GREAT RISE Business Community

31/07/2025

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily.

20/07/2025

27/02/2025

IS IN NIGERIA 🇳🇬 YOU BUY FISH ROLL WITH ONIONS INSIDE INSTEAD OF FISH AND YOU DON’T FEEL DISAPPOINTED...

02/12/2024

10 years ago, Fidelity Bank placed a bet on Allen Onyema and his Air Peace brand, when most banks stayed away from touching the airline.

Air Peace was a small airline—not this big, so you can't blame the banks that stayed away.

Despite their size and smallness, Fidelity Bank chose to stick with Allen Onyema.


This is what Fidelity did for Allen Onyema.

They provided him with funding to buy his new aircraft from Boeing.

Sometimes the amount in question could run up to $1 billion, but it does not matter; the bank will look for it and guarantee Allen that the transaction will proceed.

There was a time when Allen Onyema signed an agreement with Boeing for 10 new aircraft.

Guess who provided the funding? Fidelity bank.

Fidelity Bank provided the funds required for Air Pece's growth and expansion.

Air Peace has scaled up and is now the largest airline in West Africa.

They were no longer the small airlines they were 10 years ago.

Allen Onyema has not forgotten this favour, so he has kept faith in Fidelity Bank by choosing to bank with them even in the face of multiple choices.

When it comes to cash flow, no airline in Nigeria today comes close to Air Peace in terms of daily turnover and liquidity.

We are talking about an airline that generates between 50 and 100 million naira daily, according to unofficial estimates.

Banks love businesses with this type of liquidity and healthy cash flow, but even if you pitch Allen Onyema to open an account with you, he will casually tell you that he is okay with the value and service Fidelity Bank is providing for him.

This is why, when you go to Air Peace's website to book your flight, you send the money to Fidelity Bank when it is time for payment.

The lesson from this is simple.

Invest in people.

Invest in relationships.

Take a bet on promising young people, even when it is not convenient.

Take an interest in people's lives and see how you can contribute to their growth and scale.

© Chukwudi Iwuchukwu

19/11/2024

16/11/2024

A lesson from the world's biggest giant:
In 2008, when the whole world thought Tesla was going bankrupt:
- Mercedes predicted: "It will go bankrupt by summer"
- BMW said: "They will never mass produce"
- Wall Street affirmed: "Production nightmare"
Then Elon Musk decided to move into the factory, bringing his determination and his pillow.

What happened next surprised every CEO.

Tesla not only survived, but also exploded strongly from the abyss
The change was really drastic:

- Musk personally inspected each production station.

- Rewrote software code when necessary.

- Fired managers who did not share his vision immediately.

Called suppliers at 3am to get parts.

One night, workers even found him covered in oil while repairing a Model 3 that other engineers had "given up".

- Elon told the engineers: "Either we fix it or we die."
The laughter in the auto industry began to stop when the numbers came in:
- First week: 202 Model 3s.
- Third month: 5,000 per week.
- End of year: First profitable quarter.

Tesla went from being ridiculed to a real threat, transforming itself into a real threat that began to make the entire industry wary.

"It was a very painful time. I don't know, but I was probably a little crazy," Elon shared.
Traditional automakers had:
- Over 100 years of experience.
- Billions of dollars in cash reserves.
- Strong global supply chains.
- Deep political connections.

Today?
Tesla is worth more than Toyota, GM, Ford, and BMW combined.
In just a few years, Elon Musk has turned a mocked company into an automotive giant, proving that perseverance and vision can change an entire industry.💎