At 19, many young people receive advice, sometimes rebuke, but rarely a real financial boost. Still for Nigerian singer and entrepreneur Mr. Eazi, his story could have been different without an extraordinary gesture from his uncle.
His uncle, a doctor by profession, believed in him so much that he loaned him 19 million naira (close to $40,000 at the time) to start a diesel company. Imagine: entrusting such an amount to a 19 year old, without guarantee, just out of confidence!
Adventure begins with a head full of dreams. Eazi was supposed to supply fuel to MTN, a telecommunication giant. But fate intervened: diesel prices collapsed, deadlines piled up, and at the moment it could finally deliver... MTN is no longer interested. Result: he had to resell his stock at a loss.
When? Out of 19 million naira, he only recovered 10. Cooking fail for a young man his age.
But that's where the beauty of the story lies. Rather than bashing him or demanding his money immediately, his uncle told him a phrase that still echoes: "Go work harder." Use that remaining 10 million, invest in something else and refund me when you are ready. »
This gesture was much more than a loan: it was a life lesson. Proof that believing in someone can change your course.
Today, M. Eazi is a world star, a successful entrepreneur, but he never forgets that outstretched hand. Because sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you when everyone else doubts, to make your destiny turn around.
At 19, some uncles are just reminding "you have to fight harder". His, he, chose to give him the means to learn, to fail, and to be reborn.
Lesson for all of us: failure is never the end. It's a step, an accelerated training towards success.
May each of us find an "uncle" in our lives or become that uncle who dares to invest in other people's dreams.
And you, if you were entrusted with 19 million today, what would you invest in?
