[STORY] How to get rich in your 20s

I still remember the smell of burnt generator fumes the day I decided to start investing.

It was a Tuesday, and PHCN had done their usual disappearing act.

My phone was at 12%, and I had just watched one of those “How to get rich in your 20s” YouTube videos where a white guy in a hoodie said, “Invest in gold, stocks, and ETFs now — or stay broke forever.”

I stared at my account balance: ₦3.2 million. My life savings. My “don’t touch it or you’ll cry” fund.

But somehow… I clicked “Create Portfolio.”

(Lagos evening. My room lit only by my laptop screen. Generator humming in the background.)

I whispered to myself, “If I invest in gold, at least my money is safe, abi?”

I searched “best gold investments in Nigeria”. The first ad that popped up screamed:

“Guaranteed 25% returns in 3 months!”

That should’ve been my first red flag. But I thought, “Jeff Bezos started somewhere too.”

I wired ₦1 million. The company even sent me a certificate that looked like something printed in a cybercafé. My chest swelled with pride. I took a selfie and posted on X (Twitter):

“Just diversified my portfolio. Gold, stocks, and ETFs, baby #InvestingGoals”

The likes rolled in. My dopamine rose. I felt like Warren Buffett in joggers.

The next morning, I joined an investing Telegram group full of Gen Z traders typing like they were on caffeine.

“$TSLA to the moon!” one guy said.

“Buy the dip, bro!” another shouted (in text).

I downloaded a trading app, bought random stocks, and watched charts move like an ECG machine. It was thrilling.

At lunch, my friend Kemi asked, “So what’s your investing strategy?”

I replied, confidently: “Strategy? I just follow vibes and graphs.”

She burst out laughing. “You’re going to learn the hard way, my friend.”

I waved her off. “Relax, I’m also investing in ETFs — you know, diversified portfolios and all that.”

She squinted. “You even know what ETF means?”

I blinked. “Erm… Easy To Finance?”

She nearly choked on her shawarma.

Two weeks later, I was in a bar on Victoria Island watching Man City vs Chelsea when my phone buzzed.

“URGENT: Gold investment platform temporarily unavailable.”

I froze. I refreshed the page. Nothing.

Then another message came: “We are currently restructuring our investment strategy.”

Translation? They’ve vanished.

My ₦1 million was gone.

I dropped my drink and whispered, “God, please… just turn this into a dream.”

My guy Tolu noticed. “What happened?”

I said quietly, “My gold investment just evaporated.”

He laughed so hard he spilled his beer. “You mean the same ‘guaranteed 25% returns’ one? Bros, you just paid school fees to life.”

That night, I sat in the dark. My remaining ₦2.2 million looked like ₦200k in my eyes.

I scrolled through Twitter and saw a post:

“Investing isn’t gambling. It’s patience, discipline, and research. Diversify properly with real assets like ETFs, index funds, and gold-backed securities — not hype.”

I clicked the profile. It was Kemi. My shawarma friend.

She DM’d me: “Still think you’re Easy To Finance?”

I laughed through the pain. “I need help.”

She called me immediately.

“Look,” she said, “investing in gold, stocks, and ETFs can change your life — if you understand risk. Gold is for stability, stocks for growth, ETFs for balance. You don’t chase fast money; you build slow wealth.”

Her tone was calm, confident. Like she’d seen this movie before.

Over the next few months, she taught me how to analyze companies, buy ETFs with low expense ratios, and track my returns.

We met every Saturday at a café in Lekki, laptops open, cappuccinos steaming.

She said, “This is your redemption arc. You’re not broke — you’re in training.”

And she was right. Slowly, my portfolio started to grow.

One morning, I checked my app — my total balance: ₦3.6 million.

Not riches. But real progress.

Last month, I got a notification from that old “gold company.”

“We are back! Ready to multiply your investment again.”

I smiled.

Then I transferred ₦500… to Kemi’s account with the note: “Let’s invest in brunch instead.”

Investing in gold, stocks, and ETFs isn’t about chasing quick money — it’s about learning patience, discipline, and emotional control.

I started my journey chasing hype and ended up finding something more valuable than gold — financial wisdom.

Now, when I see anyone say, “Guaranteed 30% in 3 months,” I just whisper:

“Enjoy your school fees.”