Augustine Azuka "Jay-Jay" Okocha, according to Wikipedia, is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. B orn 14 August 1973,  he had 73 caps for the Nigeria national team between 1993 and 2006, scoring 14 goals, and was a member of three FIFA World Cup squads. He is regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time and one of the most influential dribblers in World football history. He played across multiple leagues, starting his career at Enugu Rangers in the Nigerian Professional Football League before moving to Borussia Neunkirchen in the Oberliga Südwest, Germany's third division, in July 1990. He played in the Bundesliga, Süper Lig, Ligue 1, Premier League, EFL Championship, and Qatar Stars League before his retirement in 2008. But behind the flair lies the untold story: the pressures of fame, the silence after retirement, and the hard financial lessons every African player must learn. We recently saw an interview ...

  In trying to build wealth we are usually told that it starts with saving, that is paying yourself first before making expenses. Save, save, save. Then we are told that after saving, investing is the next step. Recently the Tony Elumelu Foundation posted a video on their social media page where their Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu reiterated the same steps for budding entrepreneurs who were gathered together in one of their training programs, emphasizing the need to save and delay gratification, then invest, as a means of breaking the chain of poverty and moving up the ladder. Undoubtedly these are golden principles which are tested and trusted, and have stood the test of time.  However in the execution of these principles, sometimes we fall into another trap, the trap of falling in love with a fat bank account or cash in hand. A growing or fat bank account especially as a result of saving usually gives a sense of fulfilment and a high level of confidence, making one forget that s...

  Nigerian Banks have finally started publishing their half year (H1) results from late this past week, mostly owing to the delays they experienced getting approvals for their results from Regulatory bodies (mostly the CBN). The delay which had created a long period of suspense for shareholders and the investing public was mostly more noticeable this year owing to the Forbearance issue that was raised by the CBN in a dreaded letter to all banks in June . That letter raised a lot of speculations from several analysts about the health of Nigerian banks and their ability to continue with dividend payments in the near term. Some banks had to address the issue with the public, reassuring investors while others kept mute. On the 18th of September Zenith Bank PLC blazed the trail and released their half year report, which was then followed by United Bank for Africa (UBA). Although prior to then Ecobank and Wema bank had released theirs, however, they do not belong to the lot that pay inte...

  Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc Opened Series 13 – 14 Commercial Paper Issuance Worth Up to ₦50 Billion- Closes on the 3rd of June. Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has commenced its Series 13 & 14 Commercial Paper (CP) issuance, aiming to raise up to ₦50 billion as part of its ₦300 billion Commercial Paper Issuance Programme. A subsidiary of Dangote Industries Limited, the company specializes in refining, distributing, and marketing granulated sugar to wholesalers and major clients across various sectors. The current offer, which opened recently, is expected to close on Wednesday, September 03, 2025.  With an installed refining capacity of 1.49 million metric tonnes annually, DSR remains the largest sugar refiner in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company has set its sights on producing an additional 1.5 million metric tonnes of refined sugar using domestically cultivated sugarcane, advancing its strategy to become a globally competitive, fully integrated sugar producer through backward i...