Monday, 28 July 2025

All the winners of the Ballon d'Or since 1956

The Ballon d'Or is the most important individual award in football. This video looks back at the winners of the Ballon d'Or from its inception in 1956 to the present day.

1956: Stanley Matthews,

1957: Alfredo Di Stéfano,

1958: Raymond Kopa,

1959: Alfredo Di Stéfano,

1960: Luis Suárez,

1961: Omar Sívori,

1962: Josef Masopust,

1963: Lev Yashin,

1964: Denis Law,

1965: Eusébio,

1966: Bobby Charlton,

1967: Flórian Albert,

1968: George Best,

1969: Gianni Rivera,

1970: Gerd Müller, 1971:

Johan Cruyff,

1972: Franz Beckenbauer,

1973: Johan Cruyff,

1974: Johan Cruyff,

1975: Oleg Blokhine,

1976: Franz Beckenbauer,

1977: Allan Simonsen,

1978: Kevin Keegan,

1979: Kevin Keegan,

1980: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge,

1981: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge,

1982: Paolo Rossi,

1983: Michel Platini,

1984: Michel Platini,

1985: Michel Platini,

1986: Igor Belanov,

1987: Ruud Gullit,

1988: Marco van Basten,

1989: Marco van Basten,

1990: Lotthar Matthäus,

1991: Jean-Pierre Papin,

1992: Marco van Basten,

1993: Roberto Baggio,

1994: Hristo Stoichkov,

1995: George Weah,

1996: Matthias Sammer,

1997: Ronaldo,

1998: Zinedine Zidane,

1999: Rivaldo,

2000: Luis Figo,

2001: Michael Owen,

2002: Ronaldo,

2003: Pavel Nedvěd,

2004: Andriy Shevchenko,

2005: Ronaldinho,

2006: Fabio Cannavaro,

2007: Kaká,

2008: Cristiano Ronaldo,

2009: Lionel Messi,

2010: Lionel Messi,

2011: Lionel Messi,

2012: Lionel Messi,

2013: Cristiano Ronaldo,

2014: Cristiano Ronaldo,

2015: Lionel Messi,

2016: Cristiano Ronaldo,

2017: Cristiano Ronaldo,

2018: Luka Modrić,

2019: Lionel Messi,

2021: Lionel Messi,

2022: Karim Benzema,

2023: Lionel Messi,

2024: Rodri.

 

The Driving Factors of the Soaring Lagos Island Property Market

The Lagos Island property market is currently experiencing significant activity, driven by a combination of factors including rapid urbanization, a growing population, and a strong demand for both luxury and rental properties. 

Here's a summary of the latest news and trends:

 1. Soaring Property Prices and Strong Demand:

Continued Appreciation: Lagos property prices surged by an impressive 39.5% in 2024 and are expected to rise another 5-15% in 2025. This is driven by high inflation, increased construction costs, and persistent housing shortages.

Luxury Market Boom: The luxury housing market in Lagos is valued at an estimated N3.2 trillion ($7.5 billion) and is expanding at a yearly rate of 6-8%, with property prices escalating by 25% in 2023 alone. Areas like Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Banana Island, and Eko Atlantic continue to be prime locations for high-end properties, attracting both local and diaspora investors. 

Land Value Skyrocketing: A plot of land in Eko Atlantic, valued at N180m in the early 2000s, now commands over N2bn, highlighting the rapid appreciation of prime coastal real estate.

High Rental Demand and Yields: Over 70% of Lagos residents live in rental spaces, and the allure of Lagos's rental market is enhanced by attractive yields, typically ranging from 4.5% to 6% annually. Short-let and serviced apartments are particularly popular, offering even higher returns for property owners due to booming tourism and business travel.


2. Focus on Luxury Developments:

Abundance of High-End Projects: Over 600 premium apartments, each valued at $1 million or more, are currently under construction across prime locations such as Ikoyi, Victoria Island, and Banana Island. Many new off-plan projects are being announced monthly, with completion dates around 2026-2027 and asking prices reaching as high as $6 million for the most opulent units.

Investor-Driven Market: More than 40% of residential properties in Lagos are currently owned by investors rather than occupants, indicating a strong trend in real estate speculation.

High Occupancy Rates in Prime Areas: Despite concerns about vacant properties, well-built luxury apartments in prime areas like Old Ikoyi and Victoria Island are seeing robust demand, with empty units typically not staying on the market for more than 4-6 weeks.

Modern Amenities: Luxury properties increasingly incorporate state-of-the-art home automation, smart home technology, private gyms, and swimming pools.



3. Challenges and Opportunities:

Housing Deficit: Lagos is facing a deepening housing crisis, with the deficit soaring to 3.4 million units from 2.95 million over the past decade. The low-income housing segment remains underfunded and underserved.

Affordability Concerns: A significant portion of Lagosians earn below N100,000 monthly, making it difficult for them to access formal housing, especially as less than 5% of new units are priced below N15 million.

Infrastructure Gaps: Inadequate road access and poor drainage continue to be significant barriers to expanding housing developments into less saturated peri-urban areas. However, infrastructure development projects like the expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge are poised to significantly enhance the city's connectivity and accessibility, driving up property values in affected areas. 

Government Initiatives: The Lagos State government is working to accelerate the implementation of its electronic Geographic Information System (e-GIS) to digitize land-related approvals and records. There's also a call for targeted incentives, including land reforms, tax breaks, and mortgage support for developers building affordable homes.

Emerging Areas: While prime areas remain strong, emerging areas like Ibeju-Lekki and Epe are seeing the fastest growth in land appreciation due to major infrastructure projects.

In summary, the Lagos Island property market is characterized by a thriving luxury segment, strong investor interest, and rapidly appreciating property values, particularly in prime coastal areas. However, the wider Lagos housing market continues to grapple with a significant affordability crisis and infrastructure challenges, leading to a strong demand for both luxury and more affordable rental options.

 

 

Friday, 25 July 2025

Why You Must Invest in Your Future and How to

The Bible says, “Let us work while it is day for the night comes when no man can work.

Why did the Bible advise thus

1. Because nighttime is full of darkness.

2. In a natural context, nighttime is a time of weakness when our strength has failed us.

3. Nighttime is always characterised by FEAR and torment.

 Now a vital question.

How do you intend to go through the nighttime without having darkness overwhelming you, maintaining your strength of the day all through and living above fear and torment?

1. You need to live right ... eating the right meals and drink what is normal. Health is wealth. If health fails – a great thing is gone.

2. You need to maintain a positive mindset - cheerfulness, happiness and lifestyle of joy.

3. Socialise ... relate with people of like minds. The Bible says, he that needs wisdom must associate with the wise because a company of fools shall perish. It has also been established that nobody survives in isolation because a single tree cannot form the forest. No man is an island. Yoruba people say, a broom stick can easily be broken but who can break a bunch. Socialise with people, even if you are a professional because a secluded professional in private practice who refused to socialise can never become successful. You need people, most especially, old friends who knew you when you were nobody but the ones who will help build you up.

4. Invest in the daytime to overcome the fear and torment of the night. Why? Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.

Investment for old age's sake


Long life is a good thing when you have the resources to live through it.  The journey is easy when you aren’t depending on anybody for help. To live well in old age, you need to identify the differences between working for money and letting your money work for you.

Most of us are good at working for money but we don’t allow our monies to work for us. It is normal to work for money. It is expected of every vibrant human being to do that, but it is good for us to know when to press the brake pedal.  Nobody should perpetually work for money ...  everybody needs to know when to invest the money earned into a regular returning cash cows or crops.

Letting your money work for you is like planting an arable crop, it doesn’t germinate easily but once it begins to produce fruits ... it keeps terminating without the farmer's continual efforts.

If you plant a mango tree for example, it will produce mangoes forever in its season.

How do we identify a continuous yielding investment?

A)  Find your area of interest. What works for one person might not work for others, but every investment obeys the same principle. It’s like law of gravity, when you jump up, you will come down to the original position – you cannot float.

B)  Consider the useful life or future of the business you want to invest in. With the advent of technology, most businesses are becoming irrelevant. Before you delve into any business, think about your age and confirm if that business will still be there to support you through the nighttime.

C) Seek financial counsel from investment bankers or analyst. They can help you find a business with future but avoid smooth talk and get rich syndrome.

D) Consider the legality and legal implications of the investment or everything might go under.

E) Properties are sure investments. Real estate is good if you can go through the stress of collecting rents BUT if not, buy landed properties in areas with potential for future developments. The only asset that doesn’t depreciate is landed properties. It keeps appreciating.

F) Buy bonds, securities and shares – but not without the knowledge of a good and genuine adviser.

G) Agricultural business is also good, but you need a professional to guide you through this – maybe you can Google ‘Farm investments.’

H) You can form or join cooperative societies.

I) Join or form investment clubs with your associates.

J) Invest in people – especially your children but you must learn to prioritise your personal development before pouring yourself into others. As a pastor and life coach, I invest in people and as a financial adviser and investor, I have bosses who invested in me, taught me and still mentors me. They are the ladders to the top of my career.

K) Avoid the notion that the people you invested in will always be there for you – even our shadows hide in darkness.

L) Learn the principles of time and season of life. Like I said before, there were things that worked before but not now.  Likewise, so many things working now will not work in future.

M) Identify the systematic operation of chance and time, which is opportunities. Always seize the moment. Don’t wait till you have it all mapped up or get it all before moving ahead. Do it now and immediately.  Carted potatoes will fall in place as we journey ahead. Don’t fear failure; it is only a discovery of how not to do it.

N) Find out the BEST in yourself now and also look out for the BEST in other people.

O) Don’t give-up on yourself. Nobody is a failure until he admits he is. Most people who become professors in our universities today do not make all their O'level papers at once. They are at the top of their career because they do not give up the chase.

P) Learn … unlearn … keep learning ... attend seminars and workshops; education is not limited to classrooms. There are many online free courses to tailor your mind and sharpen your skills. Check MOOCS on Google.


  • When is the best time to start investing in your future? 25 years ago.
  • Is it not too late for me to start? No!
  • What do I do to recover what I have lost in the past 25 years? Start immediately.
  • What do I engage myself in?  Don’t limit yourself to working hard, work smart also. Hard work takes so much strength while smart work requires intelligence and professionalism.
  • Any other thing I should do? Pray ... you cannot succeed without God.

 

See you at the top; the ground is too crowded. 

All the winners of the Ballon d'Or since 1956

The Ballon d'Or is the most important individual award in football. This video looks back at the winners of the Ballon d'Or from its...