This video provides a glimpse of a segment of our school captured from the balcony of our duplex. While I’m typically reserved about sharing personal details, I have a covenant with God to impart the lessons I’ve learned, especially to fellow Africans. My mission is to replicate success stories like mine a million times over in Africa and among Africans in the diaspora.
Start Small, Dream Big: I acquired these properties without the trappings of success—no grand office, no designer clothes, and no fancy cars. It echoes the sentiment: “Don’t furnish a big office for a very little business.” My friend, Lee Engineering, who started from a container, now boasts several global offices. The key, it seems, is to build your business before constructing an extravagant personal space.
Fashion vs. Functionality: “Don’t wear designers without a destination; you are not a mannequin.” My early days involved buying land that was once farmland owned by my mother-in-law. I purchased it from the community while still being a tenant in a modest house. The advice is clear: build your business before your house because you spend more time at work than at home.
The Illusion of Luxury: “People who build and sell those big houses you buy in exclusive areas live very simple lives.” Flashy lifestyles often mask financial struggles. While it’s natural to admire opulence, it rarely leads to ownership. Some who joined me in property ventures ended up selling to fund ceremonies that faded into distant memories.
Invest in Assets, Not Liabilities: “Anything you can pull off when you go to bed has economic value.” Material possessions, no matter how luxurious, don’t provide lasting value. Learn from the cautionary tales of Michael Jackson and Mike Tyson, where financial success didn’t match their flashy lifestyles.
Strategic Investments:
“Buy land anywhere a cock crows, and with time, it will develop.” Olorogun Michael Ibru
“My son buy land. He who owns real estate is like a big tree with big branches. He never falls to the ground.” Prince Morrison Olori
“My son buy land, everything can fade and go out of fashion, but land increases in value with time.” Chief Godwin Atori (Owner of Polokor market)
The Long-Term View: From my experience, there’s no such thing as waterlogged or far land. The key is to buy cheap, conquer, and maximise the potential. Wise investors buy in unexplored areas, illuminating them with development, eventually driving up prices.
Conclusion: In closing, the advice from these three wealthy men resonates: invest wisely, focus on assets, and always consider the long-term value. Transplant your seeds to fertile soils, following the timeless wisdom of the parable of the sower. In the journey to success, remember that true wealth is built on strategic investments, not on the ephemeral allure of a flashy lifestyle.
