African(Nigerian) Football Legends Vow Not To Repeat This Mistake.

Many retired sports personalities who earned megabucks during their active days are today wallowing in financial crisis because they did not plan for the dry days. Many of them squandered their wealth on frivolous and extravagant lifestyles which led them to bankruptcy. However, we have quite a number of Nigerian athletes who are not only giants in the sporting arena but are now ruling the business turf. They emulated many international super stars such as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto, George Weah, Haile Gabrselaisse, Venus and Serena Williams and hosts of others who prepared for the rainy days. Drogba incorporated his company, Clubnote, some few years ago and they are into mining and hospitality business. Eto’s SET Mobile is one of the biggest telecommunication companies in Cameroon. Gabrselaisse is one of the biggest players in the construction company in Ethiopia while the William sisters are into fashion and interior decoration businesses.
Some Nigerian sports stars have towed similar line and have assured their future with shrewd investments they have made.
Austin Okocha
The former Bolton Wanderers is one of the finest players to have come out of Africa. He played in Germany and Turkey before a mega buck move to Paris Saint Germain of France after a scintillating performance at the France 1998 World Cup. His $17m move to the capital club was the biggest by an African player at the time. He made his mark on the football pitch and now he is ruling the business world. He incorporated his company even when he was still in active football. He is the chairman of Jay Jay Okocha Group West Africa Limited. It’s a conglomerate which is into property development, restaurant and bar, bureau de change, importation of goods such as cars and wine. The super star also has a security company. He is also into construction and sale and distribution of electronics. The former Qatari FC player’s conglomerate also has a company that deals with players’ management. Okocha has properties in choice areas of Lagos and Abuja.
Nwankwo Kanu
Kanu is a two-time African Footballer of the Year who has successful spells in England with Arsenal, West Brom and Portsmouth. He was also a huge success in Ajax and Inter Milan.
Kanu has become a successful businessman after he retired from football. Though he had started his investment spree during his playing days, he is fully involved in the running of those businesses now. Kanu has invested heavily in properties both in Nigeria and abroad. He is believed to have properties in highbrow areas in Lagos and Abuja. He also has a conglomerate which has several business concerns. Some of the companies owned by the Olympic gold medallist are The Hardley Suites ( a hospitality outfit in Lekki, Lagos), Replica Digital Studio, Pro G Management Ltd and Xcepshon Ltd (interiors & furniture).
He is also into production of bottled water. His estimated asset and cash according to an online magazine is in the region of N18 billion.
Mikel Obi
Mikel was with Chelsea for 10 years where he earned £80,000 (N20 million) every week, excluding bonuses and income from participating in the UEFA Champions League.
He is said to be the owner of a national transport company with a fleet of over 100 buses, each costing N5 million. Within the last six years, the transport company has raked in over N200 million in profits according to reports.
The 31year-old central midfielder also owns a mansion in Jos and London, both are valued at about N700 million. Mikel has shares in major oil companies in Nigeria.
Obafemi Martins
Although financial experts said that acquisition of cars cannot be regarded as investment, the Seattle Sounders striker is notable as a big lover of flashy automobiles and has them aplenty but he still invests a portion of his money in real estate and hospitality business.
He has mansions in Italy and Nigeria but his money-spinning hotel in Como, Italy, is regarded as one of the best in that modest city.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni
The Yak enjoyed a successful club career with stints in Israel, England, China and Qatar. The former Everton striker is one of the few players who have wisely invested their money. Apart from investment in real estate including mansions in England and Nigeria, the player is also into hotel business in his native Benin City. He has also diversified into oil business as he owns a list of petrol stations also in Benin City. His younger brother used to oversee his business concerns on his behalf but the former striker has taken full charge since he retired.
Austin Ejide
The former Super Eagles goalie has played in Bastia of France and has been in Israel for more than eight years. He might not make as much money as the likes of Martins, Aiyegbeni, Okocha but he has been able to make some investment to guarantee his future. He has big investment in Real Estate with greater part of it at the Victoria Garden City, Lagos, where he built his palatial home. He jointly owns a football academy with John Utaka in Lagos.
Joseph Yobo
Yobo played for Marseille in France, Everton of England and Fernabahce of Turkey and he could be described as one of the richest Nigerian players of his generation. The former Eagles captain has large chunk of his investment in real estate. He has properties in many parts of the country including Abuja and Port Harcourt. He also has houses in Lekki Phase 1 and 2 in highbrow areas of Lagos and he opened another one at NICON Estate also on the Lagos Island. Yobo has also acquired properties in Central London and Liverpool City in England.
He has also invested in football academy in the Ogoni region of River State and in Lagos. Reports also suggested that he was set to go in to full time players’ management.
Mary Onyali
Athletics is not highly money spinning and many of the practitioners really did not make as much as their counterparts in football, basketball and even boxing but Onyali who attended five Olympic Games still managed to save for her future as she moved into production of sports wears shortly after her retirement. The former Special Adviser to the Director General of the National Sports Commission has a company that produces Yali Yali, a sports line that competes at the lower level of sport wears market.
Julius Aghahowa
Unconfirmed reports have it that after Austin Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, Aghahowa is another player who raked in millions of dollars in his playing days. He is also a big time investor in real estate. He is a proud owner of two houses in London, 18 block of flats at Lekki, all rented by oil companies, four plots of land at VGC, a twin duplex plus with another duplex where he lives.
John Utaka
Apart from houses in Lagos and France, former Super Eagles forward has majority of his wealth concentrated in Enugu and he jointly owns a football academy with Austin Ejide.
The former Lens and Lille of France striker has also gone into acting and he has said he was ready to make huge investment in film making.

Friends invest your money wisely.
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