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Private Banker: The Smart Way To Build Wealth In 2026 (Even On A Normal Salary) — Transcript

by Savvy Wallet · 16,435 words · 2,433 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:00You're not an island. You can't do
0:01things by yourself. No matter how hard
0:03you work, no matter how good you are at
0:04your job, is it not somebody that has to
0:06promote you?
0:06>> You witness your clients receiving
0:08millions of pounds of income like it's
0:09normal. When you manage wealth at that
0:10level, what patterns stand out most?
0:13>> They rely on strategy, not vibes.
0:15>> What would you say is the biggest lie
0:16about money that you see holding
0:17intelligent people back from getting
0:19rich?
0:19>> Your habits are more important than your
0:21income. There are people that have a
0:23large amount of income, but they end up
0:24bankrupt. It's not about how much you
0:26earn, it's what you do with the money
0:27that you do earn. A lot of my clients do
0:29they think in decades they don't think
0:30in months. They don't think of oh I want
0:32to make money right now.
0:33>> So how do wealthy Africans actually
0:35build their wealth? Like what
0:36industries, mood, mindset or habits do
0:38you see repeating over and over again?
0:51>> Welcome back to another episode of the
0:52podcast. I'm your host ATO. We have a
0:55special guest, a repeat guest. We have
0:58Aza who's a private banking and wealth
1:00management specialist with a decade of
1:01experience working across the UK,
1:03Nigeria, South Africa and UAE. She has
1:06managed portfolios for high net worth
1:08and ultra high net worth clients
1:09advising them on wealth creation,
1:11preservation and crossber financial
1:13strategy. Her career spans roles at
1:16Barclays, First Bank Nigeria, Standard
1:18Bank, Standard Charter, giving her a
1:20rare global perspective on money,
1:22opportunity, and wealth behavior.
1:24Ashley, how are you doing?
1:25>> I'm good. Like, I'm excited to be back
1:28on the podcast. Not in the UK.
1:31>> You have to make that clear on the
1:33podcast, but not the UK. Yeah, it's been
1:35a while actually. We were saying that,
1:37yeah, we haven't um obviously we've been
1:39speaking, but I haven't seen you in a
1:40while cuz obviously you're in and out of
1:41the country for, you know, a lot and you
1:44kind of you're showing your disease in
1:46the UK. Look, I look I like the UK.
1:48That's why I'm still here. The weather
1:50Yeah, maybe we need to battle on that a
1:52little bit. But yeah, how how's it been?
1:54How's it actually been for you in the
1:55UK? How long you've have you been here?
1:57And
1:57>> um so I've been here for like a week.
1:59>> Okay.
2:00>> Um I came I came for 2 days for a
2:03wedding. I came twice this year for two
2:06different weddings for no longer than
2:08three or four days cuz I don't I don't
2:11like and before then I hadn't been here
2:13for a year.
2:14>> Okay.
2:14>> So I've been Yeah. So I've been here a
2:15lot this year for me. Three times is a
2:17lot.
2:18>> That's a lot for somebody that used to
2:20live here. And anyway, we're going to
2:23talk we're going to talk you know more
2:24about your experience in Nigeria cuz I
2:26think that's going to be quite
2:27interesting. And it's not something you
2:29know I have done a podcast and people
2:31should go and check that out um in Ghana
2:34and obviously the plan is for me I mean
2:37I can't give everybody all my plans but
2:39plan is to do more episodes in Africa
2:41but people who haven't tuned into the
2:44first episode please go and watch that
2:45first episode actually I had a few
2:47people say that was their favorite
2:48episode when we did it that time. Yeah
2:49yeah yeah I did. Yeah had a few people
2:51saying yeah we'll try we'll try and do
2:55it again. So for people who are
2:56discovering for the first time, how do
2:57you currently describe the work you do?
3:00>> Um, okay. So I'd say I help people build
3:06their wealth through through the hustle
3:07table. So that's my financial education
3:10platform. Then I help HNI and ultra HNI
3:15preserve and grow and protect their
3:18wealth.
3:19>> Um, that's through my 9 to5. And then I
3:22also help um children learn financial
3:25literacy through my um through my like
3:29Saturday school. I have a finance
3:30Saturday school with
3:32>> like my co-founder.
3:33>> Um so yeah, I think I'm just a finance
3:37girl. Like I like numbers. I like
3:39>> Okay.
3:39>> I like money.
3:40>> Yeah. What made you get into the
3:42numbers?
3:43>> So I've just been My dad was a math
3:45teacher.
3:46>> Okay.
3:46>> So I've always been a numbers I don't
3:48I'm not good with words. I'm not an
3:49English person. And I don't like 1 plus
3:511 has to equal two. That whole English
3:53where they used to say the sky is blue
3:55so that means that no the sky is blue.
3:57That's it. The sky is blue. It doesn't
3:59mean anything. So I'm not a I'm a very
4:01structured person. So that has always
4:04fueled my I need to work in a bank kind
4:07of desire. Although I wanted to play
4:09basketball, but that's a another story.
4:10But
4:11>> numbers has always been my thing. Like
4:13>> Okay. So So it's always been a numbers
4:14in your math teacher. Okay. That you
4:17know what that that makes sense. and you
4:19are fully immersed in it. We're going to
4:21get like a lot of um insight from that.
4:24I think when we did speak 2 years ago, I
4:26think you were on the brink of leaving
4:28Nigeria um leaving the UK for Nigeria.
4:30So what made you like finally decide to
4:33you know leave the UK and you know build
4:34the next chapter in Nigeria? Cuz many
4:36people when they're thinking about now
4:38you're probably hearing a lot of people
4:40in the UK especially black people where
4:43a lot of them are going is to Dubai or
4:46if they can to America or Canada. I
4:49wouldn't say many are thinking of you
4:51know relocating to Africa. So you doing
4:53that is
4:54>> out of the norm I would say. I know you
4:56can tell me that's true or not. the
4:58there's actually a lot of people
4:59relocating to Nigeria. Like a lot of my
5:01half of my friends in Nigeria are
5:03diasporas.
5:04>> Okay.
5:04>> So
5:04>> that's interesting.
5:05>> Um half of them are not. But I think for
5:07me there were three things. So there was
5:09and I'll explain them. There's impact,
5:12there's access and there's
5:13opportunities. Those are the three
5:14reasons that I thought yeah now I'm done
5:16with this place. Um so let me give you
5:18an example like
5:20if I need to reach the president of
5:21Nigeria, he's one degree of separation
5:25away from me. All of almost all of my
5:26clients can reach him directly. A lot of
5:28my friends can reach him directly. If I
5:30need to reach the king of England,
5:32>> I who do you know that you're like 10°
5:35away of separation from him.
5:37>> And my whole life, most of my life, I've
5:40had an uncle or an auntie or a family
5:43member that is an MD or a chairman of a
5:46bank in Nigeria. And that's my industry.
5:48>> So like, why am I in a place where I
5:50don't see any black women that are MDs?
5:52No black there's no black woman that's
5:55going to be an MD of Bley's Bank. It's
5:56not going to happen.
5:58>> But there I see all my family members
6:01doing it. So obviously it's more
6:02accessible to me. So the opportunity
6:05then
6:06>> Nigeria is one place where you can be
6:09broke today and you can be a millionaire
6:11tomorrow just based on one government
6:12contract just based on one connection
6:14that you made with someone. And then the
6:16other thing is mindset. So, and this is
6:19not to talk badly of my friends, but
6:22when I was here, I used to think, okay,
6:24me and my friends are doing well. When I
6:26got to Nigeria, I realized a lot of us
6:28are lacking because the kind of things
6:30that my friends are doing in Nigeria,
6:32the kind of numbers that they that they
6:35talk that they say to me is wild. Like,
6:37I have friends that
6:39>> have I've on boarded to my bank and
6:40they're like, "Okay, they've got some
6:41spare change. They're just going to send
6:42like 400k." And I'm talking in dollars,
6:44by the way. they're just going to send
6:46400k to invest cuz they have that lying
6:48around. Not a lot of my friends here can
6:50tell me that they have $400 lying around
6:52as spare cash.
6:54>> But in Nigeria, a lot of people do. So
6:57it's and it's because
6:58>> in Nigeria, if you don't have, you don't
7:00have. No government is coming to save
7:01you. Like no one is coming to help you.
7:03So if you don't have, you actually don't
7:04have. So the hustle mentality is way
7:06more there than it is here. So it is a
7:10place where I feel like I can grow more
7:12than here. I feel like the UK is
7:13limiting for me is a limiting
7:15environment. And then I like soft life.
7:17Like I, you know, I I like in Nigeria, I
7:22have a driver, I have a cook, I have a
7:23cleaner, I have somebody that irons my
7:24clothes, I have I don't do I have
7:26someone that shops for me. I don't do
7:28anything other than work.
7:30>> So to now come here, like I can't be a
7:32wife in the UK. I don't think I can do
7:33it.
7:35>> Cleaning and be cooking and even when
7:38I've been here, I haven't driven at all
7:39cuz I'm just not used to it.
7:43You're living a life that you want to.
7:45But look, that's the life that you
7:46designed for yourself. And the truth is,
7:49you can get that in certain places of
7:51the world. That's true.
7:52>> You can. It's harder to do here. It's a
7:54lot harder to do.
7:54>> It's very hard to do that. You have to
7:56you have to be making a lot of money to
7:58do that here.
7:59>> And all the friends that I consider to
8:00be successful are thinking about
8:02relocating. It may not be to Nigeria,
8:03but they are leaving. thinking of
8:05leaving
8:08this place.
8:10Why are you all trying to leave?
8:12>> It's so great.
8:15>> We're going to talk more about that. You
8:18know, I think that hustle culture, I
8:19think you said something that actually
8:21made me think about it. I think there is
8:23definitely truth in when you do have it
8:26hard, you do have more of that desire to
8:29want to
8:31get out of it. And I think you're right,
8:33the energy is energy is a thing. And I
8:35think that's why again I always come
8:36back to Dubai and I think why a lot of
8:38people
8:39>> do like Dubai. It's also because of that
8:41host of culture. It's also because of
8:42the things that you're saying about the
8:44soft life. Not that you don't work hard
8:46but that you do get a lot of support as
8:48well,
8:48>> you know. But I actually did forget that
8:50about Nigeria cuz Nigeria, you're right,
8:51that is what it is. Like if you if you
8:54want those things, it's probably a
8:56easier path to to to get there. the
8:57labor is so much cheaper and again
8:59because
9:00>> so I plan to go to Qatar so after Lagos
9:03Abuja Qatar is the next like destination
9:06>> why of all places
9:08>> um because I've worked in Abu Dhabi
9:09already I think Dubai is a bit too
9:11artificial for me and I just feel like
9:13it's a bit saturated Qatar is like
9:16>> I've spent some time in Qatar I've been
9:18going to Qatar like every year at least
9:20I see here to try and just see and a lot
9:23of my clients have business in Qatar so
9:25it's easy so I like ease So my clients
9:28have businesses in so it's easy for me
9:30for you to relocate.
9:31>> Nigeria was easy for me to enter. Well
9:34kind of it was easier than me going to
9:38>> somewhere that I've like Saudi Arabia. I
9:40I don't know anyone there so it's not as
9:42easy to do. So I like
9:44>> things are easier for me.
9:46>> Okay.
9:47>> Is the next was the next destination.
9:49>> Okay. So what's the transition been for
9:51you personally and professionally in
9:52Nigeria like compared to here though?
9:54Right.
9:55>> Lagos specifically. Abuja is not as bad
9:57is a jungle. Like you have to be mad to
10:00survive Lagos.
10:01>> Okay?
10:02>> Like you can't be you can't go there. I
10:04had to
10:06>> up my level of madness. So let me give
10:08you like a professional story and a like
10:11a personal story. So professionally
10:14>> um you know how here like if a man if a
10:19client or a colleague I don't know like
10:21says oh I'm says something to me I can
10:24do them for harassment. I can say that
10:25you've been harassing me. I can say I
10:27didn't feel comfortable the way you
10:28looked at me in Nigeria. You can't try
10:31that. I had a client I had a client. We
10:35sat down. We spoke about like his
10:36investments, whatever. And we spoke for
10:38hours or very like an intellectual
10:40conversation
10:41>> and then he sat back and he said, you
10:43know, I'm really impressed like you're
10:44you're not just you're not just a you
10:47know, an IGGB which means I just got
10:49back so a diaspora.
10:51>> You actually have a brain. So he goes,
10:53you know what? I have a proposal for
10:55you. So me too. I took out my notepad
10:57like this man was going to say anything
10:58with sense. He was like I want to be
11:00your sugar daddy.
11:02What? And I you see that reaction that
11:04you had? I laughed because obviously you
11:06have to be joking. But he didn't laugh.
11:09So I was like, "Oh, sorry, sir. Like I I
11:12um I I I don't know. I don't really He
11:16goes, "Look, I know you're British. I
11:17know this may be new to you, but you
11:19should consider it." And I was just
11:21like, "Okay, please. There's there's
11:23nothing I don't want. It's okay. He now
11:26said that what is it? What is it that
11:28you want? Is it private jet? Is it like
11:30I'm going to move my money from? I said
11:31move it then. Oh, you think of me? I'm
11:33going to beg you. Ah, no, no, no. You
11:34have the wrong babe. Like, who who in
11:36this bank are you going to report me to?
11:38Cuz there's actually no one that you can
11:39report me to that it won't nothing's
11:41going to happen. So, like, wow. But that
11:44is normal. Those things are not
11:46abnormal. I had an 8 84 year old man say
11:51to me that he was lonely. His wife died
11:5230 years ago that you know and I was
11:54explaining something to him and because
11:55he's elderly obviously I have to sit
11:57quite close to him to explain
11:59>> like the bond that he'd invest in
12:02>> and he was like you know he's lonely
12:04like can I spend some time with him and
12:06I was just like oh so I had to now
12:08change how I'm speaking to him or I had
12:09to be calling him granddad because
12:10obviously you are 89 years old. He now
12:13said I don't even know if I'm allowed to
12:15say this here, but he was like he was
12:17like um that what did he say? He said so
12:20he has a walking stick. So I like when
12:22he was saying all this I looked at his
12:23walking stick. He said don't be deceived
12:25that this one is still working.
12:27>> Oh my god.
12:28>> And I was wrong with these people.
12:30>> I was just like these two guys.
12:33>> And it's not just them. They're just the
12:34ones I can remember off the top of my
12:35head.
12:36>> Oh my god.
12:37>> It's normal. Like I there have been
12:38times I've gone to events. I've seen my
12:40clients with various women and
12:44>> okay
12:45>> then I next day I'm in their house with
12:46their wife talking about their trust.
12:49>> So that culture is so normal in Nigeria.
12:51So that was my biggest struggle
12:53adjusting to that. And it's not just the
12:55men. The women too are a bit entitled.
12:57There's a there's a client that was
12:58upset with someone. So she called me and
13:02she was like do you know who I am that I
13:04should Google her. She actually waited
13:05for me to go on Google and
13:08>> to find out who she was. She was like
13:10one ED of like as in
13:12>> there's so they too have a level of
13:14madness. So
13:15>> I had someone who said that they doesn't
13:17I had a client tell me that she doesn't
13:19want me to manage her husband's account
13:22because she feels like I'll get too
13:23close to him and be taking his money and
13:25become his sidekill. So there's this
13:28there's this thing around especially
13:30bankers the perception of women in
13:32banking is not great.
13:33>> Okay. um especially like very junior
13:36people.
13:37>> Yeah.
13:37>> So, sorry, one more example. My um one
13:40of my boss's PAs,
13:42>> she this is someone who the salary in
13:46Nigeria is not great. It's never great.
13:47Like I'm definitely on less than I was
13:49when I was like based on just salary,
13:51I'm on less, but then based on like the
13:53opportunities that I've had, the money
13:54that I've made from other people from
13:56other things,
13:57>> but my salary is less than what I was on
13:59at Barclays. But obviously my cost of
14:00living is a lot lower.
14:01>> Yeah. Okay. So this woman couldn't have
14:04been on more than 200k a month. 200k a
14:07month is like £100 a month.
14:10>> That's
14:11yeah that's not a lot. But this girl she
14:14has she has aos, she has designer back,
14:17she has libertton and I'm just like
14:20>> so um I think one day she called in sick
14:23and I think her boss really needed her
14:25that day and was just like are you sure?
14:27Oh, and she's like, "No, she she acting
14:29like she was dying, so she had to go on
14:31this sick
14:32>> this sick leave." On the Friday, they
14:35both saw each other on the same flight.
14:37The boss and the PA, they saw each other
14:39on the same flight. Both of them in
14:40business class. So, they were both going
14:41to see the same client, but for
14:43different reasons. One was going for
14:44work, one was going for pleasure
14:48cuz obviously where she was getting her
14:49money from was from the clients.
14:51>> That is crazy.
14:52>> Like, you're doing whatever you're doing
14:54with these clients and you're receiving
14:55money. And then also I feel like people
14:56in Nigeria are just more generous than
14:58they are here. People will just be like,
15:00"Oh, just take this, take that." But
15:02obviously sometimes as a banker that
15:05comes with, "Oh, you get too close to
15:07them, just come and sit here."
15:08>> You feel like it's like almost almost
15:10bribing like it could lead to that.
15:13>> Exactly. And I think the reason I'm So
15:15like for example, my CFA, I stopped at
15:16level two cuz in the UK I didn't need
15:18it.
15:18>> But in Nigeria, I feel like I have to
15:21finish it because once I mention that,
15:24they're like, "Oh, okay. You're actually
15:26>> serious.
15:26>> You're actually serious. You're not just
15:28here trying to use body,
15:30>> okay,
15:30>> as a banker. They used to send like as
15:32in
15:33>> I must be tough to deal with.
15:34>> EO said in his book that what the
15:36bankers used to do is when he was
15:37bringing in money, they'd send all these
15:39girls. They send all these nice girls
15:40with like short dresses to him. When he
15:42was owing the bank, they said men sent
15:44men to his house, not girls.
15:47>> So, there's there's this stigma around
15:49banking, which is annoying
15:51>> when you first go and meet certain
15:53clients,
15:54>> okay?
15:55you have to deal with.
15:56>> You have to deal with it and you have to
15:57learn how to manage it. And I remember
15:58speaking to some of my mentors and they
16:00were just like, "Look, you just have to
16:01learn how to cuz it's going to happen.
16:02You're not going to be able to stop it
16:03from happening. So, you need to
16:06>> manage that without going past your own
16:08morals and boundaries."
16:09>> Yeah. So,
16:10>> that's crazy.
16:11>> Yeah. But I think I' I've got these
16:13they're all my friends now. So,
16:14>> Okay. That is crazy.
16:17>> Is it's okay.
16:18>> But that took me a while. That took me
16:20like a year to learn how to maneuver
16:23that, still get the money that they need
16:25to bring to the bank,
16:26>> still meet your own targets,
16:28>> but not cross your own morals and your
16:30own boundaries is it took me a very long
16:32time to learn how to do that. Damn, that
16:34is the wild wild west to deal with
16:36jungle.
16:37>> Especially from a you know being a woman
16:39I could imagine how hard it must be for
16:40you like to be
16:42>> like because when you are speaking to a
16:44client ultimately the truth of the
16:46matter is the client's in a power
16:48position in a way because obviously
16:50you're managing their money. You don't
16:51want to lose their position and then
16:53them using it against you is a bit like
16:55it's icky icky and have that
16:59>> all the time. Yeah, it must be tough. It
17:01must be tough for for for women in
17:02banking. Damn.
17:04ledger.
17:04>> But what you s
17:06>> look look you're still there. You're
17:07still thriving, you know. And long may
17:09it continue that you continue thriving
17:12>> thriving there as well. So you've
17:14witnessed your clients receiving
17:15millions of pounds in income like it's
17:17normal when you manage well at that
17:18level. What patterns stand out most?
17:22>> Um okay. So they're not emotional with
17:24their money.
17:25>> Okay.
17:26>> Um they they're quite they rely on
17:28strategy, not vibes. like their money in
17:33Nigeria is is loud but it's quiet. And
17:35what I mean by that is like the real
17:36billionaires, they look like your uncle.
17:38Like they're not doing the most. They're
17:40not they're not trying to
17:43>> show that they have this. They're quite
17:45quiet. So I think it's strategy. So
17:48they're not they're not scared of losing
17:50money. There are some investments that
17:51they lose money and they don't really
17:53they don't make noise. The people that
17:54scream and shout are the ones that don't
17:55have the clients that stress me the most
17:58are the ones that just don't have. Is
18:00it?
18:00>> Um,
18:01>> okay.
18:01>> So, and I've noticed that whichever bank
18:04I've worked in, that is very very
18:06common.
18:07>> Um, another thing is they all hang
18:10together.
18:11>> Okay.
18:12>> And the more the closer I am to them,
18:14the more I realize they don't like each
18:15other. But in Nigeria, money speaks
18:17louder than friendship.
18:20>> Like they all go to the same event.
18:21Well, they don't like each other. But
18:23they all go to the same events. because
18:24your network in that place I actually
18:26think your network is more important
18:28than your income
18:30>> because you can't you almost can't do
18:32even if you have a good income if you
18:34don't know anybody
18:36>> in I want to say Africa it's not even
18:38just a Nigeria thing if you don't know
18:39anybody you're not moving
18:41>> it's not going to happen another thing
18:43is they leverage on they leverage on
18:47other people's money so a lot of these
18:48big people or these billionaires they
18:50have loans so they have loans that
18:52they've invested
18:54So for example, like having a million
18:57and having $2 million. The returns you
18:59get on $2 million is more than the
19:00returns that you get on $1 million. So
19:02they borrow at a low rate because of the
19:05fact that they are somebody. So we can
19:06give them a low rate. They invest that
19:08money, get returns, they pay off the
19:10loan, and still have more
19:12>> left for them. So leverage
19:14>> leveraging is a huge thing for a lot of
19:16my clients, which I didn't
19:19>> see as much
19:20>> here. And it's weird because I'm
19:23speaking in dollars. Our currency is
19:24naira,
19:25>> but a lot of my clients operate in
19:28foreign currency and that's just because
19:30our currency is not great.
19:32>> So for you to be a millionaire in
19:34Nigeria, a million naira is £500.
19:38>> Yeah.
19:39>> So you can't you can't be the amount of
19:41zeros on the paper is just is long. So
19:43there's no need. So it's easier for us
19:44to calculate things in dollars.
19:46>> Okay.
19:47>> Um so I think those are the main those
19:50are the main patterns. They all kind of
19:51sit together.
19:52>> Yeah.
19:52>> They leverage and they're not very loud
19:56about their money. They don't
19:58>> It's when you get to their houses that
20:00you realize ah
20:01>> that they've got the money. Okay.
20:02>> They have serious serious money.
20:05>> They're not spending it on designer. A
20:06lot of my clients, the women are a bit
20:08different. They tend to have designer
20:10stuff.
20:11>> But the men, they don't like they just
20:13look so average
20:14>> that normal normal everyday. Okay. It's
20:17their wives that like and another thing
20:20is so maybe I don't I don't know if this
20:21is just Nigerians cuz this may not been
20:23cuz Ghanaians are like this. Nigerians
20:25are so entitled.
20:28>> You're saying this about our our people.
20:29Yeah.
20:31>> I love they want everything done
20:33yesterday and I'm just like so for
20:35example like there's one client that so
20:37we have this card. It's a dollar card.
20:39Um so for you to use the card you have
20:41to have $200 on it minimum. And this
20:46woman, so one of my clients, he needed
20:48the card for his wife. He ordered the
20:49card for his wife. We were on this since
20:51Monday. So I said, "Ga, you need to send
20:53at least $200 to the cards for me to
20:55send the card to you." He's like, "Yeah,
20:57I'll do it. I'll do it. I'll do it."
20:58Thursday comes down. Bear in mind, he
20:59needs it on Friday. Thursday comes. He's
21:01like, "Okay." He called me. Just send
21:03her like 2.4. So 2.4. I said she needs
21:06$200. What is 2.4? He said $2.4 million
21:09naira. 2.4 million for her to go
21:12shopping.
21:14So obviously for me to send that kind of
21:16money amount I need approvals. So I
21:19can't get that card on Thursday. So I
21:22had to get it on Friday which is when
21:23she's traveling. Her flight is at 9:00.
21:24Her private jet leaves at 9:00. So I
21:26didn't get the card until like 6:00.
21:29>> And they they demanded that I got them
21:31that like as in otherwise they're going
21:33to MD. I had to get I had to drive
21:35myself to the jets
21:37>> to where the jets fly from to give this
21:39woman her card.
21:40>> And she was just oh thanks Aisha. Do you
21:42know the stress that I've gotten
21:44through? Because they just they don't
21:45demand a lot, but when they do, it has
21:48to happen yesterday.
21:49>> It has to happen immediately. Okay?
21:51>> Cuz money talks. So once you have money
21:54and even even like personally the men
21:56that are popping in the club and have
21:58the money, that's the one that all the
22:00women want to go to. Doesn't matter what
22:01you look like. Doesn't really matter
22:03what you do. Once you have money,
22:05they're okay.
22:06>> That's a culture that is not great in
22:07Nigeria because
22:09>> money talks louder than a lot of things.
22:11It talks louder than loyalty sometimes.
22:12It talks louder than friendships. It
22:14talks louder than relationships.
22:15>> Okay.
22:16>> Talks louder than marriages.
22:17>> Interesting.
22:18>> So that's another thing that I kind of
22:21struggle with because I'm just not that
22:23way inclined.
22:25>> Um but that's the culture.
22:27>> Yeah. You know what it's is I think is a
22:29very good point that you raised because
22:31you know obviously this is a finance
22:32podcast. people are listening to this to
22:34make more money. But I think at the same
22:36time is like you saying like also don't
22:38compromise your morals, your health,
22:40your family, all of this stuff for for
22:43money, right? And I think what you're
22:44describing is like the other side of it.
22:46Like yeah, it's abundant with money, but
22:48is it abundant in the right way? And I
22:50think people need to be wary of that cuz
22:53cuz you can make money, but like is it
22:54in the right way for you? And you always
22:57know the worked for their money because
23:00>> the ones that have stolen it or done for
23:02one you know because there was sorry one
23:05more story cuz this one irritated me.
23:06There was I went out with a group of
23:08friends and there was this girl there
23:10and she you know she like she'd done her
23:12body and you know she's quite a pretty
23:14lady and for her that body is an
23:18investment that's an investment to her.
23:20So she's she was there and I think I
23:23left and I came back and by the time I
23:24had come back she had left the table. So
23:26I was like what happened? Apparently
23:28somebody came um maybe his driver or his
23:30house help dropped an envelope on the
23:32table and on the envelope it said
23:35there's more where that came from. There
23:37was $15,000 in that envelope. So at this
23:40point she has three choices. She either
23:43takes the envelope and she goes home.
23:44She takes the envelope and she goes to
23:46meet the man and collects the where that
23:48came from or she leaves the envelope.
23:51Now, nobody's going to leave the
23:52envelope. It's 15K. They're not going to
23:53just leave it. So, at first she was
23:56like, "Oh, no. Why do people think they
23:57can buy me?" And and then my friend was
24:00just like, "But you want the mall, so
24:02just go." And she went,
24:05>> "But then my own is that for you to just
24:07dash $15k,
24:10you did not earn that money." Yeah,
24:11>> you obviously like as in somehow
24:13somewhere there's some kind.
24:14>> It doesn't mean anything to you. 15K is
24:16like a Fiverr to like us. It's nothing.
24:19>> Is a lot of money. It's a lot of money
24:21>> for you to because I you don't know that
24:23you're going to get the girl.
24:24>> Yeah.
24:24>> By the way, you don't know if you're
24:26going to get the girl. That's just all
24:28right.
24:28>> It's just like Yeah. flunky money. Just
24:30like as if it means nothing. Yeah.
24:33>> Like it's minor.
24:35>> Yeah.
24:35>> Even Even like birthday gifts that
24:38people give people, I'm just like
24:40>> Yeah.
24:41So it can be a bit like in terms of
24:43people the way people spend money it can
24:45be a bit like wow are you actually
24:47putting any thought into this or is it
24:49just it doesn't even matter to you just
24:51like
24:51>> just throw it away.
24:53>> Yeah.
24:53>> Like there was someone that said to me
24:56oh one of my clients said to me he's
25:00it's so annoy he's he finds it annoying
25:02that I'm such a goodie two shoes. And I
25:03was like what I was like what does that
25:05mean? He was like because you'd be such
25:07a good girlfriend. And I was like what
25:08does that even mean? He was like,
25:09"Because you're a finance person, I
25:11wouldn't need to buy you bag. I wouldn't
25:12need to buy you shoe. I just dash you a
25:14bond." Bonds are $200,000.
25:16For you to have a euro bond in Nigeria
25:18is 200,000. Really? That's how much you
25:20got? Yes. Okay. So, him saying, "Oh,
25:23that means you have girlfriends that you
25:25just dash them bonds. How can you just
25:27because that means that you're dashing
25:29them bonds and then bear in mind they're
25:30receiving coupons every 6 months. So,
25:32that's their income. Their income is
25:34whatever those coupons are is usually
25:36like 6 to 8%. So, you don't need to get
25:38them any bags cuz that's their income
25:39made. And if they're financially smart,
25:42they will find other ways to use that
25:44money.
25:44>> Oh my god. Okay. So, we got to learn
25:46some of these secrets so that we can uh
25:48so that people can make this money, but
25:51we can make it and we can make sure it
25:54counts and that we use it for obviously
25:56use it for what you want, but hopefully
25:58I'm hoping that you use it for like good
25:59purposes. Running a business is tough.
26:01Invoices, receipts, tax deadlines, it
26:04never ends. I used to spend hours
26:05digging through spreadsheets and
26:07receipts just to figure out where my
26:08money was going until I started using
26:11Zero. Zero completely supercharge how I
26:14manage my business finances before I was
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26:22in real time all on a single platform.
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26:28bookkeeping, freeing up the time to
26:30focus on growing my business instead of
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26:35due and when, so I can stay in control
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27:06and start supercharging your business
27:08with zero. I was actually going to ask
27:10you a follow-up question, right?
27:11Network. You said network's important.
27:14Why do you think that's important? So,
27:15for the people watching listening,
27:16because I do think network's important,
27:18too, but I want to know from you. You
27:20said network was more important than
27:21income. Can you elaborate on that?
27:23>> Network, you see network. Yeah, your
27:26network is a whole asset class in
27:28itself. Like it's a whole asset class
27:29because
27:31you and I'm it's easier for me to do
27:34this in Nigeria than in the UK because
27:36my network is better in Nigeria.
27:38Me moving jobs
27:41I wouldn't have been able to if it
27:43wasn't for my network.
27:45>> Like some of the
27:48personal deals or personal money that
27:50I've made is all who you know. It's all
27:54these informal meetings. There are times
27:56I finish work at 1:00 a.m. Not because
27:58I'm sitting in the office, because I'm
28:00at somebody's launch or somebody's. And
28:03the people that you're meeting in these
28:05events
28:06>> can change your life like this.
28:08>> Like literally most of the
28:11>> most of when I think of like a lot of
28:12the good things that have happened to me
28:13in Nigeria, it's been based on somebody
28:15that I've known.
28:15>> Yeah.
28:16>> Even connections like connecting people
28:18to people, people pay you for that.
28:21>> True. Like people's
28:23there was okay there's an instance where
28:25I was out with my friends and I saw two
28:28of my clients. So I was like oh okay but
28:30the clients I like. So I went to see one
28:33hi hi and then went to see another one
28:37and this client must have messaged me
28:38saying oh how do you know this person? I
28:40was like oh
28:42is he's a client I guess. Um in fact he
28:45wasn't even a client. He was like a
28:46family friend. He was like so he now
28:47said oh that he I said have you never
28:49met him? How have you never met him?
28:50you're all in the same industry. And
28:52he's like, he hasn't. So I said, okay,
28:54come. Came um they met, they did like a
28:592 billion naira deal of which I took a
29:01cut from that because and he because
29:03this specific client is like a mentor to
29:05me.
29:06>> Um he was just like, "Yeah, because
29:08you're the one that introduced us, I'm
29:10giving you percentage of this deal."
29:11>> Yeah.
29:12>> But he's teaching me. I wouldn't have
29:13done that by myself. So, it's these
29:16people that I'm learning how to do that
29:20because you can't it's not your salary
29:22in Nigeria that's going to make you it
29:25cuz the salaries are not great unless
29:26you're the MD of the bank and even then
29:28the salaries are not fantastic but what
29:30it is is they give you
29:31>> they give you car I have a car the bank
29:32gave me a car they give you car they
29:34give you housing allowance they give you
29:36all these other things they pay for your
29:37fuel they pay for they give you food
29:39allowance they give you all these things
29:40that
29:41>> means that you don't actually have to
29:43pay for anything
29:43>> yeah you basically don't spend Yeah. So
29:45your salary is not by itself is not that
29:47fab. Most have three or four cars and
29:50then security men and security cars.
29:52>> Okay.
29:52>> Like I have cuz they get cars every
29:54year. So you don't pay for much but the
29:57salary is not great. So it's not your
29:58salary. It's what you do with
30:01>> your salary. And again
30:03>> the opportunities come from what? They
30:04come from people. It's not you're not an
30:06island.
30:06>> You can't do things by yourself. And
30:08your habits are more important than
30:11>> what you actually earn.
30:12>> It's who you know. is what you're going
30:14to do with those funds. I have another
30:16mentor for example who like there's he's
30:19in a role and let's say he's the MD of
30:22this role and then he has an MD. He's
30:24definitely wealthier than the MD because
30:28he's more connected.
30:31He has got involved in some deals that
30:33have made his money times four. Whereas
30:37the other one is not like a finance
30:38person really. So he doesn't he's more
30:42of a strategy person. So he hasn't been
30:44able to use those skills well. He hasn't
30:46been able to use his income as well as
30:48>> okay
30:48>> the DMD has been able to do so.
30:51>> Okay.
30:51>> Again network.
30:53>> So again a lot of my opportunities have
30:55come from people that I've known
30:58especially and I feel like it's bigger
31:00in Africa
31:01>> because the 1% is not there's not that
31:04like there's not that many people in the
31:061%. For you to be in the 1% of Nigeria
31:07you have to be earning $70,000 which is
31:09not a ridiculous amount of money,
31:12>> right? Wow.
31:12>> Obviously in the UK it's almost between
31:141% I think it's like 400 and something
31:16K.
31:17>> Whereas in Nigeria it's not a lot but
31:18that's also because of the population.
31:20We're the seven most populated country
31:22in the world.
31:23>> So there's also a lot of people that are
31:25poor. So the 1% well they kind of all
31:26know each other. But then there's now
31:28like
31:28>> the 1% of the 1% those are the actual
31:31dollar millionaires, the dollar
31:32billionaires. They're a whole different
31:34kish.
31:35>> But again they all know each other.
31:36>> Okay.
31:37>> They all know of each other. They all
31:38have somebody. You can't move forward if
31:42your network is just you and your
31:44colleagues, you and your friends. Like
31:46I've also and as harsh as this is, like
31:49>> you you outgrow some of your friends
31:52financially and I know that sounds wild,
31:54>> but you do because there's certain
31:57things that there are some friends I
31:58went to Nigeria with I'm no longer
32:00friends with.
32:01>> Wo,
32:01>> not in a not in a like I've fallen out
32:03or like if I see her but we just can't
32:06do the same things. There are some
32:07things
32:08>> I always go to Abuja like it's nothing.
32:10>> I can't do that with some of my friends
32:12there. There are some that can. There
32:14are some that can't.
32:15>> You outgrow some financially, especially
32:17in Nigeria because the people you move
32:20with or the people that you have access
32:22to really determine like what happens to
32:24your life,
32:25>> right? Okay, I understand. Yeah.
32:27>> Which is sad, but
32:28>> yeah,
32:29>> it's just the way it works.
32:33up and yeah people
32:37like obviously I got a lot of UK
32:39listeners and I got people from the US
32:40for people that never been to Nigeria
32:43it's not like the UK in terms of like
32:46and I'm not by the way I'm not saying
32:47this to like um you know talk bad on
32:50Niger in terms of the support it's not
32:52like there's like uh
32:54>> benefits
32:55>> yeah like if you're not do got a job
32:57benefits or job center to help you it's
32:59kind of you have to you're on your own.
33:02You are on your own. You got to do your
33:03own thing. You got to make money
33:05yourself. There's no support
33:07>> system there. So, yeah, I get what
33:09you're I get what you're saying. That's
33:11Huh. That's interest. So, okay. For
33:13people that obviously that want to build
33:15a network, what would you say are the
33:17tips for people to build their network?
33:18What would you say they need to do
33:20better to do that?
33:21>> Is that in Nigeria or
33:22>> No, just generally wherever they're
33:23living cuz we got people listening from
33:25all over the world. Yeah. So the thing
33:27is like I don't want to put it on
33:29personalities because I'm I'm like well
33:31it depends. My friends will say I'm an
33:33extrovert but I actually think I'm quite
33:35introverted because I actually don't
33:37like people that much
33:40but but when I'm in a work setting or
33:43when I know that like it's for work I
33:46will talk. So I think one have your own
33:49story. So another thing is people like
33:50to talk about themselves. So when you're
33:53trying to take every opportunity, take
33:56every opportunity, whether it's your
33:58Uber driver, whether it's so for
34:01example, like even on my way here, my
34:04Uber driver, he's Ghanaian, but he's
34:06half half Nigerian, half Ghanaian. We
34:08found out that we have a lot of mutual
34:09friends. He's just doing Uber
34:10temporarily. Like I even know where he
34:12lives based on the conversation we had.
34:14So when he wants to move back, I'm
34:16helping him like already in that small
34:181-hour journey, you've made a
34:20connection. So, I think just make
34:22connections with people.
34:23>> You may never see them again. You may
34:25never speak to them again. You may never
34:26get their number. But you also don't
34:27know. You don't know when you're going
34:28to run into these people. You can't you
34:31can't be an island because think about
34:33it.
34:33>> You could be earning all the money in
34:35the world. But if you're sitting at home
34:36by yourself,
34:38>> what's what are you doing with it? Like
34:39what's the point? Because you need
34:41people.
34:42>> If you need to get food, you have to go
34:44to the shop. People are in the shop.
34:46People have made this food. people like
34:48you need people at every instant of your
34:50life. So just connect. Just connect.
34:53Honestly, just connect.
34:54>> If you're scared to just do it
34:55>> aimlessly.
34:56>> Yeah.
34:56>> And the easiest way to connect is get
34:58them to talk about themselves.
35:00>> You don't even need to talk about
35:00yourself. Just get them to If you're
35:02boring, then get them to talk about
35:04themselves. People are very good at
35:05that. It gets people out of their shell.
35:07But you just need to cuz you actually
35:10just don't know where your next
35:10opportunity is going to come from. M and
35:12even if no matter how hard you work, no
35:14matter how good you are at your job, is
35:16it not somebody that has to promote you,
35:18>> it's not you. You don't you don't
35:19promote yourself,
35:21>> somebody promotes you. So it's somebody
35:22else's decision.
35:24>> So why would you not network with even
35:26if it's not that person, network with
35:27their bosses, network with the people
35:29around them that will influence them. If
35:31that's what your goal is to to be
35:33promoted. If your goal is to start a
35:35business, how are you going to get
35:36customers?
35:37>> How are you going to build the
35:39infrastructure? You need people to do
35:41this.
35:42>> Whatever service you're providing,
35:44whatever product you're providing,
35:45people need to buy it. So, you need
35:47those people. So, you need to have
35:48people that have access to those people.
35:51And that's why I think like network is
35:53an asset class in itself. Once you've
35:54mastered people, oh, the rest of it will
35:57come.
35:57>> Yeah, that's amazing tips. Thank you so
35:59much. So, I wanted to ask you this.
36:00What's one African wealth secret most
36:03Western audience generally don't know?
36:06>> But see, I would have said the same
36:08thing. or just said that your network is
36:09your asset class for
36:10>> you. Give me another one then.
36:12>> Um,
36:14African specifically Africa.
36:16>> Yeah. African wealthy. Yeah. Yeah.
36:19>> Because you that's where you live. Yeah.
36:21So
36:21>> currency. Okay.
36:22>> Invest in invest in a currency stronger
36:24than yours. And as sad as this is, most
36:26a currencies are not strong. Most of
36:28them are not strong. Let's let's throw
36:30it out there. So the easiest way to
36:34leverage or to keep yourself safe is to
36:38obviously earn in your currency, save in
36:40another currency and if you can invest
36:42in a third because I can talk about the
36:45Naira for example my salary halfed in
36:49about 3 months based on the devaluation
36:51of the Naira.
36:53Like I remember when I got there it was
36:54like 1 to 700
36:57£1 or 700. Now it's like 2,000. It's
37:01gone to 2,000. It's
37:02>> 2,100.
37:03>> Oh my god. I remember when I was there
37:05and it was around 6700 naira for £1.
37:07Wow.
37:08>> It's 2,200. So even that alone, my
37:10salary has what I can buy in dollars is
37:13significantly less than what I could
37:14buy. Obviously eventually they they
37:17bumped up salaries. But at that time
37:19that it was happening, we were all so
37:21much poorer. Like I have clients that
37:23invested in Naira. They've invested in
37:27assets in Naira. And because of that
37:29devaluation, they're actually poorer
37:30because when you convert it back to
37:32dollars, you've lost money.
37:34>> So you need to
37:37have your funds in. And it's not just
37:39Africans to be honest because even here
37:41like, okay, the UK is quite strong. It's
37:43one of the one of the top 10 currencies
37:45in terms of strengths, but there are
37:47currencies that are stronger than us.
37:49>> So just for a from a safety banket, why
37:51would you not? You have access to these
37:53things. People may not know, but you
37:54have access to most people in Nigeria
37:56have Okay. Most of my clients, not most
37:58people, most of my clients have
38:00domicillary accounts. They have dollar
38:02accounts, they have pound accounts, they
38:03have euro accounts. If they want yen,
38:05they have yen. So invest in those
38:07currencies if you have the access to
38:09because as the as the narrow is doing
38:10rubbish,
38:11>> your dollars are secured, your pounds
38:14are secured, your dinner is secured,
38:18your any UAE, most of the UAE currencies
38:20are stronger than um like pounds for
38:23example. Mhm.
38:24>> So yeah, I think
38:25>> invest in other currencies.
38:27>> Okay,
38:27>> that's your safest bet because
38:29>> there's just so much there's so much
38:31politics in Nigeria. Things fluctuate
38:33and it's not secure. So for example, I
38:37work in a British bank. So we actually
38:40report in dollars. We don't report in
38:41Naira even though we're in Nigeria. And
38:44that's just because it's easier and
38:46safer to do so because you can say okay
38:49for you to be for you to be classified
38:52as a private client you have to be
38:54earning I don't know let's say 100
38:56million naira but in the space of 2
38:59months that 100 million naira could be
39:01worth half so you have to now up
39:04>> the amount
39:05>> because the valuation is mad. So yeah,
39:09you need to have
39:10>> So when you're managing clients money,
39:12are you then collecting all of that in
39:14dollars instead of trying to collect it
39:15in Naira?
39:16>> It depends. They have both.
39:17>> Okay. So both. Okay. So you collect both
39:19Naira and
39:19>> because you're a Nigerian because you're
39:21in Nigeria, there are certain things you
39:22have to do. So you have to offer
39:24>> bonds in Naira. You have to you have to
39:26offer fixed income in Naira. You have to
39:28offer fixed deposits in Naira. The
39:30basics you have to offer. So we have
39:33those. But a lot of my specific clients,
39:37they don't. They they deal in FX. Most
39:40of our investments are done in foreign
39:42currency because that's what they so
39:44that's what they use my specific bank
39:46for.
39:47>> My former bank, it was a very very
39:49Nigerian bank.
39:51>> So
39:52>> that was really mixed. That was half I
39:54literally had half clients that were
39:55just pumping in large amounts of naira.
39:58But then I had them some of them pumping
40:00in large amounts of dollar. Another
40:02thing is in Nigeria
40:04they're trying to the government is
40:06trying to curb the amount of dollars
40:07used in Nigeria because dollars dollars
40:10are used almost more frequently than
40:12naira in some in some circles.
40:14>> So and that's depreciating our currency.
40:17>> So what they're doing is like for
40:18example for you to you can't transfer to
40:21third parties in dollars. You can in
40:24naira cuz the argument is why don't you
40:25just pay a naira? um you can only
40:27transfer to family members and it's like
40:30a maximum of 10k a day or so there's
40:32rules and regulations around trading in
40:34dollars. Yeah.
40:35>> So a lot of people once they put their
40:36money there they just leave it there
40:39because the stress of moving it anywhere
40:41else is just long.
40:42>> Okay.
40:43>> So yeah it's half and half.
40:44>> Okay.
40:45>> But yeah.
40:46>> Okay. I appreciate that. Thank you for
40:47for sharing that with us. And what would
40:49you say is the biggest lie about money
40:50that you see holding intelligent people
40:52back from getting rich?
40:54>> I don't have enough. Okay?
40:56>> Because I feel like a lot of people,
40:58they overthink and underexecute. Like I
41:02said this before, your habits are more
41:03important than your income. There are
41:05people that have a large amount of
41:07income, but they end up bankrupt because
41:10you're not smart with the money that you
41:12have. There are people that there's
41:14there's actually an Uber driver that I
41:15can think of now, an Uber driver in
41:17Nigeria who we were on one journey
41:19somewhere and I convinced him to start
41:23investing and the this was two years ago
41:26that money that he's invested he used
41:28that for his wedding and he's not on a
41:31he's not on a large salary but he was
41:35able to
41:36>> he cut so what he did is he cut his
41:38largest expense he reduced his largest
41:40expense and invested that M
41:43>> um so that strategically he knew that
41:44okay every month this money is coming
41:46out of my account to be invested and it
41:48will compound it's like it's a it's a
41:51it's a long game it's not a short game
41:54>> um and I think like a lot of my clients
41:56too they think in decades they don't
41:57think in months they don't think of oh I
42:00want to make money right now because in
42:02Nigeria once you have network you can
42:04make money right now but when they're
42:05thinking of investments they're thinking
42:06of okay cool where is this going to be
42:09in 10 years 5 years 15 years, 20 years.
42:12Um, so I think yeah, that whole I don't
42:16have enough is is I just I'm not hearing
42:18it.
42:19>> You don't you don't buy that.
42:20>> I don't buy it because my my driver has
42:23started investing. I don't even want to
42:25say how much I pay my driver, but like
42:28he doesn't earn a a large amount. He
42:31doesn't earn that any of my friends here
42:33can survive on.
42:34>> Okay. But he's able to You're saying
42:36he's able to at least invest.
42:37>> He has a wife and two kids.
42:39>> He has way more responsibilities than
42:40me. And yes, there are some things I pay
42:42for. So I can pay for like um I might
42:45pay for his son's school fees. I might
42:47pay for I paid for his house rent last
42:49year for example. Um but again this is
42:52not these are not large amounts to Okay.
42:54So for example his house rent is 200
42:56280k. 280k is what?
43:0060
43:02>> for the year. That's his rent for the
43:03year.
43:05>> So I can pay that.
43:07>> Do you know? So I'm taking those things
43:09off him. So I'm just giving him his
43:10salary and he's able to invest and
43:12sometimes like so what I've started
43:13doing is I
43:16um I accumulate parts of his salary and
43:18keep it in like a like a fund. Same with
43:21my house I keep it in like a fund for
43:23them and then in Christmas period
43:25>> I give that to them. Obviously if they
43:26misbehave or they do rubbish like crash
43:28my car I deduct from that their fund
43:30that I'm keeping but generally I keep
43:32money.
43:32>> You're doing a fund for them. Oh that's
43:34nice of you.
43:34>> So because another thing is like I said
43:36Nigerian Nigerians are mad. So, I've had
43:40stories where my friends drivers have
43:41stolen their cars. I've had stories
43:43where their house helped
43:46to poison them. I've had stories where
43:49the house helper taking their kids to
43:51the streets to be begging to earn
43:53income.
43:55>> Like, so you actually need to be nice to
43:57your house staff because they're
43:59>> they're the people that we feed the
44:00most.
44:01>> Make sure that they're taken care of.
44:02Yeah.
44:03>> They're the people that know my driver
44:04knows where I am all the time. When my
44:05friends get through to me, they call my
44:07driver.
44:07>> Yeah. So, like
44:09>> you can't treat them badly.
44:11>> Yeah, you got to treat them good. And
44:12that's the truth. And I think if you're
44:13doing any of that enjoying this
44:15conversation, drop a comment with your
44:16favorite moment. Give this video a like
44:18and hit subscribe so you don't miss
44:20future episodes. Thanks for being part
44:21of the journey. We've got plenty more
44:23valuable conversations coming your way.
44:25And actually on that note, right, so you
44:27talked about habits.
44:29>> So how do wealthy Africans actually
44:31build their wealth? Like what
44:32industries, mood, mindset or habits do
44:34you see like repeating over and over
44:35again? So funny enough there so there's
44:37in terms of industries um but again this
44:40is I feel like this is only available in
44:42Africa they invest in quite boring
44:45industries because we have such a large
44:47population you can be selling sugar as
44:50long as it's the cheapest sugar you're
44:52going to get 200 and something million
44:53people buy it
44:54>> because we have such a large population.
44:57So they're just targeting the masses. So
44:59I feel like there are two my wealthy
45:00people do one of two. They target the
45:02masses with something really basic like
45:04cocoa or sugar. Dangote for example,
45:07what does he is sugar and cement? He's
45:09not he's not doing high tech like high
45:12tech compan.
45:12>> No, he's not. He's not doing anything
45:14that's particularly difficult but he has
45:16such a large population of people. So
45:20selling those things, everybody has
45:21access to them. So you're making your
45:22money. Then there are people that are
45:24just focusing on the rich people. So
45:26they're offering a service that is
45:29extremely inflated in price. But you
45:31know that Nigerians because they want to
45:32feel like oh is it only exclusive to
45:34them they will pay this extortionate
45:36price for whatever service that you're
45:38providing. So you access one of the two
45:41options. It's either the masses
45:43>> um or you're accessing the extreme rich.
45:46So I have a friend that's like an
45:47interior designer. She just she only
45:50targets specific clients so that she
45:53knows that minimum you can't be paying
45:55me less than a couple million naira for
45:56my services.
45:57>> Right.
45:58>> And that's how she makes her spread. M
46:00>> that's how she makes her money. So like
46:03industries vary is one of the two. But
46:05then tech is coming up. I have a lot of
46:07friends that are in tech and they're
46:08doing really well
46:10>> because you have to also understand that
46:11like Africa's a lot of African countries
46:13are still third world countries. Nigeria
46:15is a third world country. Like
46:17>> I'm not living like it's a third world
46:19country but it is. So once you're like a
46:21westerner, you can actually come into
46:22these countries and leverage on that.
46:25Again, there's pros and cons to that
46:26because me saying I have drive, I have
46:28cook, it's because all these things are
46:30cheap for me. But I'm able to do other
46:33things with the money that I earn. So,
46:36if you're bringing in new ideas, which a
46:37lot of people are doing, they're
46:39bringing in new there's Payak, there's
46:41there's a lot of payments companies that
46:44are doing really well in Nigeria because
46:45they're new, they're not they're not
46:49established in Nigeria yet. M
46:51>> so that's another industry that is but
46:54that's quite up and coming that's not as
46:56standard as the two that I mentioned
46:58before
46:58>> okay
46:59>> so yeah I think those are the industries
47:00habits again it kind of varies because
47:03there's a lot of so there's old money
47:04and there's new money old money are the
47:06ones that are like they made their money
47:08years ago from whatever business they
47:10were doing um and then their kids have
47:12like inherited it new money are the
47:14people that they've just run into money
47:16based on whatever maybe tech that
47:18they're doing now so or they've started
47:20investing or um so they have different
47:23mindsets. Old money people and new money
47:26people, they're different in their ways.
47:29I think these are more risk takers. The
47:31old money people are more they're the
47:33ones that want to invest in fixed
47:35income, fixed deposits. They're quite
47:36safe. New money are a bit more
47:39>> they're younger. They take more risks.
47:41>> Um but again, that also comes with age.
47:44So
47:45>> you have it it varies like it's not I
47:47don't think there's like one answer one
47:49way. Okay. No, but those are the ones
47:50that are the most prominent based on
47:52like
47:52>> that you've been seeing. Yeah.
47:53>> Yeah. Based on clients. So, it's not you
47:55don't have to have you don't have to
47:57have one wild and wonderful like it
47:59doesn't need to be that complicated.
48:01>> You're just you're going to especially
48:02if you're going to a third world
48:03country.
48:04>> Just take something from here and
48:06>> replicate there. I know I have a lot of
48:08friends that have moved or are moving
48:09back to Nigeria or are investing in
48:12Nigeria. Real estate is also very big.
48:14>> Okay. In Nigeria. Yeah.
48:15>> Yeah. Real estate is a very big
48:17industry. I know a lot of people that
48:18have made a lot of money um from real
48:21estate, especially if you're buying
48:23land. You know, out here you tend to buy
48:25the house. In Nigeria, a lot of people
48:27buy the land or buy it off plan and then
48:30build. So, it's a lot cheaper when
48:32you're buying and then when you build
48:33it, you can either sell it or live in it
48:35or rent it out or do Airbnb. And a lot
48:38of people make in December when the
48:40whole world decides to come back to
48:42Africa, that's when they make a lot of
48:43their money. They charge times five of
48:45what they will charge the rest of the
48:47year. And you literally can make your
48:48money from that because people will pay.
48:50>> Foreigners will pay.
48:51>> Yeah. For 30 December, right? Dirty
48:53December.
48:55>> Oh, okay. And I was going to say, is it
48:57mostly like entrepreneurs that you've
48:58been seeing in your client base that
49:00making money and not really like people
49:01in the or is it a combination? So people
49:04do have jobs, but they also do have like
49:06businesses that they run into.
49:09>> In my former bank, they were all the
49:11majority of them were entrepreneurs.
49:13>> Okay.
49:14>> In this bank,
49:16I would say it's half and half.
49:18>> Okay. Okay, that's good.
49:20>> Half entrepreneurs, half um
49:25half salary earners. But by salary
49:28earners, you're either an MD,
49:31>> you're a CFO, or you're a treasurer, cuz
49:33treasurers earn a lot of money in
49:35Nigeria. Um,
49:37>> if you're not one of those three, you're
49:39probably not going to qualify.
49:41>> Um, but again, their salary is not their
49:45only income. They all have they all
49:48>> they all have something else.
49:49>> Even the people that are not on those
49:50levels have something else. They all
49:52have a something else on the side, but
49:54that something else could actually just
49:55be their investments. it like as in I
49:57have I have a client for example whose
50:00investments pay him $40,000
50:02>> what
50:03>> annually
50:04>> how much did he invest to get that much
50:0740,000
50:08>> it's in the millions I can't remember
50:09the exact amount but
50:11>> over what time period did he invest that
50:12much do you know like
50:14>> so when
50:16uh so he gets like so for example this
50:18specific client he gets like lump sums
50:21>> okay
50:22>> so like he works in a company where he
50:24gets profit sharing so his bonus last
50:26year,
50:26>> okay,
50:27>> was 800,000.
50:30>> So, obviously, you now put and you you
50:32already have a salary. So, you now just
50:34put that entire bonus in
50:36>> into
50:38um into whatever investment that you
50:39want to put it in that pays you
50:41dividends or pays you coupons, whatever.
50:43So,
50:44>> that alone is an income for him. I have
50:48another client who's an MD of another
50:50company
50:50>> who like his money that he's invested is
50:53also in the millions. M
50:55>> the money he gets from coupons, that's
50:57his enjoyment money. He tells me that's
50:58you see that that 26,000 that he gets
51:01every every 6 months. That's for him to
51:05>> go to the club,
51:06>> enjoy his life.
51:07>> Yeah. But he's entitled to that cuz he's
51:09not doing it or he's doing it off
51:11>> the investment, right? He's not doing it
51:13on what the principal amount is. And I
51:15think this a lesson for people to
51:17understand, especially we're recording
51:18this in December.
51:20>> For some people, bonuses come. And you
51:22know what? Look, I'm going to be honest.
51:24When I used to get my bonus, I was
51:26enjoying that, boy. I was imagine I
51:28invested all that bonus,
51:30>> then I'm creating my own bonus. That's
51:32what would have happened. But I wasn't
51:34doing that when I doing younger. Yeah.
51:36Now I do that. But when Yeah. When I was
51:38younger, it wasn't about your income.
51:39It's not about how much you earn. It's
51:40what you do with the money that you do
51:42earn.
51:42>> Yeah.
51:43>> Because if you're somebody that two
51:45people can be earning, let's say 5,000
51:46every month. One person invests 2,0005
51:49every month and then they're benefiting
51:51from pounds cost or dollar cost
51:53averaging because you just keep
51:55reinvesting
51:56>> and then there's somebody that spends
51:58the whole thing the whole 5k
52:01>> who who ends up better off is the first
52:03person but it's not that they're earning
52:04anymore at all. They're just investing.
52:08And another thing with me, so for
52:09example, I've left but
52:12you would think I was still on a salary
52:14here because I used to set up my salary.
52:17So that every month money comes out to
52:20be invested.
52:21>> Okay,
52:21>> that still happens whether I'm earning
52:24in pounds or and the thing is the pound
52:26income that I have is ad hoc. It's not
52:29it's not like a salary
52:30>> whereas my salary is in is in Nigeria.
52:33>> So but I make sure that I know that this
52:36month I have this bill to pay. It's not
52:38a bill. It's an investment.
52:39>> I don't have many bills here anymore.
52:41It's an investment. But that money has
52:43to be in my account no matter even if I
52:45have to convert Naira which I don't ever
52:46really have to do but if worst case
52:48scenario convert NRA it's there. So I'm
52:51still living like so when you see like
52:53my my average bank account so a lot of
52:56my clients when you see the average bank
52:58account they don't have much because
53:00their money doesn't just a lot of their
53:01money doesn't sit there. They know how
53:02much they will spend roughly. Money
53:04doesn't just sit there. It's always it's
53:06continuously working like they invest
53:10aggressively.
53:12And they even shout at you when like the
53:13money's been there for longer than two
53:14or three days. You as the wealth
53:16manager, why have you not why you put
53:18the money? I mean, you're not you're not
53:20on job.
53:22>> So, I think the lesson for people is,
53:23you know, bonus time is coming for some
53:25people. Think wisely about what you do
53:28with that money. I think that's that I
53:29think that's a lesson for people to
53:30understand like right like how do you
53:33create your own level of income and you
53:35can start kind of small actually if
53:37you're happy to share what do you
53:38personally invest in yourself? Do did I
53:40don't know if you say is it like index
53:42funds you do yourself or
53:43>> Oh, I do a lot. So, obviously I have
53:44fixed income.
53:45>> Okay. So, fixed income for people if
53:47they've we've explained it quite a few
53:50times, but just in case this is your
53:52first time and I'm making a face to go
53:56to all those other episodes where we've
53:57spoken about bonds. What is fixed income
54:00for people that haven't heard of that
54:02before?
54:02>> Okay, so a bond is like it's like an IOU
54:06um for a company. You can have company
54:09bonds or you can have corporate bonds or
54:11you can have government bonds. So let's
54:12say the government needs money. So
54:14they'll come to you and they say okay we
54:16need this amount. Um so you give that to
54:18them and in return they give you
54:19coupons. They can be annual coupons,
54:22they can be by annual, monthly depends
54:24on the structure. Um and then at the end
54:27of whatever tener that you've agreed um
54:31they give it back to you. So it's a
54:32bond. It's a bond between two
54:34counterparties.
54:35>> Um so that's literally what it is. So
54:38fixed income, so you can have long-term,
54:40which is bonds. Shorter term are things
54:42like treasury bills. So those are like
54:43less than a year. Um, and they will tell
54:46you like this is what the interest that
54:47you're going to get. You can either get
54:49the interest up front or you can get the
54:50interest at the end of the year or
54:52however long the tenor is.
54:53>> Okay.
54:54>> So yeah, I have fixed income. I have
54:56mutual funds.
54:57>> Okay.
54:57>> Um, I have a lot of stock like equities.
55:02>> Okay.
55:03>> ETFs. There's
55:04>> Okay. Wow. You're diverse. Yeah. I mean
55:07I have to be how can I I can't be
55:08advising people and not have invested
55:11myself
55:12>> in these things. I have investments in
55:13gold.
55:14>> Okay.
55:15>> Um which has been appreciating recent
55:19doing well for me.
55:20>> Um
55:22so real estate but a lot of the real
55:23estate is in real estate investment
55:25trusts not like the actual real estate.
55:26>> Okay. So you've done real estate
55:28investment trusts. Okay.
55:29>> Um a few companies in Nigeria but those
55:32are like small people that want to build
55:33companies. like put money into it and
55:35then take a certain amount of their
55:37>> so yeah I don't I think it's hard to
55:40advise people if you're not doing it
55:41yourself
55:42>> so I try to even if there's a product
55:45that I don't know I will go and put
55:46money into it
55:47>> okay to better understand
55:48>> it even like so like crypto I don't I
55:51can't advise crypto at work because it's
55:53not something that banks tend to offer
55:55>> and I don't understand it as well as as
55:57well as the other the more traditional
55:59investments but I still have money there
56:01because people are going to ask me so
56:03Yeah.
56:03>> Yeah, it it kind of varies.
56:05>> Okay. No, appreciate that. So, what
56:07would you say is a brutal truth about
56:08building wealth that most people simply
56:10aren't ready to hear? Be brutal, please.
56:13>> Oh, so you can't you can't build wealth
56:16trying to look rich. And this is such a
56:19big problem in Nigeria to be honest. I
56:22think it's a big problem with black
56:23people because when you look at like
56:26designer brands, I can't remember what
56:28the stat was exactly, but it was
56:29something like the majority a large
56:32percentage of of black people invest in
56:35designer and they're actually lower
56:36earners than the people that don't
56:38necessarily invest in designer things.
56:40Now, I don't have an issue with
56:42designer. I don't
56:42>> as in you mean buying designer things,
56:44aren't they?
56:44>> Buying designer things that you actually
56:46can't afford to buy. Um, so I think
56:48that's a real issue. People want to
56:51perceive looking rich. It's not the
56:54same. They're not the same thing. So
56:55something that happened or what was
56:57happening last December, which is really
56:59sad and I'm really upset about it
57:00because it's embarrassing. Diaspora
57:03diasporians
57:05were coming to Nigeria and Ghana but
57:07Nigeria specifically
57:09b trying to go to the clubs trying to
57:11ball like the people that can actually
57:13pay for these things spending money in
57:15the clubs
57:16>> on their credit cards coming to coming
57:19back to the UK or America and obviously
57:22Nigeria is a high-risisk country so I
57:24remember when I was at my previous bank
57:25Nigeria is a high-risisk country they'll
57:27come back and say that those
57:28transactions were fraudulent
57:30>> no way
57:30>> so they were getting the money back the
57:32people and that was a big thing last
57:34year.
57:34>> Messed up. Wow.
57:36>> So people were the people that are
57:38suffering are the the club owners, the
57:40bar people, the people in Nigeria
57:42>> messed up.
57:43>> It was a huge like issue last year
57:45because there was this thing in 2024
57:48about the IGGBs, the people that have
57:50just come back and the actual Lagos
57:52scales or the Lagos men. There was this
57:55ridiculous comparison. So that was
57:58happening. So to the extent that like
57:59some of my friends that do own clubs,
58:00they're saying that this year if you're
58:03not paying with a Naira card cuz you're
58:04not going to tell someone in Naira that
58:06all the money, all those aul bottles
58:08that you were buying were fraud or
58:10you're paying in cash, they're not
58:12having it. But why is that happening?
58:15Because you're trying to look like you
58:17have money. Why? You're already at an
58:19advantage because you're earning in a
58:20foreign currency. So you're actually So
58:22you don't need to do all those things.
58:24>> That's crazy.
58:25>> It's not necessary.
58:26>> That is mad. But that's because there's
58:28this perception you have to look like
58:29when you go a lot of clubbing is not
58:31about I feel like clubbing in Nigeria in
58:34London is you actually people just go to
58:36enjoy themselves. People go to have
58:37parties. There's a lot of parties in in
58:40Lagos that are not about enjoyment.
58:42They're about looking at
58:43>> status.
58:44>> Yeah. They're about status. They're
58:45about who has the biggest rolly, who
58:47drove the nicest car, who is who has the
58:50biggest bomb, who like who has the most
58:52bottles on the table. A lot of it is
58:53just imaging and packaging and it's
58:57something that like is so frustrating
59:00because a lot of the people that do the
59:01most packaging again they don't actually
59:03have
59:04>> a lot of these people that you think
59:06when I will see I see their bank
59:08accounts you don't have it and where you
59:11have it is one sugar daddy somewhere or
59:13it's one man it's somebody that has sent
59:15you that money
59:16>> it's not as if you you know I mean you
59:18may have earned it but like
59:19>> not in a traditional not in a
59:21traditional Okay.
59:23>> So,
59:24>> this is wild.
59:25>> You can't like just stop trying because
59:27the thing is it'll get to a point where
59:29>> it'll get so my parents tell me this
59:30story of how like when they were like
59:33before they got into property
59:36they were living in like a flat and a
59:38lot of their friends started buying
59:41renting houses but they were like no
59:43they want to buy a house and they were
59:44driving in like a Camry at the time and
59:47but my parents were quite financially
59:49savvy then. And so what happened is
59:52eventually they bought a house. When all
59:54their friends are renting, they bought a
59:56house later. It took them longer than it
59:58took everybody else, but they bought
59:59they were able to buy it. And then they
1:00:01now bought I remember being young and
1:00:04they bought like a an ML Mercedes. We
1:00:07had TVs in the back of our cars. I
1:00:08remember I grew up at that stage in my
1:00:10childhood. I was spoiled. I used to not
1:00:12want them to pick me up in the Camry. I
1:00:15only wanted the car that had TVs in the
1:00:16back. And we were like one of the first
1:00:18people amongst my dad's friends that had
1:00:21that because they waited.
1:00:23>> Okay,
1:00:24>> they like delayed gratification. They
1:00:25waited for they saved and saved and
1:00:28saved and saved and then use that money
1:00:30to invest and then we now we reap the
1:00:31benefits of it as children. A lot of
1:00:33people in Nigeria can't do that
1:00:35>> cuz there's this packaging cultures and
1:00:37don't get twisted. I also feel like you
1:00:39do need to fake it till you make it to
1:00:41an extent because for example when I go
1:00:43to certain climate meetings I can't rock
1:00:45up in some of the Uber cars that
1:00:47>> I'm in. I need to rock up in my car
1:00:50>> because
1:00:51>> you two you now see that you're like on
1:00:52a similar kind of level. So there's an
1:00:54element of packaging that you do need to
1:00:56do but not at the detriment of yourself.
1:01:00>> Yeah, I get it. Yeah. And that's the
1:01:02thing I think that's I think that's
1:01:03important for people to understand is
1:01:04like don't do too much. Don't you know
1:01:07do something with imbalance and always
1:01:09like weigh out the pros and cons. I
1:01:11think it's very important not to get
1:01:12lost in s and that doesn't also mean
1:01:14that you can't have fun. Have fun. But
1:01:16that fraudulent thing, man, whoever did
1:01:17that, shame on you. No, honestly, shame
1:01:20on you because no, because like let's be
1:01:22honest, people like, you know, one of
1:01:24the things that frustrates me sometimes
1:01:26is people will say, "Oh yeah, let's
1:01:28support the black community. Let's
1:01:30support Africa." Then you go out and do
1:01:32that. Come on, man. that that's not
1:01:34that's not supporting Africa. If you're
1:01:36going out there, you're spending your
1:01:37money. Please spend your money. Like
1:01:39coming back and now trying to say that
1:01:41it was fraud, I think that's bad, man.
1:01:42Like I don't I don't know why you'd even
1:01:44why that thought would come into your
1:01:46mind. If you ain't got the money, then
1:01:47don't go. Leave it.
1:01:49>> A lot last year. Like I said,
1:01:51>> it's like it just screams to me that you
1:01:52ain't got the money. And that's all
1:01:53right. Just don't visit like all the
1:01:56FOMO all the time that you have to be
1:01:58everywhere. Like sometimes you don't
1:01:59have to. You can't afford it. It's fine.
1:02:02like we can't all afford everything. I
1:02:03can't afford a private jet. I'm not
1:02:05going to go and cry about it. I don't
1:02:06even I don't even think about it. I
1:02:08don't care cuz it doesn't matter to me
1:02:10when I get to that level and it's
1:02:11something I can afford. Then maybe I'll
1:02:12care and say is important. But I'm not
1:02:14going to be like, "Oh my god, crying
1:02:15myself sleep." Oh, I can't afford.
1:02:17>> It's good.
1:02:19>> Sweeter. I feel like when you get to the
1:02:20point when you can afford it, it's so
1:02:21much forcing it.
1:02:24>> Yeah. Let's not let's not do that. So,
1:02:26if you had to give people a simple
1:02:28wealth plan for 2026, something anyone
1:02:30can follow regardless of income, what
1:02:32would it be?
1:02:34>> Um, it's not that you don't have enough
1:02:36money, it's that you haven't you haven't
1:02:39packaged it well yet. Um, so for
1:02:42example, you need to automate your
1:02:45investments. I feel like if you're
1:02:46someone that is not very good with
1:02:48finances, just automate your
1:02:49investments. So have the same way you
1:02:51know you have your phone bill coming out
1:02:53you have the know all your subscription
1:02:55bills have coming out your investment
1:02:57bill should also come out but you also
1:03:00know and the thing is nothing is that
1:03:01people people think okay they don't have
1:03:03enough but when you when you set up your
1:03:05life like that you will survive on the
1:03:07remaining money that you have in your
1:03:08account you will find a way to survive
1:03:10on the remaining money that you have in
1:03:11your account cuz I remember when I
1:03:12started working half of my money went to
1:03:14investing straight the rest of the money
1:03:17I used for any bills that I had or any
1:03:19enjoyment that I wanted to do at the
1:03:20time. Like I have a birthday fund.
1:03:23>> Like everybody has their thing that they
1:03:25can't let go of. Mine is my birthday. I
1:03:26have to do a party or I have to do
1:03:27something for my birthday every year. So
1:03:29every year, you see that birthday money
1:03:30that I collect, half of it goes into my
1:03:33birthday fund for the next year.
1:03:34>> Okay?
1:03:35>> And then every year, every month I add a
1:03:36little bit because I know that's my
1:03:37thing. I know that every year I need to
1:03:39spend on my birthday.
1:03:40>> So I have a fund for it. So it doesn't
1:03:42it's not I don't feel guilty spending
1:03:44it. I don't feel like, okay, February's
1:03:46come now and I'm eating Gary and and
1:03:48beans, like as in I'm I'm okay because I
1:03:51I' planned for it. And if you're not
1:03:53someone that is good at planning, then
1:03:54just automate things.
1:03:55>> Automate your investment so it's it's
1:03:57done for you. And then another thing is
1:03:59don't rely on your 9 to5 like I can't
1:04:04hone in on that enough. Um don't it's
1:04:06your salary is like I feel like people's
1:04:08salary is a trap. Like your salary can
1:04:11help you build wealth because obviously
1:04:12that's your income. is what you now do
1:04:14with that. But it's not always enough.
1:04:17Like you should have another income
1:04:19stream. That income stream may be I
1:04:23don't know renting out your car, which I
1:04:25do. It can be just consulting people,
1:04:29advising people. It can be doing things
1:04:31on c like they can be the small. It can
1:04:34be looking after someone's child. Like
1:04:37they're not I'm not saying go and create
1:04:39one huge business where you have to or
1:04:42go into property where you need large
1:04:44amounts of money. No, but have something
1:04:46else as opposed to just relying on that
1:04:48once every month salary because if you
1:04:50if you're made redundant, god forbid, or
1:04:52something, what then?
1:04:53>> Yeah.
1:04:54>> So other income streams, automate your
1:04:57automate your um like your investments.
1:05:01And it's not that you don't have enough
1:05:03money, it's just you're not packaging it
1:05:05well. Okay. So that's what you would say
1:05:07for 2026. So if you're listening to this
1:05:09in 2026 or 2027 or 2028 or 2029 and
1:05:12beyond, you're saying people should
1:05:15automate their investments to remove the
1:05:17hard work. They should have another
1:05:19income stream, especially in this world
1:05:20that is getting more and more expensive.
1:05:23What I'm seeing and what I,
1:05:26you know, we talk a lot about AI and we
1:05:28talk a lot about that stuff. This
1:05:30divide, it just gets bigger.
1:05:33uh you know hopefully there is there are
1:05:35things that can be done to close the gap
1:05:38but in the absence of that what you can
1:05:40do for yourself is like you were saying
1:05:43is make sure that you do have maybe
1:05:46another income stream it doesn't have to
1:05:47be too strainous but even if it extra 1
1:05:49or200 and you're investing that extra
1:05:51one or200 that can do a lot for you and
1:05:54not saying you don't have enough I think
1:05:55that is very important in your
1:05:57experience what's the fastest way
1:05:58someone on a normal salary can increase
1:06:00their net worth over the the next 18
1:06:02months, what would you say?
1:06:05>> Upskill or up your network. So, focus
1:06:08heavily on the people around you or
1:06:10focus really hone in on a specific skill
1:06:12that is in high demand. Um,
1:06:16and then I think so something that I
1:06:20said like my Uber driver did reduce look
1:06:22at your biggest expense or biggest two
1:06:24expenses see how you can reduce that and
1:06:26whatever whatever is left invest use
1:06:29that to invest money.
1:06:30>> Okay. I think those those are the
1:06:32quickest things that you can do like
1:06:33immediately. Um and then yeah, I think
1:06:38those are the quickest
1:06:39>> those are the quickest thing. Yeah,
1:06:39>> the quickest things.
1:06:40>> And then is there one financial strategy
1:06:43you've seen wealthy clients use that
1:06:45ordinary people should copy even with
1:06:47like smaller amounts?
1:06:51>> I think leveraging
1:06:52>> leveraging
1:06:53>> leveraging on
1:06:54>> you got to be careful with leveraging
1:06:55cuz that's how some people blow up
1:06:56though.
1:06:57>> Yeah, that's true. But like leverage
1:06:59with sense.
1:07:00>> Yeah.
1:07:00>> So whether you're leveraging on other
1:07:02people's funds, whe you're leveraging on
1:07:03other people's advice, whe you're
1:07:05leveraging on other people's skills, but
1:07:07>> Okay. So it's not just leveraging money,
1:07:09just leveraging something.
1:07:10>> Leveraging something. You're not, like I
1:07:12said, you're not an island. Like
1:07:14>> leverage on other leverage generally
1:07:17>> on other things. It's not just money.
1:07:19>> Yeah. Have you seen people leverage
1:07:21non-financially? That that would be
1:07:22interesting to hear cuz you've told you
1:07:24you described the financial way people
1:07:26leverage but what about a non-financial
1:07:28way you've seen somebody leverage?
1:07:30>> So even just skills. So for example like
1:07:32I have someone that um she is in my
1:07:36field as well. She has a 9 to5 but she's
1:07:40not very good with social media. So
1:07:42she's leveraged on some of her friends
1:07:44skills. So some of her friends she pays
1:07:46them to do her social media. That social
1:07:47media has got her talking engagements.
1:07:49those talking engagements pay her,
1:07:52>> but she hasn't like
1:07:53>> she hasn't necessarily spent a
1:07:55ridiculous amount of money. She just
1:07:57used the connections. She has friends
1:07:59that are into social media, so she's
1:08:00done that. She's leveraged on other
1:08:02people's skills, leverage on other
1:08:04people's contacts. Like again, some of
1:08:06the deals that I've done have been me
1:08:08knowing someone who knew someone. I've
1:08:10leveraged on those contacts to make
1:08:12money. So, it's not just even though it
1:08:14all kind of leads to making more money,
1:08:16it's not just using other people's
1:08:18money. You can use skills, you can use
1:08:20contacts,
1:08:21>> you can use people's assets. There's a
1:08:25lot of things. People's cars. I've used
1:08:26other people's cars to go to to go to
1:08:28meetings, to look a certain type of way.
1:08:30Like
1:08:31>> leverage on those things. There there's
1:08:32deals I've secured because I'm driving
1:08:35my mentor's car.
1:08:36>> Right. Okay. I get it. Oh, that's smart.
1:08:39>> And that didn't cost me anything. That
1:08:40was just, oh, you help me with this.
1:08:43Okay, fine. We just make sure you don't
1:08:44crash it. Finish.
1:08:45>> Okay. So if somebody wanted to build
1:08:48serious wealth in the next decade, what
1:08:50opportunities in Nigeria or Africa stand
1:08:52out to you right now? Now that you've
1:08:53been there for a while, what do you
1:08:55think?
1:08:55>> Technology.
1:08:56>> Technology.
1:08:57>> Digitalization is borderless. So a lot
1:09:00of people can do you can do things here.
1:09:02In Nigeria, you need to be there a
1:09:04little bit because people will swindle
1:09:05you. But you need to. But once you've
1:09:09got that and you have the people that
1:09:10you trust,
1:09:11>> digitalization is the easiest thing to
1:09:12do because like I like I know a woman
1:09:14that she does she does HR. She lives
1:09:17here. She has a full-time job and what
1:09:19she does is she outsources she gets um
1:09:23what's it called? She gets EAS and
1:09:24social media people for people in
1:09:27Nigeria. So she has like a HR company
1:09:29but she's here. She doesn't live in
1:09:31Nigeria, but she has people on ground
1:09:33that are sourcing these people,
1:09:34interviewing these people, and then she
1:09:36takes her cut when they're hired.
1:09:38>> So, you just created a whole company
1:09:39without even really she goes to Nigeria
1:09:40what, twice a year.
1:09:41>> Wow, that is so smart.
1:09:43>> I have someone that is a pharmacist
1:09:46here, but she sells she ships like drugs
1:09:50there because people people feel like
1:09:53>> because it's coming from the UK, it's
1:09:55>> prescription drugs just in case people
1:09:57think.
1:09:57>> Sorry. like
1:09:59>> prescription drugs. People don't
1:10:03cocaine cartel. Yeah, I just needed to
1:10:05make you say drugs. I I got it. But I
1:10:08was like just in case people want to try
1:10:09and sound by. No, you ain't getting us.
1:10:11You're not getting us tomorrow.
1:10:13ibuprofen,
1:10:15antibiotics, those things. So yeah, she
1:10:18and she's she's making she's making like
1:10:20nearly the same as her salary here.
1:10:21>> Wow.
1:10:22>> Because people are buying it.
1:10:24>> Yeah.
1:10:24>> Cuz they think, oh, it's from the UK, so
1:10:25it's legitimate.
1:10:27It is legitimate but still
1:10:31>> you can get the same thing in Nigeria
1:10:33for cheaper.
1:10:33>> People in Nigeria love when you get
1:10:35stuff from M&S. They love when you get
1:10:37stuff from Asda. I they love it, you
1:10:38know.
1:10:39>> Do you know what the other thing is?
1:10:40Because a lot of things so a lot of
1:10:41things that have been bought to shops in
1:10:44um in Nigeria end up stale.
1:10:46>> So by time you're buying it
1:10:48>> like Maltesas, you can't buy Maltesers
1:10:50in Nigeria. They are not nice.
1:10:52>> Wow.
1:10:52>> Because they're stale by the time they
1:10:54get there. cookies can't do it cuz
1:10:56they're just stale. So it's just it's
1:10:57easier way to do it. Yeah. I don't that.
1:11:00So unless you're buying local things,
1:11:02>> but if you're trying to buy Tesco brand
1:11:05or M&S brand in a Nigerian shop, it's
1:11:07not going to work. They're not going to
1:11:09be nice. So let's let it go.
1:11:12>> Although you know you're living in
1:11:14Nigeria, do you see cuz obviously you do
1:11:16come back and sometimes I think when you
1:11:18do come back you do get that fresh eyes.
1:11:19Do you think that there are
1:11:21opportunities in the UK that you've seen
1:11:23like coming back from Nigeria and seen
1:11:25oh actually you know what we don't have
1:11:27this in the UK and actually somebody can
1:11:29capitalize on it that you thought
1:11:31yourself
1:11:33>> as in things that we have in Nigeria
1:11:35that we don't have here.
1:11:36>> Yeah. Now being out of the country cuz
1:11:37sometimes I think when you leave you
1:11:40come back with a fresh pair of eyes and
1:11:41then you can understand and see things.
1:11:43>> So yes and no. And the no comes from the
1:11:47fact that the culture is just different.
1:11:48>> Okay. So like even something as basic as
1:11:51like your bank, your banking apps in
1:11:55Nigeria, you can go to a Tesco and
1:11:58transfer
1:11:59>> to the Tesco. You can't do that here.
1:12:01>> Okay.
1:12:02>> You have to use your card. You have to
1:12:03have your card. You have to have
1:12:04>> That's an opportunity then.
1:12:06>> Yeah. But the reason we do that is
1:12:07because Visa don't trust us. So you
1:12:09can't use contactless in Nigeria.
1:12:10>> So the reason behind that is different.
1:12:12>> They don't. So you have to be able to
1:12:14transfer because and also network is
1:12:16down a lot. So if you have any shop or
1:12:20restaurant
1:12:25here, but people tend not to because
1:12:27>> I can use contactless. So I would need
1:12:29to I can use my phone. I can use Apple
1:12:31Pay. You can't do that in Nigeria.
1:12:33>> Okay.
1:12:33>> So I think even though it's an
1:12:35opportunity, it's because of the fact
1:12:37that you can't do contactless
1:12:38>> certain things.
1:12:40>> So I think it's different because again
1:12:42cultures are very different like the
1:12:44environment is different. So, I don't
1:12:46know. It's not not really
1:12:49>> Yeah.
1:12:50>> that I can think of to med.
1:12:52>> Okay. So, I've got this final question
1:12:54for you.
1:12:55>> Mhm.
1:12:56>> For young Africans, whether on the
1:12:58continent or in uh or in the diaspora,
1:13:01what gives you hope about the future of
1:13:03African wealth?
1:13:05>> Um, a lot of So, as much as you think
1:13:07that di people are not moving to
1:13:09Nigeria, they are.
1:13:10>> Okay. A lot of people are
1:13:13they get sucked into this dirty December
1:13:15and they're like, "Oh yeah, I want to
1:13:16live here." But then,
1:13:18that's another con. Don't don't come in
1:13:20December. Come in, come in May. Come in
1:13:23the time that you know you can it cuz
1:13:25December's a December is a lie. That's
1:13:27not how Nigeria is the rest of the year.
1:13:29Um, so a lot of diasperans, and I'm not
1:13:32just talking about British people. A lot
1:13:33of a lot of my friends are American.
1:13:34>> I didn't have American friends when I
1:13:36was here.
1:13:36>> I have them now. So I think that shows
1:13:39me that there's people are seeing
1:13:41opportunities. A lot of my clients are
1:13:42Lebanese, they're Chinese, they're
1:13:44Indian. So what are all these people
1:13:46seeing in our country that you are not
1:13:47seeing?
1:13:47>> That's true.
1:13:48>> That means there there's stuff there.
1:13:49All of the clubs, the main clubs that
1:13:51people go to, they're not owned by
1:13:52Nigerians. They're owned by Lebanese
1:13:54people. So there's obviously those
1:13:57things exist. It's just bring the
1:13:59western knowledge to those places. And
1:14:02that excites me because the more people
1:14:04I see, the more I'm like, "All right,
1:14:05cool. you're investing in Africa and
1:14:08you're doing a younger stage. There's
1:14:09more technology. There's all these all
1:14:11these companies that are blowing up. A
1:14:13lot of them are diasporian. They're not
1:14:15Nigerian Nigerians. They're diasporans
1:14:16that have come and built something that
1:14:19has changed the way we do things, the
1:14:21way we do payments. You're taken away
1:14:23from the banks.
1:14:23>> Yeah.
1:14:24>> But it's doing well for Nigeria. So, I
1:14:26don't mind. I feel like that's exciting
1:14:28because I feel like now we're
1:14:31entering Nigeria in a way that we don't
1:14:33really we're not asking for permission.
1:14:34We're just coming
1:14:35>> Mhm. and doing whatever we need to do.
1:14:37>> I like it.
1:14:38>> Yeah,
1:14:38>> it's nice to see.
1:14:39>> It's nice to see and along it continue
1:14:41and like I said, I'm planning to do
1:14:43some, you know, content out there in the
1:14:45future. So, yeah, hopefully we can
1:14:47definitely spotlight that and hopefully
1:14:48contribute to the growth and thank you
1:14:50so much Aisha for just like you know
1:14:51featuring on podcast again like it was
1:14:53great having this conversation with you
1:14:54and just like uh you know catching up on
1:14:57what you're doing in Nigeria. It sounds
1:14:59like look it looks it sounds like the
1:15:01pros and cons like everywhere you know
1:15:04in the world. It sounds like, you know,
1:15:06there are definitely challenges that
1:15:07you're having, but also it sounds like
1:15:09there's a lot of opportunities and I'm
1:15:10quite excited about the opportunities
1:15:12for you and yeah, definitely want to
1:15:14hear more um on the podcast in the
1:15:16future um as well. just thanks so much
1:15:18for just sharing and just really just I
1:15:20think for me I'm I'm leaving this
1:15:22conversation feeling definitely more
1:15:24motivated that you know I could do more
1:15:26people can do more and hope hope the
1:15:28watchers and listeners also feel the
1:15:29same way that actually you know what
1:15:31these things even if you feel like these
1:15:34things are not attainable they actually
1:15:36are attainable and that's what you've
1:15:38kind of shown and shared with us today
1:15:39so I think it's very very very important
1:15:41where can people find you if they want
1:15:42to connect with you
1:15:43>> um on Instagram and Tik Tok it's @thehus
1:15:47muscle table. Unless you want your kids
1:15:49to sign up to my school, then you can
1:15:50put out coin
1:15:53um LinkedIn Aisha.
1:15:57>> I think that's it. What else do I have?
1:15:59Yeah, that's it. Those are my
1:16:00>> those are the platforms. Yeah,
1:16:01>> I think so.
1:16:02>> Okay. No, appreciate that. Please go and
1:16:04check out the hustle table for sure.
1:16:06Yeah. Yeah. Obviously, I think you've
1:16:07been doing the hustle table for a while
1:16:08and we did mention. Yeah. Okay. So,
1:16:10please go check out the hustle table.
1:16:12You're on Tik Tok as well. I don't think
1:16:13you mentioned hust
1:16:15the same. The host table is the same.
1:16:17>> See, you're being too too too modest.
1:16:19Too modest. Do you have any final words
1:16:21for watchers and listen?
1:16:23>> I'm going to copy Nike
1:16:25>> and say just do it because whether it's
1:16:28that you want to move, whether it's you
1:16:30want to go and just learn, just travel.
1:16:32I don't like just do it because
1:16:34honestly, even me going to Nigeria, it
1:16:36was I've been talking about it. I've
1:16:37been talking about it and then one day I
1:16:39just booked my ticket one way and that's
1:16:42how I went. It wasn't like I planned,
1:16:44okay, one day, literally, I got
1:16:46irritated with something and I booked my
1:16:47ticket one way and I packed my bags and
1:16:48I left.
1:16:49>> Wow.
1:16:50>> So, just do it. And I'm I'm so happy I
1:16:52went. I was scared all they go to Sid.
1:16:55Like, as in my few of my closest friends
1:16:57came to see me that day that I left, I
1:16:59cried my eyes out. I sat there on that
1:17:01table and cried my eyes out with them
1:17:04cuz I was just like, what? What am I
1:17:06doing? I didn't grow up in Nigeria. I
1:17:07wasn't born in Nigeria. What am I doing?
1:17:10But I got there and I made banker of the
1:17:13year. I like I just Yeah. So just do it
1:17:18like
1:17:18>> Yeah. And your life is changed for the
1:17:19better.
1:17:20>> What's the worst that can happen?
1:17:21>> What's the worst that can you can come
1:17:23back to UK anytime and but you've come
1:17:25back with a richer experience and more
1:17:26network and now you you can move from go
1:17:30between here and Nigeria as often as you
1:17:32want because you built that bridge for
1:17:34yourself.
1:17:35>> Yeah.
1:17:36>> Amazing. No, thank you so much Asha.
1:17:38Appreciate you featuring podcast. Thank
1:17:39you for tuning into this week's episode.
1:17:41See you next week's episode. If you
1:17:42enjoyed this episode, share your
1:17:43favorite part in the comments, tap the
1:17:45like button, and subscribe to the
1:17:46channel. Your support is really
1:17:48appreciated. We'll keep working hard to
1:17:50bring you more valuable conversations.

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