To celebrate Inspiring business leaders of Excellence driving Nigeria’s Economic growth Chioma kachi Ewelike sat with the professional par excellence in person of Ambassador Amaka Okeke the Executive Director Optiva capital partners Ltd to discuss business so far.
1 . Can you share some insights into your journey to becoming one of the leading female figures in your industry?
My journey has been defined by growth, accountability, and deliberate purpose.
Thirteen years ago, I joined Optiva Capital Partners as a trainee. I began exactly where every professional should begin: at the foundation. There, I mastered the fundamentals of sales, client relationships, and service delivery. I learned discipline, and I came to understand what it truly means to deliver consistent, meaningful results.
As I progressed, however, my perspective shifted. My question was no longer simply, “How can I perform better?” It became: “How can we build better?”
That single question redefined the trajectory of my career. I moved beyond task execution to the design and improvement of systems and workflows, always viewing decisions through the lens of scalability. I began to ask: If we lay this foundation correctly today, will it endure and remain relevant a decade from now?
I learned a vital truth: when you design stronger systems, you do far more than improve efficiency; you establish the bedrock of sustainable growth, and you create institutions.
Upon stepping into leadership, I learned another equally important lesson. Leadership is not about being the one who holds all the answers. It is about developing people; it is about creating clarity and setting clear standards. It is about building structures that uphold and deliver excellence, even when you are not present.
There were many points along the way where I faced a choice. I had opportunities to pursue Chief Executive roles elsewhere, to secure higher compensation, and to join larger platforms. Yet I made a conscious decision to remain. I stayed because I believed deeply in what we were building at Optiva.
To me, the greatest opportunity was never found in a more impressive job title. It lay in helping to build an institution, one that could become greater than any single individual.
I believe this mindset has defined my path as a woman in this industry. I never sought merely to hold a position. I sought to broaden that position, so that those who would follow me could stand more easily beside me and go further still.
Today, I view my role as extending far beyond personal professional success. It is about building enduring institutions. It is about preserving and optimising wealth. It is about empowering others, especially emerging leaders and women and creating something that will last long after my time has passed.
I have come to measure success not by how high one climbs, but by what one builds at that height. It is measured by who you lift alongside you, and by what continues to stand, long after you have left the room.
2. Nigeria is experiencing high inflation, currency volatility and rising pressure on household wealth. From your vantage point as a wealth preservation expert, what are Nigerians getting wrong about protecting and growing their wealth in this environment?
In my view, the most common misconception today is that wealth is still viewed primarily as a function of income. People continue to ask, “How much am I earning?” when the far more critical question should be: “How much of what I have built can I actually preserve, and how resilient is it?”
There is a fundamental distinction between wealth creation and wealth preservation. Creation focuses on generating income. Preservation ensures that what you have built is not eroded or lost to inflation, currency devaluation, poor decision‑making, or insufficient planning.
In the current climate, the first and most widespread mistake is holding excessive wealth in cash. Cash may appear safe because it is liquid, yet in this economic environment, idle cash loses value every single day. Many people are protecting the nominal amount in naira but failing to protect its purchasing power.
The second mistake is over‑concentration. If your wealth is tied to a single currency, a single asset class, a single market, or even a single source of income, your exposure is far greater than you may realise. Diversification is no longer merely an investment principle; it is an essential strategy for resilience.
The third mistake is pursuing short‑term returns without a structured, long‑term framework. When economic pressure mounts, it is tempting to follow whatever is trending without asking: Is this aligned with my core objectives? And will this strategy endure beyond the current market cycle? That is not wealth building; that is reacting.
At Optiva, we are guided by a clear principle: wealth is not preserved by avoiding risk entirely; it is preserved by managing risk with intention. That is why we prioritise wealth preservation and risk‑mitigated growth over speculative, short‑term gains. Our clients’ capital must always come first.
Accordingly, my advice to Nigerians today rests on three pillars:
- Be intentional and start early. Wealth preservation begins the moment you generate surplus income. Allocate every naira with purpose: first preserve, then invest and live on what remains.
- Move from saving to investing, and think in portfolios, not individual bets. Deploy capital into assets that outpace inflation, such as real estate, quality equities, and tangible operating businesses. Diversify thoughtfully across naira and stable foreign currencies, and across both local and global markets.
- Build enduring structures, not just portfolios. Establish legal and protective frameworks including trusts, insurance, and appropriate holding structures to safeguard what you have built, to ensure it passes securely to the next generation.
Ultimately, the question should not simply be: “How much return can my money generate?” The far more important question is: “How do I ensure the value I have created endures, grows, and provides greater freedom and opportunity for me, and for those I care about?”
True wealth is not measured by what you earn in a single year. It is measured by what you sustain, what you grow, and what you can pass on.
3. There is growing interest among wealthy Nigerians in moving their assets and securing residency or citizenship abroad. Should we see investment immigration as a vote of no confidence in Nigeria, or as a legitimate strategy for global diversification?
I do not view investment immigration as a vote of no confidence. Rather, I see it as a fully legitimate strategy for global diversification and enhanced resilience.
The prevailing narrative often claims simply that “the wealthy are leaving.” Yet that is a narrow interpretation. What they are doing is managing risk.
The fundamental truth is this: no sound financial strategy would ever place 100 per cent of a family’s assets, business interests, or prospects within a single country, currency, or jurisdiction. That creates concentration risk, and we have already discussed precisely why such concentration is dangerous.
What Nigerians are doing today is exactly what families and institutions across the world have done for generations: they are building optionality.
This optionality takes three distinct forms:
- Asset optionality: Holding assets denominated in stable global currencies and located in robust jurisdictions. When the naira faces volatility, this diversified basket protects long‑term purchasing power.
- Business optionality: Gaining access to global markets, capital networks, and strategic partners. This enables Nigerian enterprises to scale beyond domestic borders.
- Lifestyle optionality: Residency or citizenship grants families greater choice in education, healthcare, and international mobility. It is not about walking away from home; it is about securing the freedom to relocate should the need ever arise.
At Optiva Capital Partners, we frame the principle clearly: one can deeply love their country while still diversifying their exposure to risk. Patriotism and financial prudence are not mutually exclusive.
The error lies in viewing investment migration as an exit strategy. The wiser perspective is to recognise it as an expansion strategy. Maintain your roots in Nigeria. Continue to build and invest here. Keep creating employment and value within this economy. But structure your wealth and your options so that external economic shocks cannot erase everything you have built.
The most resilient Nigerian families I work with do not see it as a choice between Nigeria and the rest of the world. They embrace Nigeria and the world. They generate their income here, build enterprises here, and fulfil their tax obligations here while also structuring their wealth on a global basis.
The objective is not to predict which economy will perform best in any given year. The objective is to construct a framework capable of surviving and prospering, regardless of what unfolds in any single market.
Accordingly, investment migration, when pursued with clear intention, is not abandonment. It is a resilience strategy. It ensures that the value you have created in Nigeria endures, grows, and serves the next generation. Whether that generation chooses to remain at home or to live wherever their ambitions take them.
4. Optiva has expanded from insurance into investment immigration and international real estate. What does the next phase of that transformation look like, and where do you see the biggest opportunities for growth over the next five years?
The next phase of Optiva Capital Partners’ evolution will see us progress from being a provider of individual solutions to becoming a comprehensive ecosystem for the wealth and wellbeing of Nigerians operating on a global stage.
We began with insurance, grounded in an initial mandate to protect families and livelihoods. We then expanded into investment immigration and international real estate, responding directly to our clients’ need for robust wealth preservation structures, global optionality, and long‑term diversification.
Throughout our 16‑year history, every step of this growth has been built upon a foundation of trust and credibility. Without those qualities, nothing else is achievable. The next phase will be defined by scaling our capabilities, integrating our services, and extending our impact all while remaining firmly anchored in that same foundation of trust.
Over the coming five years, we identify four key areas of growth opportunity:
- Integrated Wealth Structuring
Clients no longer seek individual products in isolation; they require a unified platform that connects Nigeria with the world. We are building exactly that: insurance, alternative investments, investment immigration, real estate, and financial advisory all delivered seamlessly under one roof. Our objective is to support families in structuring their entire financial position, rather than simply facilitating the purchase of standalone products.
- Alternative Investments with a Nigerian Perspective
A substantial opportunity lies in granting Nigerians access to institutional‑grade global assets that were previously difficult to reach, including United States real estate, healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure. We deliver this in a fully compliant, transparent manner, and always with an eye toward sustainable value creation. Importantly, this is not solely about moving capital overseas. We are establishing two‑way pathways: enabling Nigerian capital to participate in global growth, while also opening Nigerian opportunities to international investors.
- Healthcare and Wellbeing
We believe that wealth without health is incomplete. That is why we have acquired a hospital, with the clear ambition of developing it into a facility of the highest international standard. Our goal is to ensure Nigerians have access to world‑class healthcare within their own country, reducing the need for medical travel abroad. This represents an investment in the wellbeing of the very people who are building Nigeria’s future.
- The Diaspora and the Next Generation
Nigeria’s greatest asset is its people. Over the next five years, Nigerians living overseas will play an increasingly vital role in the national economy. We see our opportunity as acting as the essential bridge: supporting the diaspora and working alongside relevant authorities and institutions to enable confident investment back into Nigeria. In parallel, we will assist families within Nigeria in equipping the next generation with global opportunities through education, residency, and international business platforms.
In summary, our transformation is: evolving from the provision of individual solutions to the creation of a complete ecosystem for wealth, mobility, and wellbeing. At Optiva Capital Partners, our purpose is to ensure that Nigerian capital, Nigerian talent, and Nigerian ambition are supported by structures that enable them to compete globally while contributing directly to the continued growth and progress of Nigeria itself.
The opportunity is not in leaving Nigeria. The opportunity is in positioning Nigerians to succeed both here at home and anywhere in the world.
5. If you had to give one piece of investment advice to a 35‑year‑old Nigerian today that could fundamentally change their financial future 20 years from now, what would it be?
Pay your future self first.
Most people follow this familiar pattern: earn, spend, and attempt to save whatever may remain. I would urge you to reverse that order entirely. Earn. Preserve. Invest. Then live on what remains.
At 35, your greatest advantage is not necessarily the capital you hold today. It is time. Twenty years of consistent, disciplined decision‑making can transform even modest contributions into substantial wealth and, more importantly, lasting financial freedom.
Therefore, establish a system that removes reliance on willpower alone. The moment your income arrives, allocate a predetermined proportion, even as little as 10 percent towards assets before your lifestyle expands to consume it.
And do not concentrate everything in one place. Look beyond simple savings. Think in terms of structure and resilience:
- Preserve first. Secure essential protections: health insurance, term life cover, and an emergency fund covering six months of expenditure, held across both naira and stable foreign currencies. This safeguards your progress and prevents you from being forced to sell assets at the worst possible moment.
- Build assets systematically. Contribute monthly to instruments such as treasury bills, carefully selected mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, agricultural funds, or your own business ventures. As your income grows, introduce dollar‑denominated assets to mitigate currency risk and broaden your exposure.
- Invest in your own capacity. Devote resources to developing your skills, expanding your professional network, safeguarding your health, and funding your children’s education. Twenty years from now, your ability to earn income and make sound judgements will remain your most valuable asset.
Think in decades, not in quarterly returns.
Two decades hence, your financial independence will not be measured by how much income passed through your hands. It will be measured by how much of that income you converted into enduring assets, freedom, and opportunity.
Start today. Remain consistent. And seek professional guidance to ensure your capital is deployed within the most appropriate structures.
Because the truest measure of success is not what you build during your lifetime. It is what continues to stand, to grow, and to create value precisely because you were here.
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