Zeal A. Jacobson

Giving up my brain so I can grow my mind. Here to give you a different perspective; Listen to me on CriticalThinking, Thursday’s 5pm on LagosTalks 91.3fm

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

1/ So, few years ago, my pregnant dog went to the poultry to give birth and by the laws my wife Seun instituted (can never be me),

[FMDQ Group @FMDQGroup]

13 years ago, we began a journey to transform Nigeria’s financial markets. Today, we celebrate the milestones achieved, the partnerships built, and the lasting impact created along the way.

And the best part? We’re just getting started!

13 years down. The journey continues. 🎉

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

The entire length of Ozumba Mbadiwe is about 4km and according to initial govt statement, it’ll take 35days to resurface it

FYI 1004 Estate to international airport is 30km

In January this year, India set a world record and in 24 HOURS they paved (same thing we are doing on Ozumba) the distance from 1004 to international airport…(as a single lane equivalent though)

So basically, they did the equivalent of the length of Ozumba in less than 12hrs…But It’ll take us 35days

As a nation, one thing that’s really holding us back is poverty…but beyond cashflow related poverty, the combination of POVERTY OF AMBITION from leadership and the POVERTY OF EXPECTATION from followers is more detrimental to our development than poverty of resource

[FMDQ Group @FMDQGroup]

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria!

Cheers to a future where unity and faith, peace and progress continue to shape our collective journey.

#NigeriaAt66 #IndependenceDay #ProudlyNigerian #October1 #FMDQGroup

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

This is a very disturbing statement. People say politicians have “weaponised poverty” but in reality, from this statement, what has been weaponised is failure which shows up, in many instances, as poverty!

When failure becomes a weapon, there’s no realm where the possibility of success exists

[Peoples Gazette @GazetteNGR]

Poor Nigerians are not independent-minded, we control who they vote for; hunger, insecurity won't stop them from re-electing Tinubu: Wike https://t.co/8kdWJn1233

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

@Am8cus @tosinolaseinde That’s certainly not the case with her.

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

In case yo don’t see the correlation:

Nigeria spent ₦257 billion subsidising petrol in 2006. By 2022, the Federal Government found itself spending ₦4.39 trillion annually to keep petrol prices artificially low. That seventeen-fold expansion happened in under two decades, and it shows you how subsidy regimes actually grow.
No Nigerian president stood up and announced a plan to addict an entire country to subsidised petrol. It happened incrementally, through political competition. Each administration that wanted votes resisted increasing the price. Each postponement normalized the next one. The citizen who once considered the subsidy a temporary benefit eventually expected it, then demanded it, then organized politically to protect it.
This is the core mechanism free market thinkers have identified across every era: once you create a subsidy program, you create a constituency for that program. Beneficiaries vote. Administrators build careers. Petroleum marketers who supply the state develop a stake in keeping the payments flowing. The political economy locks in.
President Goodluck Jonathan, to his credit, actually attempted to remove the subsidy in 2012. It was one of his more economically coherent moves, though nationwide protests forced him to partially reverse it. His successors quietly let the subsidy bill climb again.
What did the subsidy require? Massive petrol imports from Europe and elsewhere, organized through state logistics at state expense, funded by oil revenues and public borrowing. When the oil revenue dried up, the obligation remained. Nigeria had written a cheque against future oil earnings, and future oil earnings eventually failed to keep pace.
The lesson is not complicated. Distribute a subsidy and you distribute dependency. Distribute dependency and you distribute political power to whoever controls the subsidy. The petrol subsidy didn't weaken Nigeria overnight, but it made every subsequent reform politically difficult.

[Handre @Handre]

Rome handed out free grain to 40,000 citizens in 73 BC. By 46 BC, Julius Caesar found 320,000 people lining up for their monthly ration. That eight-fold expansion happened in under three decades, and it shows you how welfare states actually grow.

No Roman senator stood up and announced a plan to addict a third of the city to government bread. It happened incrementally, through political competition. Each magistrate who wanted votes expanded eligibility. Each expansion normalized the next one. The citizen who once considered the dole shameful eventually expected it, then demanded it, then organized politically to protect it.

This is the core mechanism free market thinkers have identified across every era: once you create a transfer program, you create a constituency for that program. Recipients vote. Administrators build careers. Grain merchants who supply the state develop a stake in keeping the contracts flowing. The political economy locks in.

Caesar, to his credit, actually cut the rolls back to 150,000 through verification audits. It was one of his more economically coherent moves, though the Senate still murdered him. His successors quietly let the numbers climb again.

What did the dole require? Massive grain imports from Sicily, Sardinia, and Egypt, organized through state logistics at state expense, funded by taxation and conquest. When the conquest revenue dried up, the obligation remained. Rome had written a check against future military success, and future military success eventually failed to arrive.

The lesson is not complicated. Distribute a benefit and you distribute dependency. Distribute dependency and you distribute political power to whoever controls the distribution. The grain dole didn't weaken Rome overnight, but it made every subsequent reform politically impossible.

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

As a child in the 80s, the cars on our roads were largely European: Peugeot, Volkswagen, Volvo, Citroën, Benz etc and then I watched the Japanese arrive and steadily take the market from the Europeans.

Within that same lifetime, the Koreans came with Hyundai, Daewoo & Kia & began giving the Japanese a serious run for their money.

Now, Chinese cars are spreading across our roads at a remarkable pace…

The world has kept innovating, manufacturing and competing while we have only further cemented our place as consumers

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

@tosinolaseinde But Why is it being framed as if they are mutually exclusive when they can easily coexist ?

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

@SelloCoker Good good 🙂🙏🏾

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

I just randomly remembered the very first time a wrote a cheque for N1,000,000 sometime in July or August of 2000

My ANNUAL salary was just increased to N645,000 and I had no more than about N80,000 in my whole life.

I sha wrote a cheque for N1,000,000 just to see what it felt like, walked into the banking hall, and then walked out. After that, I was happy and then I tore the cheque 🤣🤣🤣

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

@WolexOlaoye Good to hear from you too 🙏🏾

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

@yinkanubi Is the CBN limit not 10m?🤪🤣

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

Since it's men's mental health month, I am reposting this from a few years ago:

From the moment you start growing teeth, you commence a daily routine of ensuring your dental health is not compromised. For most people, 2ce a day everyday, a dental health routine is followed for maximum protection & as preventive measure to but dental health problems at bay

After a while, the daily dental health routine is complimented with diet that assist the promotion of dental health & we avoid certain foods/habits that have the tendency to put our dental health at risk. Also, we are advised to see a dental health professional 2ce a year!

Seeing this dental health professional doesn't mean there's something wrong, it is just part of the practise to ensure that decay is detected early and promptly dealt with; cos with dental health, it is a matter of when, not if! Is there any shame in seeing a professional?

If the dental health professional detects any issue, solutions range widely from simple diet adjustment to need for more drastic action involving medication & periodic checks. Sometimes, these may even be genetic or aggravated by the environment. Either way, there's no shame

And sometimes, we see the dental health professional just for peace of mind. That you don't follow daily dental health routines, diet or have never seen a dental health professional doesn't mean you don't have issues, just means when they manifest, it'lll be sudden & extreme

So friends, please since this is MENTAL HEALTH week, read the tweets again and replace dental health with MENTAL HEALTH, it's EXACTLY the same thing. Taking care of your mind is a very deliberate effort & if you have never or are ignorant on how to, see a professional...ASAP

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

1. From the moment you start growing teeth, you commence a daily routine of ensuring your dental health is not compromised. For most people, 2ce a day everyday, a dental health routine is followed for maximum protection & as preventive measure to but dental health problems at bay

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

Written 8 years ago but we can see that the issues aren’t anywhere as “new” as we may think

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

There are stark dangers and huge consequences for collective lack of foresight and acting tactically instead of strategically. THREAD
@DrJoeAbah @segalink @Chxta @Naijavote

[Olufemi AWOYEMI @OlufemiAwoyemi]

"The gains are real. A more credible exchange rate, rebuilt reserves, sovereign upgrades from S&P and Moody's, the reinstatement of FTSE Russell frontier indices, the FATF grey-list exit, banking recapitalisation, and a re-rating of the equity market all point to restored external confidence. The pain is also real, concentrated in food, fuel, transport, power and rent, with the poverty share higher and insecurity escalating."- @proshare

"Three years into the reform programme that began with subsidy removal, foreign-exchange market liberalisation, tax reform and trade liberalisation, the FDC-LBS reading is deliberately balanced, weighing the period as 15% cheers, 30% tears and 55% fears." - @FDC_ltd in their June 2026 report referenced here https://t.co/KYxJIW6Z5g

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

The pope/church working with AI to save humanity?🤷🏽‍♂️

Sounds like a Vote of no confidence on God🤦🏽‍♂️

[Disclose.tv @disclosetv]

NOW - Pope XIV says the church and Anthropic, will work together to "find the way for humanity, in this time of artificial intelligence."

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

The gun is awkwardly small…or…never mind

[The White House @WhiteHouse]

👀

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

I once had an uncle I was very close to who was very influential and some people needed an introduction to him and these people offered me money just for the intro.

I told my uncle about it and he laughed and said as long as they don’t require me to guarantee that he’ll do what they want, I should ask for more money and I can even bring them to his bedroom. We laughed about it but I never pursued it.

What if I did pursue it, get paid handsomely and what if I brought them to the house and they had a meeting to discuss business. And then what if right after the meeting, they shot and killed him.

What do you think I would’ve done with the money they paid? What do you think I’ll tell his wife and kids about my role in bringing them to the house? How do you think they’ll react to me? What do you think police will do to me?

I know there are nuanced differences, but I think of this scenario a lot when I think of Judas

[Zeal A. Jacobson @zeal_a]

Something humbling struck me a while ago and I suspect many will relate with it

I don’t know my great grand father’s name

My son doesn’t know his great grand father’s name

His son likely won’t know his own great grand father’s name

And that one’s son will also not likely know his great grand father’s name - ME!!!

My immediate response was to draw a family tree and teach my kids their ancestor’s names.

But I thought again…

I realised that at some point we will all get forgetton.

All this hustle and grind, accumulation of ego and property, some day, it will all be forgotten

It’s quite a humbling realization.

Makes me walk a litttle slower than normal & react less impulsively 🙂

Also makes me realise that you’ll neee to live to the fullest of your capacity.

Attempting to live to be remembered is just vanity.

Live. Enjoy every moment. Bear no grudge. Live free. Buy freedom

If you enjoy it well enough, they’ll remember to copy you 😁