This was my 30-ton-per-day rice processing factory building.
When we started the construction in 2020, a bag of cement was around ₦3k, and within months, it moved to ₦5,500.
And we bought a full truckload [2 trucks in total] for the building project.
We completed the factory, built a 10k-capacity poultry pen, a 10k-capacity fish pen, and 6 rooms of staff quarters and office.
By the time we were done, our rice processing machine was trapped in China due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
When it finally arrived in Nigeria?
I chose the wrong port [Onne Port in Rivers State], and the machine was seized by customs officers.
According to them, they were suspecting the container to have loaded firearms [funny set of people].
So, they broke the container, opened the boxes, and saw only my rice processing machine.
It was closed back.
It was time to release the container, right?
Story that if I share with you, you’ll cry blood.
I cried and paid unnecessary bills in that port before they finally released the machine.
When it finally arrived in Makurdi that particular night, the drivers were insisting we offload at midnight🙈
I told them it was not possible.
All my staff were sleeping by now, and we could not get them to come there.
So, they slept.
The next morning. It was time to offload the container, right?
As the truck was driving to an Industrial Layout in Makurdi where we were to offload, ALL the jobless youths in Makurdi followed behind on bikes.
When they arrived, they demanded we pay ₦250k before offloading anything on Benue soil.
Bro, I am a Benue boy ooooh. A younger boy [I was less than 30 then] building a business in this country.
Guess what? We had no choice but to pay those boys cash. Though we negotiated, begged, and paid less than ₦200k.
Then, we offloaded the machines. I was extremely happy😍😍😍
The event that followed? I will share later. Difficulties continued.
Here is the lesson I want you to get today.
“As an entrepreneur in Nigeria, many times, you’ll spend more money and time fighting external battles than internal ones that you know well”
✍🏻 Unstable prices of inputs
✍🏻 Settling useless street boys
✍🏻 Battling extortion from government regulatory bodies
✍🏻 And more.
You can know your business A-Z and still fail due to external battles you were not prepared for.
It is like that for every entrepreneur in Nigeria, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote. You watched his external battles recently with regulatory bodies.
You see this Agriculture? I know it very well. Is not pride. I was born as a farmer.
But I am learning to beat those external demons programmed into the systems in this country.
And I MUST win them. You have to learn how to win them too my brother.
Good luck. Stay connected.
I will tell you what happened after the installation of the 30-ton-per-day rice processing machine in my factory that year.
See you soon.
#BillionaireFarmer
EUROPA LEAGUE was never the dream.
Not because I didn’t want it.
Because if I’m being honest, I never thought it was possible.
What kid would?
Especially when 12 years ago I was playing non league football in the Ryman Premier and Conference South, just trying to stay alive in the game.
What kid dreams about Europe when, two weeks into the off season, his dad has to tell him he’s been released by Watford F.C. over the phone?
I was heartbroken.
My dad looked at me and said:
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
To which I replied with the words he’d drilled into me my whole life:
“We’re training, Dad.”
So we trained.
Every single day.
My dad emailed every EFL club asking for an opportunity.
One club replied.
One.
That was all I needed.
An opportunity.
@WealdstoneFC and @wwfcofficial , I’ll always be indebted to you.
Then came the move to @SunderlandAFC .
A massive club.
A massive opportunity.
And I couldn’t wait to prove myself.
But 45 minutes into my debut… hooked.
“Rabbit caught in headlights. Waste of money. Get rid.”
Then came the Championship.
“He’s not good enough for this level.”
Then the Premier League.
“Let’s give him a debut and then get rid of him.”
I understood the doubt.
I’ve faced it my whole career.
And truthfully, you doubt yourself too at times.
But I’ve always tried to live by one mindset:
Outwork your doubt.
You don’t always need to see the full journey.
You just need to take the next step.
Then the next one.
And then another.
Even when social media tells you you’re not good enough.
Even when the voice inside your own head whispers the same thing.
Keep working.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
Because sometimes the places you end up are bigger than anything your younger self could’ve ever imagined.
To any young player reading this, don’t put a ceiling on yourself too early.
You genuinely have no idea where this game and life can take you.
And to the boys… thank you.
You removed the glass ceiling I’d placed on myself.
What a team.
What a club.
What a fanbase.
Sunderland… rocking all over Europe ❤️🤍
And in the words of Granit Xhaka:
“This is just the beginning.”
I’m a plumbing technician
I handle water systems, drainage, leak repairs, fittings installation and maintenance.
The kind of work people don’t notice… because if water can reach it, damage can start from there. 🔧💧
AQUATUN LINKAGE.
@itwalidah@DrJoeAbah@Mr_JAGs Ok thanks.
I'll go pick it up, maybe I'll just come down to ota during the election to vote then. No need to transfer and keep stressing to get the card again.