A Nigerian man named Anthony is sharing his biggest financial regret while planning to japa – losing almost all his money when the stock market crashed in 2007-2008.
Speaking in a street interview, Anthony explained how he invested ₦400,000 in the Nigerian Stock Exchange while still in secondary school, hoping to build a better future for himself.
At first, things looked promising – his investment grew to nearly ₦500,000.
Then the global financial crisis hit. When Anthony checked his portfolio around 2007-2008, his ₦400,000 investment had collapsed to just ₦30,000.
“I thought investing would make my life meaningful,” Anthony said. “The loss was so devastating that I couldn’t even afford to relocate to South Africa, even though I had a visa.”
He invested through a company called Vision Trust, which later became Harmony.
While his shares have recovered somewhat over the years, the financial blow completely changed his life’s trajectory.
Anthony’s biggest regret? Ignoring advice to buy land instead. Back then, plots were selling for around ₦50,000 – what now seems like an incredible bargain.
“Someone told me to buy land for ₦50,000, but I refused. If I had invested in property then, I could have been a millionaire today,” he reflected. “That’s why I can’t encourage anyone to buy shares again.”
