@Taofeek Adeboye asked me:
‘Iking, if I buy land and keep it for 10 years, and I buy shares and keep it for 10 years with the same money, which one is more profitable when I want to sell’?
As someone, that has invested heavily in both sectors, let me tell you the brutal truth. Forget motivational speakers. Forget real estate agents that only show you the sweet part. Let’s open the book wide…
First, let me tell you the truth that nobody wants to tell you.
In Nigeria, land is like fire, if you handle it well, it can cook your food. If you mishandle it, it can burn your whole house.
Here’s the sweet part.
If you bought land in Ibeju-Lekki 10 years ago before Dangote Refinery, N500,000 land is now N15 – N20 million. That’s 3,000% return.
Land is tangible. You can fence it, rent it, build on it, or pass it down to your children.
Now, let me also tell you the bitter side nobody talks about:
Omo-onile wahala: You can buy land today, another family appears tomorrow claiming ownership. Many Nigerians have lost everything to this.
Fake agents and scammers: Some people have “bought” the same land three times from different people. By the time you finish in court, your money and peace are gone.
Government revocation: Don’t forget, land in Nigeria belongs to government. You only have “Certificate of Occupancy”. If a new government wakes up and says it needed that land for road expansion, airport, or “public interest”, it can revoke it.
And guess what? The government may not compensate you a dime.
Illiquidity: Land is not cash. You can’t just sell it tomorrow. Sometimes you’ll wait weeks, months, even years to find a buyer.
Hidden costs: Survey, fencing, legal fees, ratification, omo-onile settlements. All these eat deep into your profit.
The hidden truth:
More people in Nigeria have lost money to land wahala than to the stock market.
I know you may be wondering… What about shares?
Shares don’t give you “fence” or “survey plan”. But they give you peace of mind.
If you bought GTB shares in 2014 with N1 million, by 2025 (10 years later) you’d have over N10 – N18 million (share price growth + dividends reinvested).
No omo-onile, no fake agent, no revocation. Your shares are yours. No government can wake up and take them.
Liquidity: If you need money, you can sell your shares within days.
Small entry: Even Mama Ngozi that sells Tomatos in Enugu can start with just N1,000 or N5,000 in shares. She doesn’t need N500,000 to N1 million lump sum like land. From there, Mama Ngozi can build gradually.
Double benefits: You earn dividends yearly (cash in your bank) + capital appreciation (share price rising).
Now, let me also tell you the bitter side
Share prices go up and down daily. If you panic when it drops, you’ll lose.
You need knowledge to choose the right companies (blue chips like Zenith, MTN, Dangote Cement).
Let’s compare land with shares: Side-by-Side (N1 million. Example: 10 years)
Scenario A: N1 million in land
If you buy in a good location like Ibeju in 2014, worth N15 million today (2025).
If you buy in a wrong location like far Ikorodu bush, still N1 –N1.2 million today.
Scenario B: N1 million in GTB shares
2014 GTB share price: N29. By 2025: N90 (not even the best stock).
N1 million invested, N4.3 million in price growth + N6 million in dividends reinvested = about N11–N18 million today.
And zero omo-onile headache.
So which is better? It depends on strategy, timing, and knowledge.
But don’t focus on numbers only.
Do you know what billionaires do? They don’t choose land or shares. They buy both.
Land for legacy and long-term asset; shares for liquidity, cash flow, and growth.
Even Mama Ngozi can start with N5,000 in shares monthly. After five years, she can use part of her stock profits to buy land. That way, her land is not “dead money”; she’s growing on both sides.
Stop listening to half-truths. Land is powerful, but it can be stolen, revoked, or tied down. Shares are invisible, but they’re safe, liquid, and powerful.
The wealthiest Nigerians don’t argue “Land vs Shares”. They play Land + Shares.
Small drops of N5,000 monthly in shares today can grow into millions in 10 years. And those millions can buy land in the right location, without stress.
My name is Iking Ferry, the only Financial Literacy Advocate that explains money so simply that even Grandma in the village will say: Yes, I understand this one.
Ferry is the Founder of Pulseford Business School
