In Nigeria, politics is an unavoidable part of business success, and entrepreneurs must engage with political systems to protect their interests and create sustainable ventures. The speaker, a billionaire entrepreneur, emphasizes that those who do not understand this reality have no business operating in Nigeria. He argues that hope is the easiest thing sold to Nigerians because it requires no thinking, only prayer and belief in promises, which has contributed to corruption and a lack of problem-solving mindset. True success requires delayed gratification, integrity, and understanding that the only appreciating currency is a good name based on honesty and accountability.
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Politics controls business in Nigeria | Billionaire, Keji Giwa |Outside the Box Podcast| Episode 58Added:
Anybody doing business in Nigeria that doesn't think that politics is part and parcel of their success in doing business in Nigeria have no business doing business in Nigeria? A lot of people are angry that oh you supporting Tunobu is a traitor is a this what do you want me to do?
What exactly do you want me to do? You want me to what? join you and point the finger at the very person that can snap a finger and everything I've worked out for is gone. Are you going to feed me after that? Are you going to take care of my children? You going to send my children to private school? Whether Nigeria gets better or doesn't get better.
I'm perfectly okay. In fact, I'm banking on it not getting better.
Your prayer is different from my prayer.
You have come to the acceptance that I'm going to hell if it exist. I have no doubt about that because there are things that I do that warrant hellfire.
One thing I have as a general rule in my company, if you make mistakes, say if you make the mistake of saying um God will provide, I'll sack you instantly.
I remember one night in Brazil and Brazil is not particularly cold, right?
I think I had gone for the World Cup in uh about 10 years ago, 2014 World Cup >> and then at night I don't there's this particular night I just couldn't sleep where I you know it wasn't particularly cold. The World Cup is usually in the summer >> but I just could not sleep. So you had to turn the AC to hot hot or you know the kind of hot where you're afraid you're going to burn the curtain >> you know and at a point I was getting up there was so much cold coming in I had to keep getting up to check the windows but these windows are sealed >> so that's just the thing if you're used to it you're used to it >> yeah and if you're not you're not yeah I get your point >> yeah because I I um what do you call it this rainy season is a blessing for me >> cuz this heat ah I know.
>> Oh Jesus.
>> I know >> when it's hot in Nigeria is hot.
>> Yeah.
>> And it's not a joke and I can't stay outside. I think it's I think it was yesterday. My car I have my car is broken down. So I had to borrow um one of my friends car and that car the AC is not working. I have to wind the window down and so I was driving all through yesterday. The sweat on my face.
>> I can imagine.
>> That's when I realized ah >> yeah yeah yeah. and this life is >> you have a few foreign friends over >> at the very hottest periods of of the year in Lagos and you are worried for them and you are sympathetically apologizing to them we are worried and they like >> who has them to who has them to leave >> they know they they usually are you kidding are you for real I love this >> oh they like they like this I like the warmth >> well yeah obviously because they know coming from the cold so it makes sense >> yeah I don't like the warm Yeah, because now we we know.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah, >> that's good.
>> All right, let let's just >> keep going.
>> Let's just go into this.
>> Moreni Ki, a lovely name. It's the name of my aunt.
>> Rest of it is >> aka Kwa aka Kwa. Yes. My brother, it's a pleasure to be sitting down with you and having this conversation.
>> Guy, you are an unapologetic, unrepentant and prolific um entrepreneur.
>> Yeah. Okay.
>> You were wondering where I should accept it or not. Let's see where it's going first. But but most especially you you you are a businessman um with a clear vision everything and I've I've heard um or more like yes I've heard and seen and read you attribute your uh your entrepreneurship spirit to your dad um the late Alaji um Murayo >> Abiden I think he's also um who was um was a great man for those who know who know uh his you know Wamco story and the whole >> it's credited to be the m the man behind three crowns milk the ingredients everything >> uh you want to say something >> I mean I can't live up to his his uh to his legacy my own is just I think I I look at him and I say great let me try this one let me go this way you know uh because um um the one thing I try uh uh most important thing uh that he kept on telling me is a good name is more valuable than silver and gold. So what I try and do no matter what is not to taint that me >> you know and um if there was one thing I a lot of people would tell you that oh I grew up loving my dad my dad is amazing.
I grew up hating my dad >> you know from a very early age because everything about him was all about discipline you know value system and doing this in this way and doing it in that way. I've told this story many times. He would um take me for long walks and make me pick up all the nails on the floor. And I couldn't understand it and he would make me do it over and over again. Any nail I see, pick it up.
And then um he made me do it for months.
And one day he sat me and said, "And we we have big bags of these nails." And he asked me one day, "Why do you why do I why uh do I keep telling you to pick up the nails?" And I said, "Because he wants to punish me, you know." And he said, "No." He says, "Because if you pick up that nail, it will stop somebody from being hurt and you don't know if the that nail might cause tetanus whatever the whatever >> and that person will die. So being used to looking out for other people at an early age would force you to even if you are selfish, you will consider the value other people can get >> while you are still being selfish, you know. And um all these things he did I'll never forget the day I was um playing with all my friends were driving cars at uh 15 16 you know no sorry 13 so 14 15 yeah they're driving their dad's car you know and you know I'm already eyeing my dad's car you know that maybe one day because they will steal their dad's car and drive it and stuff and um I'm looking at my dad's car I'm thinking one day I'm going to take this car out you know we don't know how to drive we just drive out you know and Um I wonder I've just in the car just started it and he um put his head through the window and said what am I doing? And I said nothing. He said what you think that car is yours? I said no. He said you think this house is yours? I said no. Said everything I have will never be yours.
It belongs to your mother. The only thing I'm doing is empowering you with education and the knowledge and wisdom to get through life. And I'm never light. now. Um but today I am eternally grateful >> because a lot of people think that um the reason I'm able to uh just say what I what's on my mind regardless of how you feel about it is either because I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth or whatever. No, it's a particular training, a particular discipline where tell the truth no matter what.
>> Whether it hurts, say it as it is. Um, let people know you for they won't like what it is that you are saying, but eventually the most valuable currency in the world is integrity >> and it's far more valuable than cash itself. And once you once people can know you for telling the truth, even criminals are looking for people to trust.
>> So you become an asset to both good and bad people cuz in the end everybody wants somebody to tell them the truth.
And so I think that um that's one thing I think my father has um instilled in me, you know, in terms of living up to his I don't know about that because I'm different. He's I'm I'm capitalist all through and you know I'm business and I I would like to say this right now. I think the I I think IQ wise I probably got it from my dad 100%. Business entrepreneurship I got it from my mother >> 100%. My mother was running four five businesses at the same time. There was a time when we bought uh when we were building our first house, our mindset was that it was my dad that was providing that was doing everything only for me to get older and find out that while my dad took a loan on his salary and there was no money coming in to build the house, it was my mother that was covering the entire bills and she always ran she would run a catering business. She always run three four catering businesses servicing multiple companies at the same time. while she's doing that, she's traveling to um um Austra to go and buy clothes to come and sell. She had all these she was always doing something. So, I think the entrepreneurial spirit came from my mom and then the IQ came from my dad. Um and then um because that guy is practically a genius, you know, and um and then the family values comes from both you know and I think that's what has produced what I am and what my sisters and all of us are.
I mean it's a um it's a brilliant story the the mentoring you know sometimes you wonder parenting uh there are positives to modern parenting but then there are also negatives uh the mentorship uh back in the day fathers were were were hard >> yes >> because >> you know they they weren't going to play with the way they were going to raise you >> I'm wondering um at home how did mom counterbalance that.
I think um there is one thing that my mom allowed my dad to be a man to be a father to be the leader and I used to think my mom was amb because my mom I would go and tell my mom something hoping she won't tell my dad and my dad would find out and who who else did I tell it was my mom I told so at one point I I started to because you would it was almost as if they delayed me. So, one minute, oh, my mom's the loving, caring one, the next minute I'm telling her everything. The next, you know, my dad found out and I'm being disciplined. So, I think it was a fantastic partnership in terms of bringing the children up and knowing everybody knowing their place, you know.
Um, we saw our mom as the softer, loving, nurturing, and we saw our dad as a disciplinarian, you know, uh, the person you don't mess with. and and you there are certain things you don't do uh come what me but one thing I did learn is with all the discipline and the uh in those days we call it harshness you know um there was always the empathy emotional side so I I'll I'll I'll tell a quick story um from a very young age I think I think Um hopefully we'll talk about education in Nigeria. I think one of the worst things that uh we have been cursed with in Nigeria is being taught to cram rather than think.
And um I believe that that has played a major problem in society today. Uh cuz we have nations of uh surface dwellers.
um we have more of a nation of surface dwellers more more than a nation of deep dive thinkers and um the reason why I say this is in school people couldn't understand me and uh I've always been a problem child from a very young age and um I have always been a dreamer extremely creative and if you don't if you don't put me in a position where I can excel or apply that creativity something bad is going to happen now. So what do I mean by that?
So I I I can tell you what I vividly remember.
>> Uh I remember some things maybe I shouldn't say here.
So but I remember I remember watching movies and and uh I don't know if you remember OGTV the movies used to be at night >> and uh from 10:00 or something like that. And while my parents have gone to bed, I'll do operation night break and move from the bedroom all the way to the living room. And then I'll watch movies allow very low. Exactly. You know what I'm talking about. And I'll watch the movies all the way to 2:00, 3:00 in the morning. Then they'll be wondering why I'm too tired, but I still had to go to school. Now, unfortunately, I internalized every single movie I watched, including Broadway.
Now, so I can very vividly remember when I was um they used to at one point um our parents came to pick us late because obviously they were walking and stuff like that.
>> And so since I'm the only one left in school um I believe I broke into every single classroom. I believe I took every single pen and paper. Sorry, every pen. Cuz I remember what was found in my mother's drawer. And guess where I went to put it?
>> In your mother's draw. my mother's drawer. So my mom now went when the pens kept on piling up. My mom now went to school and said, "Why are you giving my son all these pens and all these pencils and sharpeners?"
Then the teacher now said, "Hey, apparently they've sacked I can understand free education, but apparently they've sacked the cleaners.
They've sacked the security. They they thought it was those that were that were taking it knowing it was me that was taking everything and I like whoa. So it was a shock to the system. Now unfortunately I got so used to it. I was playing out movies in my head moving from one class to another either going through the window pick locking the doors and everything. So I gotten addicted to that thing. My dad beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me. Um at some point we've all stoned. I don't know. I don't know. Let me not say because maybe not everybody is as evil as I was. Yeah. So, but me I was a thief in in I was I used to steal. So, >> I think we all were but to varying degrees.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Mine was hardcore.
Mine was super hardcore, you know. So, um >> some of us stole sugar.
>> Oh, no. No. I stole No. I I I saw the value of money quickly. Very very very very early. And I And I'm talking about what four five years of age. And I remember um I used to take my mom's money in her paws, you know, and um obviously eventually they found out it was me. Then my dad, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me. Now when it became apparent that this beating is not working.
That was when my dad and this always gets me emotional and then it was late at night. My dad just sat me down and the man bowled out his eyes and explain to me what theft is, what I'm doing, and why it is wrong. Blah blah blah blah blah.
I never ever stole a thing ever in my life after that.
>> It wasn't the beating that got me to stop. It was explaining to me and me seeing empathy and pain in my dad's eye.
And so I never did that. Maybe about 5 years later, about maybe 10 years of age, my dad gave me my school fees to go and pay me being overly playful.
I don't know whether I don't know what happened to that money. And then I called my dad maybe a month or later and said school vis has not been paid. And I said, "No, I gave it to my son." He said, "Ah, don't worry. They they've spent it." I said, "No, not my son."
>> I said, "And and me, I've already remembered." So, I'm thinking, "Ah, he's going to think said, "No, not my son."
And said, "No, sir. No, sir. Trust me."
He said, I said, "Listen, not my son."
He said, "K, what happened to the money?" And I was lost. Says, "You see that face of him being lost? That's his overly playfulness. Trust me, he doesn't know where the money is. He's lost it.
See that fate that day and we got inside the car. My dad said, "Stop being too playful.
You're overly playful. You're extremely intelligent, but you're too playful."
And that's why you lost that money.
>> See, you start to realize that there is There's there's a need to not withdraw the cane from the child, but there's also a need to speak to your child >> to help your child understand who you are and who they are uh as a result of who you are and more importantly show that empathy, you know, um uh uh I don't know if it's coming down to the level of the child and letting them know that starting with the end in mind. This is where you are going to be >> and if you're doing this, this is this part. If you're doing that, that's that part and helping you to understand that and then having faith in your child. So that's really that like it resonates with me so much that you get to a point um and you start to realize that everything that you are today, every decision you make, every value, every principle, everything you stand for has been shaped by this man. And you now start to realize that and I keep telling you I said I'm totally different from him. Why? Because he said it with his own mouth. He said not interested in wealth. I'm not interested in XY Z. I've seen my dad receive hundreds of millions of naira to go and do a project.
This man will carry that money and bring back change.
By then I was what entering 15, 16, 17.
I'm already understanding how Nigeria it was and I hated him for that. Why can't you just take some of it? Yeah. Said that I have one house, my family house. That's all I want. I've given you I've empowered you guys. And the only thing I want that's why this house will never be yours is your mother's.
This is the family house. That's it.
because he comes from a polygamous home.
>> All he wanted was to have his own family.
>> So that puts you in a position where you start to realize that wow this man has set a bar. He has set a standard and money is not his ambition and good name is his ambition. Legacy is his ambition. So you hold on to that. You know uh I'm a bit different. I've taken my mom's entrepreneurialship. I've um I'm a bit more of a catalyst, but guess what?
I will make money.
No doubt about it. But I've come to learn that one thing my dad instilled in me is no matter how much you're making, never cheat the next person. Be totally honest, be totally open, and make sure everybody's benefiting.
Now, if I start a business and I'm going to make 3,000%, if I tell you that you are going to make 100%.
>> I'll make sure you make that 100%.
>> And I'll make my 3,000%.
I hope you understand where I'm coming from >> clearly.
>> Why? Because I've come to realize, which is the same thing my dad instilled in us, the only asset you have is a good name. And that good name is based on integrity. And integrity is the only currency >> that appreciates with time.
So I don't know if if I even answered the question.
>> No, you did. And you know, you know, you did answer some to be honest with you.
Um >> those memories, they stay with us forever. It's a privilege to remember them and to remember our parents for good and all of that. The good times, the bad times, and as you grow, understanding why they brought you up the way they um they did. After all, don't they say we are all a product of our experience?
>> Yes.
>> Let me ask you at what stage of life did you leave home?
Um 100% for sure was when I was 16. No.
Yeah. 15 going 16 I believe it was more towards the end of my 16 year old 16th birthday. And uh that was when we are just finished secondary school >> and um like I said all my friends were driving their father's cars and I I can't drive any of my father's cars. You know I'm busy taking dam uh and buses and stuff like that. And um I was supposed to do this jam, right?
>> The jam exam thing. I was supposed to do that preparing for that.
>> And um I'm already going, you know, the extra lessons, the the after school things. I built new friends. I'm a very happy person with my life. I finally gotten a girlfriend.
>> You know, some a lot of people had girlfriends before 16. I succeeded at that period. You know, about to start exploring life. for them. My dad shows up and tells me that I'm traveling.
Traveling where? You're going to the UK.
How? He didn't even tell me about. He's not didn't discuss it with me. They said it's time for you to leave. 16 years of age, 2 days notice.
I can't say goodbye to my friends.
>> Wow.
>> I packed my bags. And guess what? He didn't come with me.
He sent me. So imagine me entering the UK. I left there when I was four about sorry about two two years of age cuz I did my uh nursery school in Nigeria.
>> So I lived there when I was about 2 years of age. So I don't really remember much. I'm now entering into somewhere I don't recognize at 16 years of age. my husband live with my uncle and auntie and um uh that was uh that was an experience because as much as I didn't want to leave my friends I was also excited about entering a new world that I've never uh uh known and um that one is a different I mean there's a lot that happened there and um um if you want we can explore that Um, yeah, that's >> I I clearly won. You ended up in Kingston University. You studied computer science.
>> We talked about education briefly.
>> Mhm.
>> So, I want I I can't wait to hear what your mind your experience.
>> Yes.
>> Schooling, the good, the bad, the ugly, all the inet, >> and of course the general comparison with education.
>> Yes, definitely.
>> So, what was your journey like when you got there? You stayed with your auntie.
>> Um, Kingston University is in U.
>> Uh, sorry.
>> Sorry. Sorry.
>> Kingston.
>> Now, so what was it like for you? A totally different um reality.
>> Yeah. I didn't go straight to university. I went to six form.
>> Ah, six form.
>> Yeah. So, I was Abadash's ask. And it's one of the best schools then. I'm not not sure about now. Um, and when I say I'm not sure about now, it's because I haven't got any information. It's been such a long time ago. Um but I went to Abadasha's ask and um it was very very difficult for me you know um I experienced racism for the first time >> and that racism wasn't experienced by the Caucasian white man. was experienced by Jamo >> Jamaicans and um they used to call me count you know and um and then obviously try and fake up the Niger accent you know which what they weren't very successful at um do the monkey sounds and stuff like that and um I had to learn very very quickly what sarcasm means sarcasm is form of humor in uh the UK now at a very young age you are getting offended about people being sarcastic. You don't even understand what it is.
>> And so um I also had to learn that you can't use your fist to solve a problem compared to like here >> unlike here you know so you're going to have to use your brain to be able to respond in a better way. And um and yeah, I adjusted I adjusted um pretty quickly, but I also struggled academically. Uh I can't understand what the teacher is saying.
It's like a foreign language even though he's speaking English. And I did for the maths um uh biology and um physics. Uh I did four A levels. Um I'll confess right here and there. I I was kicked out of math class cuz I couldn't I'll never forget the day everybody in that math class was a because they have a target that's why it's a very good school every was a minimum was B and I kept on failing the um test they were given so um on the last I think the guy told me said look I'm going to give you another chance you have to get this right and I did I did try my best I did learn I even hanged around other smarter people to know what's going on everybody tried to teach That was one of my friends Kenna um he's still very close today. Andrew still very close today.
They all sat down and helped me to these are very smart academic guys and they all helped me and I was I did the exam and um because I was getting 20%, 30%, 20% 30% and I the cut off mark for this one was at least even if I got a C.
>> Yeah, they might consider me. And my cut off mark was 40. I think it was 43.
>> It was a D.
So when I got it, you know, the guy gave the results and and well looked at it and me I jumped up excited. I was celebrating like, "Oh my god, I I did well." And the guy I remember I forget the teacher looked at me and said, "Why why are you happy you failed?" I said, "No, I didn't." I said, "I went from 20some to 40ome." Said, "But you're going to get kicked out of the mass." It doesn't matter. What matters is I can see the difference, that enthusiasm, that um excitement. Uh that one I I I don't know where it came from, >> but I think the um that I don't it's not the word is not motivation having a a brighter outlook on life you know. Um I was kicked out of that mask class. Then physics the guy said look the guy is sharp is I think he's just finding hard to adjust. Yeah.
But they said well there other people from Nigeria that not adjust are adjusting. So you now start to feel really stupid. I got D for my A levels physics. I got D for my um physics and economics. And I thought I was going to do well in economics. I did D. I got kicked out of the other. So I left with two A levels or D. I'm a D guy. Do you get my point? Yeah. So, all my friends are going to all these top universities, Brunell University, Cambridge, and all these top universities. And me, I'm hoping that somebody will take me.
Praise God. Kingston University takes Duds, you know. And so, I ended up in Kingston University. Um, which was interesting for me. Uh, because you have finished A levels with the No, no, sorry. Coventry University is what took me first.
>> Okay.
>> But in those days, you have to have been in the country for um minimum of 3 or 2 years, I can't remember, before you get free education.
>> So if I was going to go to university at that time, I had to pay for it.
>> And so my parents, all of us decided that I would take a year off and wait to clock.
Yes. And then I worked for my uncle for one year. My uncle then was the only Nigerian running a business, accountancy business. And that man made me do see I hate accounting with a passion.
Now imagine hating something and you're made to do it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and then on Saturday, Sunday I had to go and go to follow my auntie to the market to buy fish and everything and cook. I used to be in the kitchen with her all day and then repeat Monday to Friday for one year. Then he also ran an real estate company on the side. Yeah. So I had to master everything to do real estate in the UK as well. That one year was the worst experience of my life, but the best experience in terms of empowering me. I entered the university with £5,000 of my own money that I had made.
>> Wow.
>> Cuz he was saving my money, you know.
And uh my uncle made a big difference.
He and my dad were practically brothers.
They grew up together.
>> And he made and my auntie as well, both of them. Um um Mr. made a huge difference in my life. They um they they shaped me into being a man of accountability, of responsibility and finding a way where there seems to be no way.
>> Somebody who is willing to do what it takes to get things done. And if that means doing something that other people will laugh at you for, you do it. Why do you know what it means for all your friends to be in university and you are working in deport?
I hope it makes sense for one year and I can't go anywhere. I couldn't go out.
When I entered university, my uncle gave me £5,000. He took me to university. He gave me the £5,000 and he said, "See this uni that you start." At that point, I couldn't go to Coventry again. So, I chose Kingston. That's when I chose Kingston.
>> You must be like 19 at this time or something.
>> Yes, but 19. And my uncle says to me, he says, "See this university that you're starting now.
People are going to die before you finish. A lot of people are not going to finish. A lot of people are going to end up in jail. Some people are going to do drugs."
I'm not saying don't enjoy yourself. In fact, go and enjoy yourself.
But remember your father's name and do not disgrace me. who your father trusted me to bring up. Can you see where that name is coming again?
>> And so yes, I got to I started my first year in university and to God who made me first set of guys I met were smoking weed 24/7. In fact, the room used to smell of weed 24/7 and it was always uh there was a phrase uh puff puff give or puff pass give. So you take it, you pass it, you take it, you pass it. Now I know the kind of father I have. Yeah. But I also want to feel among. So what would I do? I will take I will never inhale.
I'll push it out and I'll pass it around. Then I then because I noticed that people were behaving a particular way. I started also pretending as if I was high. But the problem is that when you are not high, you will sh do it in a way that other people would think that this is not normal. I think it was about maybe 6 7 months into university.
Um they had already come to the conclusion that this guy is lying. So they rolled I think they put time and you know the kitchen stuff rolled it up and then gave it and I said Ky get this.
I was like oh and then they all sitting there looking. That's how I started pretending. And then you know how you know I didn't I didn't know you know all I heard was I knew it. I knew it. Can you see? Can you see? So everyone was like yeah that was when I realized that ah they have caught me.
So there is what you do because you want to feel among but you remember where you come from >> and so studying was very important to me. Um I learned very early >> while in university that I need to find the people that are super smart and hang around with them >> and I made sure that I did that. Um, I started hitting my straight A's in university, not in college.
>> And um, that was because I'd found my way of learning. And my way of learning is I have a very low attention span. I can't pay attention for something for too long. But now I have the freedom to learn my own way. So what I would do, I can watch a movie for 1 hour, study for 10 minutes, watch a movie for 1 hour, study for 10 minutes, gather people around, cook and say, "Okay, let's do this together." As long as I'm enjoying what I'm doing, >> it stays. As long as it's play, it stays. But if I have to study it like hardcore, it goes. So I learned through playing, I learned through role play.
And that's how I was able to hit the straight all the way. So I think I ended up I was very angry. I ended up I was two A's away from a first class. I ended up with a 21-1. That really really hurt me, but at least I I did well. So, I started as a D A level student and ended up with a 21 um um university degree. Good lord, you're you're a book.
>> It's beautiful.
I think this gives us um an opportunity to look at education. Mhm.
>> Um you your thoughts about education in this country in Nigeria?
>> Um now this is close to heart. Um I took my daughter out of a school because they were forcing her to cram.
Um I think there's an old saying that um if you have a son most likely take traits from the mom. If you have a daughter most likely take strays from the dad. Uh my daughter is me.
They come true. You know I I fear the female version of me. And um if you ask me, I don't know how to be a dad to me.
>> I don't that makes sense, you know, especially a female version of me. And my daughter is um extremely sharp and extremely smart. Now everybody would say that about their child. Uh but I have observed I remember when we had a nanny and a nanny used to kind of pinch her and what do you call it? She was just just noticed that my daughter that's constantly playful. He's always sleeping early.
>> What's going on? This is not normal. Our daughter has become a good girl. I nah there's something wrong here you know and so one day while I I always open she's sleeping so one day I just open the door once again she's sleeping just enter look properly just looked at my daughter you know what she was doing she was pretending to sleep >> then she opened her eyes small yeah when she opened her eyes small and hey daddy she just jumped on And then I observed the one, three, three times, right? My daughter had mastered the art to pretend to this woman, but once daddy is around, she knows what to do. So I'm now like, okay, this girl has some of her father's traits, which is good. Now, um, she goes to this school. I don't want to mention the school. And the curriculum is cramming. There's no why you should learn it this way, what why you should do this, the how, the when, the, you know, it's just cram cram cram cram cram. And unfortunately, I have a problem with that. I can't do it.
I I learn through play. My daughter learns through play as well. And so, I see them teaching at home. I see them getting frustrated with her not being able to pick things up.
>> But it's understandable because the people teaching at home studied in Nigeria. So they assume that is normal.
And then now kind of looking at my daughter as if she's stupid. No, she's not stupid. She just doesn't learn in the way you're trying to force her to learn. So I remember picking her up and saying, "Let's do this." So we start playing together. I teach her true play.
I ask her questions. I want her to think about it. I want her to understand it and I keep telling her you are a giwa giwas thinks giwa gwas are thinkers giwas create you know giving that sense of ownership and then playing with the homework and she getting it done and that's it and I said please don't shout at my daughter again.
Yeah, you either learn how to teach her or you don't teach her. And so I took out that school straight up and I found a different school at this point. Um we found Abraham Lincoln uh academy and my goodness I obviously the way they learn is totally different. It's through play you know and uh I remember the mom telling me that they're not going through the curriculum everything they all they're doing is playing. Now they are learning because children learn through play and in fact whatever you're teaching them stays with them.
>> And so my daughter is excelling, my daughter is sharp, my daughter is fast.
And then um I think it was last year decided that okay it's time for you to go and meet your my sister's my sister is in Canada, my other sister is in the UK. They all came to the UK to spend time. So I brought took my daughter with me and then she then had to mingle with her niece and nephew and everything and in one month lovely girl's accent as because she was there for like a month almost two accent has changed she's very sh you know with children >> yeah children and >> especially when they sharp >> yeah and that was that was beautiful for me you know and I had to close my eyes and make sure she went to this school even though the school fees is like four five times more and the previous one that she was at.
>> But I saw the value in that. And I think a lot of us have been deprived of the ability to ask questions if we don't understand and cram memorize. And unfortunately the consequence of that is we accept the status quo. is engraved in us. We are step we don't ask questions.
And when you add um uh uh I read a book some time ago and um I think was I had an article and it says integrity is a luxury for somebody who is hungry.
Is a luxury for somebody who's surviving.
You cannot tell somebody who has not eaten for 10 days not to steal if he's starving to the point that he wants he's about to die.
So integrity goes out the window. So when you have an economy uh where over 90% are living keeping the top 1% and the reason why we keep saying the top 1% is because there's no 1%. Do >> you get my point? you know, so when you have 99 something something% of the entire country um trying to make ends meet can't live a comfortable life, you can now start talking about value systems and uh um principles and all these things. And if you can't do that, who are our teachers?
somebody taught them and they're teaching the same thing to us. And when you're now in an environment where we are not taught to think to be solution providers, but we are taught, let me say this, and I'm I'm sorry if what I'm saying is going to offend a lot of Nigerians.
I have come to the conclusion that the ease the easiest thing to sell to us Nigerians is hope.
It is the fastest and easiest way to exploit Nigerians.
And why? Hope doesn't require you to think.
Hope requires you to pray and fast. Hope requires you to believe in promises.
Hence why I would say a big amen to you receive double portion before the end of this year or triple portion before end of this year or you would experience some parallel favor between before the end of this year compared to we are facing economic hardship. If the subsidy wasn't removed we would have been bankrupt. Now we all have to go through longsuffering, delayed gratification for a prosperous Nigeria. We are not trained for that.
We're trained to blink and God has answered our prayers.
Hope is the biggest scam which I believe have infected a vast majority of us Nigerians. Now I'm not relating this to anything in particular. I'm talking about a mindset. Now, that mindset has turned us into probably the most corrupt nation in the world.
Corruption is an endemic in Nigeria.
And I'm not talking about the government. I'm talking about the people. And what do I mean by that?
your something as easy as getting a job. Praise God. You've cried for that job. You've beg for that job.
You pray for that job. You have gotten the job. You are now a cashier or you are a waiter.
You are collecting your salary. You are happy you've gotten that job. or you have the audacity to bring your own POS to that to that that person's business to tell the customer to pay to that POS.
Now the corruption is so widespread that there are some customers just because the bill is 50K they will tell you don't worry I'll make it 30k >> they will now send that 30k to that account. I I hope you understand where I'm coming from clearly. So when we blame the government for corruption, the government is a reflection of who you are. We're not ruled by foreigners.
Yeah. You are only reaping the rewards of your evil ways.
And as a result of that, I'm getting in trouble. Abby hopefully.
>> So as a result of that, what you sow, you will reap.
>> We have been sowing.
This is what we've been sowing and so we can't reap if you plant apple you can't expect oranges you will reap what you sow so educational system I believe is so what it's not just we keep thinking it's not school alone it's family values that's education is what the government is teaching us that's education it's what society the village it takes a village to raise somebody that's education and what we have been taught is that delayed gratification.
Sea time harvest time is for the weak.
It is not your portion. Your own is to get it now. Now. And we don't question the source of people's wealth because we're taught to cram.
We don't question. We don't investigate.
We just praise.
And because we reward wealth that shows up from nowhere, >> it becomes perfectly okay.
It becomes the standard. It becomes the norm. I'm trying to be very careful with what I'm saying. So when somebody and like I notice notice what I said about the mindset of instant gratification and we don't want delay gratification and we are not thinking we're not taught to think >> and this is why and I've given you an example of a normal person who is a waiter >> who is this is their salary and they finding ways to steal from you. Yeah, >> I have personal experience and I don't want to name names of somebody thinking that I make too much money and I give them a another company to run and they decide to make a fortune out of that company, create different services to build that company and force that company to be to not make profit for years just so that they can enjoy themsel. And when your when you finally question is but you're making money here.
This is reality.
And so I've just given you an example of normal people in business. So when we enter politics, why do you expect Okuro or Peter or Ki or whoever to finally sit on a 300 billion naira budget for the first time in his life doesn't have the ability to solve problems to identify problems identify issues and solve those problems.
does not understand delayed gratification only understands double portion triple portion God will make way where there seems to be no way the hope the the the um gift of hope >> and he thinks to himself that this 300 God has blessed me for this 300 billion and because we don't have a solutions thinking mindset or problem solving mindset we we have a singular mindset of me Me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me me. I take that 300 billion and I make sure that it sorts me out not just for my generation but for generations to come cuz I've never understood >> how you can have a budget of 300 billion and is of you to just take 10%.
>> You take everything. I I've never related to that.
>> But when you understand the mindset of the average Nigerian, start with the average Nigerian. Yeah. and you understand how we think, what we have been taught, what we believe, then it makes sense that when I end up in a position and I see money I'm not supposed that I'm not supposed to be used for something, I believe God has blessed me. There's no thinking there.
There is just entitlement.
I hope it makes sense.
>> I actually agree with you.
>> Okay? Because I think if you're in trouble, I will gladly jump into that trouble.
Why did you return to this country?
>> A very um uh I've told a lot of people that it was heartbreak that brought me to uh Nigeria. Uh brought me back to Nigeria. Uh but to be quite honest with you, it was it was a combination of a lot of things.
Um I never wanted to come back.
16 years after age 16 in the UK. I've gone through six form. I've gone through uh um I've worked a year at the same time I was working. I forgot. Sorry. I did I went to go to college as well.
Just took an extra course. Went to university. I grew up with some amazing people. We finished university.
I'm hustling. I'm trying to get a job. I have great friends I play poker with and I kept that poker game going for years.
um the love of my life is in the UK and my dad then has launched a business and he wants me to come and help him like nah I need to sort my life out you know and um and I didn't go and help him and eventually I think he had to take a loan had to sell that business that's a discussion for another day um and then he packed everything up and retired But luckily for me, by the time he retired, God had started blessing me. So I made sure that my parents I found out what my dad's salary was um when he was working at Wamco and found out what my mom was on. And God had blessed me so much. I think I was paying about double that amount cuz I wanted my parents to live like they never retired, >> you know. So that was a good thing for me. Uh, one of the things that I I'm I'm very joy joyful of and I'll never forget the day I'm diverting quickly. I'll never forget the day I think my dad was telling me or correcting me and he said, "I have to be careful how I correct you now because you are the one that's feeding us." And I said, "Daddy, I beg you with God's name.
I am where I am because of you. Don't ever say you cannot correct me." M >> I said if you like carry belt beat me n every month I'll continue to make sure you okay you know so that was a very emotional one for me but let's go back to why I left so um a friend of mine was doing something in Nigeria he called me up and asked me to help um I did and in doing that what I did was seen by a major um financial institution and they wanted me to come and do digital transformation in Nigeria. So I came did it and I found myself coming back and forth to Niger. I told I'm not coming without 24/7 lights because at that point 24/7 light was not what do you call it? So I was staying at inter intercontinental 12 for a year and um I started to experience no actually I didn't I didn't experience Nigeria because all I would do is stay in that hotel, go to Marina and come back you know that's all I would do. Um but as time went on I started to explore.
Friends started to talk to me and saying why you staying in a hotel that money you spend on that hotel. You can save money and buy a house. That's how I got my first house. You know put the deposit down 10 million and then between between within a year I believe it was a year and a half I'd already paid it. first property was in Saka London 50 million naira and I made that first 10 million and um uh prestigious home was the one that sold that property to me today ak um akitah and that guy uh he and that's why I keep saying that I don't think it's just heartbreak cuz that guy insulted me you know may God give you people that will tell you to your face what you think is great and show you a better life um I was making a million a year in the UK uh in revenue. Well, after tax and everything, I was struggling to go home with 150,000. And it just wasn't making sense to me. You know, you can't see that much money as a Nigerian and like like 80% of it to 85% of it is gone to the institution.
>> Yeah. And then only that amount that the Nigerian in me did not like that. The capitalist in me did not like that. So and I knew that it wasn't sustainable as well um because um the general who knows the future cannot lose the war but the general who creates the future has already won the war. So I always like to look into the future to identify where I am going to be you know where the future is going so I can align myself and when I looked at what my company what I was doing there and I looked at the future I looked at AI cuz I was running a tech company I was running a training company uh helping I was responsible for helping over 10,000 Nigerians secure jobs in Nigeria within the tech space a lot of people in Nigeria in the UK sorry in the UK a lot of people in the UK right now who are staying in their house day and loving the job that they are doing owe it to me. I was running career insights.
Then if people go on YouTube and type in DBT awards, Delta Bravo Tango Awards from 2018 to 20 you will 20 uh 2020 2020 I be 2018 2014 to 2018 you will see the thousands of people's lives have changed and um and that was a good business. I was making very good money from it. I was very happy about it but I wasn't happy about the tax man taking all of my money. So I now found out about I started coming to Nigeria >> you know as a result of that contract and then um I stayed in the hotel obviously and a year in the hotel I realized that hold a second and I think when I got my property I didn't want to stay in a hotel so akin gave me a shortlet to stay at >> it was the worst short I've ever experienced in my life in fact it wasn't called shortlet then it was called a guest house or whatever it is and I had to go and borrow microwave I have to go and borrow is and I was like and I'm coming from a hotel lifestyle. I thought, you know what? When I get my place, I'm going to make sure it has fivestar hotel amenities. And so, as soon as I got my place and I finished it, guess what happens? My contract ends. So, now the property is useless to me.
>> But my friends are coming to Lagos, decide to stay with me. They're looking at my place and they're thinking, "Wow, this is amazing." So, you see the look and feel of shortlets you see today.
Yeah.
They call me the godfather of shortlet because everybody started copying the same design.
>> It has evolved obviously and um in those days you have what you call agents and they will take your property at um >> they'll take your property they'll tell you that they can give you >> 40k for it. They'll go and sell it at 80k 90k who's paying the do you get my point? So now I'm sitting here and I'm thinking to myself my friends are staying in my place. They love it.
They have their friends come and stay there in Lagos. They're like, "Wow, this place is amazing." As soon as they leave, guess who calls to book it? Their friends in Lagos. Oh, and they stayed there a week. That was where domestic vacation rental was born.
Then COVID hit and people couldn't stay in hotels and people were stuck.
>> So they were looking for a place that was a home away from home.
>> And then the market was born. I created short homes. I bought more properties.
My friends bought more properties. Go making £30,000 a year. sometimes 40,000 pounds a year before that 2020 before that covid because we because we had already acquired a lot of properties >> and it was beautiful that was when the real estate market in Nigeria bmed and every developer started selling shortlets in fact most developers would tell you this is your rental income and my friends blame me they think that it is me that exposed this market to the whole of Nigeria uh that if I hadn't done that that the market will still be good because it's saturated now.
It was a trade-off because from the telling everybody about it, I was able to raise billions of Naira to build Gwa Gardens. I was able to raise billions of Naira to start Canalia and I was able to raise so it was a trade-off for me, you know, and I don't I don't feel I don't regret it. The matter was going to die anyway.
>> Sorry to anybody that's offended by that.
>> Yeah. But the truth of the matter is that it's it's it's it's going to die.
But it's also evolving.
>> And like I said, the general that knows the future cannot lose the war. The general that creates the future has already won the war. Same way I saw in the UK that AI was going to take off take away all of my training >> opportunities and I realized that there was a limit to what I can do. 2020 I realized that I need to look to Nigeria because I'm seeing this opportunity coming in and I and I'm seeing the God forgive me. I'm seeing the benefit of doing business in Nigeria. Look, I'm going to say this and I don't care if anybody gets angry in what I say because the truth is the truth.
Anybody doing business in Nigeria that doesn't think that politics is part and parcel of their success in doing business in Nigeria have no business doing business in Nigeria. A lot of people are angry that oh you supporting Tonobu is a traitor. Oh is a this. What do you want me to do?
What exactly do you want me to do? You want me to what? join you and point the finger at the very person that can snap a finger and everything I've worked out for is gone. Are you going to feed me after that? Are you going to take care of my children? Are you going to send my children to private school? Uh, no.
You can call me and I will willingly accept the phrase ACC for identifying the policies that benefit my business and how politics would affect me positively or negatively and put me in a position to identify opportunities I can capitalize on so that I create a sustainable and viable business that is profitable for myself and my investors.
I never told anybody I was a charity.
Neither did I tell anybody I was Jesus Christ. I personally think, and this is me being honest, while my dad I'm 100% confident that that man is in heaven.
When I pray at night and I talk to God, I tell my dad to please prepare a lawyer for me on my own day of judgment because 99.9% I've come to the acceptance that I'm going to hell if it exist. I have no doubt about that because there are things that I do that warrant hellfire. I just think that there's a different level of hell. For example, I cannot be in the same place that Hitler is. I need a lawyer for that. I hope it makes sense. Yeah, there's a limit to what I don't know if you get where I'm coming from. One of my biggest sins, I like woman too much. I cannot be burning in eternal fire because I like woman too much.
Do you understand? I didn't kill anybody. Yeah. Even the woman that I like too much, I take care of every single one. So why should I burn in fire because of that? I need a lawyer for that. I hope it makes sense. Yeah. So now my method of thinking at this point in time will offend a lot of people that are extremely religious because at the end of the day you are not the one that's going to judge me. It is it is Baba God. Ba. Yeah. And I guarantee you, you see the person that's pointing finger at me, he'll be right next to me, behind me on that judgment day, preparing for his own judgment. Do do you get? So really and truly um I came to a conclusion that we are judged by our deeds.
Love your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. That is a principle I live by. Now, by living by that principle, um I build my business solely based on that as well, I will never invest in something I'm not willing to put my money into.
And that's why I can look my investor in the face who has probably invested with me for the last 3 4 years and has got ordinary return and I'll tell him wait.
Why? Cuz my money is there as well. The only difference is you put money in, you can carry on with your life. I'm stuck cuz I have to make it work. There's both sweat equity and money. And if you insult me, I will insult you back. Why?
Cuz part of what you paid me wasn't to disrespect me. And that's why a lot of people get offended because there's an entitlement of I gave you I can be talking to his investors like that. No, I can talk to you in the same level of respect that you give me and if you disrespect me, I will disrespect you back. Why? Because you gave me x amount of money doesn't mean you have a right to disrespect me, you know. And unfortunately, that has affected me >> in um in business. You know, some people say, "I don't want to do business with that guy. I don't want him to insult."
I've had somebody send somebody to come and invest in my business. I was like, "Oh, can I be No, I don't want to meet that guy. I like what he does, but I do not want that guy to insult me."
So, I've I've had situations like that, you know, and um if we can I' I've lost track. I've lost track. Bring me back. I want to bring you back. Don't worry, we'll come back. So, so now so to to to to me I came to realization that okay I've built this short business is doing very well um it is now covid period and everybody is staying in my properties and people because people couldn't go out they couldn't do parties so people are now having house parties in shortlets so we've identified this huge opportunity and I am telling everybody that they should buy more properties so that we can do more shortlets and I'm now deciding to go into construction myself and then somewhere along the line 2020 at this point I'm doing 9 months in the UK 3 months in Nigeria and in the process of that I find out that I'm having a child >> that's my first child at uh in year 2020 and so my life changes actually no my life didn't change at that point and I'm going to be honest and very direct I wasn't expecting a child. I didn't plan for the child. So, I blocked and deleted, you know, cuz but I didn't ask you for it. Do you understand? And I just come out of a relationship that broke me to pieces.
And and um >> so um I'm I'm not ready for this.
And that's why you have to respect Nigerians and their resourcefulness.
And more importantly, you have to respect a Nigerian woman.
If you know what's good for you, >> if you know what's good for you. How this lovely, amazing lady found my mother till today. Baffles me.
My mother calls me up. KG you out of wedlock.
I don't know if he's mine. Don't worry about that. At this part, I'm 40ome.
>> Which mother? My dad's late. I'm the only son. Which mother will not be excited. I'm like, "Mommy is not my own.
I don't know." I said, "Okay."
>> Story story.
Behind my back, my mother is looking after her. providing for her, taking care of her.
I show up in Lagos in November.
April was the last time I came.
>> And again, came back in November.
>> Remember at this time I spent very more time in the UK.
>> Yeah.
>> So I mean I mean um I mean um I've been told that my child has been born and um I don't believe is my child. and I hear that they are in my mom's house to do ecom >> to do naming. I'm like I called the doctor get me d then let's go. So I eventually show up there and um yeah uh you will never understand what a child does to you as a man. Now I've entered that place. I don't know is that my child? Soon as I see that child, I see the mother holding the child.
The doctor shows up with one long big syringes that was h I I kid you not. I don't do that. I like are you going to put that injection? No, no, no, no.
Don't do that. So, we didn't take the DNA thing, you know, cuz I just felt she's too small. I thought you supposed to take the hill or something. Said, "No, we do this is better." I said, "No, no, no. I'm not interested."
And um that was that was it. I saw that child.
>> You knew?
>> Knew what?
>> You knew that that child was yours. Or you didn't.
>> What? What was going through your mind?
>> Oh, she looked exactly like my mom. But um I I I I think it was more of a connection.
>> So when you say I knew the child was mine, I don't know. I think it's uh I think for us men there's no maternal instinct.
I think it's more responsibility and accountability and automatically I think what kicks in for us men is I have to protect this child. I have this is my future now. This is the extension of the gua legacy. And so whether I knew whether she was my child or not and I'm going somewhere with this >> wasn't the issue at the point in time.
It was this child might be mine and now I'm responsible for bringing another gua into this world and a lot of things. I was overwhelmed by a lot of things.
Now I am not ashamed to say this.
I was making decisions based on my capacity to take care of myself.
When my daughter was born, I started making decisions on the next four generations >> and I risk taking my ability to take risk exploded.
I'm buying properties and turning them to shortlet. I come from a computer science background. That's what I studied. Digital marketing, digital transformation. I'm a tech guy. Bloody good in marketing. I'm really good at creating products, digital products. I have no idea what construction is about.
I do have an idea about running a business >> and identifying an opportunity in terms of the shortlet market. And my plan is to buy more properties and do more shortlets and basically take the take the business to become the largest shortlet brand in Nigeria.
But I'm seeing this child and my ability to look into the future, my ability to identify what's going to work, what's not going to work, everything is amplified. It's like a superpower, you know. And I see the death of shortlet in 2020.
as soon as my daughter was born and I held her in my hand because I'm now making decisions based on tomorrow and based on not her future alone but her generation next two three generations um um um a man who does not leave an inheritance for his children's children is an imbecile is scriptural that has always stayed with me so all of a sudden that's how I'm thinking and so I'm thinking Then what are the business decisions I can make that even if halfway through I drop dead generational wise this child is sorted and her children are sorted and this might mark the first of many children and so I will never forget the day I'm sitting at May one of my apartments box me apartments in VI >> and I see these customers come and they come and start swimming and I sit down with them and it's a family and they said oh I asked them oh why are you here and they said oh um because normally it's what I have booking short is not families do you get my point >> so I'm like why so hus get away from the hustle and bustle of Lagos you know Monday to Friday I just wanted to bring the family to VI let them shop around and then there's nothing to do in Nigeria So just cooling off in the pool was okay.
Nothing to do in Nigeria. Yeah. Nothing to do for the kids. True.
I Google Google. I was like what? The business of children does not exist in Nigeria.
>> K. If you're going to do this thing, you need to make sure the barrier to entry is near impossible.
You need to make sure that technologically, financially, operationally it's almost impossible for another person to jump into it so that you can monetize this thing for the next 50, 60, 100 years as long as you focus on maintenance culture and what is that thing. So I go and do my research and I start with two companies. I start with Disney and the history of Disney and how they monetize. They basically found out that the key to the future was monetizing products for children as low as as you know the Mickey Mouse we watch.
>> When we grow up and become parents, what are we buying for our children? Mickey Mouse, >> the Spider-Man we grow up loving. When we grow up, what we going to the cinema to watch and taking the kids to watch the merchandise >> and all of that stuff? Disneyland. You now learn about the story of how the theme park, all those characters now turn into a theme park. Basically, anything that brings thrills and excitement and memories and involves the family. There's a reason why all these cartoon movies, all these Disney music, those Pixar movies make five times, six times that normal movies. Why? Because while I will take myself or just myself and my girlfriend to the movies, mom, dad, two kids, >> two for the price are going to the cinema and after that they're buying merchandise. After that, they're buying this. They do partnership with McDonald's. They do partner with all these um burger and all these things and they're making billions. And I looked at Nigeria and I said it's not in existence. Let's go and build a water park.
Now, who got me that land?
Take a guess >> where the water park is. Got me the land. Take a guess.
>> Water park.
>> Yes. Giard is my water park.
My dad >> with you.
>> I was I was going I was scanning through the names of politician.
>> No.
>> Um I can comfortably say this and I will say this with a full chest. I have never been bankrolled. I have raised the value of our portfolio in terms of cost is 42 billion naira in terms of valuation is around 95 billion naira and I can comfortably say this right now let EFCC anybody come and investigate I have never been bankrolled by any godfather by any politician in fact the politicians stay away from me from what I hear I bet you I don't >> it's not all right you know so I can never unfortunately be within that polit do I engage politicians to identify policies that can help my business that can and to build relationships like with Lego state tourism and stuff yes I do but am I getting somebody giving me x amount they stay away from me and I think It's because who the heck likes a loud mouth and who the heck likes somebody who says it as it is >> and this guy he doesn't look as if he can bend like this you know and the truth of the matter yeah is I will say it again I'm a CC I don't like prison I will talk so I would rather I will point to the because why it doesn't so I would rather honestly build my name build my business and not have to worry about somebody my knocking on my door >> and somebody bundling me to prison I I hope you understand >> clean heart so people ask me ki how do you sleep at night with all these investors money that you have taken to build all these And to be honest with you, go and Google my name, Kiguwa.
There are a few investors that are angry that they've not gotten their money back. And people tell me that, oh, I should be nice and polite. Polite about what? You have gone to go and destroy my name online because you can't get your money from me. And I should be polite to you for what? Did I steal your money?
How do you sleep well at night? Very well.
I go to bed, I dream, and I wake up and I continue my work. And I go to bed, I dream. I don't have habitations.
Does that mean I'm heartless? No.
Every single money that has been given to me, I can't point to where it is. And by the time you do your valuation, you see that plenty of my own money is in it, if not more. And when you look at the valuation of the of what we have invested in is more than double what it was.
>> What we haven't gotten to is a point of liquidation of 100% capital. And it's understandable. Water pack takes seven years to be profitable. Oh yeah, but Ki, you promised us that we're going to get rid. What am I supposed to tell you?
Well, the business is going to fail.
I will give you projections and I will tell you that we should do well by this time and that time. But I'm sorry I didn't know about the Niger factor.
>> The Tesla investors waited forever for the best Tesla.
>> This is understandable. Amazon waited 10 years. But unfortunately and let me be honest with you that water park should and it not should are very successful.
We made 1.1 billion in the first year.
Yeah. Now I can throw this out there.
Why? Because it's in the paper as I pay my taxes. So it's in it's in the tax record. I pay my taxes you know and the second year roughly the same and my council sort that well confirm that. So we are making money but our cost of running >> is not a joke and it's okay. It's our first two years but guess what? We're still paying 10% return.
>> So if somebody comes and tells me that I just want my money back you've tied my money down for too long.
We built we raised money 2021. We built 2022 to 2023. We're not expected to collect a dime around that time. We opened 2024 bearing in mind we were shut down because there was an incident and we spent 500 million to get back up and the reputation of building that was a different buggy mentality. Then 20 2024 we paid off debt 2025 we paid 10% return that's a pretty good business for water park lei party villa the six villas we have same thing 10% return the land that we bought for 800 million naira now that land is bought 5 billion naira we're building 86 units the guys that bought their unit at $100,000 is now $480,000 the guys that bought their three bed at um $150,000 is now $750,000 on completion will be at least 1.7 something million because it's overlooking a qualantic city 4 minutes from uh into aic city. So by proxy accessibility and prox um and uh connectivity by proxy and also your target audience your oceanfront customers unfortunately are not going to be your average Nigerians.
They're going to be your diplomats.
They're going to be your Nigerians in diaspora and they'll be happy to pay in dollars.
So we've built a huge portfolio that we can be proud of. The largest water park in West Africa.
So unfortunately I will not be comfortable if somebody calls me a scam.
>> Uh I think yesterday somebody posted something saying that um I think he did say something about a scam and I just >> Is that the the lady in the US?
>> Yeah. Well no that one is different.
That one is press. That one is press uh put something in the in the in the this was on my page yesterday. Put something I think it's said something about >> something to do with 419 or Oh, no. He said zero integrity >> and I clicked on his profile page. Yeah.
Because I'm a bit combative in that respect.
>> I clicked on his profile page >> as soon as some people saw that. And I'm a stubborn goat. Everybody says that.
And um my people, my board members are already don't reply. Don't reply. Call him. Call him. Call him. Don't engage. Don't engage. Don't engage.
I don't listen. I'm already I just clicked on the guy's page. Guess the first two pictures. I see him at the water park.
Guess the second picture. I see him and friends at the water park. I read the caption. He's selling tickets. IS A RESELLER.
SO, >> OH GOD.
>> I'M LIKE, what on earth is going on? And so I said, it is not possible that you are a stakeholder and an investor and you are badmounting your own business that you own is not possible.
And at tomorrow, I'm going to create content and put your picture there.
So you have to appreciate that that brings me back to what I was trying to say to you earlier.
>> We don't understand delayed gratification.
We don't understand longsuffering which is part of love. We don't understand seed time, harvest time. We understand hope which is not a strategy.
We want to be promised the world. We have been Why? Why do you think pyramid schemes are such a successful?
>> Let me tell you a secret. Are you aware that 99% of Nigerians that do this pyramid scheme know it's a scam?
>> From the get go.
>> Yes, they know it's a scam. They are owning.
>> At least I assume it's a scam because it will always get to a point of saturation.
>> I'm telling you that there are people that know it is a scam. They've come to the strategy of let me be among the first. Let me get paid.
Why? Because we are we have accepted corruption as the norm is a is very fabric of I think it's an embed endemic is the very fabric of who we are and that is why like I will never forget the period where um I think it was young boys in my properties a while back and um they used to pack the nice nice cars you know with no plate numbers and ESC came and raided my entire estate and innocent people were being scared parents and everything. So I came out and said mm- stop this I will show you where these Yahoo boys live >> one by one >> this one is family people please leave them alone but you see that one over there you see those cars we don't play no way they are there they are there they are there then I went online and I said you young boys better stay away from my properties because you're bringing a bad name to Hey, I thought I was doing a good thing. I thought Nigerians would praise me and say, "Ah, this is a good citizen." I became public enemy number one. If you read the comments, >> traitor this that that I didn't know that you don't report Yahwoo boys.
>> You have made your own money. You want to >> Yeah, you have made your own money. You want to come and >> from fraudulently >> if you see how my staff were threatening left, right, and center. Apparently, they were looking for me to go. My my friends had to call me and say, "That's our guy. Don't touch that guy."
>> Hey, so that was where I had to retract and adjust.
I hope you understand where I'm coming from. So, unfortunately, we our mindset, >> we need a recalibration. We need a renewing of our mind. We keep hearing this in church every time. Renew your mind. Renew your mind. It's going in here, coming out there. You know we need a renewal of our mind because our expectation is instant gratification and that is why we don't understand and I'll come back to the new the current policies of the government. Me I thrive in chaos.
I pray now this is going to get controversial but please follow me here.
Whether Nigeria gets better or doesn't get better, I'm perfectly okay. In fact, I'm banking on it not getting better.
Your prayer is different from my prayer.
If you say may God um may God make If you say may God give um let me look at something that is I'm trying to find something so I don't I don't say something I was supposed to say. Basically let me just rephrase this. You can be praying for something and I and you be saying in Jesus name and I'll say I reject it in Jesus name.
You can be saying isah. Yeah. And I can reject that. Why? Because the truth of the matter is woman's food is another man's poison.
I thrive in the chaos, in the disaster.
I drive in Nigeria not getting better.
I thrive in everything that is wrong with Nigeria.
It is in my interest for things not to get better.
So at this point in time, I'm public enemy number one to the average Nigerian. But follow me here.
Nothing made me happier. He did buy ban visas and katan ban visas for Nigerians.
I even went and prayed and fasted that it remains permanent.
Now you would ask me why, right? I have an idea.
>> If you can't travel out for leisure, if you can't travel carry your family out for leisure >> and Dubai, Dubai is where we all going.
Yeah.
>> Mhm.
>> Sh you will not look within for something to do with your family.
>> Somebody who can create Dubai light or something. Thank you. So I now take my team to Dubai.
I tell them to record the water park in Dubai. I paid about 3 something million naira for their tickets. No, no, sorry.
2 something million naira each for their tickets. There were two of them. So about almost 5 million naira. Their hotel was almost the same 5 million naira. That's about 10 million naira.
Two people. Then the ticket to the uh to um the water park in Dubai, I can't remember the name now, was 375K minus food per person.
So then they had to eat and everything.
But I I think we spent roughly around almost 11 something million naira for roughly 12. Yeah, roughly 12 million.
And I recorded a video and then I recorded Kiwa Gardens.
I went to Abuja Sunrise Water Park. I recorded that one as well and I said we have our own Dubai in Nigeria built for families.
Why spend 10 million naira or more for a family of five when ticket is as low as 25k and you can drive and enjoy yourself recreational experiences for family without the hassle of the flight ticket without the hassle of the hotel without the hassle of the visa and I promoted that all around 2024 work closely with Los State Tourism in Time out magazine Lagos was the 50th I think the 40 something or 50th cities to visit and if you go and see it Giwa Gardens was mentioned CNBC mentioned us and we became the recreational and family tourism experience both domestically and internationally in Nigeria. All of a sudden, every Nigerian that was coming to Nigeria wanted to go to Giwa Gades and as they went and they were doing their videos, they were sharing it and people were saying it was amazing. It's the best experience ever.
So when I now find out that cuz Dubai banned before then Kat joined, I was the happiest man on earth. Why?
because that is a huge percentage of the tourism market that I can now have and I can have I have a competitive advantage in that respect.
>> So why would I pray that Dubai should b leave the visa? As you are praying that prayer, I'm rejecting it because it makes my business more successful.
>> The community is praying that there be no more deaths in their community. The casket maker will not say amen.
>> Mhm.
>> Yeah. Exactly. No, no, but that's the reality. Let me explain something to you that will probably shock you and this is the truth and we have evidence of it in the western world.
The day Nigeria becomes prosperous and there's distribution of income, churches will be dead 100%. And we have we have we have enough case study of it in the UK in the US in all over Europe.
The moment the UK decided that they will have even distribution of income, they will have free healthcare, they will have free accommodation. The moment 90 something% of people's problems were taken away, people didn't need to pray as much anymore. What are we praying for most times here?
We're praying for security.
Do you get my point? Yeah.
>> We're praying for I'll give you an example. I cycle I cycle a lot.
When I offended somebody, me I stopped cycling.
There was somebody I've offended. Yeah.
And then somebody just said out of gesture that oh do you remember so so and so was cycling and then the car hit them and it would most likely he just hit me that ah this person offended what if they so I stopped cycling.
You get >> Yeah.
Now when I now started cycling again, guess what I did before I went to cycle? You had to wake up. No, I went on my knees.
I started praying. I mean, see, I've never been more prayerful. It was when I came to Nigeria that I understood prayer.
I didn't pray in the UK. I I don't pray.
Pray for what? What am I praying for?
Most of the time I'm solving problems myself. What I do is I'm in gratitude to God and I ask God for direction. It is in Nigeria that I pray. And you see in business there is you must have your your marketing strategy. You must have your technological strategy. You must have your sales strategy. You must have your operational strategy. Yeah. You know what you must also have? You must have your spiritual strategy.
>> Now it sounds like a joke.
chars exist in Nigeria.
You will never hear me say that ever.
Do you get? But you see, when things are not normal and it doesn't make sense that it's not normal, you have no choice than to pray.
I hope you understand. Now when you now start being extremely prayerful over things that are simple common sense, it becomes an addiction because it now becomes the easiest thing to do rather than thinking your way out of the problem. I don't you're with me.
To me, I've I've I've come to the realization that the the it's not necessarily a it's not necessarily a situation of we can we can just get by. We can just hope that things get better.
We have to be intentional. We have to be deliberate. And we have to identify the factors, the culture, the mindset that drives the essence of everything that we do, our business. And unfortunately you would now come to realization that you must because of the lack of certain infrastructure certain benefits that will put you in a position where you don't have to worry about what certain you have to pray for certain things. we become extremely prayerful for those things and that is because those things are not readily they're not basic amenities basic normal things for us if I fall sick right now in Nigeria my heart is pounding the one thing I always tell people the one thing I don't ever want to happen to me in Nigeria is to fall is to get into an accident a car accident where I need blood transfusion or need to rush to hospital it's in prayer do you understand why Now why we're very prayerful. The next thing is I don't want to um So that that one is one.
>> Yeah. Uh the next thing you don't want is a situation where you I've seen I've seen a my dad how he died. He was on his way to the UK as thing he celebrates with us.
>> Next thing I know he's we've spoken.
He's on his way. Next thing I know he's not at the airport. What's going on?
Yeah. They take a while to call me. When they finally call me, my dad's dead.
What happened? Who poisoned?
>> Wow.
>> Yeah. Taken to the hospital. On that day, he was taken to the hospital. It was a Sunday.
He shouldn't be dead. It's ordinary food poisoning. But do you know why he died?
>> Tell me.
>> Take a guess.
Um, >> all the qualified doctors were in charge.
Oh, good lord.
>> On a Sunday.
>> That's not funny.
>> That's why you will never find me in a church in Nigeria cuz that definitely breaks me all the time, not one qualified doctor on a Sunday because this set of people felt the need to go and worship God.
on the day when there should have been one qualified doctor on duty.
Now you want to tell me that when that man gets on his knees and praise to God, whoever was supposed to be on duty on that day gets on his knees and praise to God, God is going to say, "Yeah, well done, mate.
Well done for coming to church instead of being at work."
You You get my point?
>> I get you.
>> Yeah.
>> I have no issue with religion.
>> Yeah. I have an issue with responsibility. I have an issue with accountability. I have an issue with us using hope to exploit Nigerians.
And I have an issue with us not thinking for a change.
I don't know if you're with me. I totally understand.
>> Yeah. So when I look at how my dad died >> is most painful experience ever. Why?
Because that's the moment my um that was the period where me and my dad were getting close.
I spent most part of my life hating this man. Grown up.
Take your time.
Take your time.
Okay. Sorry. Um, sorry.
So grown up understanding and accepting what he was trying to teach me.
Made a complete success out of myself based on the integrity he taught me.
And finally he's extremely proud.
We launched the awards night where thousands of people celebrated him the year before he died and um he was coming back again to just to the next award and um yeah he just didn't make it.
67 I think 68 67 healthy man I've seen nothing wrong and um yeah so um forgive me if I get very angry when I see um huge thank you very much forgive me if I see I get very angry when I see Forgive me when I get very angry. When I see huge buildings that can sit 10, 20,000 people, but I don't see factories that give thousands of people jobs. I don't see data center. I see us selling hope but not selling solutions, you know. And um one thing I have as a general rule in my company, if you make mistakes, say if you make the mistake of saying um God will provide, I'll sack you instantly. Now, does that mean I don't believe in God? No. 110% I believe in God.
Yeah, I believe in God.
Um either way, religion is man's way of getting close to God. So everyone is justified. Christianity, Muslims, all justified. You know what I will not tolerate is that some he gave two talents, some he gave five talents, some he gave 10 talents. Each according to their own ability. The one that took his talent and hid it. Even what he had was taken away from him. But the one that put his talent to work received more. Yeah.
Faith without works is dead.
So don't come and tell me God will provide or God will without you coming up with your brain thinking up a solution.
Then say let God bless the works of our hand. Let God direct our part.
I hope you're with me. So yeah, I get extremely um testy. I get extremely um um angry and offended. And it has helped me in my company. Has helped my employees. I mean one of the consequences of really empowering and changing the mindset of my employees is that they leave and Japa most of them you know you can't blame them but here is why I say that um they should cancel all visas now when I said that every Nigerian got angry and I still stand by it I stand by it 110% and why it's Um, you can't keep leaving the farm and expect that you will come to harvest.
It's not possible. So, yeah, let's all go to the greener pastures. I've done it, right? We all go to the greener pastures, but we should stop complaining about a terrible Nigeria. I think I find it very disrespectful and insulting when Nigerians in diaspora say that Nigeria is corrupt. Nigeria is this, the government is this. No, shut your mouth.
If you have a problem, come home and do something about it. If you can't stay where you are.
So, I think it's a blessing that the rest of the world are starting to have a nationalist mindset and they are saying out with the immigrants.
We too should have a nationalist mindset. make our own better and we too should say out with the immigrants.
You have South Africa over there. What they're doing is wrong. It doesn't make any sense. But they love the country so much that even if what they're doing is wrong, you can see the patriotic side of it, you know. So where is our own patriotism for our own country?
And I personally believe that if we have nowhere else to go, we'll be forced to either settle for less or demand more more. And if today all Nigerians in diaspora wake up and they find themselves deported with all that knowledge, with all that wisdom, exposure, >> with all that exposure, with all that experience, yeah, it will be hard, but give us 10 years, we'll be somewhere else.
It's worked everywhere else.
It has worked everywhere else.
So I agree with us waking up one day and realize that our ability to leave the country is near impossible.
I agree with us realizing that we cannot leave and hold our own government to account because this is our home.
And I believe that we wake up one day and realize that Rome wasn't built in a day and we're just going to have to stick it. True. We're going to have to go through the hard times and make it work. So when people ask me, "What do I see in the current government that makes me support them?" I'm not nobody's paying me any money. I'm not getting a dime from anybody. Like I said, politically, I don't think I have a career because I just don't fit in.
But I see the policies that work for me and my business and I see a future that is very bright. While people point at a Nigeria that is not working, I look at what Nigeria can be and I invest in what that Nigeria can be. And what do I mean by that?
Even though the data is disastrous in it lies the opportunities.
Now explain. Let me explain.
We say that um we say that um the vast majority the vast majority of Nigerians are living in poverty.
That's fantastic news to me because that means that there are a huge amount of opportunities available and projects that can be embarked on to lift Nigerians out of poverty. That's a huge business opportunity right there. And we should be working with the government to come up with initiatives that enables us to do that. We say we have a housing deficit in Nigeria. Oh, that a lot of people cannot afford places to live in Lagos. I think Lacos should become extremely unaffordable. I think rent in Leki, for example, should be like 40 million naira for a fourbedroom.
Well, forgive me, I'm already collecting that. But um I think I think I think it should be like that. Why? Why do you have to live in Leki?
Affordable home requires affordable land.
You can't expect me to buy land at a very expensive amount and come and build affordable home on it. The coastal road has been done. Worst case scenario, it will take you 30 minutes, 45 minutes from wherever you're coming from around the area. Let the government provide developers like me with land. Give us the land and we will build affordable homes there.
that the government provide a mortgage system in which we have it guaranteed and backed by the government. So governmentbacked mortgage or governmentbacked loan and then let the average Nigerian who has a job and can prove that he can pay his mortgage be able to buy a house in this location and because through coastal road can drive down to work and go back let the super rich stay where they are.
So it is in my interest for Lagos to be unaffordable.
The way I'm thinking is very different from how another person would think.
So a lot of times because we are surface dwellers, we don't deep dive. We don't deep think. We hear something boom and we assume that that guy is mad. No, I'm not mad. I believe that every single every single visa application in terms of jacking should be denied.
And I have my reasons for saying that.
Doesn't mean that you shouldn't travel.
I think you should be able to travel. I think you should be able to study. But as soon as you're done, get back to Nigeria.
There should be a limitation on that.
Why? Cuz once you're forced now, I have clear evidence of when this happened and Nigeria prospered. A lot of people don't know about that period. I was around then 2014, 15, 16, 17 fintech.
>> Do you know what happened around that time? Once again, people forget that there was a time around that time where everybody had to return back from the UK because they the the British people the the they refused to renew the visa >> and what did they bring their skill set all of a sudden what did we have opening all around we had tech hubs opening all around the exposure we had gotten the places we had worked we were able to tap in here ora I think that was all these places came up and they had the fintech. How do you think it happened? How do you think I got here?
How did I come here? You think? So, I'm I'm talking from a place of experience.
I'm I'm not I'm not just talking and and and I've not done it. I've done it. I've left everything in the UK. I was making a million pounds. My profit was around £200,000. I had to make a decision to let that thing go and come and invest in Nigeria. So I've I put my money where my mouth is.
I now spend 9 months to 10 months in Nigeria compared to UK. And guess what I am?
If I had stayed in the UK like a lot of my friends now that their salaries have been halfed >> in the UK.
Some of them will never finish paying their mortgage.
that house that they bought before years ago. They've had to remortgage because the economy is not smiling.
Nobody's guaranteed old age and nobody's guaranteed sustainable wealth. Anything can happen at any point in time.
A lot of people in the UK right now in 20 years time in fact 20 years is too much. In 10 years time when they are looking towards retirement will have zero savings, zero pension and they won't have paid off their house.
It will look as if they shouldn't have left Nigeria in the first place. But do you know what's going to happen to those people when Nigerians in diaspora who have failed to invest in Nigeria visit Nigeria for now let's use Lagos Abuja in two or three years time they won't be able to live in what we call prime locations.
Why? Because as bad as things may be right now, we are experiencing the birth pain of a prosperous Nigeria.
And I can tell you that firsthand.
What do I mean by that?
This morning, I got a call Somebody's looking for a two-bedroom UVI. $500,000 to $700,000 is their budget.
Why?
If you like, stay stay in the US. Stay in the UK. See, there are some smarter other foreigners, diplomats, experts that are making a fortune in Nigeria.
>> I was sitting down next to a lady yesterday, Chinese lady.
She was on a call to at least 20 30 farmers. When you go get that rice, speaking our pigeon, when you go get that rice ready, I need this bag and coordinating the whole thing and getting them to send it to the port.
You would have seen a huge influx of foreign nationals in Iiko now in VI now.
You see tons of highrises jumping all around. What do you think is going on?
Yes, things are hard. It is expected to be hard once you've removed the subsidy.
Do I hope that the money is distributed well and we focus on infrastructure and all the things that can develop Niger? I do. I really do. But one thing is for sure um if that subsidy wasn't removed and certain policies were not made will be bankrupt. Nigerians should go and read. Nigerians should read. They should read. They should try it for a change.
Stop listening to social media and what social media is saying. Go and do your research.
My land that I bought for 800 million is worth 5 billion now.
Do you know why it's worth 5 billion?
Take a guess.
The very thing that we hate about Nigeria is why my land is worth 5 billion. Guess why.
>> Yeah.
Amongst everything depending on your location.
>> No.
>> Okay. Amongst everything I'm I'm I'm thinking >> um currency uh petroleum subsidy. There is a um there is a um there is a dango refinery.
>> I'm I'm thinking somewhere in that triangle. No, don't answer that.
>> No speculation.
speculation >> promise of tomorrow.
The coastal road is coming there. Sorry, the coastal road is coming there.
The coastal road is done.
We are 4 minutes away from Equalantic City.
>> Oh, by the way, they selling property in Equal City for $700,000 now.
Land is now $2,000 per square meter and it's 4 minutes away. Ah, this place let us make it 2 million naira per square meter J speculation.
People are becoming billionaires in Nigeria based on that. Is it a bad thing? Yeah, it's a bad thing.
It's making a heck of a lot of money.
Nigeria is the one country you can blink.
Nigeria rewards courage, not intelligence.
There are too many intelligent poor people in Nigeria.
Nigeria rewards courage.
Now that courage could be corruption, somebody brave enough to steal X amount of money and willing to negotiate how much he's giving back to the AFCC, you know, or it could be identifying opportunities that nobody else can see and jumping on it, taking the bold risk to jump on it.
Now, why am I saying this? to God who made me that land.
It was the most stupid decision I ever did to buy that land. I'm telling you right now, it could have gone south.
When I bought that land, the ocean was coming to half of the land without protection.
But I done my research and they said that the coastal road is coming there and they are going to extend the wall and everything. But when it's a risk, right? But I bought it and lucky me it all happened. Now speculation has made that place worth a fortune. Now if you go further 14 minutes down the coastal road more around the Osapa area, there is Mayun estate.
Guess how much land is there for? 2 million naira per square meter.
>> Which means that if it was my 2,400 square meters, that is 2,400 * 2 million naira. So that's already this is 40 minutes away at almost 5 billion naira.
So how much would this one be which is this?
>> You see speculation.
So what makes Nigeria bad also makes Nigeria great.
I hope you you understand where I'm coming from.
>> I get you. It's to find so there's something in it.
>> Yes.
>> Um and let let me play the devil's advocate here. So your this property, you know, everything does well.
>> Mhm. um people who can afford it will live there. But they will also need the services of people who don't dare, you know, everything from drivers to security to househel cleaners and all of this. And >> that creates jobs.
>> Yeah, it creates jobs. Um but some might also say, man, how about affordability for them? How much how much >> they can travel? They can travel for have you you know Abuja, right? Yes.
>> Do you know that people travel from Nasar to Mima to work because of the accessibility?
>> Yeah, true.
>> Connectivity.
>> Most people live in in the outskirts of Niger states >> and they're not complaining.
>> Suba and all those places.
>> Yes. So we do the same thing.
>> But then transportation then becomes a thing.
>> What is difficult about that?
>> Affordability.
>> That can easily be provided. That's another business opportunity. That's another opportunity. That's why I keep telling you that anybody who is in business that's not working with the government is not serious about doing business in Nigeria. We are so ripe right now to create the next trillionaires. I'm talking about billionaires now. To create the next trillionaires if we can choose to start thinking >> Mhm.
>> rather than hoping. We're hoping that the next president will be better. No.
Look at what this president is doing now and identify how we can work for you now.
It's very important because a lot of people don't real you know shed yes that's where my water park is land there was 37,000 naira per square meter as of 2 years ago.
Take a guess how much land is just because that coaster road links directly to it now and somebody has decided to increase it by 10,000 naira every let me let me tell you something let me tell you let me tell you the power of speculation and I'm going to say this right now in fact right now I'm going to double the value of land in Shongu in front of everybody right now they are selling land in that area right now for 200,000 naira per square meter it used to be 37,000 naira per square meter. Now it's 200,000 naira per square meter. I hope you're with me.
>> Mhm.
>> However, I can make a very clear prediction that by next year if the place is not going for 500 to 700 um um um,000 naira per square meter, I'll be shocked.
>> What have I planted in your head?
500,000 naira per square meter. I'm telling you >> one agent is going to hear this right now and they're going to say Kigwa >> said because of who Kigwa is that this land will be 500 to 700,000 naira per square meter and by the way Kigwa's water park which is the largest water park in West Africa is just is in shed and is 4 minutes from the coastal road which means that you'll be attracting both international community tourism and also domestic tourism and you have access to coastal road which mean you get to city in 25 in 20 minutes and you also have the leisure over there. So everybody should start buying in shongo now and I kid you not before the end of this year will shock you. Go and check that that land I just call for 200k probably be 300 350 at the end of this year just based on this postcard we just done. The beauty of speculation driven by accessibility and connectivity within proximity driven by population density of your target audience. Yeah.
Driven by mixed use u um even um ratio of mixed use of business commercial and residential. These are indices that drive growth.
But the only place this can happen is Nigeria.
Nigeria is the only place you can wake up if you are thinking and times three of anything that you are doing because the opportunity is there.
You see where I'm coming from? You know, I'm struggling to find areas of disagreements with saying I'm really really struggling.
Um, and the way my mind is working a and people don't have to agree with everything you're saying. I mean, I don't have to.
>> However, you leap out to me as being refreshingly blunt and brutally honest in a world that is riddled with hypo hypocritical double speak. It is weird to see somebody who just says it as it is, as he sees it. Are you perfect? Do you have all the answers to world peace and all the problems? Not necessarily.
But your conviction is pretty strong.
The things you believe in.
And I'm sitting down here wondering why do people misunderstand you? Because they don't want to know the truth.
There's a difference between wanting to be told the truth. They don't want to know.
It's very important because knowing will help you realize where you really are, what you really need to go do, and how far off.
Nobody wants to feel like they are not where they ought to be. Nobody wants to wake up and realize that after everything I've done, it's all for nothing.
But I've come to the realization that the first step to making change is to tear it is tear that plaster.
If the wound is decay, find out that pain. We don't want that first pain.
>> We don't want to know.
Understandable.
shocking at the same time.
>> You're a billionaire.
>> No, I'm not.
>> Well, >> I'm holding people's money.
>> There are people there are people who will respectfully disagree. You're successful. You're a young, fine, handsome man.
There is a soft core that you have in all the even though you are blunt and all of that that is seed broken down here when you u you know when you reminisced about your father I've seen you go soft I think talking about your daughter >> um you're 48 the last Wednesday of October you will be 49 >> yet here you are >> single Mhm.
>> You look like somebody who loves >> Yeah.
>> Why aren't you married?
>> Uh I think I mentioned sometime on some other um podcast. I think it was with Insta blog. I'm a walking red flag. You know what I mean? It's um it is what it is, you know.
>> I I just saw I just saw a headline that who who will marry me?
>> Yeah. Who will marry me? So, um um I think I think I'm cursed with um a constantly um overactive mind and um I think my IQ unfortunately uh is above and this is not to put anybody in a particular box but uh I have a problem you know I I I people find it hard to understand me and I I tend to see things We I have a problem. I I get I get um I have to say this in a way that's not going to have the whole Nigeria attack me.
I have very little tolerance and patience for waiting for people to catch up.
So imagine me spending the rest of my life with somebody That is a 100 cues back and I'm ready to take the next 100 steps and I don't believe in hurting people.
So I'd rather let you be.
Now, there's an assumption that loneliness is a problem.
I actually think that having to spend the rest of your life with somebody that you can't stand or somebody that can't stand you or somebody you don't get along with is the most lonely thing in this world.
So, I enjoy my own company. It's a It's weird, but I really love me.
Now call it selfish. If you don't appreciate yourself, you depreciate. I love my own company. I love my own time.
I like you know that it's really bad. I can people have seen it and they think I need medical help. I can crack a joke if you don't find it funny because I find it funny. I can be laughing for the next 30 minutes and I'll be like I can't believe you don't find that funny. And my friends know that. Now I've also come to have friends that have accepted me for me and I go on holiday with them.
They're all married. I go on holiday with them and their kids because they've come to appreciate me for me and accepted me as I am. So um do I want to get married? Oh yeah.
Yeah. 110% I would love to. Am I dreading it? Yes, I am. I I'll be honest with you.
But on what condition would I do it?
I'll do it on the condition that I don't believe in love unfortunately.
Yeah. I think it's a is an emotional feeling. Yeah. And it fades. I'll do it on the condition that I am duty bound. I am accountable. I am responsible for you.
And I'm willing to put my life on the my life on the line for you because together we are building an empire that would set our children and our children's children up for life. So to me, marriage is not about emotions. Marriage is succession.
Marriage is continuity. Marriage is legacy back to exactly what it was in the first place back in the days.
So I will most likely get married this year. I'll most likely get married next year. one of the two and if I do it will be because I found somebody that I can if I drop dead tomorrow they may not be as intelligent and I won't do what they might not have the capacity for the capacity to create >> like I do but they will have the capacity to maintain and sustain. So >> in other words they will complement you.
>> Exactly. So for me marriage is continuity.
>> I hope you make sense. So unfortunately I can't get it wrong.
>> Makes sense.
>> I can't afford to get it wrong. Not at this stage.
>> Have you come close to marrying somebody before?
>> Yeah. Plenty times. Either they run away or or I run away.
>> Yeah.
It's expected. You know what I mean? But but but I have to be honest with you.
every single person that has almost come close to marry me >> is married now you know and they're very happy with their kids I'm friends with some you know and um at least one thing that one has or a few have told me is thank you very much >> for not wasting my you know the bluntness that I have is the same way I thank you for not wasting my time and thank you for directing me you know rejection is direction you know what I mean so I'm quite happy in that respect so and Um yeah would I if somebody asked me once that oh if you had the opportunity to marry them again now knowing that they are such amazing person would I marry them? No. You know why? Cuz I'll be depriving them of the man that they're supposed to marry.
>> Understandable.
>> Yeah. So >> that is my wife whoever I'll marry uh we need to pray for her you know cuz it's not going to be easy but it is what it is. It's been such a refreshing pleasure talking to you.
>> Yes, thank you.
>> I'm just curious though, >> what did I say?
>> Oh, >> that insult.
>> Oh, yes. I can be. Yeah. Oh, it's a good one. H that insult changed my life. He said, "Oh, UK guy, all you UK guys, you think you're making money?
You think you're making money?" I said, "Yeah, I'm making a million pounds a year, 200,000 profit."
Said, "That's money to you.
That was you you know when somebody says that to you that's money to you come come let me show you he will take me to all his developments he will take me here will take me here say let's do something together moment the guy made a huge difference opened my eyes to possibilities is see you're no more than two or three people away from the most important person you need to meet or talk to at any point in time. Iron sharpens iron.
>> No doubt.
>> And at one point he's angry. He was angry with me for years. Now we are we are friends but was angry with me for years because God forgive me. I couldn't understand the the electricity bill I was paying and the issue and everything. So I gathered all the estates to vote them out as the facility manager for. But you see guess what now I understand because I'm doing the same thing.
I hope you're with me. So, uh, may God may God position us, may God put us in a position where we are able to meet people that are able to take us to the next level of our life that we could never have done oursel.
>> I heart your amen to that.
>> Amen.
>> Thank you.
>> Pleasure.
>> Fantastic guy.
Um you know I I I I know you will succeed. There's there's this thing you cannot you cannot have this mindset and not continue to succeed. I also have a strong feeling >> you know that your investors will will make mad money. It's a no doubt about >> it's an inevitability.
>> Um well done.
>> Thank you so don't change. Just just be straightforward and honest. I will and brutal if you have to be but fine.
>> Thank you.
>> Well done.
>> Thank you so much. Yeah.
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