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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. During the cashless crunch, a bank that needed more server capacity had to write a board paper, get approval, source dollars, import the server, clear it through customs and install it. 3 to 4 months. OPay could look at capacity at 9pm, see 70%, and add 40% by morning. Traders in Balogun started telling customers to get OPay so they could be paid. Olu was President and Co-CEO of OPay Nigeria from 2021 to 2023. Before that he was the third Nigerian hired for MTN's commercial launch, ran retail banking at Bank PHB and FCMB, and was CMO at Airtel. He started out as a pharmacist at Glaxo. Today he's academic director of the Lagos Business School Tech-Leap Initiative. In this episode we get into the POS machine that costs 5% of a bank branch, why MTN sent its South African team home one month after launch, Airtel's 3G towers in places with no smartphones, the ₦10 million he'd put in a dollar bond at 30, and why digital payments grew from 22% to 56% while access to credit went from 2% to 6%. 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. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND OLU AKANMU LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olu-akanmu-88280a/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/OluAkanmu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oluakanmu/ LAGOS BUSINESS SCHOOL TECH-LEAP INITIATIVE Website: https://www.lbs.edu.ng/initiatives/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lbs_techleap/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LBSTech-LeapInitiative 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 40 million people with an ID and no bank account 2:50 The biggest myth about scaling in Africa 3:48 The managers behind the famous founders 6:44 Two founders in: who do you hire next? 8:45 The 21,000 agent ceiling OPay blew past 10:12 How business school teaches you to exclude half the market 12:03 A POS machine is 5% of the cost of a branch 13:44 Selling mobile to a country with 0.4 lines per 100 people 16:48 When 4 out of 5 Nigerians wanted to be on MTN 19:43 Influencer marketing is mercenary marketing 21:33 The Room on Patreon 23:04 Sponsor: Zobo Money 23:49 Sponsor: Hisa 24:58 What winners in telecoms, banking and fintech all do 27:35 Big Brother influencers and the wrong customer 28:38 "We're in the era of Indomie marketing" 30:48 From Glaxo pharmacist to banker 32:25 The evening Bank PHB came for a telco guy 35:00 "Give me two weeks": Googling retail banking 37:10 What foreign companies get wrong about Nigeria 38:05 Airtel's 3G towers in places with no smartphones 40:34 MTN sent the South Africans home a month after launch 42:32 Why Chinese managers show up in Balogun market 44:09 The cashless policy and OPay's 6x growth 46:05 Board papers, customs and a 4 month wait for a server 47:46 Adding 40% capacity overnight 49:42 Eche's two-minute OPay account test 52:46 Redesigning Nigeria's payments stack from scratch 57:28 The banking lobby vs the telco route 59:24 Lock them in a room for 3 months 1:01:29 Is Nigeria hard, or does it punish ignorance? 1:04:25 3 things to know before building wealth in Nigeria 1:06:23 30 years old with ₦10 million: what he'd do 1:08:05 Omoluwabi and the price of a good name 1:11:49 Compounding, excellence and peace of mind 1:14:21 The maths teacher who became a professor 1:16:03 Nigerian tech and the printing press 1:18:48 Rapid fire: beans, telecoms and "too late" 1:22:59 What the second seat learns that founders miss 1:25:01 Why big banks can't build fintechs 1:29:22 Payments grew. Credit didn't. 1:31:08 What credit does for a trader in the market 1:32:56 Who should be in this chair next 1:34:51 Would he go into politics?

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 the market." He was fighting for his life. The first kidney came from his brother. After a seven-hour surgery, the doctors came back with the news: no flow, his body wouldn't take it, and it had to come out. Before they wheeled him back into theatre he posted online and said what he believed was his last prayer. "God, let your will be done." TG Omori is the Headies-winning director behind some of the defining videos of modern Afrobeats, from the Marlian era with Naira Marley to Asake's run of Terminator, Bandana and Organise. He started out making whole videos on ₦2 million budgets. Today a single video can run past $100,000. In this episode we get into why a director can take a big budget and still go home with nothing, the year he and Asake worked like "two people in one body" with no treatments and no revisions, why he dropped his public fight for 10% of music video streams, what dialysis really costs in Nigeria (about ₦31 million a year), the "pull me on" texts from friends still in the hood, and why every day is a good day for greatness. 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. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND TG OMORI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boy_director X/Twitter: https://x.com/boy_director Website: https://tgomori.com 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "I said my last prayer" 1:52 The biggest myth about music video directors 2:52 Why directors go home with nothing 4:22 Why a $100,000 video pays more in Lagos than LA 5:59 The hidden cost of shooting in Lagos 6:52 Area boys at 3 a.m. on a private set 10:44 The video that made him feel he'd arrived 12:58 "It was a cult": first taste of real fame 14:25 Organise and the poetry of Parajanov 15:04 The backlash he got for shooting to the emotion 16:57 "I want to create madness" 19:00 Let directors have a system 21:34 When fans started following the director 22:25 He was supposed to be an actor 24:19 No new videos in 3 years, and the love stayed 26:17 The Room on Patreon 27:06 Sponsor: Zobo Money 27:51 Sponsor: Hisa 29:47 Why artists leave the director who made them 33:46 Why stars stop jumping for the camera 35:35 "I had the best of Asake's years" 37:43 The Asake run, video after video 38:36 "Two people in one body" 42:52 The first cut that went straight to YouTube 44:54 The video where he couldn't read Asake anymore 46:28 When artists outgrow the people who got them out 48:20 Nothing is permanent. Build your own ecosystem 51:40 The chapter of his life he couldn't direct 54:47 The diagnosis 56:33 "You don't have insurance. Go back to Nigeria" 57:43 In hospital while people said he fell off 59:09 His brother's kidney 59:47 "My body is not accepting it" 1:01:47 Why he couldn't call his mum 1:02:47 A second transplant 1:03:36 200,000 messages and a deactivated Instagram 1:08:57 Shoot every video like it's your last 1:10:20 What dialysis really costs in Nigeria 1:12:01 A $2.5 million transplant insurance wouldn't cover 1:14:22 His dad's ₦50K salary 1:18:47 The business of music videos for young directors 1:22:58 "When you're in demand, they'll pay" 1:26:03 The lesson that cost him the most 1:28:06 "Every day is a good day for greatness" 1:30:48 Why he fought for 10% of video streams 1:33:24 Why he dropped the royalty fight 1:36:02 Before your body sends you the bill 1:38:22 Rapid fire 1:39:05 The people Afrobeats doesn't credit enough 1:41:07 The Asake song he wishes he shot 1:42:49 Survivor's guilt 1:44:42 He didn't know directing existed until 16 1:45:57 "Put you on to my pain?" 1:48:03 Who should be in this chair next

A major label signed her, handed her enough money to go buy a car, and then let her music sit. So she asked to leave. Less than a month after she got out, "Intentions" took off and it hasn't slowed down since. Fave doesn't dance around why she walked. "What I want as an artist from my label is the money to market my music," she says. "I don't think they truly understand how things work here in Africa." Two years into a deal with Atlantic, she decided she would rather bet on herself than keep fighting to be somebody's priority. She started as a law student posting one-minute freestyles to Twitter. Within 24 hours the internet couldn't look away. Since then she's been named Rookie of the Year, tapped as an Apple Music Africa Rising act and a Spotify EQUAL Africa ambassador, and pulled onto tracks by some of the biggest names in the game. This is the artist behind Baby Riddim, Kante and Intentions. In this episode we get into the double standard female artists face across Africa, the "Afrobeats Queen" label and why crowning one woman for 200 million people makes no sense, rebelling against a strict Pentecostal home to chase music, getting stranded at a Kenyan airport by a promoter who cancelled the flights home, why she left Atlantic, and how Kante with Davido actually came together. 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. Hisa — Hisa is an all-investments platform that lets you invest in Nigerian stocks, US stocks and ETFs from one app. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades commission-free. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND FAVE Music: https://onerpm.link/RNBling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faveszn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@favesavage X/Twitter: https://x.com/faveszn 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "It's hard to manage a female artist" 0:23 The law student who went viral in 24 hours 2:08 Subscribe to the Afropolitan family 2:36 The difficulty of a male-dominated industry 3:00 "We're held to very different standards" 3:45 Judged by everything but the music 4:16 Why female artists give more on stage 5:06 Sexual advances just to get in the room 5:21 The labels that won't sign women 6:33 Wanting to put other women on 7:18 How streaming changed who gets to blow 7:47 Grouped together, never seen as individuals 8:31 Tiwa Savage vs Ayra Starr makes no sense 9:00 Too scared to headline a show at home 9:52 "Afrobeats Queen? One woman for 200 million?" 10:57 Why the comments still keep her up 12:24 A strict home and the case for rebellion 13:42 The talent her parents wouldn't let her nurture 15:31 The viral video before the song existed 16:40 A text from Olamide and a run to Lagos 17:43 Follow Chika and Eche on Snapchat 18:23 The Room: join the Afropolitan Patreon 19:14 Sponsor: Zobo Money 20:02 Sponsor: Hissa 21:06 "Wage war against your parents" 22:01 Studying law and why she couldn't be a lawyer 22:48 Baby Riddim was too big to ignore 23:31 Building a team you can actually trust 25:32 "It's a jungle, especially in Lagos" 27:00 Did law school help the business of music 30:43 Where "Dutchie girl" came from 32:00 Rebelling against the stylist template 33:49 Why she keeps getting compared to Tems 36:15 Men, women, and thumbnails that perform 37:45 Leaving Atlantic Records 38:24 "Money to ball vs money to market" 39:53 What Don Jazzy spent on Calm Down 40:52 Independent, then Intentions exploded 41:10 Is independence actually worth it 43:00 The Kenyan promoter who stranded her team 46:26 The artist's side of leaving a label 48:00 "I was very depressed at my label" 50:08 Kante with Davido: how it came together 52:55 The European tour and reaching the diaspora 54:00 Does music travel organically 56:03 Rapid fire begins 56:33 Studio at 2am, the night crawler 57:02 Dating apps or meeting organically 58:45 Why she's building on Snapchat 1:00:08 Favorite Nigerian food and city 1:01:49 Why artists are leaving Nigeria 1:03:11 The first time she hit the stage 1:05:10 Who should be in this chair next

The entire stock market of Africa's biggest economy is worth about $114 billion. One refinery just outside Lagos is asking investors to value it at $50 billion. On day one. That is one company reaching for almost half of a whole national exchange, and it just opened its doors to outside money through a private placement that raised billions. So we brought in someone who actually builds the rails for this. Eke Urum walks through what the Dangote Refinery IPO really is, why he calls it "anchor infrastructure," and why he thinks it joins the short list of Nigerian companies you can almost never go wrong buying. He also names his own reservations, from the crude supply risk to the way the business has leaned on the Nigerian system. Eke Urum is the founder and CEO of Risevest, the dollar investment platform that acquired Chaka and now runs Hisa, the app letting everyday people own Nigerian and US stocks in minutes. He has spent years tearing down the paperwork that kept regular people out of the market. Sign up for Hisa - https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN In this episode we get into where a Nigerian in the diaspora should actually put money right now, why refineries make money from far more than fuel, the $80 to $100 billion number Eke puts on Dangote over the next decade, how private placements work and who really gets in first, the 600,000 trading accounts in a country of 200 million people, and a step by step plan to get ready for the September IPO. 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. Hisa — Hisa is an all in one investing app that lets you own Nigerian and US stocks. Sign up with your BVN or NIN and start trading in minutes. https://invite.hisa.co/7fkf/AFROPOLITAN BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get your first two trades for free. Download on the App Store or Google Play. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND EKE URUM X/Twitter: https://x.com/eldivine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekeurum RISEVEST Website: https://www.risevest.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rise.vest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rise-vest HISA Website: https://hisa.co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisaapp 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Owning a piece of Dangote 1:23 Quick one: subscribe to the family 1:40 Where should I put my money in Nigeria? 2:19 Start with the stock market 3:35 Real estate in Lagos and the liquidity trap 4:23 The small businesses nobody is funding yet 5:33 Robinhood, Hisa and democratizing access 6:56 Own things that go up in value 7:45 Our parents did it the broker way 9:17 Why we made this episode 9:50 What the refinery really represents 10:46 Why refineries print money through byproducts 11:42 Getting the shares before the open market 12:16 A $50B valuation next to the whole NGX 12:37 Stop anchoring to the past 14:53 Why it could be worth $80 to $100B in 10 years 15:49 The 4 or 5 stocks you can't go wrong buying 16:40 50/50 diaspora signups since relaunch 17:54 Dividends in dollars and currency risk 19:15 Follow Chika and Eche on Snapchat 19:55 The Room on Patreon 20:47 Sponsor: Zobo Money 21:35 Sponsor: Hisa 22:39 A rocket, two chopsticks, and a fact 23:54 Story vs numbers in the internet era 25:45 His reservations about Dangote and the system 27:03 The $20B in remittances that just gets consumed 31:01 Money you consume is gone 31:55 What private placements actually are 33:47 Don't chase the IPO, own the business 35:50 India and Kenya as diaspora playbooks 38:35 A stock market built by colonial masters 41:45 The 7-Eleven that doesn't exist in Nigeria 43:40 Wounded by paperwork at the exchange 46:29 600K accounts in a country of 200 million 48:43 Betting everything on convenience 50:26 The real risks: crude supply and the debt 51:47 The crude supply risk nobody talks about 52:50 How to prepare for the September IPO 56:18 Can you become a millionaire off Nigerian stocks? 1:00:53 Proof homegrown capital can build Nigeria 1:02:57 $1M per megawatt: the power plant nobody built 1:04:10 Rapid fire 1:06:19 Give your money a worldview 1:08:16 Who should be in this chair next

For over 40 years, one problem broke every education minister who walked in before him. Strikes that shut universities for months at a time. Students who started a four-year degree with no idea when they would actually graduate. He says it took one president and a handful of honest meetings to end it. When his team asked the president to approve a 40% salary increase for academic staff, he thought the number was too much to ask for. The president looked up and said yes. "It was as if I won a jackpot," he says. "I was about to run out of his office before he called me back." Dr. Tunji Alausa is a physician and nephrologist who built a career across Nigeria, the UK and the US, and served as chief resident at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. He came home to serve as Minister of State for Health, and today he runs education for a country of 220 million people, roughly 70% of them under the age of 30. In this episode we get into the real number of out-of-school children and why he says UNICEF and UNESCO have it wrong, flipping classrooms from 70% theory to 80% practice, taking nursing enrollment from 28,000 to over 140,000 a year, why he tore up the idea that a plumber ranks below a doctor, bringing Nigerian history and a new national anthem back into the classroom, and a blunt message to the diaspora: come back home before the opportunity is gone. 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. Follow Chika on Snapchat https://snapchat.com/t/c1ercPU6 WHERE TO FIND DR. TUNJI ALAUSA X: https://x.com/DrTunjiAlausa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtunjialausa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-tunji-alausa FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION X: https://x.com/NigEducation 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The lines that stopped a 40-year problem 1:41 Quick favor: hit subscribe 1:57 The biggest myth about running education 2:52 "ASUU will be your biggest problem" 4:26 40 years of broken promises and mistrust 7:17 No more bogus agreements 8:06 "No committee between you and me" 8:44 The 40% raise he thought was too much 9:00 "It was as if I won a jackpot" 9:23 Diverting looted funds into education 10:11 "Nigeria is in a renaissance" 11:40 The 20 states that couldn't pay salaries 14:16 The president who reads every paper by dawn 15:32 A message to the diaspora 16:48 Equipping Lagos hospitals from Chicago 18:50 How Tinubu became his mentor 19:20 The year he knew Tinubu wanted the presidency 20:53 "I'd be a hypocrite to stay in America" 21:41 "Polish your shoes" — the offer to serve 22:48 From Health to Education in 18 months 23:25 Flipping the classroom to practical-first 25:10 "Government needs more madmen" 25:52 How technical schools were made to look primitive 27:49 "A plumber earns more than a doctor" 28:37 Suffering in the midst of plenty 30:22 The fight over polytechnic degrees 33:57 The dual-mandate win for colleges of education 36:13 "Why send your child abroad?" 38:03 How Ilorin stayed number one by banning strikes 40:44 24 Nigerian universities ranked, 17 of them public 43:14 Billions into med schools, labs and hostels 47:09 Taking campuses off the grid with solar 50:02 Building job creators, not job seekers 52:53 Nursing: from 28,000 to 140,000 a year 54:55 Medical seats: from 5,000 toward 20,000 57:36 The "Olodo uprising" and graduates of nothing 58:34 When Nigeria had water and light 24/7 1:04:02 Putting real skills back in school 1:05:41 Coursera certificates for global jobs 1:07:48 Rewriting the curriculum from the ground up 1:10:38 "Without data, you're flying blind" 1:12:17 Why history was cut, and how it came back 1:15:39 Why the national anthem changed 1:17:00 "We do not have 15 million out-of-school children" 1:20:20 Counting on the grid: the real numbers 1:25:00 "It's not the West's job to fix us" 1:28:17 Keeping children safe in school 1:32:25 A message to the bandits 1:34:37 Rapid fire: Chicago or Lagos? 1:37:33 What Africa should stop waiting for 1:42:48 Favorite food: beans and dodo 1:43:31 The book that shaped him 1:45:53 Who should be in this chair next

She landed in China with $1,500 in her pocket. That money had to cover the flight she had already booked, somewhere to sleep, and the products she came to manufacture. The factory told her the minimum order was 12,000 pieces. She stayed anyway. She paid a $1,000 deposit on a $6,000 order, called her cousin and her father from a hotel room until they sent what they could, and flew back to Lagos still owing the balance. Then she signed her car papers over to a loan company. "Collect the car. Just give me the loan." Ten years later Beauty by AD makes 37 shades of foundation and sold out a three day London pop up on the first afternoon. Adeola Adeyemi, known everywhere as Diiadem, is the founder and CEO of Beauty by AD, one of the few Nigerian cosmetics brands that manufactures its own base products from scratch instead of buying and stamping. She joined The Real Housewives of Lagos in season 3, represented the Nigerian beauty industry at the UK House of Lords in 2025, and was one of the first Nigerian creators Snapchat ever paid. In this episode we get into the manufacturer who told her her money could not do anything for her, why 15 shades of foundation were not enough and 37 are, the blogger who accused her of sleeping with a sitting governor and what she did about it, the mother she only met once before a stroke took the answers away, the empty refill palette she designed while sitting on a toilet seat, why she hands every new product to working makeup artists before it ships, and the $3,000 to $5,000 she pulls off Snapchat every two weeks. 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. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND ADEOLA DIIADEM ADEYEMI Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/@diiadem Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diiadem TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adeoladiiadem X: https://x.com/adeoladiiadem Threads: https://www.threads.com/@diiadem LinkedIn: https://ng.linkedin.com/in/adeola-adeyemi- Website: https://adeoladiiadem.com BEAUTY BY AD Website: https://beautybyad.com Shop: https://beautybyad.com/shop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybyad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beautybyad Threads: https://www.threads.com/@beautybyad 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "I will debunk it" 0:40 The $1,500 that had to cover everything 1:15 Her first 800,000, made by hand 1:38 Subscribe to the Afropolitan Podcast 2:09 Driving around Lagos with a makeup box in the car 2:57 Mixing shades by hand because nothing matched 3:25 "How long do you want to do this for?" 4:29 Why Western brands still miss African undertones 5:32 Building from customer feedback instead of trends 6:56 37 shades and the for us by us rule 7:42 Self funded, and why that is not an excuse 8:47 $1,500 for a flight, a factory and a bed 9:32 The manufacturer's verdict 11:02 Paying the $1,000 deposit anyway 12:13 Her cousin and her father borrowed the rest 13:13 Handing over her car papers for a loan 14:31 What the first production run actually cost 14:54 The first store in Lekki 17:26 Letting people go in peace 18:53 The Room on Patreon 19:45 Sponsor: Zobo Money 20:30 Joining Real Housewives of Lagos on purpose 23:48 Why every influencer needs an exit plan 27:19 Why she does not overpay influencers 28:34 The mother she never got to know 30:36 Refusing to blame her mother 33:26 The blogger who tied her success to a governor 36:11 "Even if a man is sponsoring me, what is your business" 38:33 The naira going from 318 to 1,600 42:15 Sephora versus a beauty brand in Lagos 44:44 The influencers abroad who would not touch African brands 45:38 The London fair that sold out on day one 48:27 What Nigerian women actually spend on beauty 51:52 People copying her products 52:59 The empty palette she thought up on a toilet seat 56:54 "Two things I can't keep are friends and men" 1:00:17 In no hurry to be married 1:04:53 Giving every makeup artist a sample 1:05:58 Why Snapchat builds cult followings in Nigeria 1:07:46 Getting verified, then getting paid 1:08:59 $3,000 to $5,000 every 2 weeks 1:11:52 Rapid fire 1:15:15 Her favourite product she makes 1:16:26 Who should be in this chair next

WurlD went digging through his own royalty data and found somebody else's name sitting where his publisher should be. Three, four years of money had already moved. He only caught it because he knew what to look for. Back in 2015 he started showing Nigerian producers how to register their records properly. IPI numbers, publishing splits, performing rights organizations, all of it. "I made some enemies in the process," he says, because he was walking into rooms telling people the person handling their paperwork was putting the records under their own name. WurlD is Sadiq Onifade. Born in Lagos, studied computer science at Georgia State while sneaking into Atlanta studios at night, wrote records for Akon and B.o.B before anyone would sign him as an artist, co-wrote Davido and Chris Brown's Blow My Mind, and made I Love Girls With Trobul with Sarz. His new album Born To Win is on the way. In this episode we get into the EP he pulled off every streaming platform, the two years he sat on a finished hit, the night he almost got stuck in Berlin filming COLORS as the world shut down, why he left clothes behind to fit his recording rig in a suitcase, and why he gave Blow My Mind away. 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. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND WURLD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisiswurld TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisiswurld Twitter/X: https://x.com/thisisWurlD YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/thisiswurld WURLD LIVE Website: https://www.wurldlive.com/ Live in Atlanta at Terminal West, Sunday September 6. Doors 7:00 PM, show 8:45 PM. Full live band, new music. Tickets: https://www.axs.com/events/1540218/wurld-tickets 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The producers he worked with were not registered 0:59 "We don't like it when it sounds too American" 1:21 Someone else put their name on his publishing 1:40 A quick word about that subscribe button 2:12 Lagos to Atlanta, and how the career started 2:29 The calling he had to hide from his parents 2:45 "People wanted songwriters more than African artists" 4:27 Writing for Akon and B.o.B 5:37 When labels wanted the artist instead of the writer 6:10 The EP he pulled off every streaming platform 6:38 A house record that blew up in Eastern Europe 7:04 The beat that became Show You Off 8:10 Do writing code and writing songs rhyme? 9:17 The Tiny Desk moment that explained songwriting 9:38 How the money actually moves 11:57 Coming home to a business run on vibes 12:37 The registrations that kept coming back blank 12:54 "I made some enemies in the process" 13:47 Producers with huge records still chasing credits 14:34 "If that can happen to someone like me that's informed" 15:14 Lagos-born, US-raised, and why that is the advantage 16:11 Quiet in life, loud in the music 16:41 Meeting Sarz in LA 18:49 Recording Mad in Lagos 19:01 The Room on Patreon 19:52 Sponsor: Zobo Money 20:38 Sitting on a hit for two years 21:41 Putting the producer's name on the front 22:46 Where the blue came from 24:55 Why he slowed the tempo down 27:28 "Trust your gut and the God feeling" 27:59 "Show You Off was not a trend" 29:21 The Afrobeats and Nigerian-American disconnect 30:54 "If you're going to speak Yoruba, speak it with the gut" 32:16 CDs to iTunes to streaming 33:51 The 2021 breakdown 34:50 Filming Ghost Town at COLORS as the world shut down 35:30 Almost stuck in Berlin and London 36:24 Making Lagos feel like home after 18 years away 37:12 He traded clothes for his recording gear 38:09 "The industry only loves you when you're on top" 39:03 "I'm moving on every song" 40:24 "Find your tribe and communicate" 41:44 "Don't sound like another WurlD" 42:11 Keeping Blow My Mind or giving it away 44:20 "More hype than actually great music" 47:06 The new album and what is coming 49:07 What AI is about to do to creatives 51:40 "I've heard more no's in my career than yes" 52:45 Where the name WurlD came from 54:08 Rapid fire 57:48 The producers he loves working with 1:01:13 What legacy looks like for WurlD 1:01:41 Who should be in this chair next

She spent $225,000 of her own money on a brand that hadn't sold a single bottle yet. Before that, she priced her first fragrance at $250 and the internet came for her. "Who do you think you are? You're not Gucci. You're not Creed." Her team told her the price is the price. She sold out, did over a million dollars in six months, and people started reselling the bottles on eBay for $600. Funmi Monet is the founder and CEO of Influxious, the fragrance brand that launched exclusively at Sephora. She was a licensed therapist first. Then she trained at ISIPCA in Versailles, joined the Sephora Squad, and built an audience of more than 500,000 people who trust her nose. In this episode we get into where the $225,000 went and why she doesn't regret a cent, the standard founder advice she ignored on purpose, the VC who told her a million dollars was too small a check to write, how she studied the Ami Colé shutdown so she wouldn't repeat it, why niche fragrance brands don't pay creators, and the de-auntie era that started with one rude comment about her wig. 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. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND FUNMI MONET Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funmimonet/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@funmimonet Threads: https://www.threads.com/@funmimonet LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/funmi-monet-68613363/ INFLUXIOUS Website: https://influxious.co/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/influxious.co/ Shop at Sephora: https://www.sephora.com/brand/influxious 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 "You're not Gucci. You're not Creed." 1:15 Quick favor before we start 1:31 The biggest misconception about the fragrance industry 3:12 You don't need a wall of perfume, you need an audience 4:23 The question she wishes people would ask her 5:57 Why that perfume smells different on you 7:40 Charging $250 and the backlash that followed 9:05 Sold out, then resold on eBay for $600 10:15 From Clubhouse to a Sephora shelf 11:54 The founder advice she deliberately ignored 13:34 Raising a $1M pre-seed with $7 in her account 15:15 What she needs from angel investors right now 17:45 The Room: inside the Afropolitan private membership 18:28 Sponsor: Zobo Money 19:13 How her ambition actually changed 20:27 Why scaling too fast kills good brands 22:00 Where the $225,000 of her own money went 23:29 What fragrance houses do to new brands with no money 26:41 Perfume school in Versailles 27:43 Cutting out the middleman on packaging 28:32 How she's avoiding the Ami Colé situation 31:11 Saying no to money she badly needed 32:50 The therapist chapter 33:10 The Dr. Cheyenne Bryant licensing debate 36:35 High functioning vs high value men 37:38 The therapy session that started all of this 39:39 Why she'll probably never hit a million followers 41:19 Nigeria to Oklahoma 42:53 Losing Yoruba and her biggest regret 45:24 The Nigerian parents who let her take art class 46:34 Influxious was a high school art project 47:35 Her mother's perfume and special occasions 49:38 Choosing yourself on the days you don't want to 50:05 The de-auntie era 51:43 Turning 30 with none of the plan intact 54:30 When your parents redirect the prayer 58:36 Dating while launching a business 59:52 Why niche fragrance brands don't pay creators 1:01:56 Lean into your personality and build a series 1:04:51 Building the Influxious Insiders community 1:06:13 "You are the niche" 1:09:38 The lesson that cost her the most 1:11:27 For the woman who thinks her thing is too small 1:13:17 What her clients taught her about what people really want 1:14:48 The stranger who recognized her in Istanbul 1:15:38 One year out, five years out 1:18:24 The delulu number 1:19:51 Rapid fire 1:26:56 Who should be in this chair next

Everyone believes power in Lagos belongs to one man, that he holds it, transfers it at his pleasure, and there's nothing anybody can do about that. GRV has spent three years trying to prove that's a myth. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV) is an architect, activist, and the ADC's gubernatorial candidate for Lagos State, one of the most recognizable political figures of his generation. He took his 2023 election petition all the way to the Supreme Court, and he's back with a harder, more organized run at 2027. In this episode, we get into how Lagos government actually works from the ward level up, the ₦160 million generator hidden in the state budget, carrying a five-generation Lagos family legacy, the Funsho Williams murder that still shapes Lagos politics today, the diaspora land scam that still haunts him, why he calls integrity "expensive," and his unfiltered message to Nigerians abroad thinking about coming home. WHERE TO FIND GBADEBO RHODES-VIVOUR (GRV) Campaign Website: https://grvlagos.com/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/GRVlagos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grvlagos/ X/Twitter (Media): https://x.com/grvlagosmedia Instagram (Media): https://www.instagram.com/grvlagosmedia/ 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. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 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 Timestamps: 0:00 – The Biggest Myth About Power in Lagos 1:41 – Quick Ask Before We Go Deeper (Subscribe to the Afropolitan Family) 2:03 – Is Lagos Really a Six-Horse Race? 4:19 – Why 2027 Feels Different From 2023 5:48 – "The Worst Experience in 20 Years": How Bad Governance Broke the Naira 6:59 – Divide and Rule: How Tribal Politics Kept Nigerians Fighting Each Other 9:39 – What Happens When Voters Finally Wake Up 10:26 – Breaking Down the Six-Horse Race 12:28 – How Lagos Government Actually Works, Ward to State 17:23 – What a Governor Controls That the President Can't Touch 19:04 – The IGR Number Every Diaspora Nigerian Should Know 20:40 – Where Do Lagos's Trillions Actually Go? 23:03 – The ₦160 Million Generator: Inside Lagos's Budget Padding 26:37 – Carrying a Five-Generation Lagos Legacy 27:22 – How Fighting GMOs Turned Into a Political Career 28:38 – The Grand-Uncle Who Died Bombing Nazi Germany 29:46 – "Integrity Is Expensive": Why Not Everyone Can Afford to Stand 32:55 – Zobo Money: How GRV Sends Money Home 33:35 – Why Nigeria's Elite Have Failed the Country 34:04 – From "The Giant of Africa" to Where We Are Now 41:15 – Philosopher Kings vs. Rulers: What Real Leadership Looks Like 45:19 – The Murder That Still Haunts Lagos Politics (Funsho Williams) 48:56 – What a Singapore Minister's Salary Taught Him About Corruption 51:58 – Why Nigerians Sell Their Votes, and Why He Won't Judge Them 53:48 – How a Clean Politician Gets Compromised From the Inside 55:16 – "A Part of Me Died After the Election Cycle" 58:19 – Going to the Supreme Court and Losing 1:01:46 – His Honest Message to Nigerians in the Diaspora 1:07:23 – The Diaspora Land Scam That Still Haunts Him 1:09:04 – "Why Are These Things Unthinkable?": Naming What We Normalize 1:10:51 – We Glamorize Our Suffering, and He's Tired of It 1:14:14 – The Demolition, the Tear Gas, and the Man Beaten in Front of Him 1:16:21 – Anthony Joshua's Emergency and What It Says About All of Us 1:19:20 – The Direct Question: Can He Actually Win? 1:22:01 – Why He Left the Coalition Talks and Joined the ADC 1:24:06 – Building a 50-Year Plan for Black People 1:28:59 – "We Should Be Like Wakanda": On Africa's Vulnerability 1:33:47 – Why Africa Needs Leaders Who Plan in Secret 1:37:51 – The Federalist Papers Quote That Explains Africa's Struggle 1:41:31 – What Lee Kuan Yew Understood That Nigeria's Leaders Don't 1:43:27 – "I Will Not Go to Court": His Line in the Sand 1:46:35 – Rapid Fire: Food, Cities, Songs and Regrets 1:47:59 – The Man He Calls His Hero 1:48:52 – The Unpopular Decision That Cost Him Support 1:53:38 – His Real Plan to Win Lagos 1:55:05 – What Power Does to People Who Were Never Ready for It

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

Preston Ideh is the co-founder and CEO of Stears, the company building the data infrastructure for African markets (think Crunchbase meets the Bloomberg Terminal, built for Africa). A UK-qualified lawyer who walked away from big law, moved back to Nigeria, and bet everything on one idea: information is power, and Africa is dangerously under-documented. In this episode we get into why data is "structured history," how investors quietly hold the edge over founders, the real difference between PE and VC money, why the next wave of African wealth is hiding in boring businesses, what the AI shift means for builders, and a rare, personal story about learning grief far too young. One of our sharpest conversations yet on money, power, and what it actually takes to build. 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. CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND PRESTON IDEH LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/preston-timeyin-ideh-06484775 X/Twitter: https://x.com/TimeyinPI Stears (website): https://www.stears.co Stears on X/Twitter: https://x.com/StearsInsights Stears on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stearsco Stears on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stears 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 ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Cold open 0:41 – The #1 thing you need to build in Nigeria 1:42 – Building a network from scratch (Twitter DMs & Saturday breakfasts) 3:58 – From UK lawyer to founder: the pivot home 6:01 – Nigerian law school, wig and tie 6:50 – "Data is a form of power" 8:03 – Why data is structured history 9:02 – The investor's edge founders don't have 10:17 – Why Nigeria didn't rebase its GDP for 20 years 14:41 – What Opay & Moneypoint reveal about the informal economy 16:36 – Inside The Room (Patreon) 17:29 – A word from Zobo Money 18:12 – The cultural reasons Africans won't share data 23:21 – What Stears actually is 25:02 – PE vs VC: how the money really works 28:51 – Boring businesses that make money 30:40 – Growth vs profitability: what investors want now 33:24 – The unsexy businesses that will build wealth 35:02 – Logistics, cold storage & agriculture 40:04 – Creative industries as a dollar export 42:25 – The $10 trillion succession problem 44:10 – Why Nigerian family businesses don't sell 49:09 – Franchises: iFitness, Chicken Republic & the PE playbook 55:07 – AI, data, and the future of Stears 56:29 – Why people are the real friction with AI 1:00:34 – Advice to founders who just raised: slow down 1:01:34 – The Loyola plane crash & learning grief young 1:05:27 – What legacy means in the age of AI 1:08:29 – Rapid fire 1:09:45 – Due diligence, culture & "remote intelligence" 1:12:22 – Who needs to be on this couch next?

She went from a Birmingham estate to 104 caps for England, qualified as a lawyer at one of the most elite firms in the world, and wrote a six-figure check to prove women's football is an investable asset. But Eni Aluko's story was never just about sport. In this episode, Eche and Chika sit down with Eni Aluko — former England and Chelsea striker, qualified solicitor, sporting director, and investor — for a conversation about identity, money, and what it costs to stand alone. Eni breaks down why she put her own money into women's football, what she learned taking on the FA and winning a landmark case against Joey Barton, and how Blackness feels different living between the US and the UK. She gets honest about the friendships she lost, the version of herself she had to grieve, and why she'd rather be respected than liked. This is a conversation about legacy, power, and who gets to control the narrative — and it's our first-ever sit-down with a sports figure on the couch. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) 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. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ — WHERE TO FIND ENI ALUKO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enialuko X/Twitter: https://x.com/Eni_Aluko LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/eniola-aluko-mbe-4922032a — 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 — #AfropolitanPodcast #EniAluko #WomensFootball #Diaspora 0:00 - Intro 2:08 - Why women's football is an investable asset 3:45 - The six-figure check into Mercury 13 7:48 - Birmingham estate, a senator father, an economist grandfather 10:02 - Her mother's sacrifice as a young immigrant 12:18 - Running law and football in parallel 14:48 - The one phone call that changed everything 17:08 - Grieving the "magic circle partner" she could have been 18:44 - The doors football opened: World Cups, royalty, CAF & UEFA 22:14 - The Room on Patreon 23:07 - Zobo Money 23:50 - Blackness in the US vs the UK 28:42 - Stephen Bartlett, proximity to whiteness & African identity 33:17 - Who protects Black women? Shicks & Gigs, BAFTAs, Michael B. Jordan 36:46 - Class: the UK ceiling vs Nigerian "splash" 39:48 - Ambition, guilt, and the UK tax exodus 43:18 - The FA case and standing on principle 45:59 - Taking on Joey Barton and setting a legal precedent 48:06 - What the fight cost her — and getting herself back 50:28 - What the storm revealed about friendship 55:02 - When she stopped hiding being Nigerian 56:39 - On being disliked: haters, Meghan Markle & security 1:00:30 - Online accountability, anonymity & her work with Ofcom 1:03:01 - Living up to her name: dignity and wealth 1:04:40 - Firing managers, Abramovich & the Chelsea winning culture 1:07:27 - Players as assets and the private-equity model in football 1:09:44 - Player leverage: Messi, Beckham & Ronaldo 1:11:40 - Apple TV vs Netflix in sports 1:12:53 - The 2026 World Cup ticket mess 1:17:13 - Why Mexico is the "real Bali" 1:18:22 - Spa & wellness culture in Mexico and Lagos 1:20:18 - Investing in African sports infrastructure 1:23:55 - The AFCON final drama: Senegal, Morocco & the walk-off 1:27:15 - Hisa 1:28:27 - Rapid fire 1:37:54 - Who should be in the chair next 1:41:26 - Come home: the diaspora pulling back to the continent

Iyinoluwa "Iyin" Aboyeji helped build two of Africa's most important tech companies — Andela and Flutterwave. Now he's after something bigger: making sure every African can earn at least $10,000 a year by leveraging AI. In this episode, Iyin sits down with Eche and Chika to break down why "investing is for lazy people," the two competing visions of the future (America vs. China), why the real origins of AI trace back to Africa, and why anyone in the diaspora who doesn't come home in the next two years may regret it. A conversation about power, capital, energy, and who you actually choose to build for. 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. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND IYIN ABOYEJI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaboyeji X/Twitter: https://x.com/iaboyeji LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eaboyeji Future Africa: https://www.future.africa/ Accelerate Africa: https://acceler8.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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – "Investing is for lazy people" 2:27 – Two visions of the future: America vs. China 7:11 – How China engineered 70 years of growth 9:43 – A message to the diaspora 14:13 – Breaking down the Dangote blueprint 19:01 – The mission: every African earning $10,000 a year 26:44 – Trump, power, and who you make money for 33:41 – Sponsor: Zobo Money 36:01 – The real origins of AI 42:36 – Inside the raise: radical capital, built for Africa 46:38 – Why Africa wins the energy war 49:23 – Owning the rails: data, goods, and payments 53:32 – Data centers, Netflix, and the creative economy 1:00:18 – Building the diaspora bridge with intention 1:09:14 – Future Africa and the fundraising reset 1:15:32 – Co-founders, equity, and valuing contribution 1:29:47 – Accelerate Africa vs. Y Combinator 1:32:32 – One executive order from eviction: why come home 1:39:33 – "Anybody who doesn't come home in the next two years…" 1:43:59 – Unicorns, monopolies, and the Dangote debate 1:48:24 – Validation vs. inspiration 1:59:59 – Who needs to be in the room 2:02:03 – The closing question: who belongs on this chair

Join us for a historic fireside chat with Her Excellency Graça Machel—liberation fighter, former Education Minister of Mozambique, global humanitarian, and the only woman in modern history to serve as First Lady of two nations. Three days before the first G20 Summit ever held on African soil, this conversation couldn't be more timely. As world leaders gather in Johannesburg, we're asking the uncomfortable questions about partnership, investment, and what authentic solidarity looks like between Canada and Africa. WHO IS GRAÇA MACHEL? At 80, Graça Machel has spent six decades transforming institutions and challenging power structures. As Mozambique's first Education Minister (1975-1989), she increased enrollment from 40% to over 90% and reduced illiteracy from 93% to 72%—with limited resources but unlimited determination. Through the Graça Machel Trust, she's enrolled 5,200+ women entrepreneurs across seven countries, created 30,000+ jobs, and unlocked $5 million in funding pipelines. She's Deputy Chair of The Elders, Chancellor of African Leadership University, and has the credibility to tell uncomfortable truths that others won't. WHAT WE'LL DISCUSS: ✅ Why Canada's Africa Strategy launched with zero new funding—and what needs to change ✅ Can extractive industries ever be true development partners? ✅ How Africa's $4 trillion in mobilizable capital could transform the continent ✅ The AfCFTA opportunity: 1.3 billion people, $6.7 trillion market by 2030 ✅ What gender-lens investing gets wrong—and what it should look like ✅ From aid dependency to investment-driven prosperity: the paradigm shift Africa demands ✅ What Canada's Prime Minister should say at the G20 in three days WHY THIS MATTERS NOW: This isn't a retrospective celebration. It's a strategic intervention. With the G20 in Johannesburg, Canada holding the G7 presidency, and Africa at a critical inflection point, this conversation will hold comfortable assumptions accountable. Machel has earned the right to be "frank and unrestrained" (her words). We're creating space for the truth Canadian decision-makers need to hear—from someone who's built institutions, governed nations, and delivered measurable results across decades. HOSTED BY: The Afropolitan Podcast DATE: November 19, 2025 LOCATION: University of Toronto JOIN THE CONVERSATION: - Drop your questions and thoughts in the live chat - Subscribe and turn on notifications - Tag us and share widely FOLLOW GRAÇA MACHEL TRUST: LinkedIn: @Graça Machel Trust Facebook: @TheGraçaMachelTrust Instagram: @g_macheltrust Twitter: @G_MachelTrust FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN: For unfiltered conversations with Africa's boldest builders and visionaries. - Website: https://www.afropolitan.io - Newsletter: https://afropolitan.io/newsletter - Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ A luta continua. The struggle continues. #GraçaMachel #AfricanLeadership #G20Summit #CanadaAfricaStrategy #WomenInBusiness #AfCFTA #EconomicDevelopment #TheElders #AfropolitanPodcast #GlobalLeadership #WomenCreatingWealth #AfricanEntrepreneurship

She turned $30,000 and one stubborn goal into an eight-figure fortune — then almost lost herself building it. Teri Ijeoma quit her job as an assistant principal, put $30,000 of trading education on a credit card, and went on to make her first million dollars in a single day. In this episode she breaks down the number one myth about trading options, the $26,000 loss that taught her everything, how to actually invest $1,000 right now, her three-layer framework for investing in AI, and the wound that made her rich but still hasn't healed. WHERE TO FIND TERI IJEOMA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teriijeoma TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teriijeoma Twitter/X: https://x.com/teriijeoma Teri's Latest Book The Risk Worth Taking: https://www.theriskworthtaking.com 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. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 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 0:00 The $26,000 loss in a single trade 1:08 Quick subscribe break 1:24 Afropolitan goes global (recording in the US) 1:48 The #1 myth people believe about trading options 2:30 Do you have to be glued to your screen to trade? 3:28 From assistant principal to multimillionaire trader 5:18 Betting half her salary on a credit card 6:27 Why Black wealth-building can't wait 30 years 7:39 Setting realistic expectations for your returns 8:49 How to navigate losses: the Pandora story 11:01 Position size, stop losses & reward-to-risk 12:36 Discipline, greed & FOMO in trading 14:20 What growing up taught her about money 16:09 Minister and millionaire: faith and wealth 17:20 Black tax & "you have to work for it" 18:29 The Room on Patreon 19:25 Zobo Money 20:05 Are courses still worth it in the AI era? 21:55 Scaling from 35 to 35,000 students — and burning out 23:30 The breaking point: booking a flight to Mexico 24:45 Tony Robbins & the six core needs 26:55 The five types of wealth & grieving relationships 28:58 When did she finally feel free? 30:47 How losing a friend became the catalyst 32:30 Why she wrote The Risk Worth Taking as a novel 33:47 The four C's of taking any risk 35:35 How to invest $1,000 right now 38:36 Investing in AI: the three-layer pyramid 40:33 The $500K AI portfolio that returned $200K 43:32 The wound that made her rich 46:28 The dinner-table wealth gap 47:33 Grading herself on the five types of wealth 50:46 Alignment, energy & the hustle trap 51:34 Hitting her first million & the emptiness after 53:41 Learning to teach and scale online courses 56:00 What to read and watch to learn investing 57:11 The next risk: becoming a NYT bestseller 59:45 Day trading vs. swing trading explained 1:00:15 Where women can actually talk about money 1:01:30 Calls, puts & margin calls explained 1:03:06 The AI app layer & Claude's disruption 1:05:01 Hisa 1:06:11 Rapid fire 1:09:37 A money habit rich people have that broke people think is crazy 1:10:25 The investment that has nothing to do with stocks 1:11:35 Advice for her mom & who's next in the chair

YCee disappeared for four years. The story behind why is heavier than anyone knew. In 2020, at the peak of his run — Jagaban everywhere, Juice on every aux, sold-out shows, a sound that helped define Afrobeats — he got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. What followed was six years of meds that fogged his creativity, hospitalizations, a Nigerian mental health system not built for it, and the strange reality of being one of the biggest songs in the country playing while he tried to put himself back together. He sits down with Eche and Chika to talk about all of it — and goes further than he's gone publicly. The hundreds of millions of streams he never got paid for. The Tiny Entertainment fallout he couldn't shake. Why he repeated SS2 and accidentally fell into music. What it actually takes to disappear for four years and not start tweeting a GoFundMe link. And his unflinching read on where Afrobeats and Nigerian rap are right now — the missed naming opportunity, the foreign players running the industry from outside the continent, the "Olodo Uprising," and why "beef is necessary for the culture" is a lie that gets people killed. Plus: the new album Out of Sight, Out of Mind, why Odumodublvck gets rap right, and a take on J. Cole pulling out of the battle that you've not heard anywhere else. This one moves. 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 WHERE TO FIND YCEE Instagram: http://instagram.com/iam_ycee TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yceeanbt Twitter: https://x.com/iam_ycee Ycee's Latest Album Out of Sight Out of Mind: onerpm.link/oosoomycee 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. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 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 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Cold open 01:42 — Where have you been? Four years off the map 02:11 — The 2020 bipolar diagnosis and London lockdown 05:35 — How the meds attacked his creativity 06:17 — Why Kanye's apology made him open up 08:31 — Mental health in Nigeria: Yaba Left, exorcisms, and a broken system 11:26 — Performing through an episode in Benue 13:58 — The golden era of Afrobeats and what's been lost 19:00 — Streaming, virality vs. artistry, and the death of the album listen 24:07 — Hundreds of millions of streams. Zero dollars. 28:22 — Lessons from the Tiny Entertainment fallout 29:52 — Repeating SS2 and accidentally finding music 36:46 — From cybercafé to mixtape to first record deal 38:12 — Old YCee vs. new YCee 40:31 — Why he had to learn to sing — and the Nigerian identity in his sound 44:28 — Making music for impact, not numbers 46:53 — When you're hot vs. when you're not 49:22 — Out of Sight, Out of Mind: the album breakdown 54:32 — What Nigerian rap should actually sound like (Odumodublvck, Black Bones) 56:50 — The Olodo Uprising and the collapse of the Nigerian school system 58:14 — Foreign players, label-by-proxy, and the missed Afrobeats opportunity 1:05:07 — Why Afrobeats artists don't perform in Nigeria anymore 1:09:33 — Meet and greets, building a real fanbase, and shared fans 1:11:33 — Rapid Fire 1:14:12 — J. Cole, the Kendrick/Drake battle, and why rap beef isn't a game

She built a soft life on purpose — and made it look easy. In this episode, Chi Adogu (the real Chi) breaks down the 10-year journey behind the aesthetic: how she went from $7 declined chai lattes and parental allowance to running her own hair brand, why "followers" are dead in 2026, what brands actually pay (and how PR agencies lowball you), the heartbreak that built her confidence, and the friendship lessons that nearly broke her. We get into the creator economy in Nigeria vs. America, why her agent told her to "come back" from Lagos, the Hanifa discourse, lifestyle creep, and what timeline grief looks like when you're 30, soft, and unmarried by choice. If you strip away the followers, the brand deals, the aesthetic — who's cheering when nobody's watching? — Become a Member of The Room 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. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ — WHERE TO FIND CHI ADOGU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_real_chi?igsh=MWsxaWEwaGZoOHk2Zw== TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_real_chi_?_r=1&_t=ZP-97HwXrFb0e7 YouTube: 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 — TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — "If your life looks soft, people assume you're shallow" 1:28 — The biggest misconception about influencers 2:58 — Are influencers still allowed to grow? 5:47 — The 10-year journey behind the "overnight" success 10:17 — Why she studied accounting (and hated it) 10:48 — Bad management deals & how agencies trap young creators 14:17 — Moving to Nigeria for MBGN + winning her dad over 17:12 — How much creators really make (and why followers don't matter) 18:49 — The $3K brand email everyone got 20:49 — Everyone wants to be a creator now 23:05 — The reality show idea that hit 10M views 24:42 — The Room 25:52 — Zobo Money 26:32 — Confidence, heartbreak, and "I never want to feel that again" 29:32 — Being so in love with yourself nothing can shake you 31:14 — US vs. Nigeria: the brutal truth about the creator economy 34:23 — Medical tourism reality check 35:05 — Building Chi's Lux Hair + the Hanifa discourse 42:45 — When your Nigerian audience becomes a "problem" for brands 45:34 — The "mean girl" assumption that comes with soft life aesthetics 49:32 — Influencer friendships — who's real, who's playing 52:34 — How she developed discernment 54:42 — The friendship lesson she had to learn the hard way 58:38 — Money advice for creators 59:06 — Lifestyle creep & the trap of always wanting more 1:04:37 — Timeline grief: the marriage and kids she thought she'd have by 30 1:11:08 — Who is Chi when nobody's watching? 1:13:10 — 10 years from now 1:13:59 — Hisa 1:14:42 — Rapid fire 1:18:15 — Why emotional intelligence is non-negotiable 1:19:19 — Find your community, not your niche 1:20:24 — Who should we interview next?

Boris Kodjoe sits down with Eche and Chika for one of the most layered conversations we've ever had on the Afropolitan Podcast - about ownership, ancestry, Black manhood, marriage, nervous-system regulation, and what it really takes to build a life that's yours. He breaks down why he doesn't see himself as "an actor who became an investor" (he sees it as a mindset shift from consumer to owner), how a broken back led to his TheraBody investment, and how Full Circle and the Year of Return quietly created what he now calls "investment tourism" - billions in capital and a brand-new narrative for the continent. We get into the harder stuff too: his father's existential grief, the childhood pain that became self-worth issues, why "peace is expensive," the difference between meaningful suffering and modern fragility, and why Black men have to give each other permission to just be. He goes deep on his almost-21-year marriage to Nicole, why you can't enter a relationship trying to fill a void, and the one line every parent (and every diaspora kid) needs to hear: "You're the star of your own movie. Everyone else is an extra." Plus: telling authentic African stories, owning your IP, AI as the great equalizer, "we're not a minority - we're 76% of the world," and why the West doesn't get to validate our sovereignty. Become a Member of The Room: Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: The Room 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. Hisa - Borderless investments For Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND Boris Kodjoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boriskodjoe Twitter/X: https://x.com/boriskodjoe Full Circle Festival: https://www.fullcirclefestival.com/ 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 Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open 00:16 — Why "actor to investor" is the wrong frame 03:50 — The TheraBody origin: access through inquiry 06:49 — Emotional intelligence, therapy, and the pain that leads to revelation 11:33 — Father leaving at age 5 and relearning the story of love 14:53 — Why reconnecting with ancestry is our superpower 17:57 — Full Circle, the Year of Return, and investment tourism 22:25 — Favorite moments from Ghana: AJ Johnson, Anthony Anderson 28:15 — Eche on the role of suffering in modern life 32:21 — Comfort zone vs. forcing yourself to grow 35:42 — Discovering Blackness as a spectrum 39:07 — Coming to America from Germany: the propaganda awakening 43:16 — One voice cannot define the entire Black experience 45:39 — America's lack of courage to confront its past 51:17 — How fast institutions crumble: Baldwin between despair and hope 55:45 — Why he was named after Boris Pasternak 57:16 — The stories Africa needs to tell next 1:01:11 — The creative industry as hard economic power 1:03:28 — How Boris uses AI every day 1:05:37 — 21 years with Nicole and working with your partner 1:10:24 — The conversations Black men aren't having 1:15:33 — Nervous system regulation and upgrading your identity 1:21:37 — Therapy, childhood trauma, and not offloading on your kids 1:27:31 — Truth as a liberator for Black men 1:31:11 — Timeline grief and the pressure of social media 1:34:11 — Advice to his son: you are the star of your movie 1:36:48 — His father's existential grief 1:42:50 — Why the hero's journey is overrated 1:48:53 — Rapid fire: jollof, sovereignty, the next role 1:52:29 — Whose story needs to be told next

Nigeria's economy cannot be built on the back of diesel generators. It's too stressful and way too expensive. In this episode, Eche and Chika sit down with Victor Tobenna Ezenwoko, Country Head at Daystar Power (acquired by Shell in 2022), to break down the real economics of Africa's energy crisis. Africa spends $22 billion a year on diesel. Nigeria is in the global top five for diesel consumption, and unlike the US and China, ours is mostly going into power generation, not transportation. Victor walks us through the math behind energy poverty, why Nigerian businesses pay nearly 2x what American factories pay per kilowatt-hour, how Daystar built a model that slashed energy costs by 44% for industrial clients, and why the future of power in Africa has to be decentralized, a patchwork of solar, gas, and grid. We also get into the AI boom and Africa's data center problem, the EV market quietly taking off in Lagos, the BD playbook Victor used to grow from associate to Country CEO in under 8 years, what investors keep getting wrong about African energy infrastructure, and why "the future of solar" is actually now. If you're an investor, a founder, or just someone tired of generator noise, this is the episode. Become a Member of The Room: Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: The Room https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Hisa - Borderless investments For Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND Victor Tobenna Ezenwoko LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-tobenna-ezenwoko-3b660a113/ 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 TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: Why Africa's diesel spend is a top-five global problem 01:39 Why you should care about energy in Africa 03:01 What every investor needs to know about the energy sector 03:58 Energy poverty in Nigeria, what the numbers actually look like 07:18 Cost of power: US, China, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana compared 09:39 Breaking down "dollar cents" per kilowatt-hour 10:14 AI, data centers, and Africa's role in the global energy race 12:25 Africa's $22B diesel market broken down by sector and country 14:01 How Nigeria fell into energy poverty 18:08 Power Africa in 2008 vs energy in 2025, why are we still stuck? 20:51 Victor's journey: from electrical engineering to joining Daystar as employee #4 25:00 Series A, building the company, and never going back to consulting 27:25 From associate to Country CEO and the Shell acquisition 28:36 The business development playbook for Africa 34:09 Uncles, mentors, and the power of genuine relationships 40:55 The three things that drive success: diligence, reliability, likeability 42:53 The most expensive mistakes investors make in African energy 49:18 The "Nigerian way" of doing energy, can we innovate around our culture? 52:50 Energy abundance, fusion, and maximizing what we already have 54:54 Can Nigeria run 100% on solar? Why gas has to be part of the mix 57:48 The CNG debate and why Victor doesn't love retrofitting cars 59:23 Why you don't see more Teslas, BYDs, and EVs in Lagos (yet) 1:05:54 Smaller energy investment opportunities for the diaspora 1:08:24 Pan-African energy strategy with unlimited capital 1:12:24 Aunty's Sculpture Collection 1:13:20 Hisa sponsor spot 1:14:20 Rapid fire: best Jollof in Africa 1:14:54 Three African investors, dead or alive, at one dinner table 1:19:09 Victor's guilty pleasure spend 1:20:28 What legacy actually means 1:23:07 One truth for every African policymaker 1:24:08 Who should sit in this chair next

JOIN THE ROOM — Our Private Member Community Weekly Sunday Signal, monthly Live Rooms, quarterly gatherings in Lagos, London & beyond. https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast Dammy Twitch has directed music videos across 30+ countries, built his career from an unpaid behind-the-scenes role on a Nigerian TV show, and the night he met Rihanna outside Selfridges  she already knew his name. In this episode, he breaks down what it actually takes to build a creative career from nothing in Lagos, why the naira collapse changed the economics of Afrobeats visuals forever, and what his debut feature film Color of My Life cost him to make. We unpack why big-budget music video culture died in Nigeria, what a 10-minute scene at a Lagos restaurant actually costs a filmmaker, and why the directors who collaborate are the ones winning. Plus — AI micro dramas, the distribution problem no one has solved, and why he's still here while everyone else japa'd. Dammy breaks down: • Why the naira collapse killed the big-budget music video era • What a 10-minute scene at a Lagos location actually costs • How he got selected out of four videographers on Davido's tour • Why he refuses to japa — and who he thinks should stay home • The night Rihanna shouted his name outside Selfridges • AI micro dramas and where Nigerian film is actually heading • The real cost of making Color of My Life and getting it into cinemas EPISODE SPONSORS VBAN — Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest — Invest in US stocks, crypto, ETFs and the Nigerian market. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://risevest.com AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND DAMMY TWITCH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dammytwitch Twitter/X: https://x.com/dammytwitch 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 0:00 - Intro 2:12 - The biggest misconception about filmmakers 3:26 - What a music video really costs 5:31 - Why artists stopped shooting music videos 6:32 - Can Afrobeats and film finally merge? 9:21 - Knowing your value in the room 11:31 - The come-up & the story no one knows 13:53 - The Davido tour & his first music video 17:14 - How video budgets exploded 20:31 - Working with rival artists 23:55 - The philosophies he lives by 26:49 - Why he never left Nigeria 28:21 - Visas, travel & the Nigerian passport 32:08 - How he actually uses AI 34:33 - AI videos, micro dramas & "give Nigeria 40 years" 38:05 - Making timeless art 40:00 - Convincing his parents to let go of the degree 42:38 - When Rihanna knew his name 43:56 - The real cost of "Call of My Life" 48:04 - Nollywood's YouTube machine 49:16 - Micro dramas: the future of distribution 51:32 - Romance vs heartbreak: the films he carries 53:40 - Have you ever been in love? 59:18 - Rapid fire 1:02:37 - The most underrated person in film 1:03:45 - The video he's most proud of 1:05:31 - The film era he loves 1:07:08 - Where to watch "Call of My Life" 1:09:24 - The meaning behind his name 1:10:57 - Who he wants in the chair next 1:12:00 - How films get into theaters 1:16:24 - Wrap-up

JOIN THE ROOM — Our Private Member Community Weekly Sunday Signal, monthly Live Rooms, quarterly gatherings in Lagos, London & beyond. → https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast Dennis Asamoah built Forever Mood alongside his wife Jackie Aina, turning a candle business into a full fragrance brand that sold 20,000 units in 4 hours on launch day. Six years later, he has navigated warehouse disasters, partnership breakdowns, and the brutal economics of CPG — all while operating as the behind-the-scenes CEO in one of the most visible creator-brand partnerships in the beauty space. We unpack why making millions doesn't mean you're rich, what it really takes to run a business with your spouse, and why most creators overestimate how much their followers will actually buy. EPISODE SPONSORS 💳 VBAN — Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com 📈 Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION 🎨 A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. → https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN 📞 Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND DENNIS ASAMOAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisasamoah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forvrmood Website: https://forvrmood.com/ 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 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro: The myth of having it all figured out 2:29 – The uncomfortable truth about building a CPG business 3:21 – Selling 20,000 candles in 4 hours (and freaking out) 6:04 – Why they chose candles over perfume 9:23 – Understanding the creator economy from the inside 13:13 – Do followers actually convert to customers? 15:38 – Making millions doesn't mean you're rich 18:10 – The 70%+ gross margin rule in CPG 21:21 – What happens when you sell out 6 months of inventory in 8 hours 24:03 – The $50K/month warehouse mistake 26:06 – Partnership lessons: when things go wrong 29:28 – Heuristics for choosing business partners 31:39 – Grace in entrepreneurship as Black founders 39:11 – Building Forvr Mood with Jackie Aina: face vs. engine 50:40 – The one rule that protects the relationship and the business 56:15 – The 90-day content series that grew 8,000 email subscribers 1:00:22 – Dyslexia as a superpower 1:04:33 – AI tools: Whisper, Fixer, and Claude for productivity 1:11:02 – Bootstrapping vs. raising investment 1:15:22 – The worst time to raise money 1:19:22 – Rapid Fire: Jollof, overrated founder advice & who should be next

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu governs Lagos — a city of over 20 million people. From banking halls to public service, his journey reflects a larger question: What does it take to govern ambition at this scale? This conversation was hosted at the National Theater in collaboration with Lens for Good — empowering creatives to transform the Nigerian narrative, one story at a time. In this episode, the Governor opens up about what the world gets wrong about Lagos, why creatives are the city's first pitch to the world, and what keeps him up at night leading Africa's most chaotic, creative, and resilient city. "You know Burna Boy, you know Wizkid, you know Davido — I tell you, there are a thousand other Burna Boys and Wizkids somewhere waiting to be discovered. And they are there in Lagos." AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND MAI ATAFO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maiatafo Atafo Brand: https://www.instagram.com/atafo__ EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: Patreon.com/AfropolitanPodcast TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro: What images come to mind when you think of Lagos? 1:29 – The two sides of Lagos: chaos and creativity 3:07 – The energy you can feel on every street 4:25 – The next Wizkid might be working in the same studio as you 5:27 – Governing through a burst of creativity (Wizkid concert, E1, Lagos Fashion Week) 6:35 – The E1 race: "They never believed we could put on the best" 7:57 – Breaking records is in Lagos' DNA 9:44 – What story does Lagos tell international investors? 10:02 – "Creatives open the conversation. Infrastructure closes the deal." 12:25 – What Lagos offers that no other African city can 13:52 – The "no giving up" spirit that defines Lagosians 14:47 – What do you tell creatives who see government as an obstacle? 17:01 – The one thing that can derail Lagos' creative momentum 18:34 – What keeps the Governor up at night 20:53 – 10 years from now: What should Lagos be known for?

Eghosa Nehikhare walked away from medicine to build Multigate a treasury and trade operating system now serving enterprises across Africa. Eight years later, he's helped companies manage hundreds of bank accounts, navigated a $27M crisis that would have broken most founders, and learned every brutal lesson about building financial infrastructure on the continent. But this conversation goes far beyond fintech. We unpack why African payments still route through New York, what it really costs to build enterprise trust in emerging markets, and why most founders underestimate the compliance game until it's too late. Eghosa breaks down: • Why now is the best time for diaspora to move back: "All the components are aligned" • The pain point hiding in plain sight: enterprises manually logging into 300-400 bank accounts daily • Treasury and trade operating system explained: the iOS moment for African corporate finance • The medicine-to-tech pivot: how a food delivery startup grew from $300K to $6.5M in six months • The one-year disownment: "I don't want to see any of my properties" • Swift demystified: it's a messaging layer, not a payment infrastructure • The $27M PR crisis: "First is shock. This is not true. It's painful, it was humbling." • What saved them: documentation, governance, and transparency • Why he'd say no if he knew what he knows now: "Let me look for something easier" • Living life in parallel lanes: "You can't put all other lanes on hold" • The 5-point market entry framework: political, regulatory, legal, taxation, media • GLIPH values: Generosity, Loyalty, Integrity, Perseverance, Humility • How he chose his wife using a checklist — and she did the same • Why he never considered Japa: "I just fell in love with Nigeria" This isn't just about fintech. It's about building something that lasts in a region that tests you at every turn. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND EGHOSA OKONKWO LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/eghosa-nehikhare-39483148 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/eghosa.n/ EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: Patreon.com/AfropolitanPodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Introduction & Patreon Announcement 0:53 – What It Truly Takes to Build in Africa 2:49 – Advice for Diaspora Considering Moving Back 6:00 – How Multigate Discovered the Enterprise Treasury Pain Point 9:07 – The Manual Reconciliation Nightmare: 300+ Bank Accounts 11:29 – Treasury and Trade Operating System Explained 15:28 – Walking Away from Medicine 17:20 – The Father's Reaction: One Year Disowned 20:45 – Reconciliation: The 30th Birthday Speech 22:32 – How Lagos Networking Led to VGG 25:03 – Understanding Swift and Intra-African Payments 30:14 – Building on Unstable Currencies 32:04 – Would He Start Again Knowing What He Knows Now? 38:37 – The $27M PR Crisis: What It Felt Like 41:06 – Compliance Advice for Founders 44:22 – Living Life in Parallel Lanes 45:44 – The 5-Point Market Entry Framework 50:01 – Books and Mentors That Shaped Him 52:26 – How Two Entrepreneurs Make Marriage Work 53:58 – What He'd Tell His 2017 Self 59:41 – Rapid Fire: Food, Travel, AI 1:02:52 – You Cannot Outsource Culture 1:04:07 – GLIPH: Values for Choosing Partners 1:07:10 – How He Chose His Wife 1:09:12 – The Power of Compounding 1:11:16 – Why He Never Considered Japa 1:14:44 – Who Should Sit in This Chair Next

Beverly Adaeze turned African auntie impressions into a full-blown media career. From running a hair salon in Houston to landing five-figure brand deals with Princess Cruises and Capital One, she's proof that authenticity scales. She's the creator behind Mama Agnes, the character that made millions of Africans in the diaspora feel seen. This conversation goes far beyond content creation. We unpack what it actually takes to monetize a personal brand, why African creators are underpricing themselves, and how to build multiple revenue streams without burning out. Beverly breaks down: • Why she refuses to stay in the "African creator" box • The pricing learning curve and finding the right manager • How she became an MC by putting hashtags in her videos • Her first wedding: doing bridal hair AND hosting the reception • Why YouTube is the platform for long-term income • Managing creator burnout: "I also have to live life" • The stock fish story every African kid in America understands • Why she wants to move back to Lagos AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND BEVERLY ADAEZE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beverlyadaeze Twitter/X: https://x.com/beverlyadaez249 EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code: AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Hisa - Borderless investments For Africa. Use code: AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: Patreon.com/AfropolitanPodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction 2:12 - The opportunity of being an African creative 3:06 - When Beverly realized she could make money from content 5:01 - Biggest brand deals: Princess Cruises & Capital One 6:01 - Why she refuses to stay in the "African creator" box 7:01 - The diaspora brand deal gap: US vs Nigerian rates 8:46 - Learning how to price yourself as a creator 10:44 - Content creator vs influencer: What's the difference? 12:24 - The inspiration behind Mama Agnes & her characters 14:31 - Balancing the salon business with content creation 15:48 - Revenue streams: Content, hosting, and color classes 16:40 - Why she's never had a manager (and what she's looking for) 19:34 - Pitching brands vs brands coming to you 20:53 - How she became an MC by putting hashtags in videos 22:50 - Her first wedding: Doing bridal hair AND hosting 24:05 - The future: Red carpets, movies, and acting 25:01 - Craziest hosting story (wedding chaos) 26:29 - Financial planning during slow seasons 27:26 - How her relationship with her parents has evolved 30:52 - Does going viral actually make you money? 32:52 - Dating as a content creator with a platform 35:46 - The first time she went viral (the plantain video) 37:02 - Investing in equipment: When to level up 38:06 - Best platform for creators: Why YouTube wins long-term 39:14 - Are African creators underpricing themselves? 40:01 - Code-switching: Mastering accents naturally 41:02 - The ideal version of Beverly Adaeze (Wikipedia goals) 43:03 - Why she stopped doing hair (burnout, not content) 44:20 - Living in Colombia: Her gap year experience 45:18 - Is content creation a long-term career? 46:02 - Managing creator burnout: Taking breaks 47:11 - Ghana vs Nigeria: Less chaos, more laid back 49:01 - The hilarious Ghana DJ story 51:13 - RAPID FIRE: Lagos or Houston? 52:45 - Jollof rice debate: Nigerian, Ghanaian, or Senegalese? 54:48 - TikTok or Instagram? 56:16 - What African women need to stop apologizing for 56:40 - Would she move back to Lagos? 58:53 - The stock fish story every diaspora kid understands 1:00:32 - Falling back in love with African culture 1:03:06 - Who should be on this podcast next: Bozoma Saint John

Tobi Mohammed left a career in tech and engineering to build one of West Africa's most influential entertainment companies. With two master's degrees and early success closing billion-naira deals with the federal government, he could have stayed comfortable. Instead, he followed his passion into an industry with no rulebook. Six years later, he's co-founded The Plug, sold more tickets than any festival in West Africa, managed Grammy-nominated artists like Bella Shmurda and Odumodublvck, and built Mainland Block Party into a cultural movement that spans Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ghana, and New York. He's sold 38,000 tickets in a single December. He's worked with everyone from King Promise to Wale. And he's learned every brutal lesson the Nigerian entertainment industry has to teach. But this conversation goes far beyond events. We unpack why venues are Africa's biggest missed opportunity, what it really costs to throw a block party in Lagos, why most promoters are quietly bleeding money while chasing clout, and what it takes to build something that actually lasts in Nigerian entertainment. We also talk about ampiano artist and Afrobeats star. The Room is now open. 200 founding seats at $42/month — price locked permanently for everyone who joins now. We’re in the first 20. When it’s full, it’s full. Join at https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670 WHERE TO FIND TOBI MOHAMMED Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alhajipopping Twitter/X: https://x.com/alhajipopping EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction & Patreon Announcement 0:53 The Biggest Missed Opportunity: Venues 2:22 Third Spaces & Why Nigeria Needs Them 4:42 The New Home Decor Store Creating Connection 5:38 How Mainland Block Party Actually Started 7:00 Moving Back from England and Facing Social Segregation 8:16 The First Block Party at Truffles 9:40 When the Numbers Started Growing 10:25 Moving to Berks and Solving Social Segregation 11:53 The Digital Ads Nobody Was Doing 13:05 Getting Kicked Out After 850 People Showed Up 14:15 The Saturday Night Venue Crisis 16:00 The 5-Hour Bike Ride to Find a Venue 17:20 Taking Block Party to the Island, Abuja, Ghana, NYC 19:01 Sophisticated But Inclusive: The Block Party Message 19:43 Co-Founder Relationships: Making Three Partners Work 22:47 Artist Management: The Administrative vs Creative Split 25:13 When Artists Think They've Outgrown Their Managers 27:43 Why Asake Is a Unicorn (Not the Average Case) 29:43 The Parent-Child Dynamic in Artist Management 31:45 Infrastructure Challenges for African Touring 36:22 The Data Problem in Nigerian Entertainment 37:43 Why Artists Have Priced Themselves Out 38:47 Odumodublvck's Free School Tour 39:52 K-Pop vs Hip-Hop: The Masses Strategy 42:12 How Global Artists Can Still Serve Nigeria 43:17 Brand Partnerships and Making Economics Work 46:23 Financial Advice for Artists (And Why He Stopped Giving It) 49:40 Discipline vs Creativity: What Actually Wins 50:30 The Streaming Rate Conversation Nobody Wants to Have 54:07 Psychology of Managing Chaos at Events 56:08 Profit vs Consumer Happiness 58:31 Why Block Party Stays Affordable 1:01:01 Making Wale Affordable: The Equity Play 1:05:00 Investing 60 Million in Content This December 1:07:28 Rapid Fire Begins 1:10:03 Biggest Mistake: Putting Someone Before Himself 1:10:26 Artist He Wished He'd Signed Earlier 1:10:42 Best Nigerian Food 1:11:21 Skills He Wished He'd Learned Earlier: Boundaries 1:12:37 The Niece's Birthday He Missed in Paris 1:14:38 Life Lesson: Go Where You're Invited 1:17:26 Who Should Be on This Podcast: Bankulli, Cecil Hammond, Davido, Teni 1:20:57 Why Davido's Story Matters 1:21:15 What Amapiano Artists Do Better

Ayobami Adekojo walked away from corporate life to dive headfirst into one of the most brutal arenas in the world: Nigerian politics. As a political strategist, polling firm founder, and policy advisor, he's worked on presidential campaigns, sat in governors' strategy rooms, and watched history get decided in hallways most people never see. But this conversation goes far beyond elections. We unpack why the Nigerian diaspora fundamentally misunderstands how political power works at home, what actually moves a voter, and why the 2027 election is already decided before most people have even tuned in. Ayobami breaks down: The biggest misconception about Nigerian politicians: "They're some of the smartest people in the country" The real mechanics of power: wards, delegates, governors, and the machine The flat rate: what every presidential candidate quietly pays delegates Why the average Nigerian voter wants something elites would never expect How social media has quietly made politicians more accountable than ever The EndSARS autopsy: the vacuum, the bad actors, the moment it slipped The 90 minutes inside the PDP primary that handed Atiku the ticket How Tinubu outplayed Osinbajo, Amaechi, and Buhari to win APC The Emefiele playbook: hubris, dollars, and why he didn't flee The 2027 prediction: "The easiest reelection in 19 years" The honest autopsy of 2023: why Peter Obi split the vote and couldn't win Why Atiku and Obi on the same ticket was the only path to beating Tinubu What the diaspora must understand before running for office back home This isn't just about Nigerian politics. It's a masterclass on how power actually moves in a country that punishes naïveté at every turn. Become a member of the Afropolitan Inner Circle. https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link WHERE TO FIND AYOBAMI ADEBAYO Twitter/X: https://x.com/dondekojo EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/welcome-to-inner-156114670?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Introduction: The smartest people run Nigeria 2:01 - Afropolitan Inner Circle membership announcement 2:06 - The biggest misconception about Nigerian politicians 4:17 - Why Nigeria can't function like Qatar despite oil wealth 6:33 - Regional rule vs. fiscal federalism debate 10:43 - How political power actually works: wards, delegates, governors 15:07 - The flat rate: how much every presidential candidate pays delegates 17:05 - Why ability to win matters more than money 19:21 - What voters actually want (it's not what elites think) 21:17 - Vban sponsor segment 23:05 - The party donation requests politicians receive 24:52 - Why diaspora children struggle to connect with voters 26:21 - How social media has transformed political accountability 28:50 - The EndSARS movement: organization, vacuum, and collapse 34:13 - Social media's power in governance and transparency 37:44 - EndSARS lessons: the lack of clear demands 42:13 - APC primaries: watching Tinubu outmaneuver everyone 45:15 - The 90 minutes that changed the PDP primary 48:08 - Tambuwal's dramatic stage return and the Atiku alliance 51:00 - Why Tinubu was always going to win APC 54:20 - The Buhari mystique: why Nigerians kept believing in him 59:34 - Nigeria's pattern of making the wrong collective choices 1:04:07 - Advice for diaspora Nigerians entering politics 1:07:14 - Why politicians can work with anyone (and young people can't) 1:09:10 - The hubris of Emefiele: too much power, too little foresight 1:13:14 - Why Emefiele didn't flee Nigeria 1:14:22 - 2027 prediction: the easiest reelection in 19 years 1:16:41 - The Trump-Nigeria diplomatic situation explained 1:19:21 - 2023 election autopsy: the three-way vote split 1:23:43 - Why Tinubu won with minority support 1:27:33 - Can Atiku and Obi ever unite? 1:31:25 - Rapid fire questions 1:32:48 - Who should be on the podcast next

The podcast is free. The room is on Patreon → https://www.patreon.com/cw/Afropolitanpodcast Mai Atafo told me something I can't unhear: "95% of luxury goods are made in China. They just put an Italian label on it." Made in Guangzhou. Blessed in Florence. Priced like a miracle. Mai could have played the same game. Source cheap. Label expensive. Collect the margin. He refused. Sixteen years ago, he walked away from a senior brand manager role at Guinness to build one of Nigeria's most recognized fashion houses. His mother called his wife: "Are you sure about this man?" She believed before the evidence existed. Today, Mai has dressed grooms across the continent, built a brand synonymous with Nigerian luxury, and learned every brutal lesson the fashion industry has to teach. He chose to manufacture in Nigeria when everyone told him he was crazy. He chose time over a house in Banana Island. This conversation goes far beyond fashion. It's about what it really costs to build something authentic in a country that fights you at every turn. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND MAI ATAFO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maiatafo Atafo Brand: https://www.instagram.com/atafo__ EPISODE SPONSORS Vban: Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: Patreon.com/AfropolitanPodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 The runway is only 1% of the fashion industry 3:32 A common myth about building a business in Nigeria 5:50 What people don't see about the fashion industry 7:46 Kaftan tailors in Abuja outearning runway designers 10:14 Why fabric quality collapsed when the dollar misbehaved 17:07 The Guinness marketing framework that transformed his business 19:50 The consumer disposition funnel: loyal, regular, occasional, repertoire 21:38 Why he locked in on weddings as his niche 23:05 The playbook: "When you walked into my office as a groom, I knew exactly what to tell you" 23:21 Why creatives keep chasing newness over profit 27:48 Why ready to wear is nearly impossible in Nigeria 28:49 What he saw inside Chinese factories 31:09 The machines and systems that make Chinese manufacturing impossible to compete with 40:17 The buttonhole machine that costs ₦6.6 million and is currently broken 32:40 Nigerian customers vs corporations: the pressure on small businesses 35:27 The TikTok bride drama and designer accountability 45:18 The 95/5 rule: make it in China, add a zipper, call it Made in Italy 47:09 Building manufacturing capacity in Nigeria: a 5-10 year journey 51:19 Why Nigerian fashion needs a council like the CFDA 1:03:00 "Made in China is actually the highest quality available" 1:05:02 Why Chinese vendors freely share competitors with customers 1:12:23 The real cost of a Lagos fashion show: ₦50 million minimum 1:20:05 The December closing debate: why designers shut down when diaspora money arrives 1:27:41 Following his driver to catch him stealing fuel 1:33:13 "Money is a tool to buy your time back" 1:35:04 Why he chose time with his daughter over Banana Island 1:39:23 AI measuring and supplier ratings: tech that could change Nigerian fashion 1:47:14 Lagos Fashion Week: "Give them credit before you hit them" 1:53:03 The funding gap for medium-sized designers 1:58:00 Nigerian artist he'd love to collaborate with: Rema 2:00:46 Savile Row vs Italian tailoring 2:01:40 Why he supports Manchester United (and the story of his dad) 2:08:23 His favorite Nigerian designers and why they deserve more recognition 2:40:04 The Wedding Party partnership: how he got written into the script 2:51:01 How he maintains his values despite Nigeria's pressures 2:58:46 The World Bank rejection that became his new revenue benchmark 3:01:19 His wife as his "umbrella" who believed before the evidence existed

Eni Popoola went from Harvard undergrad to Columbia Law to Big Law then walked away five months in to become a full-time content creator. But this conversation goes far beyond influencing. We unpack why the creator economy is harder than it looks, what it really takes to build boundaries as a public figure, and why Black women creators still aren't getting paid what they're worth. Eni breaks down: • The biggest misconception about being an influencer: it's not easy • The hardest part: finding separation between content and life • Why she purposely doesn't give her audience "all of her" • Being first gen corporate: "No one in my family had worked a corporate job" • The meeting that changed everything: "You have to stop doing content" • Why she quit immediately: "This is my opportunity to leave" • The $700 to $7,000 brand deal story that opened her eyes • Why Black women creators are not getting paid what they're worth • The algorithm problem: same faces, smaller pool • Immigrant guilt and reframing sacrifice for the next generation • Unlearning toxic corporate culture through coaching and therapy • Why her dating pool is smaller and why she's fine with it • Therapy as a non negotiable for public figures • America's literacy crisis: "People cannot comprehend what's happening" • The intentional TikTok strategy that grew her audience • Lagos Fashion Week vs. New York and Paris: "Influencers here are celebrities" This isn't just about content creation. It's about building a life on your own terms. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND Eni Popoola Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enigivensunday?igsh=eTJmN25ybW5mODY5 Website: https://enigivensunday.com/ EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter TIMESTAMPS TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: The biggest misconception about being an influencer 2:28 - The hardest part of content creation 4:32 - Setting boundaries between content and life 8:19 - The story of leaving Big Law 14:16 - The internal conversation before quitting 18:40 - "I have to quit" — the moment of decision 22:27 - Walking out with everything 25:26 - How she built financial security before leaving 29:10 - The first big check: from hobby to business 31:37 - Are Black women creators being paid what they're worth? 36:48 - Navigating negotiations with a legal background 41:43 - Immigrant guilt and first-gen pressure 47:29 - The George Floyd moment and DEI's limits 52:13 - Dating as a high-achieving creator 58:55 - How therapy helps navigate success 1:05:28 - Unlearning scarcity around money 1:07:24 - The current state of America and the literacy crisis 1:11:50 - Choosing your lane as a creator 1:15:19 - What you lose chasing virality 1:17:17 - The future: products, platforms, and storytelling 1:21:43 - Lagos Fashion Week experience 1:29:17 - Rapid Fire: favorite books, food, platforms, and more 1:34:30 - Who should be on the podcast next?

Private equity in Africa has returned less than 10% IRR over the last decade. The target? 20%. Andrew Alli has spent 30 years figuring out why. He led infrastructure investments at the IFC, then became CEO of Africa Finance Corporation—where he secured an A-minus credit rating and led a Euro bond that was 5-6x oversubscribed. But this conversation goes far beyond finance. We unpack why private equity has underperformed across Africa, what's really blocking development, and why the diaspora's most valuable asset isn't money—it's know-how. Andrew breaks down: • Why African PE returns less than 10% IRR when firms target 20% • The 30% ownership trap: why PE firms can't turn companies around • Dutch Disease: how oil destroyed Nigeria's manufacturing base • Why 54 African countries is "way too many" • Energy and productivity: the two dimensions that drive development • 95% of AFC's troubled investments shared one flaw: governance (not corruption—culture) • China in Africa: "When Europeans visit, I get a lecture. When the Chinese visit, I get a stadium." • The diaspora's real value: know-how, not cash • John Rawls and why justice is the foundation of national unity This isn't just about investing. It's about understanding the game you're playing. Essential viewing for founders, investors, and diaspora professionals building in or with Africa. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND ANDREW ALLI Twitter: https://x.com/afalli LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/andrew-alli-a5029a1 EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro 1:35 – One uncomfortable truth: You have to work with governments 4:12 – Where do you see hope in Africa? 5:04 – 54 African countries is too many 6:12 – Africa's demographic advantage and the future of labor 7:03 – Private equity's broken model in Africa 9:50 – The currency trap: 300% in Naira, 6% in dollars 11:06 – Why PE exits take 14-15 years instead of 10 12:16 – The 30% stake problem 14:45 – Africa needs 15+ million jobs per year 15:46 – Development comes down to two things: productivity and energy 16:55 – The average Nigerian consumes the same electricity as a fridge 18:08 – Energy is the bottleneck—even for AI in the US 18:35 – Education and know-how: The Dangote Refinery example 21:18 – Only 2 African utilities are financially viable 22:37 – Macroeconomic stability and security 26:55 – When did Nigeria diverge? The 1970s oil curse 33:19 – Why 54 countries creates inefficiency 36:43 – Where young Africans should look for opportunity 40:08 – Fintechs will eventually become banks 43:41 – AFC's early days and building from scratch 46:07 – How AFC achieved an A-minus credit rating 47:25 – 95% of troubled investments had governance failures 49:55 – John Rawls and why African leaders need a theory of justice 55:21 – China's role in African infrastructure 1:00:03 – The diaspora's real value: Know-how, not money 1:06:31 – Why Andrew is on Twitter 1:08:47 – Rapid fire: Favorite Nigerian food, travel, and more 1:09:49 – How AFC's Eurobond was 5-6x oversubscribed 1:12:08 – Warm monetization: Sell Indomie, not champagne 1:16:11 – The infrastructure deal that got away 1:17:19 – Most underrated African leader: Seretse Khama 1:17:30 – Who should sit in this chair next?

Marlon Nichols spotted the opportunity in Africa before most of Silicon Valley was paying attention. Now managing $600 million across three funds at Mac Ventures, he's built a reputation for seeing cultural shifts 18-24 months before they hit mainstream. In this conversation, we unpack how he thinks about deals, why he bets on culture as a leading indicator, and what he's learned from backing companies like Gimlet Media and Pipe. Marlon breaks down: • Why he flew to Nairobi for a board seat and how it changed everything • The cultural investing thesis: how behavior becomes business • Gimlet Media: investing in podcasts before podcasts were a thing • "You can have the biggest market, phenomenal product, and a crappy team — it's going to fail every time" • The four non-negotiables he looks for in founding teams • Solo founders: why being an "attractor" is essential • How Mac Ventures survived the ZIRP era without chasing crypto • Why energy is his biggest focus right now — and what AI has to do with it • The real difference between being a good investor and running a fund • Culture House: how a brunch turned into a global community • Skin in the game: why he left consulting and never looked back • Shackle Mobility: the Nigerian startup he wants you to know about This is a masterclass in pattern recognition, fund discipline, and building in markets others overlook. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND MARLON NICHOLS Mac Ventures: https://macventurecapital.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marloncnichols?igsh=MWRrM2hhcTYweHF4Mg== Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/macventurecap?igsh=MTNodWFpYTZ3cWFwdQ%3D%3D EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro: What Marlon Saw in Africa 01:24 - Marlon's Background & Managing $600M+ at MaC Venture Capital 02:22 - The Courage to Invest in Africa Early 02:45 - How a Chance Meeting Led to His First African Investment (Kenfield Griffith) 03:39 - Finding a Nigerian LP by Accident in Portugal 05:58 - The Cultural Investing Thesis Explained 06:28 - From Cross Culture Ventures to MaC: Evolution of the Thesis 7:38 - Why Meritocracy Matters in Diverse Investing 8:00 - Culture as Behavior: Identifying Trends 18-24 Months Early 9:00 - Gimlet Media Investment: The HBO of Podcasting 10:21 - Building Mental Models for Evaluating Deals 11:02 - "It Takes 7 Years to Get Good at This" - Getting the Reps 12:59 - Current Thesis on Media Companies & Why It's Tough 15:38 - Investments in Mansa (Nate Parker & David Oyelowo) and Spill 16:33 - Biggest Misconceptions Black Founders Have About Raising Capital 18:25 - Understanding VC as a Product Business 19:41 - The ZIRP Era: How MaC Maintained Fund Discipline 21:32 - What MaC is Excited to Invest In: Energy, Fintech, AI, Healthcare 23:09 - Founder Red Flags: The Know-It-Alls 25:20 - Thoughts on Solo Founders: The Attractor Principle 26:05 - The 4 Non-Negotiables in Founding Teams 27:24 - Why Technical Co-Founders Matter (Tech Debt) 28:25 - Great Team vs. Great Market: What Wins 29:04 - Dealing with Co-Founder Conflict (Real Story) 31:29 - How MaC Venture Capital Was Formed (Cross Culture + M Ventures) 33:31 - What It Really Takes to Run a Fund 38:17 - Why Cycles Repeat: Young People Haven't Seen It Before 40:05 - The VC's Role During Tough Times: Therapist, Coach, Team Member 41:45 - How Important is Self-Awareness in Founders 42:31 - From Jamaica to Venture: Mom's Entrepreneurial Influence 45:25 - Does Capital Allocation Have a Worldview? 46:12 - The Energy Thesis: Why It's Necessary Now 48:50 - Crypto vs. AI: Why AI is Different 50:43 - How MaC Evaluates AI Companies (3 Lenses) 54:58 - Thoughts on the Creator Economy 57:15 - Stephen Bartlett's Distribution Thesis: Attention as Currency 59:13 - Super Personalization vs. Virality Debate 1:01:26 - Culture House: Origin Story at SXSW 1:04:05 - Investments Born from Culture House (PlayVS Story) 1:04:50 - What Skin in the Game Means to Marlon 1:06:52 - Auntie Art Collection Ad 1:07:35 - RAPID FIRE SEGMENT 1:07:43 - Gimlet vs. Pipe: Which Felt Better? 1:08:38 - Advice to 2015 Marlon: Vet Your Partners 1:09:54 - Biggest Red Flag in Pitch Decks 1:11:10 - Most Underrated Trait in a VC: People Management 1:11:21 - Favorite Jamaican Food & City 1:12:10 - Favorite Nigerian Food & Why LA Over SF 1:13:58 - Who Should Be on the Podcast? Shackle Mobility Founders 1:16:53 - Carrot Credit Investment Thesis 1:19:07 - Outro & Thanks

Audu Maikori built Chocolate City into Africa's most enduring record label — the only one from its generation still standing and profitable after 20 years. But this conversation goes far beyond music. We unpack the intellectual property crisis quietly stripping Africans of ownership over their own culture, why Nigerian artists are generating billions of streams while losing the rights internationally, and the distribution bottleneck holding back every sector of the Nigerian economy. Audu breaks down: • Why Chocolate City survived when every other label from its era collapsed • The copyright trap: why your music isn't yours if it's not registered in the US • "We built an industry on someone else's infrastructure. We own nothing." • Linda Ikeji vs. BellaNaija: the difference between a hustle and an institution • Why hip-hop has been "trapped" for 15 years — and what Afrobeats can learn • The $22 billion catalog acquisition wave and what it means for African artists • Jay-Z vs. Diddy: the brutal lesson on community, legacy, and co-ownership • His "wilderness moment" — broke, in debt, and one prayer away from giving up • Why destabilizing Nigeria is a geopolitical project, not just a governance failure This isn't just about entertainment. It's about ownership, infrastructure, and who controls the future of African culture. AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND AUDU MAIKORI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audumaikori Twitter: https://x.com/audumaikori Chocolate City: https://www.chocolatecitymusic.com EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Quill - AI meeting notes that live on your device, not in your cloud. No bots on your call, no copy-pasting transcripts. Try free → https://www.quillmeetings.com/partners/afropolitan CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: The myth about the business of entertainment 2:03 - Has Nigeria done a good job exporting its culture? 4:28 - Is the music industry more structured now vs. when you started? 7:30 - Why 70% of label revenue comes from outside Nigeria 7:54 - The copyright registration problem (Nigeria vs. US) 9:01 - The real reason behind the Chocolate City investment 12:14 - How a legal background shaped Chocolate City's success 17:07 - Why contracts matter: "Social media tweets can't get you out of contracts" 18:58 - The role of technology infrastructure in capturing value 21:03 - "We built an industry on somebody else's infrastructure" 22:33 - Is Nigerian music an industry or a hustle? 23:29 - Linda Ikeji vs. Bella Naija: Two business models 27:06 - The Apple vs. Android approach to building brands 28:23 - What opportunities are we missing in the creative sector? 31:03 - The distribution problem: "We can't get products to people" 33:19 - Why 80% of telco budgets ignore Nigeria's biggest populations 36:02 - The untapped opportunity in Nigerian football 37:15 - Similarities and differences between Hip-Hop and Afrobeats 40:04 - "Hip-hop was quickly owned by the white man" 41:48 - "Intellectual property enslavement is in perpetuity" 47:47 - Why the advertising-music marriage hasn't worked in Africa 51:41 - Nigerian designers and the distribution gap 54:21 - "Is Nigeria ready?" - The Walmart model for Africa 59:52 - The fashion industry's missed opportunity 1:04:17 - The M.I. story: "Stop Plus is on the way out, you're on the way in" 1:07:02 - How to see potential in people before others do 1:10:10 - The early Chocolate City days: "You get this bar?" 1:13:03 - Stories from the studio: Developing Oleku and Safe 1:19:00 - "Your vision is your vision" 1:21:01 - The airplane perspective lesson 1:23:22 - Advice for founders in their "wilderness moment" 1:24:28 - The 2004 turning point: From broke to breakthrough 1:29:31 - Being exiled for speaking truth 1:32:23 - Why destabilizing Nigeria destabilizes Africa 1:35:00 - Sponsor: Aunties Collection 1:35:47 - Sponsor: Quill 1:36:28 - RAPID FIRE: Best hip-hop album of all time 1:36:57 - Artist you wish you had signed 1:38:31 - Should artists own their masters from day one? 1:41:52 - Favorite hip-hop song of all time 1:42:37 - Perspective on Jay-Z as artist and businessman 1:46:53 - The Diddy comparison: "You can't fake community" 1:50:01 - Who should sit in this chair next?

This episode is sponsored by Quill. Quill is how we run every meeting — it records on your device (no bot joining the call), and then you just talk to the agent to turn the conversation into proposals, action items, tasks, whatever you need. No downloading transcripts. No pasting into ChatGPT. I used it to close a deal last month. If you're still doing the copy-paste workflow, switch. Try Quill free → https://www.quillmeetings.com/partners/afropolitan He walked away from a six-figure investment banking salary to build in Africa. His grandfather was one of the first Africans at Harvard Law in the 1960s, then was assassinated during Eritrea's civil war. His father fled as a political refugee. Now, Yacob Berhane is building the infrastructure for Africa's next generation of founders. We unpack: • Why good African startups "died on the vine" during the funding winter • The real reason African founders struggle to raise Series A • How AI will create millions of jobs in Africa • Building Quill: an agentic AI note-taker that's quietly raised $5M+ • Why taste and discernment matter more than technical skills in the AI era • The 48-month countdown to a "step function change" in AI • Why builders need to stop being silent while "noise makers" fill the void 📍 YACOB BERHANE Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/y_berhane?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr Twitter:https://x.com/YacobBerhane Linkedin:https://ke.linkedin.com/in/yacob-berhane-38981541 👥 Afropolitan Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter 🎨 AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr Sponsors Sponsored by Quill — AI meeting notes that live on your device, not in your cloud. No bots on your call, no copy-pasting transcripts. Try free → https://www.quillmeetings.com/partners/afropolitan Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com 0:00 Intro 2:04 What does it take to build in Africa? 5:16 Yacob's origin story: Harvard Law grandfather, assassination, refugee father 7:13 "Life is very finite" - choosing Africa after loss 8:08 The Flutterwave connection (OluBenga in the first accelerator) 9:26 The 2014 founder vintage and startup cycles 10:07 Why African startups died: macros, currency collapse, AI boom 13:47 Building Parity: solving the asymmetry of knowledge 18:28 Africa's 8 million job deficit 20:18 The fundraising paradox: pre-revenue vs. in-review 22:19 Default to live explained 25:34 Africa's AI opportunity: human capital advantage 31:05 Technology won't wait for Africa 33:25 Creativity and storytelling as leverage 37:11 The return of analog experiences 41:44 Yacob's AI journey and building Quill 47:07 Taste, discernment, and judgment in the AI era 48:55 The $140K prototype now costs $20 52:12 The layoff reckoning: AI replacing white-collar jobs 55:04 48 months to step-function change 57:29 Robots, solar, and the future of labor 1:02:53 "You have to be an owner of something" 1:14:07 Building quietly: why they haven't announced the raise 1:19:27 Builders vs. noise makers 1:23:38 Grandmother's letter: seek wisdom from people who love you 1:29:43 Rapid fire questions 1:30:20 Bible verse: "Arise, shine for your light has come" 1:30:52 Best city for African founders 1:32:03 Book recommendation: The Alchemist 1:33:50 "The universe meets you at your level of faith, not fear" 1:34:03 Who should be in that chair next? Acha Leke

🎨 AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr She lost her father at 12. Became a mother figure at 15. Got married at 18. Won Best Actress the same year—nine months pregnant on stage. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde isn't just a Nollywood legend. She's a case study in resilience, reinvention, and refusing to compromise. We unpack: • Why Nollywood still can't compete with Afrobeats globally • The 2005 industry ban and why she refused to apologize for 2 years • 30 years of marriage in the spotlight • Why she relocated to LA after COVID • The difference between Nollywood vs. Hollywood • Her take on the "dance to promote your movie" debate This isn't just about entertainment. It's about legacy over money. It's about what it really takes to last 30 years at the top. MOTHER'S LOVE - Omotola's directorial debut. Lagos Premiere: March 1st | Cinemas: March 6th 📍 WHERE TO FIND DR OMOTOLA Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/realomosexy?igsh=MTV1OWdiOWs4MzBmMA= (https://www.instagram.com/realomosexy?igsh=MTV1OWdiOWs4MzBmMA==)Twitter: https://x.com/realomosexy?s=21 EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest - Dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 🎧 LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 👥 YOUR HOSTS Eche Emole — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika Uwazie — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ Book 1:1 with Eche: https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika: https://convo.vip/chikauwazie 🌍 STAY CONNECTED Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State: https://afropolitan.io/join Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Community: https://afropolitan.io/community TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction 0:37 - The Biggest Misconception About Nollywood 3:27 - What Keeps Her Going After 30 Years 4:19 - What's Exciting About Nollywood Right Now 6:04 - Why Nollywood Hasn't Exported Like Afrobeats 10:39 - Losing Her Father at 12: The Grief She Never Processed 14:53 - Walking Through the Arc of Being the Strong One 17:19 - Timeline Grief: Mourning the Life You Thought You'd Have 19:50 - Sitting by Gutters at 1AM Begging for Food 22:27 - Why Money Doesn't Faze Her Anymore 23:04 - How She Avoided Compromising Situations 27:06 - VHS Era vs. Cinema vs. Streaming 31:55 - Winning Best Actress at 18 (Nine Months Pregnant) 35:15 - Her Mother: "This Will End Your Marriage" 39:04 - Getting Married at 18: What Gave Her Confidence 42:29 - Why Divorce Is Not an Option (For Her) 45:13 - The 2005 Nollywood Ban: Fighting for Standards 50:06 - Nollywood vs. Hollywood: The Real Differences 54:20 - Why Netflix & Amazon Left Nigeria 59:24 - Why She Relocated to LA After COVID 1:02:03 - What Changed: "How Calm I Am Now" 1:04:06 - Learning Humility in Hollywood 1:07:46 - Mother's Love: Her Directorial Debut 1:08:44 - Why Pre-Production Is 70% of Filmmaking 1:14:29 - Emergency Surgery While Editing the Film 1:19:14 - What She's Most Proud Of After 30 Years 1:20:06 - Holding Her Dead Father's Passport, Hoping for a Visa 1:22:02 - Bringing Back Authentic Nollywood Storytelling 1:27:59 - The Dance Promotion Debate 1:32:11 - What Success Really Means to Her 1:36:30 - One Performance That Defines Her: "My Story" 1:37:16 - Who She'd Play in History: Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti 1:39:30 - "Nollywood Made Me, Hollywood Will Pay Me" 1:40:24 - Who Should Be on the Podcast Next

"In Nigeria, I haven't received any residual income from my music. From Nigeria." Sarz, the architect behind two decades of African sound, joins us for a raw conversation about what it really takes to build a career in music from this side of the world. From producing "One Dance" to "Beat of Life" to his latest album, Sarz has shaped the sonic identity of Afrobeats—but the journey has been anything but glamorous. In this episode, he breaks down the brutal economics of being a producer in Nigeria, why "One Dance" going global actually made him feel unreachable to the Afrobeats community, and the moment he realized his destiny couldn't be tied to anyone else's decisions. We go deep on the business politics that kill collaborations, why black music globally is at a crossroads, and the personal cost of two decades of relentless ambition. This is a masterclass for anyone in the creative industry—and a wake-up call about the infrastructure gaps holding African music back. 🎵 WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS • Why Nigerian producers earn nothing from local streams while their music dominates • The politics behind why hit songs never get released • How "One Dance" changed everything—and nothing • The real reason Afrobeats artists are leaving Nigeria • Timeline grief, burnout, and reconnecting with family after years of grinding • AI in music: threat or tool? • Building the Sarz Academy to change the game for the next generation 📍 WHERE TO FIND SARZ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/only1sarz/ Sarz New Album: https://sarz.lnk.to/PSAAC? 💰 EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest - Dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afrop Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 🎧 LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkS Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast 👥 YOUR HOSTS Eche Emole — /eemole Chika Uwazie — /chikauwazie Book 1:1 with Eche: https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika: https://convo.vip/chikauwazie 🌍 STAY CONNECTED Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: /afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: /afropolitannation Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State: https://afropolitan.io/join Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Community: https://afropolitan.io/community TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - "I haven't received any residual income from my music in Nigeria" 2:16 - Why music is extreme sports: "If you're not passionate, don't try it" 3:45 - What keeps Sarz going after two decades 6:02 - The broken royalty system in Nigerian music 9:25 - Reflecting on 8 years since "One Dance" 11:08 - Why Afrobeats can't scale: venues, economy, and infrastructure 14:18 - "If you explain Nigeria to someone and they understand, you didn't do a good job" 16:07 - The streaming economics: $3-5K per million US streams vs $300-500 in Nigeria 19:23 - Why Afrobeats artists are leaving Nigeria 22:31 - First time in the US: meeting Timbaland and learning to go global 25:03 - The power of collaboration vs. doing everything yourself 28:03 - How the Sarz x WurlD project came together 31:10 - Setting boundaries and knowing your worth 36:13 - The chaos of releasing an album with multiple artists 43:00 - How label politics strain creative relationships 45:43 - Is Afrobeats in trouble? The state of black music globally 51:54 - Partnering with United Masters and building Sarz Academy 53:44 - "I don't see myself as an OG—I still have so much to give" 56:27 - The reward for great work is more work 58:40 - What success has cost: family, relationships, introversion 1:01:47 - Timeline grief: mourning the version of yourself you left behind 1:05:53 - COVID as the reset: learning to slow down 1:08:52 - What Sarz is unlearning in this season 1:11:40 - AI and the future of music production 1:15:36 - Rapid Fire: favorite food, best beat, Cape Town love 1:18:54 - What would you pay for "One Dance" streaming rights today? 1:21:43 - Why "One Dance" made Sarz feel unreachable—and sparked his evolution 1:24:04 - From video game dreams to music: Sarz's origin story 1:26:00 - When his dad thought he was in a robbery gang 1:28:29 - The story behind "Beat of Life" 1:30:44 - Who should sit in this chair next? DJ Maphorisa

AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr We are told that the American Dream is a linear path: go to school, climb the ladder, and retire at 65. But for many, that path is becoming a hollow promise that drains your health and your soul. In an era of global connectivity, the most successful people are no longer following the old rules and they are reinventing what it means to be a professional, a mother, and a citizen of the world. Tenicka Boyd, an Emmy-nominated host and media strategist, joined us for a deep, vulnerable conversation on the "speed of life." From breastfeeding on the Obama campaign trail to becoming a top-tier digital creator, Tenicka has navigated the highest halls of power in Washington D.C. only to realize that true freedom looks very different than a title in the White House. This episode is a masterclass for anyone feeling "timeline grief", the pain of outgrowing a life you thought you wanted and a roadmap for those ready to embrace their identity as a global citizen. 🧠 WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS  This conversation explores the shifting dynamics of the African Diaspora and the "whitelash" against diversity in modern America. Tenicka breaks down the historical context of Black American identity, the systemic realities of the US credit system, and why Lagos Fashion Week is currently the "soul" of the global creative economy. We dive into the controversial "Foundational Black American" discourse, the psychological cost of hyper-capitalism, and why "by-continental" living is the ultimate ultimate flex for the next generation. 📍 WHERE TO FIND TENICKA Instagram: instagram.com/tenickab?igsh=MXN1a29yNnd5a3pyNg== Threads: https://www.threads.com/@tenickab?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest - Dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 🎧 LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 👥 YOUR HOSTS Eche Emole — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika Uwazie — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ Book 1:1 with Eche: https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika: https://convo.vip/chikauwazie 🌍 STAY CONNECTED Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State: https://afropolitan.io/join Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Community: https://afropolitan.io/community ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Intro: Obama, Power & Humanity 2:00 - The State of Influencing in 2025 3:40 - Reinvention vs. Natural Evolution 4:41 - Being an Empty Nester at a Young Age 7:14 - The Trade-offs of Early vs. Late Parenthood 10:06 - Lessons from the Obama Administration 12:22 - From Grassroots Campaigns to Building Community 13:40 - How Politics Became the Family Business 15:36 - The Pandemic Pivot to Content Creation 18:01 - Breaking Down Black Lives Matter for a Global Audience 25:35 - The FBA Debate & Pan-African Identity 30:24 - Race vs. Class: America, Nigeria & the UK 34:53 - The DEI & "Woke" Backlash 38:17 - How Travel Shaped Her Identity 41:19 - Why She Started Coming to Africa 47:53 - Lagos Fashion Week & African Fashion's Global Influence 52:41 - Vulnerability as a Content Creator 54:40 - Timeline Grief: Mourning the Life You Imagined 57:27 - Outgrowing Parts of Influencing 1:03:56 - The Industry's Problem with Substance 1:04:30 - One Truth About America No One Wants to Admit 1:07:32 - The True American Dream is Outside America 1:14:05 - Rapid Fire Questions 1:16:00 - Who Should Sit in This Seat Next?

🎨 AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr Most people believe that building wealth is about how much you save. In reality, in a volatile economy, traditional saving is often the fastest way to lose your purchasing power. We have been conditioned to trust institutions that were never designed to outpace inflation, leaving an entire generation of Africans working harder for money that buys less every year. Eke Urum Eke, the founder of Risevest, joined us to dismantle the "learned helplessness" of the African financial experience. After moving from high-level consulting to the brutal reality of the tech trenches, Eke has spent the last decade building systems that allow everyday people to bypass local currency instability. This isn't just a conversation about an app; it is a masterclass on the mechanics of trust, the reality of "Pan-African" wealth, and why the current cultural approach to inheritance is a recipe for legacy failure. 📍 WHERE TO FIND EKE & RISEVEST Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rise.vest Website: https://risevest.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekeurum Sign up: click.risevest.com/gb0g/ig 🙏 EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest - Dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo - Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ 🎧 LISTEN ON OTHER PLATFORMS Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 👥 YOUR HOSTS Eche Emole — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika Uwazie — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ Book 1:1 with Eche: https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika: https://convo.vip/chikauwazie 🌍 STAY CONNECTED Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State: https://afropolitan.io/join Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Community: https://afropolitan.io/community 🧠 TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Introduction & Teaser 1:45 - The Opportunity to Create Wealth in Africa 4:02 - Underrated Industries to Invest In 6:30 - The Risevest Thesis: Betting Against the Naira 9:15 - How the Thesis Evolved: Acquiring Chaka 11:19 - Why Investing & Compounding Beats Saving 14:48 - Risevest vs Robinhood: Curated Investing 16:29 - Cultural Nuances of Building Fintech in Nigeria 19:20 - From Bicoins to Risevest: The Crypto Journey 20:20 - Why Africa Hasn't Built Generational Wealth 23:48 - How Women Can Protect Their Investments 27:24 - Demystifying Wills & Succession Planning 30:14 - Why Polygamy Complicates Wealth Transfer 33:59 - Family Wealth Stories: Lessons from Failure 36:10 - Educating Children About Family Business (GIGM Example) 38:34 - Dollar Hedging: Is It Permanent for Africans? 42:25 - Y Combinator Lessons: Build What People Want 46:46 - Hiring & Talent: What African Founders Get Wrong 49:14 - Advice for Nigerians Planning to Japa 51:05 - Adapting to the Nigerian Market After Living Abroad 55:57 - Nigerian Succession Stories: Pascal Dozie, GIGM & More 58:54 - Why Diaspora Remittances Don't Go to Investments 1:02:15 - The One Mindset That Unlocks Wealth 1:05:49 - The True Cost of Being a Founder 1:11:28 - Investing in Southeast Nigeria with Ike Eze 1:15:36 - Rapid Fire: Best Investment (Bitcoin at $90) 1:19:34 - Most Expensive Mistake & Leaving Bicoins 1:24:03 - Co-Founder Dynamics: Lessons Learned 1:28:26 - Who Should Be on the Afropolitan Podcast Next?

AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr Africa is frequently framed as a land of "potential," but what if the foundation of its security is fundamentally broken? In this episode, we sit down with Nathan Nwachukwu, the 22-year-old founder of Terra, who recently raised $11.75M from Silicon Valley giants like 8VC and Palantir's Joe Lonsdale. Nathan isn't just building drones — he's reframing the entire geopolitical future of the continent through Sovereign Intelligence. From surviving a near-death experience at 15 to building a multi-million dollar defense prime, Nathan breaks down why Africa must stop relying on foreign intelligence handouts, why the smartest minds are "wasting their time" on SaaS, and how first-principles thinking is the only way to spark a true African Industrial Revolution. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro: Africa's $55B security market 1:17 - Does age matter when you've raised $11.75M? 2:11 - Biggest misconception about African defense 4:50 - What is sovereign intelligence? 6:55 - Why Africans should build hardware 9:43 - Why physics matters for Africa's future 11:33 - Security as the foundation — first principles 15:05 - Fundraising: African vs. Silicon Valley investors 17:15 - Why Silicon Valley understood first 20:16 - The $11.75M round — Joe Lonsdale leads 24:01 - US retrenchment & Africa's opportunity 28:33 - What happens when infrastructure is attacked 34:15 - Why engineers shouldn't waste time on apps 37:57 - Energy, communications, food — what needs builders 41:49 - Globalization vs. sovereign capability 48:51 - The near-death experience at 15 52:05 - "I'm scared of dying a nobody" 55:45 - What kind of person thrives at Terra 1:00:04 - Nathan's goal: Industrialize Nigeria 1:03:37 - Why Terra manufactures in Africa 1:07:45 - "Biggest company or biggest failure" 1:10:35 - Closing government contracts in Africa 1:16:30 - Rapid Fire 1:20:49 - How Russia-Ukraine changed everything SPONSORS: Vban - Made for Remote Work. Built for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest - Dollar-denominated investments in stocks, real estate & fixed income: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo - Book 1:1 with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND NATHAN: Twitter/X: https://x.com/_kingnath Terra: https://x.com/terrahaptix Website: https://www.terraindustries.co/ LISTEN TO MORE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 HOSTED BY: Eche Emole — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika Uwazie — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ STAY CONNECTED: Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Community: https://afropolitan.io/community

Iyanya sat down with The Afropolitan Podcast for one of the most raw, unfiltered conversations we've ever had. 17 years in the music industry. Project Fame winner. The man behind Kukere. And still here — still evolving. This episode covers longevity, reinvention, faith, fame, loss, addiction, therapy, and the real business behind building a lasting career in African music. Iyanya opens up about staying authentic, navigating superstardom, the moment Kukere almost didn't happen, financial mistakes during his peak years, and healing after losing his father, mother, and brother in two years. A masterclass on resilience, growth, and what it truly takes to survive and evolve while protecting your peace. Subscribe for more conversations documenting Black brilliance, culture, and the stories shaping Africa and its diaspora. 🔗 Follow Iyanya IG: https://www.instagram.com/iyanya X: https://x.com/iyanya 🔗 Follow Afropolitan IG: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast X: https://x.com/afropolitan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation Web: https://www.afropolitan.io Community: https://afropolitan.io/join 🎧 Listen Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU 💼 Sponsors VBan (use code AFROPOLITAN): https://vban.com Inverroche Gin: https://www.inverroche.com Risevest: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan: https://convo.vip 🎨 AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Intro: Talk-singing vs. real singing 00:38 – Loss, betrayal, and rebirth 02:18 – Welcome 02:40 – Being original and authentic 03:52 – First US tour (2013) 05:17 – American vs. Nigerian fans 06:30 – Advice to younger artists on fame 07:53 – The business of music 08:24 – The importance of guidance 10:05 – Falling out and reconciling with Ubi 11:04 – Creative freedom vs. business 13:30 – Growth from Project Fame to now 14:46 – The R&B side of Iyanya 16:17 – "You're singing it too much" 18:02 – Why African artists must adapt 20:18 – New album and his father's legacy 20:44 – Losing his father, winning Project Fame 22:15 – Mentorship from elder artists 24:26 – Sound Sultan's advice 26:08 – Doing TikToks and staying humble 26:55 – Fame as addiction 30:04 – Timeline grief and healing 31:23 – Losing three family members in two years 33:03 – Thoughts on therapy and faith 34:00 – Healing through prayer 38:59 – Cash flow lessons from peak years 39:37 – Ownership, investments, legacy 41:25 – Government appointment in Cross River 43:09 – Afrobeats going global 46:27 – Early US tours and empty venues 49:27 – Why artists need teams 53:19 – The real story behind Kukere 55:02 – Almost quitting before Kukere 59:24 – Ghana's role in Kukere blowing up 1:01:03 – Trusting your partner's vision 1:02:51 – Competition vs. collaboration 1:04:42 – Tekno's work ethic 1:06:47 – Surviving the Dana Air crash 1:08:58 – Relationships, privacy, fame 1:12:10 – Celibacy and honesty in dating 1:16:41 – Longevity in music 1:18:12 – Legacy toast 1:20:13 – Rapid fire questions 1:22:38 – Who's next: Moter Black & Seyi Vibez

AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr $750,000 became $40 million in six years. That's what happens when you stop betting on Africa's "potential" — and start betting on what's already working. Ibrahim Sagna managed $37 billion at Africa Eximbank. Then he left to build Silverbacks Holdings. 10 exits since 2019. Flutterwave at 24x. Lemfi at 29x. Moov at 5.1x. His thesis? Possible → Probable → Inevitable. In this episode, we break down why Africa has been profitable for centuries, why capital has always known it, and why founders and investors are finally structuring exits that prove it. From colonial extraction to modern venture capital. From seven cars to forty thousand. From early-stage angels to billion-dollar platforms. We cover how African startups move from possible to inevitable, why distribution beats raw talent, and why storytelling is one of the most undervalued assets on the continent. For founders, operators, investors, and anyone tired of hearing that Africa is still "loading." It's not. About Ibrahim Sagna Ibrahim Sagna is Executive Chairman of Silverbacks Holdings, a private investment firm allocating capital across tech, entertainment, and sports. Since 2019, the firm has delivered 10 profitable exits. Before Silverbacks, Ibrahim spent 26 years at Africa Eximbank running the investment banking division. He also hosts the In The Valley podcast. Landmark investments include Moove — a global mobility fintech backed by Uber, operating in 29+ cities across five continents — and Wave Mobile Money, backed by Stripe. FOLLOW THE GUEST Ibrahim Sagna Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahimsagna?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app Instagram –  https://www.instagram.com/ibrahimsagna?igsh=em56c2pzZmlreWhx Twitter -  https://x.com/ibrahimsagna?s=21&t=g8hW-h3DHs2_PEEsZXCnvw Silverbacks Holdings Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/silverbacks-holdings_work-hard-activity-7224762396614000640-po9Z?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios In the Valley Youtube - https://youtube.com/@in_thevalley?si=U9bElCNHygbokIwP In the Valley Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/in.the_valley?igsh=NDhlZ2NlaWdpdGl0 FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast    LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/  Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join our community for exclusive updates: afropolitan.io/community Get email updates: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter  Listen to more Afropolitan Podcast episodes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU?si=b3a132f9afb3459f&nd=1&dlsi=32c01e3224ac4c64  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585   SPONSORED BY VBan – Borderless banking for Africa’s digital workforce  Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin – South Africa’s premium craft gin blending heritage botanicals with innovation https://www.inverroche.com Risevest – Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afrop... Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers https://convo.vip TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Africa is not “potential” 01:25 Why colonization proves long term value 02:01 Capital extraction then and now 02:56 The Silverbacks Holdings thesis explained 03:57 How African founders scale globally 04:52 From luck to preparation in venture 05:51 Possible vs Probable vs Inevitable 07:41 How SPVs create focused conviction 08:40 Why global expansion signals inevitability 10:06 Real exit multiples from African startups 11:05 Liquidity as a storytelling engine 12:32 From likable to adored brands 13:56 Why Apple behaves like a religion 15:21 Elevating African companies through narrative 17:19 How secondary exits actually work 18:46 Inside the Move investment story 21:41 Solving Uber’s real problem 24:34 Distribution as the real moat 27:08 From seven cars to 40,000 29:04 Becoming a truly global company 30:30 Brands that achieved cultural dominance 33:22 Why African culture is always exported 38:13 Building IP in film and media 39:16 Finding a 1.6 billion person niche 41:12 Culture investing with global reach 45:00 What DFIs actually do 52:10 Why refining beats raw talent 56:41 Who controls the story controls value 59:37 Almost dying and staying uninterrupted 01:08:11 Finding your superpower 01:27:07 Why Africa has always been actual 01:31:01 The next generation sees no limits

In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Sofi, one of the most compelling African women creators shaping culture across the diaspora, to unpack the real cost of authenticity, freedom, and building a life on your own terms. Known online as The Odditty, Sofi opens up about choosing self expression over approval, walking away from expectations placed on African women, and turning her personality into a powerful platform. From viral moments to $25K brand deals, from being silenced to owning her voice, this is a raw, unfiltered conversation about identity, trauma, money, boundaries, and becoming unapologetically yourself. This is not an influencer highlight reel. This is a survival story. We talk about the African creator economy, monetising authenticity, being underestimated, navigating family pressure, womanhood in public, and why being different is no longer a weakness but an advantage. This episode explores: • Why being yourself often comes with backlash, loss, and resistance • How Sofi turned authenticity into real income and global opportunities • The hidden cost of being a woman online, especially as an African creator • Why African creators are finally winning and what most people missed • Identity, self worth, trauma, healing, and choosing freedom anyway If you are a creator, founder, artist, or anyone trying to live honestly in a world that rewards conformity, this conversation will stay with you. Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast, where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride. Follow Sofi (The Odditty) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/the_odditty/ Website https://theodditty.com/ 🔗 Follow The Afropolitan Podcast Instagram https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Twitter https://x.com/afropolitan LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation Website https://www.afropolitan.io Community https://afropolitan.io/join Newsletter https://afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored By VBan The borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce Use code AFROPOLITAN https://vban.com Inverroche Gin South Africa’s premium craft gin https://www.inverroche.com Risevest Invest globally in dollar denominated stocks, real estate, and fixed income https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan Book 1 on 1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers https://convo.vip TIMESTAMPS 00:00: Intro 01:42 Why now is the best time to be an African creator 02:38 Telling African stories beyond suffering 03:06 Monetising being odd instead of fixing yourself 03:35 Blogging, early creation, and finding a voice 04:35 The first brand deals and learning your worth 05:28 How Sofi landed a $7,500 Home Depot deal 06:46 Why representation and visibility matter 07:15 What African parents expect versus reality 08:39 Sexual harassment and leaving Nigeria 10:59 Moving to America and unlearning shame 11:50 Viral moments and the birth of The Odditty 12:47 Choosing creativity over law school 14:16 Family pressure, money, and misunderstanding 15:44 Paying the price for freedom 16:43 Being ostracised for being yourself 18:06 Therapy, healing, and reclaiming power 19:30 Viral videos and what happens after 22:40 Why viral moments are not the goal 24:05 Building community over chasing attention 25:32 Boundaries, friendships, and creator burnout 28:41 Business boundaries and saying no 30:58 Being underestimated and weaponising softness 32:53 “She won’t last long” and proving them wrong 35:13 Creator politics, envy, and extraction 35:39 The business of content creation explained 38:28 Managers, agencies, and skin in the game 40:51 Why representation must work for you 44:00 The New York apartment controversy 45:52 The rat race and redefining success 47:44 Choosing freedom over lifestyle validation 50:43 Turning 30 and rewriting the dream 53:37 Race in America versus class in Nigeria 01:01:20 Why African creators would win faster at home 01:04:33 Lagos creator economy frustrations 01:07:41 Why Sofi started her podcast 01:10:28 Shame, sex, and breaking taboos 01:13:46 Processing trauma and delayed healing 01:16:33 Taking power back 01:19:40 Boundaries and self respect 01:21:34 Rapid fire questions 01:23:43 Who should be on the podcast next

Austin Avuru at Afropolitan Live | Building Institutions That Last in Africa AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Austin Avuru—Nigerian geologist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Seplat Petroleum—to explore what it really takes to build institutions that last in Africa. From his early years at NNPC to co-founding one of Nigeria's most successful indigenous energy companies, Austin shares a rare long-term perspective on discipline, governance, succession, and the hidden cost of success. This is not a hype story. It is a builder's story. We discuss why most African businesses collapse after the founder exits, why managing success is harder than starting from nothing, and why building in Nigeria is difficult but absolutely possible. 🔗 FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Instagram – https://instagram.com/afropolitan Twitter – https://twitter.com/afropolitan Book 1:1 with Eche – https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika – https://convo.vip/chikauwazie SPONSORS VBan – Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin → https://www.inverroche.com Risevest → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo → https://convo.vip TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:45 What it really takes to build in Nigeria 1:36 Discipline, focus, and one step at a time 2:18 Would he still choose Nigeria today 2:48 Starting his career at NNPC 3:49 Founding Platform Petroleum 4:36 Co-founding Seplat and acquiring Shell assets 5:02 Why Seplat listed on the London Stock Exchange 5:14 "We listed to save the company from ourselves" 5:47 Managing success as the biggest risk 6:27 Why African companies don't survive founders 7:47 Why Platform Petroleum still exists today 8:27 What NNPC represented in the 1980s 10:08 Comparing NNPC to Saudi Aramco 11:06 Losing his father at age six 11:36 His mother's role in shaping resilience 12:59 Returning to his childhood school after 60 years 14:14 The missed opportunity to go abroad 17:49 Acquiring IOC assets with audacity 18:50 Negotiating directly with Shell 19:41 Convincing global investors 20:42 Almost failing the LSE listing 22:06 How trust unlocked approval 24:36 Rebuilding market confidence 25:54 Scaling from 22K to 100K barrels/day 27:00 Why scaling breaks businesses 29:00 Choosing the right partners 30:23 When to walk away 32:04 Why indigenous entrepreneurs must step up 35:47 What a family office really is 36:25 Why he refused to write a will 37:00 Structuring wealth to avoid conflict 40:09 Lessons from the Dangote refinery 44:08 Energy transition and Africa's right to develop 47:49 What a just transition really means 50:35 Wealth discipline and philanthropy 53:23 Advice to Africans in the diaspora 55:35 Why Afropolitan exists 57:30 Rapid fire 59:39 Biggest hiring mistake 1:00:10 Best business advice received 1:01:26 One word for the diaspora: "It's possible" 1:02:05 Leaders he wants to see next 1:03:22 Final reflections on legacy

Aunty’s is a limited sculpture collection by Anthony Azekwoh, released in collaboration with Afropolitan. We are placing 200 sculptures from the collection. Acquisition is by application only. This is not a traditional purchase. Each piece is placed intentionally. Applications can be submitted here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Anthony Azekwoh, a Nigerian visual artist and sculptor redefining how African memory, culture, and identity are preserved through art. This conversation introduces Aunty’s, a sculpture collection rooted in reclaiming African history after centuries of cultural theft — beginning with the looting of the Benin Bronzes in 1897. Rather than waiting for restitution, this episode explores what it means to rebuild African memory through ownership, craft, and contemporary creation. Anthony breaks down his creative process, from sketching and digital sculpting to producing physical sculptures in Nigeria using bronze, marble dust, and fiberglass. He reflects on the role of “aunties” as cultural archivists, the importance of joy and celebration in African storytelling, and why African homes can become modern museums. The conversation also goes deeper into Anthony’s personal journey. He speaks candidly about leaving university, navigating religious institutions, financial instability, NFT booms and crashes, payment barriers for African creatives, and what it took to rebuild after hitting financial rock bottom. This is a rare, unfiltered look at what it means to build art, business, and legacy from Africa — without permission. Legal Disclaimer: The opinions, statements, and views expressed by guests appearing on the Afropolitan Podcast are solely their own and do not represent the views, opinions, or positions of Afropolitan, its hosts, affiliates, or employees. Any claims or characterizations made by guests regarding third parties, including institutions or organizations, are the guest's personal opinions and should not be interpreted as statements of fact endorsed by this platform. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro & Teaser: Anthony on making his first million through prints 1:28 - Welcome & Introduction to the Aunties Sculpture Collection 1:47 - The History: 1897 Benin Bronze Looting & Cognitive Colonization 2:39 - Why Aunties Matter to African History 3:15 - Anthony Explains Why He Created the Aunties Collection 4:05 - The Design Philosophy: Circles, Triangles & Making African Shapes Iconic 5:06 - Creative Process: How an Idea Becomes a Sculpture 6:33 - Bringing Production Home to Nigeria (3D Printing & Bronze from Benin) 7:15 - "We Are Our Own Museums Now" - Art Living in Homes Worldwide 9:01 - Disconnection from African Art History & Discovering It Abroad 10:55 - What Anthony Wants People to Feel When They Own an Auntie 12:25 - Connecting the African Diaspora Through Art 13:04 - Playing Eternal Games with Eternal People 16:23 - Anthony's Origin Story: Starting as a Writer Who Taught Himself to Draw 16:50 - Why He Left Covenant University (The Full Story) 19:52 - Peak NFT Boom & Figuring Out How to Make Art a Living 24:28 - Emeka's Story: How He Got Himself Rejected from Faith Academy 31:06 - The Covenant University Experience & Institutional Control 35:39 - Biggest Misconceptions About Monetizing Art 37:16 - The Red Man Painting & First Million Naira Moment 38:45 - "You Can't Game the System" - Why Hit Paintings Can't Be Predicted 39:16 - How NFTs Changed Everything for African Artists 41:38 - Payment Rails Nightmare: PayPal Holding $10K for 6 Months 43:43 - Why Crypto is a Lifeline for African Creators 45:00 - Dad's Reaction to the Art Money Coming In 47:11 - The Sculpture Business Failure: Starting 2024 at -$20K 53:38 - Clearing 100 Million Naira by December 54:49 - Is Web3 Dead? (Anthony's Take) 56:06 - How Anthony Got Into NFTs & First Sale Story 59:57 - The Crypto Crash: Losing $20-30K Overnight 1:02:49 - Business Opportunities in the Art World 1:05:28 - Loneliness in Building an Art Business 1:11:14 - Rapid Fire Questions (Favorite Nigerian Dish, Mythical Figure, Books, Movies) 1:15:22 - "There's No Plan B" - Compounding on One Thing 1:15:48 - 50 Years From Now: "The Greatest Ever" 1:16:20 - Gatekeeping in the Art World 1:17:27 - Tattoo Stories & Parent Reactions 1:23:01 - Who Should Be on the Afropolitan Podcast? (Rema's recommendation)

Gaise Baba How a Gospel Song Went Viral Before Release Faith Discipline and the Untold Story of “No Turning Back” In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Gaise Baba, one of the most important voices shaping Afro Gospel, to unpack the real story behind how his song “No Turning Back” became a global movement before it was ever officially released. From organizing free concerts while broke, to navigating criticism from the church, personal grief, and long seasons of obscurity, Gaise Baba shares a raw and honest journey built on faith, discipline, and conviction. This conversation explores how preparation meets purpose when nobody is watching. We dive into: How “No Turning Back” went viral on TikTok and Instagram before release, and why timing mattered more than strategy The real economics of gospel music in Nigeria, and why African artists are quietly out earning Western counterparts Faith versus logic in creativity, business, and decision making The backlash around modern gospel music and how Gaise Baba stayed rooted through criticism What it really means to build while broke, unseen, and underestimated This episode goes beyond music. It is about identity, discipline, legacy, grief, and cultural influence. If you are a creator, artist, founder, or someone navigating purpose in a noisy world, this conversation will stay with you. Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast, where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride. Follow Gaise Baba Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaisebaba/ Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For more unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders and storytellers. Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State – https://afropolitan.io/join 🔗 Community – afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored by: VBan: The borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use code AFROPOLITAN to sign up → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin: South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation. Discover more → https://www.inverroche.com Risevest — Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income. Sign up → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan — Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit https://convo.vip/ Listen Everywhere: YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Hosted by: Eche – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ 0:00 - Intro & Teaser 2:09 - How Gaise Baba Got Into Gospel Music 4:24 - Personal Faith Journey & Encounter at 18 5:57 - Navigating Criticism of Modern Gospel Sound 9:08 - The Light Up Movement: Free School Concerts 15:42 - Advice for Creators Building in Obscurity 18:27 - No Turning Back: The Viral Rollout Strategy 22:51 - The Song Blew Before It Was Released 25:00 - The Unlikely Collaboration with Lawrence Oyor 29:02 - Shooting the Music Video with 1,000+ Church Members 36:24 - How the Lawrence Oyor Collaboration Happened 41:02 - Understanding the Gospel Music Industry Economics 44:29 - Nigeria as the New Frontier for Worship Music 52:06 - Moving by Faith: Organizing Events with Nothing 57:05 - Lessons from Berklee College of Music 1:03:06 - Why Light Must Operate in Darkness 1:09:05 - Christians Need to Be at the Table 1:17:17 - Losing His Mom & Releasing No Turning Back 1:25:01 - The Spiritual Regiment That Prepared Him 1:26:12 - Advice for Young Men Finding Their Way Back to God 1:34:48 - Rapid Fire: Favorite Food, Gospel Song & Artists 1:38:28 - Who Should Be on the Podcast Next: Soji Labby

In this episode of Afropolitan Podcast, we sit with Tracy Nwapa, Nigerian entrepreneur, interior designer, and founder of Interior Culture by Obiageli, Slice Lagos, Pavilion a as she opens up about building culture, losing everything, and starting again in Lagos. From dominating Lagos nightlife during Detty December to navigating betrayal, co-founder conflict, and walking away from a business she built from the ground up, Tracy shares the unfiltered realities of hospitality, ownership, and resilience in Nigeria. We explore how Tracy went from media and broadcast journalism to interior design, restaurants, and nightlife, why hospitality is one of the hardest businesses in Lagos, and what it truly takes to build experiences that people remember. This conversation goes beyond nightlife. It’s about purpose, feminine leadership in male-dominated industries, building with integrity in broken systems, and why Nigeria still feels like home despite the chaos. If you’re an entrepreneur, creative, builder, or part of the African diaspora thinking about coming back home, this episode will challenge how you think about success, ownership, and resilience. Welcome to The Afropolitan Podcast where African stories are told with honesty, depth, and pride. 🔗 FOLLOW THE GUEST Tracy Nwapa Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ 🔗 FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Instagram – https://instagram.com/afropolitan Twitter – https://twitter.com/afropolitan Community – https://afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – https://afropolitan.io/newsletter SPONSORED BY VBan – Borderless banking for Africa’s digital workforce Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin – South Africa’s premium craft gin blending heritage botanicals with innovation https://www.inverroche.com Risevest – Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers https://convo.vip 0:00 - Introduction 2:00 - What People Get Wrong About Hospitality in Lagos 4:07 - How Tracy Dominated Lagos Last December 7:00 - Being a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry 8:00 - How Tracy Stumbled Into Hospitality 11:28 - Advice for Diaspora Entrepreneurs Moving Back to Nigeria 15:04 - What Nigeria Offers That Nowhere Else Does 19:29 - Getting Into Interior Design Business 25:55 - The Interior Design Business Model in Nigeria 32:04 - Parents' Reaction to Her Success 33:37 - Co-Founder Conflict & Walking Away from Slice 42:57 - The Moment She Decided to Build Again 48:00 - The Role of Rage in Rebuilding 52:46 - Dealing with Betrayal from Staff 57:01 - The Fundraising Journey 1:00:32 - Introducing CUSP: Luxury West African Fine Dining 1:05:02 - Introducing FOMO: The Future of Nightlife 1:08:51 - Retirement Plans from the Nightlife Business 1:21:36 - Rapid Fire Questions 1:29:06 - Meeting FOMO Prime (The Robot) 1:33:00 - Closing & Who Should Be Next

In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit with one of Africa’s biggest creators, Tayo Aina, to unpack the truth behind building a global creative career from Lagos. From driving Uber without knowing how to drive, to teaching himself filmmaking, to fighting immigration systems across Africa, Tayo’s journey is the blueprint for the next generation of African storytellers. We discuss the moment J. Cole’s visit to Lagos changed his life, how MrBeast discovering his videos shifted his global visibility, and the hidden mechanics behind building a world-class YouTube career from Africa. We break down the real challenges African creators face brutal CPM disparities, visa walls, platform discrimination, and the hidden costs of chasing a dream in a system not designed for you. But we also explore the beauty, the innovation, the hunger, and the global ambition that make African creators unstoppable. This conversation goes beyond content. It’s about identity, economic mobility, purpose, migration, belonging, and the future of Africa’s attention economy. If you’re a creator, builder, founder, or diaspora kid navigating your own journey, this episode will speak to you. Welcome to the Afropolitan era where Africans tell their stories with power, pride, and global influence. Follow Tayo Aina Tayo Aina YouTube – https://youtube.com/@TayoAinaFilms Instagram – https://instagram.com/tayoainafilms Twitter – https://twitter.com/tayoainafilms Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For more unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders, thinkers, and creators: Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Community – https://afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – https://afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored by VBan – Borderless banking for Africa’s digital workforce. Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin – South Africa’s premium craft gin blending heritage botanicals with innovation. https://www.inverroche.com Risevest – Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income. Sign up → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit https://convo.vip 0:00 - Airport strip search story 2:01 - What people misunderstand about being a creative 3:27 - Origin story: Uber driver days (2017) 4:39 - Learning to drive on the job 6:58 - First YouTube videos documenting Lagos 9:40 - Income from Uber driving 11:00 - The breakthrough moment decision 12:04 - Security issues and leaving Lagos for Abuja 13:05 - First wedding shoot and transition to video production 13:28 - Jékýllí concert video that got 1M views 15:07 - First monetized video (real estate content) 15:56 - The YouTube PIN verification problem (couldn't access money until 2020) 18:06 - Wema Bank sponsor ad 19:03 - Content creation as a business 21:00 - The attention economy explained 22:29 - Translating the world as an African creator 25:23 - San Francisco experience and observations 27:10 - First country visited: Russia (2018 World Cup) 29:02 - Starting full-time YouTube (August 2019) 32:27 - Advice for starting a YouTube channel 36:00 - Discovering CPM rate disparities 39:23 - Monetization challenges in Nigeria vs. US 42:20 - Making videos for US audiences 47:27 - Ethiopian airport discrimination experience 50:03 - South African visa issues 51:45 - Getting St. Kitts passport decision 56:27 - Moving to Portugal (2 years ago) 1:01:26 - Quality of life comparison: US vs Europe 1:04:02 - Why creators should build products not just views 1:09:00 - Baroche sponsor ad 1:09:56 - Rise Vest sponsor ad 1:11:38 - Convo sponsor ad 1:11:52 - Rapid fire questions begin 1:15:07 - Moving back to Nigeria conversation 1:27:00 - YouTube Creator Academy (training 3000+ people) 1:30:00 - Future plans: real estate and production studio 1:42:00 - Final question: Who should be on the podcast next

Tayo Oviosu, founder & CEO of Paga, one of Africa’s most successful mobile money companies processing over $20 billion in transactions, joins The Afropolitan Podcast for a rare, unfiltered conversation on fintech, leadership, diaspora identity, and building in Nigeria through crisis, chaos, and conviction. From leaving a stable career in the US to pioneering digital payments in a pre-fintech Nigeria, Tayo shares the untold story behind Paga’s early struggles, near-death moments, and the strategy that turned it into one of Africa’s biggest financial infrastructure companies. More than entrepreneurship, this episode explores the psychology of resilience, navigating naira devaluation, regulation, global perceptions of Africa, and the emotional weight of building for 200 million people when systems are broken. He opens up about: ✦ What Silicon Valley still gets wrong about Africa ✦ The hidden cost of building in Nigeria, power, security, FX, people ✦ Why diaspora identity is an advantage, not a conflict ✦ Lessons from raising capital before “African tech” was a thing ✦ Why fintech in Africa isn’t a product, it’s infrastructure ✦ What the next decade of African money will look like ✦ Why founders burn out and how to stay sane in unstable markets If you’re a founder, operator, investor, or future builder across Africa and the diaspora, this is a masterclass in vision, endurance, and building systems that outlive you. Follow Tayo Oviosu LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/oviosu Twitter – https://x.com/tayoov Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For more unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders, thinkers, and creators: Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Community – https://afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – https://afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored by VBan – Borderless banking for Africa’s digital workforce. Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin – South Africa’s premium craft gin blending heritage botanicals with innovation. https://www.inverroche.com Risevest – Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income. Sign up → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit https://convo.vip Book 1:1 with Eche - https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika - https://convo.vip/chikauwazie TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 02:18 Leaving the US: The Moment Tayo Realized He Had to Build for Nigeria 05:02 Nigeria’s Cash Chaos: The Origin Story Behind Paga 08:44 How to Raise Money When No One Believed in African Startups 12:33 Regulators, Rejections and Early Paga Near-Failures 16:11 Why Payments in Africa Requires Infrastructure Not Just an App 19:52 How Diaspora Identity Became Tayo’s Hidden Advantage 24:31 Surviving Nigeria’s Naira Crisis, FX, Inflation and Founder Psychology 28:46 Hiring in Nigeria Talent, Trust, Burnout and High-Performance Teams 33:12 The Harsh Reality of Building a Business in Nigeria 36:48 Why Paga Succeeded When So Many African Fintechs Failed 41:20 Africa’s Money Future, Digital Wallets and Financial Inclusion 45:55 How Founders Stay Sane While Building in Dysfunction 50:22 Competing With Banks, Telcos and Big Tech in Emerging Markets 55:03 Government, Regulation and Playing the Long Game 01:00:44 The Chaos Years, Power, Security and Founder Sacrifice 01:05:39 What Silicon Valley Still Misunderstands About Africa Raising Global Capital Today vs Ten Years Ago 01:15:58 Africa’s Fintech Wave Is Just Beginning 01:20:36 What Founders Need to Win, Discipline, Clarity and Survival Tactics 01:25:18 Should Diaspora Africans Move Back, Tayo’s Unfiltered Advice 01:29:43 What Tayo Would Tell His 25-Year-Old Self 01:34:02 The Next Decade of African Innovation 01:38:27 Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts

FOLLOW ADETUTU Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/ Woof Studios – (add link) SUBSCRIBE TO AFROPOLITAN PODCAST For more unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders, creators, and storytellers. Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State – https://afropolitan.io/join Community – https://afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – https://afropolitan.io/newsletter Book 1:1 with Eche - https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika - https://convo.vip/chikauwazie Listen to more Afropolitan Podcast episodes: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU?si=b3a132f9afb3459f&nd=1&dlsi=32c01e3224ac4c64 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Hosted by Eche — https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika — https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ This episode is sponsored by: Vban, short for VIRTUAL BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER is the borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use the code AFROPOLITAN to sign up: https://vban.com Inverroche Gin, South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation. Discover more: https://www.inverroche Risevest, a digital wealth-manager connecting you to global, dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income. Use this link to sign up: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1:1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. https://convo.vip/ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 00:28 Why now is the moment for African creators 01:25 How creators actually get paid in Nigeria 02:23 Why multinational brands don’t spend in Africa 03:41 Why African creators earn less than US creators 04:40 The new money in social commerce, affiliates & merch 05:09 How global creators build multi-country audiences 06:03 Why Nigerian filmmakers win, distribution secrets 07:01 Why she deeply cares about creators 08:56 What creators misunderstand about YouTube money 10:22 Why tech companies deprioritise Africa 11:44 Ranking TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn 14:36 Why YouTube is still the best platform in 2025 17:38 Why TikTok grows fastest (but pays least) 18:06 Breaking banking & payment barriers on the continent 20:02 Why African storytelling hasn’t broken globally 22:33 How she took creators to Cannes Lions 25:48 Inside the YouTube Plugged In event 29:07 Leaving Google: the real story 32:22 The business model behind WOLF Studios 33:43 Which industries pay creators the most 38:02 How to manage brands, teams & bad stakeholders 40:50 Building structure as a creator 41:45 How Afropolitan can scale globally 44:27 Why WOLF Studios rejects certain creator verticals 48:29 The future of licensing, web series & Nollywood 55:21 Should Nollywood charge micro-fees? 57:46 Why FOMO is the missing monetisation lever 01:00:26 What TV stations will pay creators for 01:02:19 The trillion-dollar opportunity in social commerce 01:05:24 Final toasts 01:06:17 Why RiseVest matters 01:07:13 Rapid Fire 01:11:22 Creator burnout & how to reinvent 01:13:18 Final message

Dr. Julius Oni, orthopedic surgeon, investor, and co-founder of Excite Capital, joins The Afropolitan Podcast to reveal how he left Johns Hopkins Hospital to transform Africa’s healthcare system—and why Nigeria is now one of the most powerful emerging markets for medical innovation, investment, and talent. From building a $243M real estate portfolio to returning home to tackle Nigeria’s $2B medical tourism gap, Julius opens up about the discipline, sacrifice, and purpose behind choosing legacy over comfort. He breaks down what it truly takes to move back, build systems in Africa, and deliver world-class care in a market where 220 million people are served by fewer than 500 orthopedic surgeons. He opens up about: ◼️ Why Nigeria’s $2B medical tourism crisis is Africa’s biggest opportunity ◼️ The business model behind building sustainable healthcare in emerging markets ◼️ Leaving a top U.S. hospital to pursue purpose — not prestige ◼️ How he built financial freedom through real estate before moving back ◼️ What African professionals must understand about risk, faith, and purpose ◼️ How Excite Capital grew to $243 million while empowering the diaspora If you’re a builder, investor, or African professional planning your “move back,” this episode will give you the frameworks, courage, and clarity to build boldly. Follow Dr. Julius Oni: Instagram – instagram.com/doctorjko Exsite Capital – https://www.xsitecapital.com Oni Clinic - https://www.oniclinic.com Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders and visionaries. Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Newsletter – https://afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored by VBan – The borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin – South Africa’s premium craft gin rooted in heritage botanicals. Discover more → https://www.inverroche.com Risevest – Invest globally in U.S. stocks, real estate & fixed income. Sign up → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan – Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit → https://convo.vip/ Listen Everywhere: YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Hosted by: Eche – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ Book 1:1 with Eche - https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika - https://convo.vip/chikauwazie 📍Timestamps 00:00 Intro: Africa’s Healthcare & Future of Medical Innovation 00:21 Nigeria’s $2B Medical Tourism Problem 01:47 The Reality of Bone Setters & Healthcare Gaps 04:10 Why Healthcare in Africa Is a Long-Term Investment 05:04 The Insurance Divide & Business Opportunity 07:24 Reversing Medical Tourism — Nigeria as a Health Hub 09:44 Why U.S. Healthcare Costs 4× More 11:31 The Long Game: Building Quality Medical Systems 13:23 Why He Chose Medicine & Orthopedics 17:31 Purpose Awakening: The Moment Everything Changed 19:51 Leaving Johns Hopkins to Serve Nigeria 23:42 Building Financial Independence Before Returning 26:06 Choosing Purpose Over Comfort 28:02 The Role of Privilege, Luck & Faith 30:25 Finding a North Star to Guide Your Decisions 33:10 Vision Frameworks for African Professionals 36:31 The Truth About Patient Trust in Africa 38:24 Performing Surgery on Presidents & Public Figures 45:26 The Mental Discipline Required in Surgery 51:06 Afrobeats, Black Coffee & Music in the OR 52:35 Nigeria’s Healthcare Renaissance 55:52 IVF, Sickle Cell, and Medical Breakthroughs in Africa 59:15 The Post That Went Viral: Moving Back to Nigeria 01:02:24 Staying Focused Amid Criticism 01:06:07 Building Excite Capital to $243M 01:20:59 Understanding Multi-Family Real Estate 01:25:19 How Black Professionals Can Build Wealth Together 01:27:33 Afropolitan Toast Segment 01:28:57 Rapid Fire: Culture, Legacy & Identity 01:33:57 Who Julius Wants Next on Afropolitan

David Oyelowo, award-winning British actor, producer, and founder of Mansa, the streaming platform reshaping Black storytelling, joins The Afropolitan Podcast to discuss why Africa and platforms like AFRIFF (Africa International Film Festival) are paving the way for the next global film powerhouse. From his Oscar-nominated role as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma to produce the first major screen adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart with Idris Elba, David reveals the truth about Hollywood, representation, and building a platform that returns creative ownership to Black filmmakers worldwide. He opens up about: ◼️ Why now is the greatest moment in history to be an African filmmaker ◼️ The rise of Mansa and how he raised $8 million to build a Black-owned streaming platform ◼️ The truth about Hollywood gatekeepers and why he built his own house ◼️ How he secured the rights to Things Fall Apart and why it must be filmed in Nigeria ◼️ Lessons on grief, faith, and family and why excellence is the best weapon against prejudice If you’re a creator, filmmaker, or visionary shaping culture from Africa and the diaspora, this episode will inspire you to build systems, not seek permission. Follow David Oyelowo Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/davidoyelowo/ Mansa – https://www.mansaplatform.com Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For more unfiltered conversations with Africa’s boldest builders and storytellers. Twitter – https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website – https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State – https://afropolitan.io/join 🔗 Community – afropolitan.io/community Newsletter – afropolitan.io/newsletter Sponsored by: VBan: The borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use code AFROPOLITAN to sign up → https://vban.com Inverroche Gin: South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation. Discover more → https://www.inverroche.com Risevest — Invest globally in dollar-denominated stocks, real estate & fixed income. Sign up → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan — Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit https://convo.vip/ Listen Everywhere: YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Hosted by: Eche – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ 📍 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:45 Why Now is the Greatest Moment for African Filmmakers 03:10 How Technology Solved Piracy & Changed Nollywood 06:00 Representation & Dreaming in White: The Power of Narrative 08:00 Becoming the First Black King at the Royal Shakespeare Company 10:30 Playing Dr. King and Shifting Global Perception 14:00 Founding Mansa: The Netflix for Black Stories 18:00 Building a Streaming Platform from Nigeria 21:30 Raising $8 Million for Mansa & The George Floyd Moment 25:00 The Hardest Lessons in Building Tech as a Creative 28:00 Trade-Offs, Resilience & Reinventing Yourself 31:00 Why Mansa Chose an AVOD Model & Free Access 33:30 Hollywood Gatekeepers & Proving the Diaspora Market 36:00 Selma, The Butler & The Reality of Being “Undervalued” 38:30 Black Lives Matter: Missed Opportunities and Systemic Cycles 42:00 Reclaiming Our Stories Beyond Slave Narratives 46:30 The Fall of Hollywood & Why Africa is Next 49:00 Navigating Gatekeepers & Building Your Own House 52:00 Things Fall Apart with Idris Elba 56:00 Black British vs Black American Actors Debate 59:00 The Future of African Cinema & Ownership 01:02:00 Authenticity, Resources & Legacy in Storytelling 01:06:00 Convincing the Achebe Family & Shooting in Nigeria 01:10:00 Advice to His Son: Excellence vs Nepotism 01:11:30 Selma & Oscar Snub: Turning Pain into Purpose 01:14:30 Timeline Grief & Losing His Mother 01:19:00 Why He Makes Films for Legacy and Home 01:22:00 Reparations, Heritage & Black Brilliance 01:25:00 Favorite Food, Directors & Dream Projects 01:32:00 Who He Wants Next on the Afropolitan Podcast 01:33:30 Legacy, Faith & The Future of Black Cinema

Banke Kuku, founder and creative director of Banke Kuku Textiles, reveals how she built one of Africa’s most recognizable luxury fashion brands, worn by Gabrielle Union, Lupita Nyong’o, and Beyoncé, from her living room in Lagos to global runways. In this exclusive episode of the Afropolitan Podcast, Banke opens up about the brutal realities of building a “Made in Nigeria” brand, surviving COVID after investing every penny, and redefining African luxury for a global audience. She explains:  ◼️ How she pivoted overnight during COVID to save her entire business ◼️ Why she refused to move manufacturing abroad despite the challenges ◼️ The hard truth about funding, quality control, and integrity in African fashion ◼️ What investors actually look for when backing creative entrepreneurs ◼️ Why staying patient, purpose-driven, and ethical is her biggest competitive edge If you’re a designer, founder, or dreamer building something out of Africa, this episode will inspire you to create with courage, resilience, and authenticity. Follow Banke Kuku Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bankekuku/ Website: https://www.bankekuku.com Subscribe to Afropolitan Podcast For more unfiltered conversations with the world's most insightful Africans. Stay connected with Afropolitan: Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ Website: https://www.afropolitan.io Join the Network State: https://afropolitan.io/join 🔗 Join our community for exclusive updates: afropolitan.io/community Get email updates: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter This episode is sponsored by: VBan — The borderless banking app built for Africa’s digital workforce. Use the code AFROPOLITAN to sign up: https://vban.com Inverroche Gin — South Africa’s premium craft gin that fuses heritage botanicals with innovation. Discover more: https://www.inverroche.com Risevest — A digital wealth-manager connecting you to global, dollar-denominated investments in US stocks, real estate & fixed income. Use this link to sign up: https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan Convo by Afropolitan — Book 1-on-1 calls with Africa’s boldest thinkers. Visit https://convo.vip/ to connect with leaders like Tunde Onakoya, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Asa Asika, and more. Listen to more Afropolitan Podcast episodes YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Afropolitan Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YwRlkSOq8e35xU6bOp9pU Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/afropolitan/id1808954585 Hosted by Eche: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eemole/ Chika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chikauwazie/ Book 1:1 with Eche - https://convo.vip/echeemole Book 1:1 with Chika - https://convo.vip/chikauwazie CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:38 The Rise of Nigeria’s Fashion Industry & Creative Economy 02:20 From Home Interiors to Founding a Fashion Label 04:55 Launching Her Brand Right Before the Pandemic 06:50 How She Pivoted to E-Commerce Overnight 09:30 Selling Pajamas Online to Save the Business 11:00 Building a “Made in Nigeria” Luxury Brand 13:40 The Harsh Realities of Manufacturing in Africa 16:30 Balancing Global Quality Standards with Local Talent 18:50 Funding Her Fashion Startup Through GT Bank & Grants 21:00 Lessons on Integrity, Leadership & Hiring the Right Team 23:00 What Global Investors Look for in African Designers 25:45 How “Made in Nigeria” Became Her Global Advantage 27:30 Pricing, Perception & The African Luxury Dilemma 30:00 Behind the Gabrielle Union Collaboration 33:00 Is Nigerian Fashion Overpriced — or Undervalued? 34:45 The Banke Kuku Woman: Confidence, Class & Culture 37:30 Taking Nigerian Fashion to Global Markets 40:00 The Psychology of Patience, Faith & Growth 42:00 The Doha Partnership & Middle East Expansion 43:30 Moving From London to Lagos — Culture Shock & Adaptation 45:00 Inside Her New Collection “Savannah” & Its Story 47:20 The Future of Fashion Investment in Africa 49:45 Protecting African Craftsmanship, Culture & IP 51:00 Building Her New Luxury Flagship Store in Lagos 52:30 Customer Experience, Culture & Patience in Business 54:00 Her Favorite Signature Pieces & What They Represent 55:40 The Strangest Custom Requests From Clients 57:00 The Afropolitan Toast: Creativity, Legacy & Resilience 59:00 Rapid-Fire Questions + Closing Reflections