If Nigeria is so bad... why are the richest Nigerians becoming even richer?

If Nigeria is so bad... why are the richest Nigerians becoming even richer?

Before you get angry...

Read this to the end.

Because this post may completely change the way you think about money.

Every day I open Facebook and I see the same comments.

"Nigeria is finished."

"Tinubu has destroyed everything."

"I just want to japa."

"There is no opportunity left."

Now let me ask you one uncomfortable question.

If Nigeria is truly impossible...

Why are some Nigerians becoming richer every single day?

Think about it.

Aliko Dangote is in the same Nigeria.

Tony Elumelu is in the same Nigeria.

Femi Otedola is in the same Nigeria.

Thousands of business owners you've never heard of are in the same Nigeria.

Yet many of them are making more money today than they made five years ago.

How?

Do they have another Nigeria?

No.

They simply see Nigeria differently.

Let me tell you something I discovered years ago.

I spent many years in Lagos.

Like many young people, I believed every opportunity was in Lagos.

Then I travelled back to Ebonyi State.

Almost everybody I met was saying the same thing.

"There is no Opportunity."

"There is no money."

"The economy is hard."

For the few weeks that I spent over there.

While everybody was talking...

I was looking.

And I found an opportunity.

I entered agricultural produce trading.

I'm not going into details because I still run that business through trusted people.

But that experience has taught me one lesson I'll never forget.

People see problems. Entrepreneurs see opportunities hiding inside those same problems.

Money has a strange habit.

It always follows problems.

No problem...

No money.

Think about it.

Doctors make money because people get sick.

Lawyers make money because people have legal problems.

Engineers make money because things break.

Software developers make money because businesses need technology.

Farmers make money because people must eat.

Investors make money because businesses need capital.

Every wealthy person you know today is solving a problem.

The bigger the problem...

The bigger the reward.

This is why I keep saying something many people don't like hearing.

Nigeria is one of the hardest countries to live in.

But it is also one of the easiest places to create wealth...

If you learn how to solve problems.

Because we have plenty of problems.

Agriculture.

Healthcare.

Education.

Transportation.

Housing.

Technology.

Finance.

Power.

Logistics.

Waste management.

Manufacturing.

Every one of those problems is someone's future business.

Now don't misunderstand me.

I'm not saying Nigeria doesn't have serious problems.

It does.

Inflation is real.

Food prices are painful.

Electricity is unreliable.

The cost of living keeps rising.

Those are real challenges.

But here's the reality.

Complaining has never reduced inflation.

Complaining has never increased your salary.

Complaining has never paid school fees.

Complaining has never built wealth.

I want you to answer one question honestly.

Since you were born...

Have things generally become cheaper in Nigeria...

Or more expensive?

You already know the answer.

Now ask yourself another question.

Has your income grown faster than the cost of living?

For many people...

The answer is no.

That is why many people feel poorer today, even when they earn more money than they did years ago.

Do you know that?

Someone earning ₦200,000 in 2015 may have had stronger purchasing power than someone earning ₦800,000 today.

Yes.

That is the reality of inflation.

Which means one thing.

If your income grows only through salary... inflation will eventually catch up with you.

That is why learning new skills, building businesses, and investing are no longer optional.

They are survival tools.

Before you rejoice...

Let me tell you One mistake I see young people make everyday:

They think the solution is to resign from their current jobs and start a business.

No.

Sometimes your current employer is your biggest opportunity.

Become so valuable that replacing you becomes expensive.

Look beyond your job description.

Ask yourself:

"What problem is this company struggling with?"

Can you increase sales?

Can you reduce costs?

Can you improve customer service?

Can you automate a process?

Can you save the company money?

People who solve bigger problems rarely remain on the same salary.

Even in my own businesses...

I have people I will fight to keep.

Not because they're my friends.

But because replacing them would cost me more than increasing their salary.

Imagine I need to hire a video editor for ₦300,000 every month.

Then my social media manager learns video editing and starts doing both jobs exceptionally well.

Instead of paying two salaries...

I can increase one person's salary and still save money.

Everybody wins.

That is how value works.

Now let me tell you something that may surprise you.

In accounting, we are taught that a car is a depreciating asset.

Over time, it loses value.

That's generally true.

But Nigeria has taught us that reality doesn't always follow textbooks.

Some cars bought for ₦3 million years ago during the Buhari Regime, which many Nigerians classified as one of the worst presidents, now sell for ₦7 million or ₦8 million because inflation, exchange rates, and supply shortages changed the market.

Does that mean cars always make money?

No.

It means understanding the economy matters more than memorizing definitions.

The real world rewards people who understand context.

Whether Tinubu remains President or another person takes over tomorrow...

One thing will remain the same.

People will still complain.

That has happened under almost every administration.

The names change.

The complaints remain.

So don't build your financial future around waiting for the perfect government.

Build it around becoming more valuable every year.

As your Financial Literacy Advocate...

Let me tell you the mindset that changed my life.

I have accepted years ago..

That nobody is coming to save me

And..

Nobody is also coming to save you.

Yes.

Including you reading this post.

Not the President.

Not the Governor.

Not your Local Government Chairman.

Not your parents forever.

Accepting responsibility is not giving government a free pass.

Government should still be held accountable.

Citizens should still demand better policies, better infrastructure, better education, and better healthcare.

But while you demand better leadership...

Don't pause your own life.

Before I forget...

Please don't forget your future.

Even if it's just 10% of your income.

Start investing consistently.

Don't leave all your savings idle in the bank where inflation quietly erodes their value.

Learn about regulated investment options such as money market mutual funds and other long-term investment vehicles.

Start small.

Be consistent.

Your future self will thank you.

Because the greatest risk in Nigeria today isn't only inflation.

It is spending ten years complaining while someone else spends those same ten years preparing.

The economy may not change overnight.

But your mindset can.

And sometimes...

That is where wealth truly begins.

My name is Iking Ferry,

Founder, Fokona

A Financial Literacy Advocate and Investment Strategist on a mission to build 10 million financially free Nigerians and Africans through the right knowledge.