If you’ve been following my articles, you know my passion is seeing us women not just make money, but keep it and grow it for ourselves and for our children. I don’t believe in some imported, one-size-fits-all financial advice. Our situation here in Naija is unique, and our strategies must be sharp and tailored to us.
Omo, this economy is something else, isn’t it? One minute, the price of fuel is up, the next, the Naira is doing the Macarena against the Dollar. It’s enough to give anyone a headache. I know you’re thinking about the money you’ve worked so incredibly hard for—the money from your business, your 9-to-5, your side hustle—and wondering how you can protect it from all these.
Today, I want to talk about a core principle for protecting your wealth. It’s a financial term called “hedging,” but forget the jargon. Let’s just call it our Financial Gen-Set Strategy. In Lagos, you can’t rely only on NEPA, right? You must have a generator, and maybe even an inverter or solar panels. When one fails, the other kicks in, and your life doesn’t come to a standstill. Hedging is applying that same common sense to your money. It’s about building a financial backup system so that when one investment is down, others hold you up.
Here are a few ways we can put this into practice:
1. The “Mama Gold” Diversification Strategy
You know that wise woman in the market who sells rice? She doesn’t just sell one type. She has Ofada, she has foreign rice, she has the local one, she has brown rice. She even sells beans and palm oil on the side. She knows that if the price of one thing goes down, or if it doesn’t sell well one week, she has other products to cover her. That is diversification. It’s our Nigerian mothers’ wisdom: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Instead of putting all your savings into just one thing, you spread it out. A bit in some solid Nigerian stocks, a piece of land in an up-and-coming area like Epe or Mowe, some money saved in Dollars or Euros to protect against Naira devaluation, and maybe even an investment in an Agric-tech platform. This way, you’re not over-exposed if one area takes a hit.
2. The Timeless Power of Real Estate
Let’s be honest, there’s a special kind of peace that comes with owning land or property. Real estate is one of the most reliable hedges against inflation in Nigeria. While the value of cash can be eroded, a well-located property tends to hold its own and often grows in value over time. Whether it’s a plot of land you fence and hold, or a small apartment that brings in steady rental income for school fees, property is a solid anchor for your wealth. You can even look into REITs on the stock market, which is like owning a tiny piece of a big shopping mall or office building without the landlord wahala.
3. The “Oga-Level” Investments
For those looking to add another layer of protection, you can explore what we call alternative investments. This sounds complicated, but it can be as simple as joining a trusted investment club that pools money to invest in a promising tech startup, or buying into a private business that isn’t listed on the stock market. These types of investments often do their own thing, regardless of what the mainstream stock market is doing. So, when the regular market is catching a cold, these investments might just be running a marathon.
Though times are tough, but we are tougher. Taking a proactive approach to protect what we’ve built isn’t about fear; it’s about wisdom. It’s how we ensure our legacy, and our children’s future, will flourish no matter the economic weather.
Was this helpful? I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions.
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