After the Nigerian Civil War ended in 1970, people were scrambling to rebuild their lives. Fortunately, I had left my village just three days after the war ended and came down to Onitsha, where God immediately started blessing me.
As I arrived in Onitsha in my father’s 404 saloon car, surveying the damage the war had caused, I was about to leave the market near the Fegge police station when some people approached me. They asked if I could take them to Enugu. I told them I hadn’t been outside Onitsha since the end of the war, but I would do it for 1 pound per person. They agreed, and eight of them jumped into my Peugeot 404. I made 8 pounds in one trip, and without hesitation, I drove them to Enugu.
At Ogbete in Enugu, another group asked if I was going back to Onitsha, and I collected another 8 pounds, making a total of 16 pounds. At that time, there were hardly any vehicles on the road, as people were still hiding in their villages. I was amazed at the amount of money I had made and decided to go back to my village in Adazi-Ani to inform my parents about what I had seen and experienced in Onitsha.
My parents were worried that I had left without telling them, and they even tried to punish me. However, once I explained what had happened, they calmed down. My mother was more concerned about my safety than the money I had made. I assured them that nothing would happen to me and that I would be returning to Onitsha early the next morning to start a new business.
The money I had made from the trips, I gave to my parents without keeping any for myself. From 6 am the next day, I was running back and forth between Onitsha and Enugu, making good money.
This continued, and by the time the Nigerian government announced they would pay each person 20 pounds, I noticed that the bank officials were not properly counting the money people were bringing in. I realized they might just give a flat rate to everyone, so I worked with my brothers to open 28 different accounts and collected the 20 naira per account.
With the money I had accumulated, I started trading and bought Volkswagen vans, which were popular in the 1970s. I would go to factories, looking for distributorship, and by 1971, 1972, and 1973, I had made enough money through both trading and transportation. From there, I started travelling to China, Japan, and Hong Kong to import goods, and my business kept growing, ultimately making me a millionaire by the age of 21.
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