Written by Uchendu Ezinwa Uchendu

Let’s do an experiment to calculate how broke you are.
Let’s say somebody asked you for 5k.
How much should you give the person ideally?

If you earn an above poverty salary of 100k a month
(using NGN600 = $1, and $2 a day poverty limit, that’s NGN37,200 a month…100k is more than twice that),
5k is 5% of your salary.

To put this in context, Dangote’s 2021 income is about $1.4 billion
(2022 net worth for Dangote is $14 billion and based on how Forbes calculates, this is a conservative estimate)

Using CBN exchange rate of 416.08, this means Dangote earned NGN582.5 billion in 2021. This comes to NGN48.5 billion a month.
5% of this amount is NGN2.4 billion.

Do you imagine Dangote giving this amount of money to the person that asked you for that 5k?
Just understand the numbers when you just dash money anyhow.
Reason the matter well. Calculate properly.
Use that money properly.
That 5k is 2.4billion to Dangote.
It is your sweat and blood.

The money you earn in your youth should be used to plant trees that can give you shade in your old age. It is not for dashing people anyhow.

I remember a quote book that was written at least 100 years ago, titled, “The Magic Story”.
Here’s the quote:
“_Fortune is ever elusive, and can only be retained by force. Deal with her tenderly and she will forsake you for a stronger man._”
My mum told me something when I was 14: “Anaghi eji anya oma eme ya”. Ask your Igbo friends to translate.

If you need to help, help people.
But do it after you have already put money aside to build the tree that will give you shade in your old age.
Then, manage the rest carefully…so that you don’t go back to take “small” out of it…so that you can meet up.
Money can only be retained with force.
Be wise.

https://facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10228546659310142&id=1193235371

I just had to share this brilliant eye-opening piece written by my friend. Wow!