← Afropolitan
Billionaire Ex-Gubernatorial Candidate Exposes Why Nigerian Politics Is Rigged artwork

Billionaire Ex-Gubernatorial Candidate Exposes Why Nigerian Politics Is Rigged

Afropolitan
01:38:44
Play episode

Show notes

Tonye Cole co-founder of Sahara sit down with Eche Emole and Chika Uwazie, one of Africa's largest energy conglomerates, and a Nigerian politician who walked away from the comfort of the private sector to run for office. An architect by training who started out making models for cash in his university years, he went bankrupt overnight when a new administration cancelled every contract his young company had and rebuilt. In this episode we get into why power trumps money every single time, the trick he and his partners used to get around Nigeria's expatriate bias in the '90s, why politics in Nigeria functions like a lottery ticket, what he learned processing the 2023 election, the three reasons business partnerships collapse, 43 years of compounding and why he says he can't go broke, the difference between outward humility and inward pride, and how his wife's housemanship salary kept the family alive while he built the company. Also: mental health, grief, and the year his mother died. A long, unhurried conversation about power, faith, and building something that outlasts you. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast

More from this show

More
  1. The Dark Truth About Podcasting Nobody Wants To Talk About — Les Alfred

    Eight years. A chart-topping podcast. A deal with one of the biggest podcast networks in America. And Les Alfred still asks herself what it was all for. Her words: "I've worked so…

    01:10:58
  2. Nigerian Musician Reveals Why He Couldn’t Leave America — Mannywellz

    At 16, Mannywellz went to get his learner's permit. His mom sat him down and told him he couldn't. He didn't have papers. A few years later the college bills came in at $20,000 to…

    01:20:36
  3. Banker-Turned-Afrobeats Star Exposes the Dark Side of Fame — Mayorkun

    Mayorkun was two months from being homeless when Mama dropped. The first check from that song went straight to rent. A year earlier he was in a bank's marketing department, opening…

    01:14:08
  4. Building Wealth in Nigeria Is Not What You Think It Is — Bankhead

    He had 4 hours to empty a beach club with 5 swimming pools. The bulldozers were already working down the shore. He puts the loss at over ₦2 billion, and says compensation didn't co…

    02:02:27
  5. Nigeria's Banking Problem Is Not What You Think It Is - Olu Akanmu

    40 million people have a government ID and no bank account. Olu Akanmu's fix: lock the regulators, the banks and the fintechs in one room and give them 3 months to go and find them…

    01:35:57
  6. The Dark Side of Being Afrobeats’ Most Wanted Director — TG Omori

    For six months he lay in a hospital bed while the internet decided he had fallen off. "He doesn't shoot no more." "Nobody rocks with him anymore." "He has outpriced himself out of…

    01:56:14
Now Playing
Billionaire Ex-Gubernatorial Candidate Exposes Why Nigerian Politics Is Rigged — Afropolitan | Podcast | Josplay Music