More than 40 years ago, I arrived in Chicago in search of an idea. I was a young man looking for purpose, who believed deeply in America, was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, and wanted to be a part of something larger. The America I believed in was one where everyone has opportunity, everyone is seen, everyone belongs—because that was an America that had a place for me, too.
I fly Value Jet Airlines for my local travel within Nigeria.
The only time I don't use them is if they are not going my way.
I like their aircraft; they are small, comfy, and compact, but the attraction was the air fare.
They used to charge around 40k when they came out, as they were the cheapest in the market and very affordable when you juxtapose the fare with the premium service they offer.
Their price has gone up of late because of the crazy dollar rate, but I still use them, and I just used them yesterday.
Any time I'm flying with them, I'm reminded of the power and possibilities of the mass market in Nigeria and how it can change your life as an entrepreneur.
Nothing illustrates this better than Kunle Sonami, the owner of the airline.
Before he founded Value Jet Airlines, Kunle had another business called Bet9ja.
He founded Bet9ja in 2013, and the gaming business has grown to be a monster, the biggest in the gaming industry in Nigeria.
To show you how big Bet9ja is,Bet9ja is the second-most visited website in Nigeria after Google.
It has more traffic than Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Only Google has more traffic In Nigeria than it.
In addition, Bet9ja makes an average of $400,000 every day, according to a recent KPMG study.
$10 million every month in revenue
In Lagos alone, which is their biggest market, Bet9ja turns over about $1 million monthly.
What Kunle is doing with Bet9ja is simple. Selling hope to a greater number of our people by encouraging them to part with their money daily in anticipation of winning life-changing money
This alone changed the life of Kunle, who is today a billionaire and one of the richest Nigerian men alive.
A detained former CBN governor, Emiefele, was astounded by the amount of money betting companies had in their bank accounts in 2021.
Idle funds in the bank that they are not using for anything.
Tired of keeping those idle funds in the bank, Baba Ijebu moved $420 ‘million abroad into his official offshore account, and that move attracted the wrath of Emiefele, who gave instructions that Baba Ijebu's corporate bank account should be frozen by placing a post-no-debit on it.
The reason why Baba Ijebu or Bet9ja are swimming with so much idle cash in the bank is consistent with what I have been preaching about the mass market and the power to change your life as an entrepreneur.
Think about it.
Bet9ja's business model is to target poor people and low-income earners by selling hope to them, just like Nigerian churches do.
They have scaled this hustle to the 36 states of the federation, including Abuja.
So let’s say that their lowest customer pays 100 naira for daily betting. Calculate this by the number of people they serve daily and see how much these guys make.
Insane blood money.
Your business does not need to be a luxury business to be rich.
No sir
If your hustle does what Bet9ja is doing by targeting poor people who spend 100 naira to patronize them and then scaling it to reach more people who can afford to spend 100 naira daily, you will be so rich that the CBN governor will be wondering what is going on and how you make these monies.
It is the same business model that Baba Ijebu uses, and it has made them widely successful in the past 40 years.
The power of numbers
Tired of using the idle funds in the bank for fixed income purposes by either placing them on Treasury bills or fixing them with banks, Kunle
Sonami decided to deploy them to create high-wage jobs for our people.
I remember vividly when they launched. After Air Peace, they were the second employer of labor in the airline industry for white pilots who sleep over at the Sheraton hotel when they are on break.
They also employed the greatest number of Nigerians in other capacities, like air hostesses and other management roles.
The airline business, as we know, has a low margin.
Bet9ja, with a 35% profit margin, is significantly more profitable than Value Jet Airlines.
Niger Coup: “Rigging Your Way To Win An Election Is Also A Coup”
A coup is not only the idea of the military taking over the government. One has to be extremely careful with these sit-tight leaders.
Former Nigerian Diplomat, Ibrahim Mai-Sule
Watch Full Interview: https://t.co/Pdj4N0tsvp
Russia is playing a long game. You have black Wagner Forces. When black African armies are trained in Russia, they get indoctrinated into the Wagner Group. The coups in W-Africa are sponsored. When African leaders were off to Libya to broker a truce, NATO ordered them to go back.
Africa has no Sovereignty in the real sense. Much of terrorism in Africa are engineered by the West. The Fall of Libya triggered the conflict in the Sahel. When African puppets are backed to rig elections, the West benefit. Most democrats in Africa got there by stealing elections
What does America & the West do? They congratulate them. They receive the “Seal of Approval” from the White House. Africans are not free, not by any stretch. The Neocolonialism & Neoliberal policies are scripts written in the West, & executed by black African leaders. This is why you see them packed in a bus in France, America & the UK, like sardines.
African leaders have one job, & one job only
“To sustain the West & the unholy corruption in Africa, & keep Africans poor.”
Human Rights & Civil Rights are not for black Africans, the posturing by America is a hoax. Black lives don’t matter, it never mattered, & it won’t matter
Russia will use black Wagner army indoctrinated in Russia to fight the ECOWAS. Sponsoring coups in Africa is Russia’s Great Plan; their master strategy. West Africa is the chessboard, West African leaders - the pawn. Russia is in this Long Game with the West, & it won’t end well.
Since the West are instigating terrorism in Africa, & tapping Africa’s resources, Russia said; “wait a minute! we can stop the West in their tracks, & take Africa through the window.” Elected civilians & their military counterparts are Eastern & Western pawns.
But many Africans don’t know this. They will cheer whoever gives them any sort of temporal reprieve. Africans will continue to cheer their oppressors, until they can cheer no more. All you see in West Africa are engineered. Poverty & ignorance are a powerful tool for domination.
Tinubu is not his own man. He became a pawn for the United States. Whatever the reason for holding back his criminal record until 2026, is between BAT & the FBI. He’ll continue to please America, by approving every request from the West, even before it gets to mainstream media.
ECOWAS spoke too quickly. Like “subsidy is gone,” BAT made a very hasty statement when he threatened Niger Republic with a military intervention. You have to think before you act. That is what makes you a leader. If he don’t strike Niger, he’ll lose respect in ECOWAS, & in Africa
ECOWAS is fragmented now. I don’t see the bloc moving into Niger, the stakes are too high. You may have a likely Algeria, Italy, Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea & Niger Alliance. China is quiet; Xi is observing, but he won’t hesitate to join the party.
The ECOWAS is left with one option, in fact, the only option - continue with the dialogue. Any military intervention in Niger Republic will backfire.