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| Image: IG |
Dino Melaye has given an account of how he began building his financial life long before he became involved in Nigerian politics, saying one of his earliest investments was a goat he bought at the age of 12.
The former Kogi West senator said the goat became a source of income for his education. Rather than simply keeping it, he allowed it to reproduce and sold the offspring whenever he needed money for school-related expenses.
According to Melaye, the proceeds from the animals eventually covered his education through secondary school and into his university years.
He said;
“When I was 12, I bought a goat, and this goat would give birth, and I would sell its offspring to pay my school fees in secondary school. From the offspring of that goat, I paid for my WAEC, JAMB, and my first and second years at Ahmadu Bello University. My school fees were paid through that investment. At 18, I was already investing internationally, though not on a large scale. You don’t need to have all the money on earth to start investing.”
Melaye shared the story while discussing his financial background and responding to questions about how he accumulated his wealth.
He dismissed the suggestion that his lifestyle was financed through public funds, pointing out that he did not build his wealth through government contracts. He also said he has never been invited by the country’s major anti-corruption agencies over the handling of government money.
He stated:
“If my wealth were ill-gotten, if I had stolen government money, I would not be criticising the government, because they would have long come after me. I’ve never been invited by the EFCC, the ICPC, or any of the anti-corruption agencies in this country, because I’ve never handled government contracts, whether at the federal or state level.”
Melaye said his interest in investing did not stop with the small business he started as a child. By the time he was 18, he had begun looking beyond Nigeria and putting money into international investments.
He later expanded into different areas, including Eurobonds, company shares, franchises and real estate. He mentioned global companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Uber and Zoom among the investments he has held.
He also pointed to his experience with Zoom during the COVID-19 period as an example of how investment decisions can produce significant returns.
“Then Covid came, and Zoom’s value multiplied 400 times over. So, ask God for direction. When I started investing in franchise businesses in America, over 20 years ago, I started with one. One gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, three gave birth to four.”, he said.
For Melaye, the story is less about the amount of money he had when he started and more about beginning with whatever was available.
He said his business interests have grown considerably over the years. What began with small investments has, according to him, developed into a portfolio spread across different countries and industries.
He said his involvement in property has also moved beyond simply owning apartments in Dubai, as he now participates directly in property development.
“Today, I don’t just have a portfolio of apartments in Dubai; I am a developer. I am building. So you must be tenacious in life.”
Melaye left public office in 2019. In reflecting on his financial journey, he maintained that investing does not necessarily require having a large amount of money at the beginning, but rather the willingness to start, build gradually and remain committed to the process.
#DinoMelaye
#Investment
#PersonalFinance
#Nigeria
#Entrepreneurship
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