Social commentator and businessman Isaac Fayose has lifted the lid on how he built his fortune, revealing that his first million pounds came from an unlikely source—dogs tasked with eradicating wharf rats at Nigeria's seaports during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
The revelation comes amid an escalating public feud with nightlife entrepreneur Cubana Chief Priest, which has seen both men trade barbs over wealth, political loyalty, and the integrity of their business empires .
The Port Contract That Started It All
Speaking candidly about his financial journey, Fayose, the younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, disclosed that his breakthrough arrived through a government contract that few would have envisioned.
"I made my first million pounds from Obasanjo's government using dogs, so dogs gave me about four million pounds in Nigeria," Fayose explained .
The contract involved a seemingly insurmountable challenge: eradicating the massive wharf rat infestation plaguing the nation's ports before the facilities were handed over to concessionaires. While others deemed the task impossible, Fayose saw opportunity.
"They said it's impossible. I said, 'Don't worry. You have about one thousand six hundred cats. Just give me three hundred, and give me three hundred dogs,'" he recounted .
His strategy was unconventional but effective. Deploying Rottweilers and other breeds in coordinated formations, Fayose's team cleared the rodents and secured the ports. The project ultimately yielded approximately £4 million in profit .
Beyond the Ports: MTN and Timber
Fayose's wealth didn't stop at rodent eradication. He expanded his portfolio through a major contract with telecommunications giant MTN Nigeria, where he was responsible for maintaining and securing the company's base stations across the country.
"My second million in Nigeria, MTN, I used to take care of all their– any base station you see, the guards you see there, they are Anis guards. So do you want me to start counting?" he said .
Beyond contracts, Fayose invested in agriculture, particularly timber farming. After returning to Nigeria in 2002, he purchased thousands of mahogany seedlings in Ibadan, recognizing that the trees would take 15 years to mature—a patience-testing investment that has since paid handsomely.
"I was buying a nursery at the time for one thousand five hundred. I bought 2,980 nursery. I sell one timber now for four hundred thousand. Times my money and see, and my wealth is inside the bush," he revealed .
His confidence in his investments borders on the defiant: "So take everything that they give me now. Take it. I will still make it back. Just give me my Bible, my phone, and bana beat, my cigarette" .
The Feud That Won't Die
Fayose's financial disclosure arrives amid a bitter online war with Cubana Chief Priest, whose real name is Pascal Okechukwu. The feud ignited after Fayose made controversial remarks about Igbo political loyalty, suggesting the ethnic group was "easy to buy" with money and power—comments that did not sit well with the Igbo-born socialite .
Chief Priest fired back with characteristic flamboyance, claiming that his designer shoes alone were worth more than Fayose's entire net worth. "Your entire net worth is in my wardrobe," he taunted, challenging Fayose to a public wealth verification .
The exchange has since devolved into personal attacks, with Fayose alleging that individuals involved in importing Tramadol cannot legitimately oppose the government—a thinly veiled swipe at his adversary .
Public Reactions: Praise and Scepticism
Fayose's account of his wealth creation has drawn mixed reactions from Nigerians. Some applaud his entrepreneurial mindset and confidence.
"You may like him or not, but the confidence is strong. Making money from different things and believing you can start again if you lose it all—that mindset is powerful," commented @001Xtasy on social media .
Others remain sceptical, pointing to the advantages of political connections. "@solodaps" questioned: "How many ordinary person had the opportunity to get MTN station contracts worth $11M? Or make $4M from Dog business? His family name and connections made way for him, and his businesses were also used to launder money" .
The Bigger Picture
The Fayose-Chief Priest confrontation reflects deeper currents in Nigerian discourse—tensions between regional identities, questions about the legitimacy of wealth, and the increasingly blurred lines between entertainment, business, and politics.
Chief Priest has aligned himself with President Bola Tinubu's re-election campaign through the City Boy Movement, declaring that "removing Tinubu is impossible" and promising to deliver South-East support . Fayose, meanwhile, continues to position himself as a commentator unafraid to challenge what he sees as hypocrisy among the wealthy elite.
Whether this war of words ends in courtroom drama, reconciliation, or simply fades away remains to be seen. For now, both men have succeeded in one thing: keeping the public thoroughly entertained—and deeply divided.
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