The day our China container almost ended my friendship and my shop

Two years ago, I teamed up with two of my closest boys to import a container of phone accessories from China. We were all hustlers, we trusted each other like family. We pooled everything we had, about ₦18 million total. My own share was ₦6 million, all my savings plus borrowings.

The shipment got stuck at the port for three months. Dem dey call am 'examination', but na wahala. While we were waiting, one of the partners started complaining say he wanted his money back, that the deal was taking too long. The other one started talking about 'restructuring' the partnership. Before we knew it, they were fighting over who contributed more.

I was in the middle, trying to calm them. But the pressure was too much. One night, I couldn't sleep. I was calculating my losses in my head. If the container never clears, I lose my shop, my savings, everything. My sister's school fees, gone.

By God's grace, the container finally cleared. We sold everything within two weeks, made a good profit. But the damage was done. The trust was broken. We no longer do business together. I learned my lesson: never mix friendship with business unless you're ready to lose both.

Now, I do my own thing. If you want to partner with me, we sign papers first. No hard feelings, just business. 💪