08/27/2025
"You cannot be taller than me and shorter than me at the same time."
This African proverb changed how I see everything about investing in our continent.
Just had one of the most profound conversations on the Afropolitan Podcast with Okey Enelamah - the man who delivered a 44x return on MTN when every Western model said it was impossible.
His journey is wild:
✓ Walked away from 10 years of medical training
✓ Convinced Rockefeller's family office to invest in Africa
✓ Bet $285M on Nigerian telecoms when others stopped at $250M
✓ Built African Capital Alliance from $35M to $1.2B
✓ Served as Nigeria's Minister of Trade & Investment
But what really got me was his integrity. A minister once tried to bribe him for a license that would've been approved anyway. He refused.
"When I came to government, God told me: If you need anything, ask Me. Don't ask them."
27 years building world-class African businesses. Zero compromises.
This conversation is for:
- Every African professional told "it won't work here"
- Every entrepreneur choosing between ethics and eating
- Every diaspora member wanting to invest back home
- Everyone who believes Africa deserves patient capital, not quick extraction
The models said 400,000 subscribers max. MTN hit 12 million.
Maybe it's time we stop measuring Africa with someone else's ruler.
What "impossible" thing are you building? Let me know in the comments.
