How did the Nigerian entrepreneurs in Lagos build their fortunes, and what did they say about scaling a business?

The Lagos entrepreneurs described building their fortunes through people and relationships more than through solo effort. The tech founder said that in Nigeria you make money by making other people money, and that a billion-dollar company is really many people pooling their talents. He also said his mentor advised him to make money for his friends. On scaling, he said the key is systems: make recruiting, onboarding, and yearly reviews routine so the business keeps growing if nothing breaks. The private equity investor in Lagos credited success mainly to persistence, saying it comes from refusing to take no for an answer. The Lagos oil and gas, stock exchange, and billionaire banker voices stressed hard work, discipline, deferring gratification, and saving, and one said his business was his only real hobby, showing how total their focus on the business was.