Iyinoluwa "Iyin" Aboyeji helped build two of Africa's most important tech companies — Andela and Flutterwave. Now he's after something bigger: making sure every African can earn at least $10,000 a year by leveraging AI. In this episode, Iyin sits down with Eche and Chika to break down why "investing is for lazy people," the two competing visions of the future (America vs. China), why the real origins of AI trace back to Africa, and why anyone in the diaspora who doesn't come home in the next two years may regret it. A conversation about power, capital, energy, and who you actually choose to build for. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND IYIN ABOYEJI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iaboyeji X/Twitter: https://x.com/iaboyeji LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eaboyeji Future Africa: https://www.future.africa/ Accelerate Africa: https://acceler8.africa/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – "Investing is for lazy people" 2:27 – Two visions of the future: America vs. China 7:11 – How China engineered 70 years of growth 9:43 – A message to the diaspora 14:13 – Breaking down the Dangote blueprint 19:01 – The mission: every African earning $10,000 a year 26:44 – Trump, power, and who you make money for 33:41 – Sponsor: Zobo Money 36:01 – The real origins of AI 42:36 – Inside the raise: radical capital, built for Africa 46:38 – Why Africa wins the energy war 49:23 – Owning the rails: data, goods, and payments 53:32 – Data centers, Netflix, and the creative economy 1:00:18 – Building the diaspora bridge with intention 1:09:14 – Future Africa and the fundraising reset 1:15:32 – Co-founders, equity, and valuing contribution 1:29:47 – Accelerate Africa vs. Y Combinator 1:32:32 – One executive order from eviction: why come home 1:39:33 – "Anybody who doesn't come home in the next two years…" 1:43:59 – Unicorns, monopolies, and the Dangote debate 1:48:24 – Validation vs. inspiration 1:59:59 – Who needs to be in the room 2:02:03 – The closing question: who belongs on this chair

Join us for a historic fireside chat with Her Excellency Graça Machel—liberation fighter, former Education Minister of Mozambique, global humanitarian, and the only woman in modern history to serve as First Lady of two nations. Three days before the first G20 Summit ever held on African soil, this conversation couldn't be more timely. As world leaders gather in Johannesburg, we're asking the uncomfortable questions about partnership, investment, and what authentic solidarity looks like between Canada and Africa. WHO IS GRAÇA MACHEL? At 80, Graça Machel has spent six decades transforming institutions and challenging power structures. As Mozambique's first Education Minister (1975-1989), she increased enrollment from 40% to over 90% and reduced illiteracy from 93% to 72%—with limited resources but unlimited determination. Through the Graça Machel Trust, she's enrolled 5,200+ women entrepreneurs across seven countries, created 30,000+ jobs, and unlocked $5 million in funding pipelines. She's Deputy Chair of The Elders, Chancellor of African Leadership University, and has the credibility to tell uncomfortable truths that others won't. WHAT WE'LL DISCUSS: ✅ Why Canada's Africa Strategy launched with zero new funding—and what needs to change ✅ Can extractive industries ever be true development partners? ✅ How Africa's $4 trillion in mobilizable capital could transform the continent ✅ The AfCFTA opportunity: 1.3 billion people, $6.7 trillion market by 2030 ✅ What gender-lens investing gets wrong—and what it should look like ✅ From aid dependency to investment-driven prosperity: the paradigm shift Africa demands ✅ What Canada's Prime Minister should say at the G20 in three days WHY THIS MATTERS NOW: This isn't a retrospective celebration. It's a strategic intervention. With the G20 in Johannesburg, Canada holding the G7 presidency, and Africa at a critical inflection point, this conversation will hold comfortable assumptions accountable. Machel has earned the right to be "frank and unrestrained" (her words). We're creating space for the truth Canadian decision-makers need to hear—from someone who's built institutions, governed nations, and delivered measurable results across decades. HOSTED BY: The Afropolitan Podcast DATE: November 19, 2025 LOCATION: University of Toronto JOIN THE CONVERSATION: - Drop your questions and thoughts in the live chat - Subscribe and turn on notifications - Tag us and share widely FOLLOW GRAÇA MACHEL TRUST: LinkedIn: @Graça Machel Trust Facebook: @TheGraçaMachelTrust Instagram: @g_macheltrust Twitter: @G_MachelTrust FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN: For unfiltered conversations with Africa's boldest builders and visionaries. - Website: https://www.afropolitan.io - Newsletter: https://afropolitan.io/newsletter - Twitter: https://x.com/afropolitan - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afropolitannation/ A luta continua. The struggle continues. #GraçaMachel #AfricanLeadership #G20Summit #CanadaAfricaStrategy #WomenInBusiness #AfCFTA #EconomicDevelopment #TheElders #AfropolitanPodcast #GlobalLeadership #WomenCreatingWealth #AfricanEntrepreneurship

She turned $30,000 and one stubborn goal into an eight-figure fortune — then almost lost herself building it. Teri Ijeoma quit her job as an assistant principal, put $30,000 of trading education on a credit card, and went on to make her first million dollars in a single day. In this episode she breaks down the number one myth about trading options, the $26,000 loss that taught her everything, how to actually invest $1,000 right now, her three-layer framework for investing in AI, and the wound that made her rich but still hasn't healed. WHERE TO FIND TERI IJEOMA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teriijeoma TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teriijeoma Twitter/X: https://x.com/teriijeoma Teri's Latest Book The Risk Worth Taking: https://www.theriskworthtaking.com Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast 0:00 The $26,000 loss in a single trade 1:08 Quick subscribe break 1:24 Afropolitan goes global (recording in the US) 1:48 The #1 myth people believe about trading options 2:30 Do you have to be glued to your screen to trade? 3:28 From assistant principal to multimillionaire trader 5:18 Betting half her salary on a credit card 6:27 Why Black wealth-building can't wait 30 years 7:39 Setting realistic expectations for your returns 8:49 How to navigate losses: the Pandora story 11:01 Position size, stop losses & reward-to-risk 12:36 Discipline, greed & FOMO in trading 14:20 What growing up taught her about money 16:09 Minister and millionaire: faith and wealth 17:20 Black tax & "you have to work for it" 18:29 The Room on Patreon 19:25 Zobo Money 20:05 Are courses still worth it in the AI era? 21:55 Scaling from 35 to 35,000 students — and burning out 23:30 The breaking point: booking a flight to Mexico 24:45 Tony Robbins & the six core needs 26:55 The five types of wealth & grieving relationships 28:58 When did she finally feel free? 30:47 How losing a friend became the catalyst 32:30 Why she wrote The Risk Worth Taking as a novel 33:47 The four C's of taking any risk 35:35 How to invest $1,000 right now 38:36 Investing in AI: the three-layer pyramid 40:33 The $500K AI portfolio that returned $200K 43:32 The wound that made her rich 46:28 The dinner-table wealth gap 47:33 Grading herself on the five types of wealth 50:46 Alignment, energy & the hustle trap 51:34 Hitting her first million & the emptiness after 53:41 Learning to teach and scale online courses 56:00 What to read and watch to learn investing 57:11 The next risk: becoming a NYT bestseller 59:45 Day trading vs. swing trading explained 1:00:15 Where women can actually talk about money 1:01:30 Calls, puts & margin calls explained 1:03:06 The AI app layer & Claude's disruption 1:05:01 Hisa 1:06:11 Rapid fire 1:09:37 A money habit rich people have that broke people think is crazy 1:10:25 The investment that has nothing to do with stocks 1:11:35 Advice for her mom & who's next in the chair

YCee disappeared for four years. The story behind why is heavier than anyone knew. In 2020, at the peak of his run — Jagaban everywhere, Juice on every aux, sold-out shows, a sound that helped define Afrobeats — he got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. What followed was six years of meds that fogged his creativity, hospitalizations, a Nigerian mental health system not built for it, and the strange reality of being one of the biggest songs in the country playing while he tried to put himself back together. He sits down with Eche and Chika to talk about all of it — and goes further than he's gone publicly. The hundreds of millions of streams he never got paid for. The Tiny Entertainment fallout he couldn't shake. Why he repeated SS2 and accidentally fell into music. What it actually takes to disappear for four years and not start tweeting a GoFundMe link. And his unflinching read on where Afrobeats and Nigerian rap are right now — the missed naming opportunity, the foreign players running the industry from outside the continent, the "Olodo Uprising," and why "beef is necessary for the culture" is a lie that gets people killed. Plus: the new album Out of Sight, Out of Mind, why Odumodublvck gets rap right, and a take on J. Cole pulling out of the battle that you've not heard anywhere else. This one moves. Become a Member of The Room (Afropolitan Private Membership) Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast WHERE TO FIND YCEE Instagram: http://instagram.com/iam_ycee TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yceeanbt Twitter: https://x.com/iam_ycee Ycee's Latest Album Out of Sight Out of Mind: onerpm.link/oosoomycee EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 00:00 — Cold open 01:42 — Where have you been? Four years off the map 02:11 — The 2020 bipolar diagnosis and London lockdown 05:35 — How the meds attacked his creativity 06:17 — Why Kanye's apology made him open up 08:31 — Mental health in Nigeria: Yaba Left, exorcisms, and a broken system 11:26 — Performing through an episode in Benue 13:58 — The golden era of Afrobeats and what's been lost 19:00 — Streaming, virality vs. artistry, and the death of the album listen 24:07 — Hundreds of millions of streams. Zero dollars. 28:22 — Lessons from the Tiny Entertainment fallout 29:52 — Repeating SS2 and accidentally finding music 36:46 — From cybercafé to mixtape to first record deal 38:12 — Old YCee vs. new YCee 40:31 — Why he had to learn to sing — and the Nigerian identity in his sound 44:28 — Making music for impact, not numbers 46:53 — When you're hot vs. when you're not 49:22 — Out of Sight, Out of Mind: the album breakdown 54:32 — What Nigerian rap should actually sound like (Odumodublvck, Black Bones) 56:50 — The Olodo Uprising and the collapse of the Nigerian school system 58:14 — Foreign players, label-by-proxy, and the missed Afrobeats opportunity 1:05:07 — Why Afrobeats artists don't perform in Nigeria anymore 1:09:33 — Meet and greets, building a real fanbase, and shared fans 1:11:33 — Rapid Fire 1:14:12 — J. Cole, the Kendrick/Drake battle, and why rap beef isn't a game

She built a soft life on purpose — and made it look easy. In this episode, Chi Adogu (the real Chi) breaks down the 10-year journey behind the aesthetic: how she went from $7 declined chai lattes and parental allowance to running her own hair brand, why "followers" are dead in 2026, what brands actually pay (and how PR agencies lowball you), the heartbreak that built her confidence, and the friendship lessons that nearly broke her. We get into the creator economy in Nigeria vs. America, why her agent told her to "come back" from Lagos, the Hanifa discourse, lifestyle creep, and what timeline grief looks like when you're 30, soft, and unmarried by choice. If you strip away the followers, the brand deals, the aesthetic — who's cheering when nobody's watching? — Become a Member of The Room Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money — Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus when you sign up, complete your KYC, and send $50 or more to Africa. Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ — WHERE TO FIND CHI ADOGU Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_real_chi?igsh=MWsxaWEwaGZoOHk2Zw== TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the_real_chi_?_r=1&_t=ZP-97HwXrFb0e7 YouTube: AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast — TIMESTAMPS 0:00 — "If your life looks soft, people assume you're shallow" 1:28 — The biggest misconception about influencers 2:58 — Are influencers still allowed to grow? 5:47 — The 10-year journey behind the "overnight" success 10:17 — Why she studied accounting (and hated it) 10:48 — Bad management deals & how agencies trap young creators 14:17 — Moving to Nigeria for MBGN + winning her dad over 17:12 — How much creators really make (and why followers don't matter) 18:49 — The $3K brand email everyone got 20:49 — Everyone wants to be a creator now 23:05 — The reality show idea that hit 10M views 24:42 — The Room 25:52 — Zobo Money 26:32 — Confidence, heartbreak, and "I never want to feel that again" 29:32 — Being so in love with yourself nothing can shake you 31:14 — US vs. Nigeria: the brutal truth about the creator economy 34:23 — Medical tourism reality check 35:05 — Building Chi's Lux Hair + the Hanifa discourse 42:45 — When your Nigerian audience becomes a "problem" for brands 45:34 — The "mean girl" assumption that comes with soft life aesthetics 49:32 — Influencer friendships — who's real, who's playing 52:34 — How she developed discernment 54:42 — The friendship lesson she had to learn the hard way 58:38 — Money advice for creators 59:06 — Lifestyle creep & the trap of always wanting more 1:04:37 — Timeline grief: the marriage and kids she thought she'd have by 30 1:11:08 — Who is Chi when nobody's watching? 1:13:10 — 10 years from now 1:13:59 — Hisa 1:14:42 — Rapid fire 1:18:15 — Why emotional intelligence is non-negotiable 1:19:19 — Find your community, not your niche 1:20:24 — Who should we interview next?

Boris Kodjoe sits down with Eche and Chika for one of the most layered conversations we've ever had on the Afropolitan Podcast - about ownership, ancestry, Black manhood, marriage, nervous-system regulation, and what it really takes to build a life that's yours. He breaks down why he doesn't see himself as "an actor who became an investor" (he sees it as a mindset shift from consumer to owner), how a broken back led to his TheraBody investment, and how Full Circle and the Year of Return quietly created what he now calls "investment tourism" - billions in capital and a brand-new narrative for the continent. We get into the harder stuff too: his father's existential grief, the childhood pain that became self-worth issues, why "peace is expensive," the difference between meaningful suffering and modern fragility, and why Black men have to give each other permission to just be. He goes deep on his almost-21-year marriage to Nicole, why you can't enter a relationship trying to fill a void, and the one line every parent (and every diaspora kid) needs to hear: "You're the star of your own movie. Everyone else is an extra." Plus: telling authentic African stories, owning your IP, AI as the great equalizer, "we're not a minority - we're 76% of the world," and why the West doesn't get to validate our sovereignty. Become a Member of The Room: Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: The Room https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Zobo Money - Zobo is a money transfer app built for Africans in the diaspora. It lets you send money from the US, UK, and Europe to countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and more. https://www.zobo.money/afropolitan BONUS OFFER: Use code AFROPOLITAN and get a $10 bonus. Hisa - Borderless investments For Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND Boris Kodjoe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boriskodjoe Twitter/X: https://x.com/boriskodjoe Full Circle Festival: https://www.fullcirclefestival.com/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast Timestamps 00:00 — Cold open 00:16 — Why "actor to investor" is the wrong frame 03:50 — The TheraBody origin: access through inquiry 06:49 — Emotional intelligence, therapy, and the pain that leads to revelation 11:33 — Father leaving at age 5 and relearning the story of love 14:53 — Why reconnecting with ancestry is our superpower 17:57 — Full Circle, the Year of Return, and investment tourism 22:25 — Favorite moments from Ghana: AJ Johnson, Anthony Anderson 28:15 — Eche on the role of suffering in modern life 32:21 — Comfort zone vs. forcing yourself to grow 35:42 — Discovering Blackness as a spectrum 39:07 — Coming to America from Germany: the propaganda awakening 43:16 — One voice cannot define the entire Black experience 45:39 — America's lack of courage to confront its past 51:17 — How fast institutions crumble: Baldwin between despair and hope 55:45 — Why he was named after Boris Pasternak 57:16 — The stories Africa needs to tell next 1:01:11 — The creative industry as hard economic power 1:03:28 — How Boris uses AI every day 1:05:37 — 21 years with Nicole and working with your partner 1:10:24 — The conversations Black men aren't having 1:15:33 — Nervous system regulation and upgrading your identity 1:21:37 — Therapy, childhood trauma, and not offloading on your kids 1:27:31 — Truth as a liberator for Black men 1:31:11 — Timeline grief and the pressure of social media 1:34:11 — Advice to his son: you are the star of your movie 1:36:48 — His father's existential grief 1:42:50 — Why the hero's journey is overrated 1:48:53 — Rapid fire: jollof, sovereignty, the next role 1:52:29 — Whose story needs to be told next

Nigeria's economy cannot be built on the back of diesel generators. It's too stressful and way too expensive. In this episode, Eche and Chika sit down with Victor Tobenna Ezenwoko, Country Head at Daystar Power (acquired by Shell in 2022), to break down the real economics of Africa's energy crisis. Africa spends $22 billion a year on diesel. Nigeria is in the global top five for diesel consumption, and unlike the US and China, ours is mostly going into power generation, not transportation. Victor walks us through the math behind energy poverty, why Nigerian businesses pay nearly 2x what American factories pay per kilowatt-hour, how Daystar built a model that slashed energy costs by 44% for industrial clients, and why the future of power in Africa has to be decentralized, a patchwork of solar, gas, and grid. We also get into the AI boom and Africa's data center problem, the EV market quietly taking off in Lagos, the BD playbook Victor used to grow from associate to Country CEO in under 8 years, what investors keep getting wrong about African energy infrastructure, and why "the future of solar" is actually now. If you're an investor, a founder, or just someone tired of generator noise, this is the episode. Become a Member of The Room: Join our private community for deeper insights and exclusive content: The Room https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast EPISODE SPONSORS Hisa - Borderless investments For Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND Victor Tobenna Ezenwoko LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-tobenna-ezenwoko-3b660a113/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: Why Africa's diesel spend is a top-five global problem 01:39 Why you should care about energy in Africa 03:01 What every investor needs to know about the energy sector 03:58 Energy poverty in Nigeria, what the numbers actually look like 07:18 Cost of power: US, China, Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana compared 09:39 Breaking down "dollar cents" per kilowatt-hour 10:14 AI, data centers, and Africa's role in the global energy race 12:25 Africa's $22B diesel market broken down by sector and country 14:01 How Nigeria fell into energy poverty 18:08 Power Africa in 2008 vs energy in 2025, why are we still stuck? 20:51 Victor's journey: from electrical engineering to joining Daystar as employee #4 25:00 Series A, building the company, and never going back to consulting 27:25 From associate to Country CEO and the Shell acquisition 28:36 The business development playbook for Africa 34:09 Uncles, mentors, and the power of genuine relationships 40:55 The three things that drive success: diligence, reliability, likeability 42:53 The most expensive mistakes investors make in African energy 49:18 The "Nigerian way" of doing energy, can we innovate around our culture? 52:50 Energy abundance, fusion, and maximizing what we already have 54:54 Can Nigeria run 100% on solar? Why gas has to be part of the mix 57:48 The CNG debate and why Victor doesn't love retrofitting cars 59:23 Why you don't see more Teslas, BYDs, and EVs in Lagos (yet) 1:05:54 Smaller energy investment opportunities for the diaspora 1:08:24 Pan-African energy strategy with unlimited capital 1:12:24 Aunty's Sculpture Collection 1:13:20 Hisa sponsor spot 1:14:20 Rapid fire: best Jollof in Africa 1:14:54 Three African investors, dead or alive, at one dinner table 1:19:09 Victor's guilty pleasure spend 1:20:28 What legacy actually means 1:23:07 One truth for every African policymaker 1:24:08 Who should sit in this chair next

JOIN THE ROOM — Our Private Member Community Weekly Sunday Signal, monthly Live Rooms, quarterly gatherings in Lagos, London & beyond. https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast Dammy Twitch has directed music videos across 30+ countries, built his career from an unpaid behind-the-scenes role on a Nigerian TV show, and the night he met Rihanna outside Selfridges  she already knew his name. In this episode, he breaks down what it actually takes to build a creative career from nothing in Lagos, why the naira collapse changed the economics of Afrobeats visuals forever, and what his debut feature film Color of My Life cost him to make. We unpack why big-budget music video culture died in Nigeria, what a 10-minute scene at a Lagos restaurant actually costs a filmmaker, and why the directors who collaborate are the ones winning. Plus — AI micro dramas, the distribution problem no one has solved, and why he's still here while everyone else japa'd. Dammy breaks down: • Why the naira collapse killed the big-budget music video era • What a 10-minute scene at a Lagos location actually costs • How he got selected out of four videographers on Davido's tour • Why he refuses to japa — and who he thinks should stay home • The night Rihanna shouted his name outside Selfridges • AI micro dramas and where Nigerian film is actually heading • The real cost of making Color of My Life and getting it into cinemas EPISODE SPONSORS VBAN — Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com Risevest — Invest in US stocks, crypto, ETFs and the Nigerian market. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://risevest.com AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND DAMMY TWITCH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dammytwitch Twitter/X: https://x.com/dammytwitch AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast 0:00 - Intro 2:12 - The biggest misconception about filmmakers 3:26 - What a music video really costs 5:31 - Why artists stopped shooting music videos 6:32 - Can Afrobeats and film finally merge? 9:21 - Knowing your value in the room 11:31 - The come-up & the story no one knows 13:53 - The Davido tour & his first music video 17:14 - How video budgets exploded 20:31 - Working with rival artists 23:55 - The philosophies he lives by 26:49 - Why he never left Nigeria 28:21 - Visas, travel & the Nigerian passport 32:08 - How he actually uses AI 34:33 - AI videos, micro dramas & "give Nigeria 40 years" 38:05 - Making timeless art 40:00 - Convincing his parents to let go of the degree 42:38 - When Rihanna knew his name 43:56 - The real cost of "Call of My Life" 48:04 - Nollywood's YouTube machine 49:16 - Micro dramas: the future of distribution 51:32 - Romance vs heartbreak: the films he carries 53:40 - Have you ever been in love? 59:18 - Rapid fire 1:02:37 - The most underrated person in film 1:03:45 - The video he's most proud of 1:05:31 - The film era he loves 1:07:08 - Where to watch "Call of My Life" 1:09:24 - The meaning behind his name 1:10:57 - Who he wants in the chair next 1:12:00 - How films get into theaters 1:16:24 - Wrap-up

JOIN THE ROOM — Our Private Member Community Weekly Sunday Signal, monthly Live Rooms, quarterly gatherings in Lagos, London & beyond. → https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast Dennis Asamoah built Forever Mood alongside his wife Jackie Aina, turning a candle business into a full fragrance brand that sold 20,000 units in 4 hours on launch day. Six years later, he has navigated warehouse disasters, partnership breakdowns, and the brutal economics of CPG — all while operating as the behind-the-scenes CEO in one of the most visible creator-brand partnerships in the beauty space. We unpack why making millions doesn't mean you're rich, what it really takes to run a business with your spouse, and why most creators overestimate how much their followers will actually buy. EPISODE SPONSORS 💳 VBAN — Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com 📈 Hisa — Borderless investments for Africa. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://hisa.co/ AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION 🎨 A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. → https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN 📞 Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ WHERE TO FIND DENNIS ASAMOAH Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denisasamoah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forvrmood Website: https://forvrmood.com/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Afropolitanpodcast TIMESTAMPS 0:00 – Intro: The myth of having it all figured out 2:29 – The uncomfortable truth about building a CPG business 3:21 – Selling 20,000 candles in 4 hours (and freaking out) 6:04 – Why they chose candles over perfume 9:23 – Understanding the creator economy from the inside 13:13 – Do followers actually convert to customers? 15:38 – Making millions doesn't mean you're rich 18:10 – The 70%+ gross margin rule in CPG 21:21 – What happens when you sell out 6 months of inventory in 8 hours 24:03 – The $50K/month warehouse mistake 26:06 – Partnership lessons: when things go wrong 29:28 – Heuristics for choosing business partners 31:39 – Grace in entrepreneurship as Black founders 39:11 – Building Forvr Mood with Jackie Aina: face vs. engine 50:40 – The one rule that protects the relationship and the business 56:15 – The 90-day content series that grew 8,000 email subscribers 1:00:22 – Dyslexia as a superpower 1:04:33 – AI tools: Whisper, Fixer, and Claude for productivity 1:11:02 – Bootstrapping vs. raising investment 1:15:22 – The worst time to raise money 1:19:22 – Rapid Fire: Jollof, overrated founder advice & who should be next

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu governs Lagos — a city of over 20 million people. From banking halls to public service, his journey reflects a larger question: What does it take to govern ambition at this scale? This conversation was hosted at the National Theater in collaboration with Lens for Good — empowering creatives to transform the Nigerian narrative, one story at a time. In this episode, the Governor opens up about what the world gets wrong about Lagos, why creatives are the city's first pitch to the world, and what keeps him up at night leading Africa's most chaotic, creative, and resilient city. "You know Burna Boy, you know Wizkid, you know Davido — I tell you, there are a thousand other Burna Boys and Wizkids somewhere waiting to be discovered. And they are there in Lagos." AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 100 pieces. Application only. Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr WHERE TO FIND MAI ATAFO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maiatafo Atafo Brand: https://www.instagram.com/atafo__ EPISODE SPONSORS Vban - Open a free global account in minutes. Use code AFROPOLITAN: https://vban.com CONVO BY AFROPOLITAN Book 1:1 calls with Africa's boldest thinkers: https://convo.vip/ AFROPOLITAN Twitter/X: https://x.com/afropolitan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afropolitanpodcast Newsletter: https://www.afropolitan.io/newsletter Patreon: Patreon.com/AfropolitanPodcast TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 – Intro: What images come to mind when you think of Lagos? 1:29 – The two sides of Lagos: chaos and creativity 3:07 – The energy you can feel on every street 4:25 – The next Wizkid might be working in the same studio as you 5:27 – Governing through a burst of creativity (Wizkid concert, E1, Lagos Fashion Week) 6:35 – The E1 race: "They never believed we could put on the best" 7:57 – Breaking records is in Lagos' DNA 9:44 – What story does Lagos tell international investors? 10:02 – "Creatives open the conversation. Infrastructure closes the deal." 12:25 – What Lagos offers that no other African city can 13:52 – The "no giving up" spirit that defines Lagosians 14:47 – What do you tell creatives who see government as an obstacle? 17:01 – The one thing that can derail Lagos' creative momentum 18:34 – What keeps the Governor up at night 20:53 – 10 years from now: What should Lagos be known for?