Hello,

How are you today? We are already halfway through 2021.  How about those goals you set for yourself in January? Are you meeting them?

June 20, 2021, was Father’s Day. It was a day that got me reflecting on the legacy that I will be leaving behind for my children. And with that thought, I picked up a book I had read a long time ago that made an impact on me. I remembered the book mainly because I was thinking of which book I would recommend to my son, Tayo. 

I’m sure a good number of people reading this newsletter may have come across this book. Maybe even read it too. Some of you may have read it a long time ago, just like me. The book is about Robert Kiyosaki and his two dads. Well, it’s not physically possible for a person to have two fathers. But sometimes, we have real dads and then dads that we adopt. In the case of Kiyosaki, his real father is his poor dad, whereas his second dad, who, biologically, is his friend’s dad, is his rich dad. In this book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, he outlines how both men shaped how he views money and investments. 

In a country like Nigeria with high poverty rates, it’s easy to fall into despair and think that if a person is not born into a wealthy family, they have no hope. This is simply not true.

Also, some may believe that they have to hop on some get-rich-quick scheme, cheat others, or even get into politics and steal the commonwealth to get ahead. This is why when asked what the Nigerian dream is, a lot of people cannot articulate the answer into anything more than “the Nigerian dream is to hammer”.

But, if there is one thing this book teaches, it is that you don’t need to earn a high income to be rich. You just have to learn how money works and make it work for you. In my own case, I have always been passionate about opportunities. I would actively look for opportunities and then place myself in a position to take advantage of them.

For example, you may already know what eventually became the Makon Group had very modest beginnings. But we grew into what we are today because right from the get-go, we took advantage of a knowledge and expertise gap in the oil services sector. We provided local content to fill that gap. And so, when the Nigerian government signed the Nigerian Content Act, Makon, a Nigerian company, was ready to provide the needed expertise.

Let me close this newsletter by telling you to pay close attention to policy developments in Oyo State. One of the reasons I went into politics is to harness opportunities rather than focus on problems. And so, we are harnessing opportunities in Oyo State.

We have just announced the construction of the Ibadan Circular Road. This 110km road is going to mean a further opening up of our economy. If you are looking for opportunities to grow your business, our doors are open. Come!

We remain committed to our promise to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive.

Have a great weekend ahead, and I will talk to you again soon.

p.s Read Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! by Robert Kiyosaki if you haven’t already. Reread it if you have. I’m certainly recommending it to my son!