Former Kogi West senator Dino Melaye has opened up on his wealth, rejecting claims that his lifestyle was funded by public office.

Speaking on the KaaTruths podcast, Melaye said he was “comfortable” rather than extremely wealthy and attributed his finances to investments.

He said, “If my wealth were ill-gotten, if I had stolen government money, I would not be criticising the government, because they would have long come after me. I’ve never been invited by the EFCC, the ICPC, or any of the anti-corruption agencies in this country, because I’ve never handled government contracts, whether at the federal or state level.

When I was 12, I bought a goat, and this goat would give birth, and I would sell its offspring to pay my school fees in secondary school. From the offspring of that goat, I paid for my WAEC, JAMB, and my first and second years at Ahmadu Bello University. My school fees were paid through that investment. At 18, I was already investing internationally, though not on a large scale. You don’t need to have all the money on earth to start investing.”

He said he later invested in Eurobonds and shares in companies including Apple, Microsoft, Uber and Zoom, while also investing in franchise businesses and properties.

“Then Covid came, and Zoom’s value multiplied 400 times over. So, ask God for direction. When I started investing in franchise businesses in America, over 20 years ago, I started with one. One gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, three gave birth to four.”

Melaye, who left public office in 2019, said his portfolio now spans several countries and urged Nigerians to invest regardless of how little they have.

“Today, I don’t just have a portfolio of apartments in Dubai; I am a developer. I am building. So you must be tenacious in life.”