Clinton Anthon

Whenever students are advised to go for a first class, someone in +234 will creep in to derail the conversation by playing the "get connections" card. Lol. Let's talk about that. There is a major confusion down here about what connection functionally means. So many think it is just exchanging business cards or being in another person's space. To them, a functional connection is someone who knows you. Nope. A connection is someone who can stake their reputation to recommend you, clear obstacles, and open doors for you. In my experience, even in school, first-class students have typically been on the receiving end of such favors, and it is not coincidental. In 2022, I sat for an International Economics exam. Our lectures had been online, so our professor, who was also the new HOD, did not know our faces. That day, however, he decided to invigilate. When the exam time was up, we were to submit our booklets and sign against our names. I stood up, submitted mine, signed against my name, and thought that was it, until I heard him say in a slightly raised tone, but with an impressed smile, "So, you're the Jameswilliams that I have been looking for?" Now, I was a bit confused. It was then that he said I should meet him in his office. I did. That was when he shared that he was preparing to recommend his best students for top internship opportunities. But he needed to do that on merit. So he requested the CGPAs of all the students in the department and said, "James, yours was the highest." No sooner had he landed than he told me to send him my CV as soon as possible so that he could recommend me for an internship at the Development Bank of Nigeria. That was it. Oh, do not get it twisted. Merit was not a favor. It is reputation preservation. His social currency was on the line and would have suffered if he had recommended a student who would mess up his image and that of the department and university. That is the real temperature of connections. It is risky. And that understanding is particularly important for those of us not born into families of wealth and connectedness. It is your value, real and perceived, that makes a connection see recommending you for opportunities as more of an asset to them than a risk. The moment you understand this, the easier it will be for you not to neglect your pursuit of excellence and demonstration of it in the pursuit of connection. I was on one of my tours of Nigerian universities when I got a surprise phone call from my dean. He wanted me to strongly consider a lecturing path at the university. During the NESA elections, some of my lecturers told me to contest for the presidency seat. When I declined because I had my leadership resumé sorted, given my work with the 5.0 GPA Nation, plus the fact that one of my friends was running, I was somehow still unanimously appointed by my department lecturers to be the Academic Director of the department. I have not even talked about how my professors and lecturers, on the backdrop of demonstrated excellence, made me know that, should I need a recommendation letter, they would be there. I cashed in on that for the Cambridge admission. Oh, and this is not just my story. It is the story of several top students I know. I have a student in the community who started with a second-class GPA but has since gone on to transform her story. Upon hitting 5.0 the fifth time, without her asking, she was sent by her professors to represent her university at a high-profile conference, all expenses paid. Excellence reduces the risk. The message is simple: Connections work when your excellence is shown. Do not drop the latter in your pursuit of the former.

Germany didn’t become an industrial powerhouse by sending everyone to university. They built something smarter. It’s called Ausbildung, a structured apprenticeship system where young people earn while they learn inside real companies. A 17-year-old in Germany can train to become: • a mechatronics engineer • an industrial technician • an automotive systems expert • a precision machinist • a medical equipment technician They are paid during training. They graduate with globally respected skills. And many of them end up earning more than university graduates. Over 50% of German youth pass through this system. Now look at Nigeria. We push everyone into universities. Millions graduate every year. But the country is still importing basic technical expertise. We have degrees but we don’t have enough skills. This is why we are studying the German Ausbildung model closely to implement in the South East. Because the South East must lead Africa’s skills revolution. Imagine a structured apprenticeship system across Aba, Nnewi, Onitsha, Enugu and beyond where young people can train to become: • industrial fabricators • automotive engineers • robotics technicians • electronics specialists • renewable energy installers • precision manufacturing experts Training will happen inside real companies. With structured certification, modern tools and clear career paths. Not the informal “Igba Boy” system, but a world-class apprenticeship ecosystem. The South East already has the largest concentration of indigenous manufacturers and traders in Africa. What we need now is structure, technology, and certification. If Germany can power Europe’s manufacturing through apprenticeships, there is no reason the South East cannot power Africa’s industrial future. The next generation of millionaires in Africa will not only be software founders. Many will be master craftsmen, engineers, and industrial builders. And when Africa finally fixes its skills crisis, history may remember that the revolution started in the South East.

Instead of building state airports that act like museums, mass transportation network would have helped the 🇳🇬 populace

History of settlement cycles in the 🇳🇬 capital market: ⬅️ 1966 — T+14 📍 1996 — T+7 📍 2000 — T+3 📍 2025 — T+2 📍 2026 — T+1 T+1 settlement goes live on May 29, 2026 across the Nigerian capital market.

Sterling Bank will be giving us N60 million for prizes only towards 2027 South East Maths Olympiad. This is now by far the biggest academic event in the country. We are projecting to have up to 100k students in participation for 2027 and we will also remain transparent in every step. Senior category winner takes N10 million Junior category winner takes N5 million Primary category winner takes N3 million Teachers in each category takes N3 million Schools for each winner takes N5 million Every student that qualifies for round of 45 gets N100k Second position gets N1 million Thirst position gets N500k The winners will represent us in 2027 International STEM Olympiad finals and also 2027 German Maths Olympiad Grand Finale. Participation is FREE for every child who lives or schools in the South East regardless of your nationality or tribe. We are on track to build the greatest workforce from Africa and we will make education highly rewarding and exciting like never seen before.

Take any job before you find your dream job. Pride won’t put food in your stomach.

Acceptance doesn't mean you have to like what is happening, but it stops the double suffering, the pain of the situation itself, plus the internal stress of wishing it weren't so. When you stop fighting the facts, you finally have the energy to actually deal with them.

It becomes pain when you deny reality There’s a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from trying to hold up a version of the world that doesn't actually exist. It’s like trying to hold back the tide with a broom. In d end, the water wins, and you’re just left tired and wet.

Good News: A major bank just confirmed that they will be committing N60 million for prices for the South East Maths Olympiad 2027. We will make a formal announcement later. This is the largest academic event in the country and 2027 competition will be very intense. Education is now going to be the most exciting thing ever and we will build a workforce that will lead Africa to greatness.

Current Status 1. Government earns N100 2. Government spends N200 3. Government borrows N100 4. Debt servicing rises to N50 Government's proposed fix 5. Increase taxes by N200 6. Government earns N300 7. Government spends N500 8. Government borrows N200 9. Debt service rises to N150 Common-sense fix 10. Government implements austerity budget 11. Government earns N500 12. Government spends N200 13. Reduce borrowing 14. No deficit Is it easy to reduce spending from N500 to N200? No. If it were easy, it would have been done already. It will be painful and requires discipline. How? 15. Implement Oronsaye report 16. Introduce zero-based budgeting 17. Freeze all new CAPEX; complete existing projects 18. Sell assets to reduce debt 19. Grow the economy (growth services debt) 20. Diversify the economy's earning base

Someone earns a first-class. “Oh, it’s a private university. Come to a public university.” Someone earns a first-class in a public university. “Oh, it’s UNIZIK. Come to ABU.” Someone earns a first-class in ABU. “Oh, it’s in Economics. Come to my department, Mass Communication.” Someone earns a first-class in Mass Communication at ABU. “Oh, Chale, some will make it in school, some will make it in life.” 😂 Someone makes it in both school and life. “You’re not the first person to.” The sooner you understand that the goalpost shifting is not about you, but about soothing themselves and finding covers for their choices to settle for less, the faster you will learn never to take these mediocrity evangelists seriously. Let them keep making excuses. You keep making your As, wherever you find yourself. Excellence is the identity that best defines you. Do not let any random mediocrity merchant make you feel any less for making a great choice. Do not give them that win. @kamanya_thinks

There is nothing new in economics or finance. It's just how it's said. It's made to sound sophisticated so you can be charged a fee. IPO = Sell shares for first time Bond = borrow Leverage = borrow Short = sell Long = buy Quantitative Easing = Central Bank buying Stimulus = spend Equities = own a part of T-Bills = borrow short term Fixed Deposit = lend to bank Commercial Paper = lend to non-bank Securitize = issue IOU

I once helped someone apply for a job I really wanted. We both went for the interview. They got it. I didn’t. I won’t lie — it hurt. But months later, that same person called me and said, “They’re opening another position. I recommended you.” This time, I got the job. What felt like a loss… was planting a seed. Never regret helping someone grow. Have you ever lost something that later made sense? 💛

What Nigeria copied from the American democracy 1. Executive President 2. Vice President 3, Senators and congressmen 4. First lady 5. Ministers 6. Presidential immunity 7. Presidential airfleet What Nigeria didn't copy from the American democracy 8. Fiscal federalism 9. Elected police chiefs 10. Rule of law 11. Elected Attorney General 12. State and Local police 13. State Supreme Courts 14. State registration of companies

@olumidecapital Bad move

Some investors used borrowed money from 🇳🇬 banks in 2008/9 to buy more shares, using the equities themselves as collateral. It ended ugly

Imagine if the 5 South East governors stopped acting like separate states and started acting like ONE economic force. Interconnecting roads across Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Ebonyi. Street lights across major corridors. One unified rail system moving people and goods seamlessly. Digitally interconnected security eliminating crime before it happens. A coordinated education system producing the most skilled young people in Africa. A shared healthcare infrastructure so nobody dies because of state boundaries. The South East is only small on the map. It is not small in capacity. If we act as one region, we will become the most prosperous region in Africa within a decade. Investors will not ask “which state?” They will ask “how do we enter the South East?” Prosperity is no longer about oil. It is about coordination, infrastructure, and vision. The real question is this: Do we have governors… or do we have leaders?

@RealQueenBee__ @NASA Congratulations to you 🎉

When I first mentioned that I was NASA-trained and worked for @NASA until 2025, the children of perdition were saying that only Americans can work at NASA. Just for the record, before I left in 2025, there were four people of Nigerian descent at NASA. I enjoyed every moment I spent in and out of the Space Station @Space_Station At my young age, I've achieved what I never imagined I could in my lifetime, thanks to my family, The Scarlett's, for opening the doors and Cambridge University @Cambridge_Uni for preparing me.

Whenever people ask why doctors are leaving the country in droves, show them this picture. You spend 10 years saving lives, missing sleep, only to be paid peanuts and ridiculed by the society you're trying to save. The disrespect for healthcare workers in this country is too much. Doctors are humans with families, bills, and ambitions too. You cannot save others if the system is actively drowning you. It really cannot continue like this.

Quick one: it doesn’t matter whether a company does an all-time high. I get the angle, but it shouldn’t bother you. The question is, “are the profits also doing all-time highs?” If the direction of profit and cash flows are consistent with market value, it shouldn’t worry an investor. Beta Glass for instance, moved from ₦60 to ₦86 to ₦100 to ₦400. All between 2020 to 2026. Profits also moved from ₦5bn to ₦33bn within the same period. And at ₦400 per share, it may even be cheaper than it was in 2020. Nestlé at ₦2.6k per share today (an all-time high) is cheaper than Nestlé at ₦1,450 per share in 2021.

@rukky_nate @JoshOfWarri Trove investment app charges are lower and their customer service is satisfying.

@JoshOfWarri That’s why I use Bamboo, their charges are low but they have the worst customer support you ever encounter

Financial advice you didn’t ask for, but will share anyway: For daily expenses: Use Opay or Moniepoint For interest savings: Use Piggyvest or FairMoney For investment: Use United Capital or Cowrywise For stocks: Use Bamboo or Afrinvestor 2.0 For crypto: Use Binance or Trust Wallet For USD investment: Use Risevest or Bamboo For Oblee: Please press 5