I grew up in Eastern Nigeria — the kind of kid who took apart radios, fixed DVD players, and read about World War II for fun. 

The photo beside this text?
That’s Ochanja Market, Onitsha South — a place that looks chaotic to outsiders but feels like choreography to those of us who grew up around it.

I bought my first PlayStation inside one of those weathered stores, tucked beneath the faded billboards and rusted zinc roofs you see in that picture. My brother and I had saved quietly for months. We walked into the market like young men on a mission, weaving through rows of tricycles, stalls, and noise, and walked out with something that would define our childhood.

I also bought DVDs from the street vendors along those corridors — usually whenever my mom sent me to get goods for her shop. I’d slip in an extra ₦200 to grab titles like Tears of the Sun or Rambo.

My curiosity about history and power led me to study History and International Relations. I asked questions like: Why do soldiers fight wars they didn’t start? Why do systems fail the very people they’re built for?

I studied theory in school, but my real education came later, online. YouTube became my university. And after listening to Shola Akinlade’s interview with Dr. Dotun, I fell deep into the world of startups, product, and the invisible infrastructure of trust.