“Money Lessons From…” is a monthly PiggyVest series that aims to review Nigerian media through a financial lens and glean relevant money lessons from them.
Earlier this month, the sequel to Kunle Afolayan’s 2022 film, Anikulapo, dropped on Netflix. While the thrill factor of the 6-episode miniseries paled in comparison to the original, it still held its own appeal: a brilliant ensemble cast (was anyone else severely impressed by Bashorun?), and great cinematography.
Beyond the plot and the acting, Anikulapo offers many unique perspectives on wealth and how to grow it. As PiggyVest is more interested in helping you build better saving habits and improve your relationship with money, we’ve decided to dissect some striking money lessons we culled from the show.
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
A pouch of infinite wealth
Imagine you’re Olori Arolake: you’re catching your ZZZs (probably not in the evil forest) and suddenly start dreaming of a bunch of eerie characters handing you a suspicious-looking pouch, no words exchanged. First, that’s the kind of dream your mother warned you about — the sort of dream you wake up from and fall straight to your knees to cast and bind. But let’s say you have coconut head and accept it, then later discover the pouch contains a trust fund from the underworld. What next?Anikulapo
Not to say too much, but there will be signs. And by signs, I mean I personally might just purchase one small island and fall off the face of the earth for good. But that’s just me. Don’t be like me.
Money Lessons From ‘All’s Fair In Love’
What is the proper first thing to do when you come into an unexpected windfall?
What would you do if you found out your wealthy grandparent left you a life-changing trust fund, or more realistically, your rich aunty abroad bequeaths you a juicy sum? What if you suddenly won the lottery or ran into AsherKine, and he handed you a wad of cash? How would you spend your money?
If the top two things on your list aren’t saving and investing first, I’m side-eyeing you through slitted eyes. You should set aside a considerable percentage of that money for the future: adding to your emergency fund, creating a Safelock, saving for your rent on HouseMoney™, or buying vetted Investify investments. Afterwards, you can spend the extra on necessities, black tax, and a little bit of enjoyment.
Life-threatening loans
Arolake starts a new life in a new town with her new boo, Akin, by her side. And Olori Arolake, the benevolent queen, begins to give out loans to needy villagers. Sometimes, she doesn’t care enough to collect these debts.
Soon, the villagers observe that after accepting Arolake’s money, their lives become plagued with misfortune. Doesn’t this remind you of Nigerian loan apps?
How to avoid the trap of predatory loan apps
If you’ve never been a victim of the viciousness of some of these loan apps, just thank your stars. Many Nigerians have felt pressured to borrow from these apps as a last resort. But unless you’re an adrenaline junkie, why would you collect a loan at 50% interest? Knowing these platforms take no prisoners when it’s time to collect their money, why borrow from them if you don’t enjoy running for your life?
In a bid to repay these loans, some people download new apps or take more loans to offset the previous debts, inadvertently sinking further into the hellhole that is their debt. But you can avoid loan-app-induced PTSD by prioritising growing your emergency fund (three to six months of income), getting a good HMO plan (to take care of medical emergencies), and asking family or friends for help first.
Money Lessons From Áfàméfùnà: An Nwa Boi Story
An endless supply of palm wine
On his side of the world, Saro rises from the dead with a mandate to guide the souls of all the people he raised from the dead back to the afterlife. Or he would never rest in peace. Then, Saro, being Saro, abandons his mission to continue living among humans.
But before making this decision, Saro has already taken three lives, causing his second chance at life to come with a ghost trio tethered to him. In an inexplicable turn of events, instead of hounding the fraud to guide them to heaven, the ghosts permit Saro to spend three years as a human, while they roam in waiting. Like that wasn’t enough generosity, they bestow upon him an endless supply of tasty palm wine, which he uses to set up a business and live a decent lifestyle.
Don’t ask me the rationale behind all this. Instead, let’s talk about optimising resources for your business. Saro got so carried away by the limitless supply of wine, that he didn’t realise three years had passed until he went to check on his palm wine source one morning and found it drier than the Sahara.
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How to optimise your business for success
You can’t afford to get carried away as a small business owner, especially when you’re on top of your game and have built a loyal customer base. This is the time to put systems in place and optimise your resources to ensure the longevity of your business.
Unlike Saro who had a 3-year deadline, you have all the time in the world to make your small business into a roaring success. Take the time to invest in excellent customer service, get a handle on your finances, and collaborate with other brands to increase the visibility of your brand. Remember to stay on top of the trends in your industry, work out a feasible marketing strategy while leveraging technology and the internet, and maintain the quality of your products and services.
Sudden business competition
It must’ve sucked to be Karounwi, the only palm wine tapper in Ilu Aje, to come back from the forest after a long day of climbing to the top of the highest palm trees to source quality wines for his customers, only to meet the disloyal bunch in Saro’s new establishment, gorging themselves on his sweet, sweet wine.
What betrayal.
The scorned businessman then sent his only daughter to spy on Saro. Great plan, right? Nope. Of course, in classic Saro style, he stole her heart and impregnated her. Another loss for Karounwi.
What’s the best way to handle competition in business?
Karounwi’s mistake was giving up so easily. The arrival of a new, thriving business into your industry is not an invitation to throw in the towel. Competition will always exist in business; businesses can also learn from one another and adopt new trends, technologies, and strategies just by observing others in action.
You must find ways to pivot and innovate instead. Give the audience something new to look forward to by figuring out your unique selling point and making that your shtick. Most times, you only need to stay in your lane and everything will work out just fine.
