“I Created Banana Island In Lagos, Made My Money From Farming, And I’m One Of The Biggest Farmers In Nigeria” — Billionaire Terry Waya
Nigerian businessman and socialite, Terry Waya, father of former BBNaija star Kiddwaya, has revealed that he became a billionaire about 20 years ago through farming, investments and networking.
Waya disclosed this during an interview with James Dumoulin of School of Hard Knocks, where he claimed that the highest amount he made in a single year was around $200 million.
When asked how old he was when he became a millionaire, he replied, “No, I’m not a millionaire. I’m a billionaire.”
Asked about his business, he said, “I’m one of the biggest farmers in Nigeria,” adding, “Very, very serious farmer.”
On how he would rebuild his wealth if he lost everything, he said, “Of course. What would you do? I have the formula, I won’t give you.”
He later revealed, “My secret is investment in people. So tomorrow if I get up and I happen to need anything, it’s just a phone call away. I have enough contacts.”
Waya also claimed he helped create Banana Island through his military connections, saying, “I was the one that created that Banana Island using my military contacts. Today, the richest people in Nigeria live there.”
Explaining why Nigeria has many billionaires, he said, “Because Nigerians are very, very smart. Nigerians like to copy and any copy is always better than the original.”
On negotiation, he advised against desperation, stating, “A desperate man will always make mistakes. You can’t be desperate. No. No. No. I hate desperation. I’m calm. Go in as if you’re not interested. And then you have the leverage.”
Giving advice to younger people, he said, “No matter how far you have gone, don’t forget the road that is taking you there, because you might need that road to go back to where you’re coming from.”
He added, “If you lose your family trying to be rich, when you get rich, you may not have them back, they are gone, you just pray that you don’t lose too much in trying to be successful.”
