When people ask you what you do, what do you tell them?

I work as a freelance marketer

What does financial wealth mean to you?

To have enough money so that I can always live the way I want

When did you start investing?

I started in February 2021, I have a real estate investment in Nigeria, but I had a clause, I could not always cash in or cash out the way I wanted. so instead of me putting all I had in the real estate, I started doing my research on things or places I could invest in. I came across Money Africa which introduced me to Risevest.

You’re a member of the Telegram group, what has been your experience with that so far?

The telegram group is good. I get to learn from them, especially the Sunday school, it is a very good one. Sometimes I miss it but I get a replay and listen to it. There were some things I haven’t heard or did not know but I got to know about it on the telegram group.

How do you approach investment today?

I check my app every morning, I have a fixed income and real estate plan. I check every day to see where my investment is, I am trying to understand how it works.  As I said, I started in February and started following it every day to understand how it works. I have even checked this morning and I saw that it has been updated for today.

What is the investing hill you are willing to die on?

Well, I don’t do get-rich-quick schemes, I don’t do that. I believe in slow and steady. I know that there are no businesses where you can cash out that quickly. It has to get better, steady, grow with time and I realize that Risevest is doing that.  I am kind of relaxed, even when I heard the news, that same day CBN released the news, I still invested like 700 dollars.

Yes, I was going to ask about how you felt when you heard the news

After depositing the money, normally I get it instantly, but when it was taking 5-10 minutes, I was like what is happening with Rise. So I checked the app, I went to the telegram group also, that was where I saw the message from CBN. Although I did not really panic, I asked myself what may be happening, so I read the news and was like oh, this is it.

Eke did something beautiful, by reacting immediately. So if I had not seen that reaction, I might be asking too many questions, but I saw the reaction to the news and I was like it is nothing serious. It was Eke’s reaction that put my mind to rest.  People that knew that I invested with Rise started sending me the link and I was like all is well by forwarding Eke’s email to them that all is well.

What has been your biggest gain since you started investing?

Yes, I have been able to have some cash, that if anything happens, I know I have some cash somewhere. Although the kind of job that I do is freelance, and we don’t get money like that every now and then but in this case. It is not like people that are working that has pension somewhere

Do you know that Risevest has a Goal-based plan to deal with things like Pension?

Yes, I am aware of that, but I did not want something that long, my plan is to invest for a year, and I know that I am not going to cash out after one year. I know that I am still going to invest for it to keep growing

Have you ever lost money since you started investing?

Not really, and the reason I said that is because in 2006, I got Dangote flour stock,  and last year they paid us off. Even if I bought those shares in 2006 for ₦9000, when they were going to pay me off, I was paid ₦21,600. If I have had that ₦9000 in dollars in 2006, without it working for me and last year I want to get the money in naira, I know that I won’t be getting ₦21600.  I know that is a loss for me, but someone will say it’s just ₦9000 you invested, and you are getting ₦21600. So you have made money but to me, I have not made any money. 

This is such a way to look at it

Yeah, I mean in 2006, 1 dollar was about 120 naira, today it is 520. If you divide ₦9000 divided by ₦120 that is $75, I got 21,600, if you divide that by ₦520, that is $42, so I lost about $33.

What is the hardest investment decision you have had to make since you started investing?

For me to put such money I have in Risevest. I think I am taking a very big risk. Sometimes I even call my manager on Money Africa, asking him if he’s sure this thing is right because I am putting all my life in Rise.  He kept saying that I should continue. So, I said okay and I have been doing that. He advised me to put in about ₦200,000 per month, but I see myself doing ₦600,000 -800,000 with Rise per month so that is it.

What’s Your dream investment?

I want to invest because I want to multiply my cash, I want to be financially free and all. That is it.

How do you feel about your investment position today?

It is good, it is not long I started, and I knew what I was going into. I know how slow fixed income can be, the only one I know that would give me hypertension, which is stocks I did not go into.  Although I know I can cash out on it, I am not in a rush.

So, what will you tell a beginner about investment?

I have referred 5 people to Risevest. What I do first is to educate them on inflation and devaluation, after educating them I tell them the only way to save ourselves from it is by investing. This investment itself is a risk, so what do you do? How do you reduce your risk? It is to go slow and steady and they have to do it in dollars because it is worth it in naira. It is not something to think about, there are so many apps doing the dollars investment but if you want to know the one that I am doing no problem. The one I use is Risevest. I think that is how it works, that is how I talk to beginners about investment. I tell them how Risevest works and that I don’t know how others work because I am not using others. 

Haha, wow, I am sold already.

Lol, that’s what I do. I tell them how Risevest works and that I don’t know how others work.

How likely are you going to recommend Risevest to new users?

Risevest is the only one I am using and when you are talking to people you must be practical about it. This is what I have tried, and it is working for me, although there are others, this is the one I am using, and it is working for me, and I am still using it. So, 99% of the time, people will want to do that thing you are doing because it is working for you.

Thank you very much for speaking with us.