – David Bach
A simple story that shows how small daily expenses can add up to millions over time, and how to turn those small amounts into wealth.
Through a fictional story about a young woman named Zoey, Bach reveals how making small changes in your daily spending habits and investing the difference can dramatically transform your financial future.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it:
You’ll learn the three secrets to financial freedom, how automating your finances is essential, and why you don’t need to make a lot of money to become rich. The book simplifies the seemingly complex investing world into three basic principles anyone can follow: “Pay yourself first, make it automatic, and you’ll never have to budget.”
8. Money: A Love Story – Kate Northrup
Fix your money mindset by treating money like your relationship partner.
In this money-love story, Northrup explores how emotions shape financial habits and shows how to heal your money story for lasting abundance.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: Break free from guilt and fear around money, cultivate gratitude, and build wealth with heart. Great if you feel stuck in toxic money cycles.
9. The Black Girl’s Guide to Financial Freedom – Paris Woods
A practical roadmap for Black women that addresses the unique cultural and societal challenges they face on the path to building wealth.
Woods provides straightforward, actionable steps for saving, investing, and building generational wealth while addressing the barriers and pressures Black women face in their financial journeys.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: You’ll learn how to increase your earning potential, build multiple income streams, and create an investment strategy that acknowledges the racial wealth gap while building substantial assets. It speaks directly to the experiences of Black women in ways that other financial books don’t, with specific strategies for overcoming systemic obstacles.
The book emphasises that financial freedom isn’t just a goal, it’s a lifestyle.
10. The Millionaire Fastlane – MJ DeMarco
This book is a wake-up call that exposes the trap of the traditional “get a job, save for 40 years” path to wealth and offers an alternative roadmap to becoming rich while you’re young enough to enjoy it.
DeMarco divides wealth-building into three roads: the Sidewalk (living paycheck to paycheck), the Slowlane (traditional saving and retirement), and the Fastlane (entrepreneurship and creating systems that scale), arguing that only the Fastlane can create meaningful wealth during your prime years.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: You’ll learn the five commandments of the Fastlane, and how to build businesses that can be sold for massive paydays. It will make you rethink your entire approach to career and wealth-building, especially if you’re ambitious and impatient about financial freedom.
11. Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing – Jacob Goldstein
A fascinating journey through the weird history of money that will challenge your understanding of what currency really is and why we trust it.
Goldstein takes readers through the surprising origins and evolution of money, from shells and giant stones to paper currency and cryptocurrency, revealing how money is essentially a shared fiction we all choose to believe in.
The book emphasises that “Money is a shared story. It’s a story about value that enough people believe to make it useful.”
What you’ll learn & why you should read it: You’ll learn how money has transformed from tangible objects to digital entries, why governments and banks work the way they do, and how understanding money’s history can help you predict its future. The book makes economics entertaining while giving insights into the bizarre system that shapes our world.
12. Broke Millennial – Erin Lowry
A fun, relatable guide to adulting with money for young adults.
If you’re new to finances or intimidated by jargon, this book makes money simple. Lowry addresses the financial challenges facing millennials, such as irregular gig income, sharing finances with partners, and navigating financial conversations with friends, in a refreshingly straightforward and relatable way.
What you’ll learn & why you should read it:
You’ll learn how to get your financial life together (#GYFLT), have awkward money conversations with romantic partners, and build a financial foundation while juggling multiple financial priorities. It’s written for young adults dealing with modern money problems, without the judgment or outdated advice in traditional finance books.
The Bottom Line
Money doesn’t have to be confusing, boring, or overwhelming. Whether you’re figuring out how to save, invest, or just stop stressing over bills, these books break it down, cut the noise, and show you exactly how to take control of your financial future.
Pick one, read and apply it, and let it change how you handle money for good.
