0:00 Mama, you're too sharp. You will give me money today. >> They always see me as a walking dollar bill. It's always there. Anywhere I go, they >> Everywhere you go, too. >> Everywhere I go, they believe I'm a bag of money. >> Fari Elisia, I'm sure most of you have heard that name. The Russian lady who is so popular on social media. Today we have her on the show. You they speak pidgin as Nigerians. I needed to ask this in pidgin. >> I thought we no they do pidgin here today. >> What is one thing you do now that would shock people back home? >> Do you guys have chicken here? I'm sorry I have to eat chicken. I have been looking at me, but I have to get to a point. You know, this was one of the culture shocks I had the first time I went back to Russia, and this is how exactly I was eating chicken. They were just looking at me like this. >> You people don't eat chicken in your place? Is it that it shocks your people that you eat chicken? How long have you been in Nigeria now? >> It's been 6 years. If I'm among Russian
0:47 people, I have to remind myself that I'm Russian. I feel like I'm more Nigerian than Russian at this point. >> You spent 6 years in Nigeria. From your experience, what is the one lie Nigerians believe about white people? >> They feel like white people are smarter than them. They treat white people way better than their own people. >> What is the hardest thing about being recognized by millions of strangers? >> I wish they could know me for who I am, not for the image I created online. >> Nigerian men, if you're watching me now, this is the part where you should open your ears very wide. Tell us one misconception that you think Nigerian men have when it comes to foreign women like you. >> They feel like foreign women are >> But what do Nigerian men do very well that you think others should copy? >> Nigerian men are bold. They are very bold. It's that boldness that I always admire. >> much audacity. >> Oh my god, too much audacity.
1:33 >> Make sure you what it means to have such audacity. >> Show me. >> Are you sure you Are you sure you not sue me? >> You are scaring me. >> Are you sure you not sue me? >> You are scaring me. >> [music] [music] >> Fari Elisia, today we have her on the show guys beyond what she has been able to build on the Nigerian social media space. When I first heard her speak, I felt intrigued by the depth of her intelligence. And today we're privileged to have her on this show. We're going to be asking her some very brilliant wonderful questions to
2:19 understand what exactly she's doing in this country. Please help me to welcome the goddess of Nigerian social media. >> Thank you. Thank you. [laughter] You're really curious about what I'm doing in Nigeria, aren't you? >> Yeah, we are curious. You know, a lot of people in this country often times when we see foreigners like you from very well developed countries like Russia, America, and the rest of the world, we ask ourselves but what exactly is she is she looking for in this country? In this country that everybody wants to japa. [snorts] But before we get into all of
3:05 that, I want us to start from the beginning and so that a lot of people can get to understand who you are better. How long have you been in Nigeria now? >> It's been six years. I came to Nigeria back in 2020 and I got stuck in Nigeria during COVID times, which wasn't part of the plan. And yeah, since then it's been me and Nigeria together. It's been it's been a whole lot. I mean, COVID just like I said, it wasn't part of the plan, but it made me realize that I belong here without actually understanding how.
3:51 So being in Nigeria and surviving, literally surviving in another man's country with no resources, with no house, where we'd staying. Um, it just it just made me am today. It also made me realize that I was meant to be here. So yes, I've been in Nigeria for six whole years. >> Let's move on. We'll have a lot to talk about anyway. And if you if you've watched today's part, I want to say a very big thank you and to kindly remind you to subscribe to this channel. Thank you so much. [laughter] Now you don't speak you don't speak pigeon past Nigerians. I need to ask this in pigeon.
4:37 You don't speak pigeon English, but when I when I hear you speak pigeon English >> the pigeon here today. >> [laughter] >> The worst part of it is when I realized that you said you spent most of your time in Port Harcourt and Lagos, I knew where the problem is coming from. The problem of this pigeon English. How can the Russian speak pigeon English better than some of us? But tell me in six years how were you able to learn all of that? >> I think you know when you're trying to survive in someone's country that is not is not your place. People don't look like you, people don't sound like you, people don't dress like you. Everything is literally different, right? And there were so many culture shocks for me. Um,
5:22 when you are in a place like that and you there's a saying if you are in Rome, you have to behave like Romans, right? So I decided to behave like Nigerians. And for me to be able to do that, to understand them more, to be able to communicate with Nigerian people more, I had to start from the language which at that time pigeon was like, you know, it's like broken English that everyone speaks and everyone everyone using the language understands each other. So being just one month in Nigeria, which was, you know, I came in February 2020 uh from February to March, I was already learning pigeon and I was able to speak basics. I used to go on streets speaking with people, um, on streets,
6:08 literally on streets. And you know, when COVID hit me, and there was this realization that, oh, I'm surviving now. I have to survive. I need to find ways to make money because I was in survival mode. Uh, it hit me hard and I was literally going on streets, being able to meet people, to understand culture more, to eat Nigerian local food. And that's how I even started creating content in the first place. I wanted to document everything I was doing, right? [snorts] And put it on social media. And I realized Nigerian people were so fascinated by those videos, like a foreigner speaking their language, a foreigner trying akara in the morning, a foreigner trying bole, because the first
6:53 six months uh of my life in Nigeria was in Port Harcourt. So I got stuck in PH. Uh, so when all those things were happening, right? Um, it was easy to grab the pigeon language because I was more like into the life, the street life, not in the house. I was not in the house. I was barely at home where I was staying at that point. I was mostly outside, communicating with people, dancing, gisting with them. Um, I mean, there were even some Yahoo boys, which I used to visit. I didn't know then. I didn't know anything about like proper Yahoo boys, right? And cultists as well. I was shooting skits, content with some guys, young boys. I didn't know what they were doing. I didn't know what they were up to.
7:38 And I used to be in the house with like seven to 10 boys. I didn't know that those guys are cultists. >> Hm. >> But I was there. It's It took me time to understand. And those guys were teaching me like cultist pigeon. You know, crazy slangs. So something like bring your kapa. Even some [laughter] other Nigerians, they don't know slangs like, you know, bring your kapa. Disembark from that kapa and star. You know, those tough ones. And I was thinking it's a normal pigeon, because the moment I use the same slangs for Nigerians who are not cultists or Yahoo boys. >> They look at you somehow. >> They would look like, what do you mean by They couldn't understand some slangs I was using. And I had to now ask deeper questions, why some people
8:25 cannot understand a particular slang. And I realized, oh, every community, every state, every group of people like cultists, Yahoo boys, they have their own slangs for the ways they communicate with each other. Like Warri pigeon is different from Benin pigeon, which is different from Portharcourt pigeon. All of them have different slangs. Pigeon is crazy. >> Hm. Now tell me, how does the Russian in you blend or compete with the Nigerian you've become? Quite very curious. It's like two very strange people coming together to become one. >> Sometimes it's tough actually.
9:11 Like if I if I'm among Russian people I'm sitting on a table with Russian people I have to remind myself that I'm Russian. There's some things I've forgotten. There are some words in Russian language I forget. And I apologize on time. I'll be like, sorry guys, I've not I've been staying in Nigeria for six years out of Russia. And I've been speaking English more than Russian language. So if I might sound funny to you, forgive me. And they tell me that I have accent in Russian now. Like I sound like a foreigner in Russian. >> Hm. >> So this this parts of me already changing. It's it's sometimes awkward. I, to be honest with you, I I feel like I'm more Nigerian than Russian at this point because
9:58 it's I don't know, it's strange but I've embodied the Nigerian part. And it also feels like I was always meant to be Nigerian. I don't know. I was also meant to be Russian. It's it's funny but yeah, that's how I feel sometimes. >> What, what, what is, I'm curious to know what the first thing Nigerians say when they first meet you that you're tired of hearing? >> Um, Mama, you're too sharp. You go give me money today. [laughter] They always see me as a walking dollar bill. So they actually, the statement I'm tired of is you go give us money. >> Yeah. >> You'll give us something. You'll bless us today.
10:44 It's, it's, it's always there. Anywhere I go, they everywhere I go, they believe I'm a bag of money and I have to, I came with dollars. If only they knew. It's, it's, yeah, it's, it's crazy because I believe one of the things I know about Nigerians, especially Nigerians who are going through a lot out there, they feel entitled so much. And I realized with time, okay, it's not only me that they ask these questions. Even when they see richer people out there, people who drive better cars, celebrities, they always feel entitled and they ask the same things. Yeah, as a, as a white person,
11:29 I don't even think I'm white, I'm yellow. As a yellow person or a foreigner, right? They just expect that every foreigner must give them money or every foreigner has money. >> Oh. >> So that's one of the things that, you know, I face all the time. >> So I'm going to ask you something interesting because it's something I'm curious about. What is one thing you do now that shock people back home? >> Do you guys have chicken here? >> Yeah, there was chicken in the food they served you earlier. You ate it. >> Yes, >> can I bring you chicken? >> don't You people don't eat chicken in
12:15 your place. Anyway, let's have >> it for later. >> Let's have the chicken. Is it that it shocks your people that you eat chicken? >> I'll show you, don't worry. Yeah, thank you. Okay, where do we start from? I'm sorry I have to eat chicken. I have been looking at me, but I have to get to a point. >> You have to get to a point. >> Mhm. >> Are you sure you you are showing me something or you just want to eat chicken? >> Definitely I want to eat chicken. But there are some things you can't just say out loud.
13:01 You have to show for people to understand. Where do I feel like this bone is hard? So you see in Russia, right? >> Mhm. >> I'm taking off the meat to save time. So in Russia, when we eat meat or we eat meat, this is where we usually end it. We drop it on the table like this. >> People don't eat bone. >> So me here now I have cracking the bone, eating the head of the bone and enjoying the custom that it has.
13:48 And the most funniest thing, this is the sweetest part of the chicken, but I never knew it until I got to Nigeria. Mhm. I'll eat bone from this side, I'll eat bone from this side, and you are the bone. Drop it. You know, this was one of the culture shocks I had when I got to Nigeria. And the funny thing is the first time I went back to Russia and I was eating chicken with my family. We're eating chicken and rice. And this is how exactly I was eating chicken. They were just looking at me like this. >> They were shocked that you were eating bones. >> Yes. >> So you people don't eat bone?
14:33 >> We don't eat bones in my country. We just We eat the meat and drop the rest. >> You people have been missing a lot. >> I know, right? I told them they're missing a lot. [laughter] But guess what? It's the same way when I just got to Nigeria. It's the same way I was looking at you people. Whenever you were eating bone, I would just be looking at you. Why are you guys eating bone? Like >> So you you had assumed [clears throat] that we bush people by eating bone. >> yes. Cuz it was weird to me until I actually tried >> chicken. >> until I actually tried and I realized that ah this is sweet. >> So you you not eat bone like us. >> As you see. I didn't finish it, but yes. >> That's interesting.
15:19 Aside from this, what what else is there any other thing something you've learned how to do in Nigeria that is strange to your people back home something that is culturally different? >> It's dance. >> Dance. >> Yeah, before if I You know, whenever we have this family gatherings and we're celebrating something >> Yes. >> we dance the usual Russian style of dances or like uh Latino dances. >> Oh. >> But now my family members will be dancing Latino dance, the normal usual moves, and me I'll be shaking my yansh. So they'll just be looking at me like, what is she doing? I'm like, you guys try it. [laughter]
16:06 This is a sweet dance move. Everything I'm doing, my waist must move. I don't know why my waist is moving. There are some things I can't just explain, and I didn't even notice how I embodied this habit. >> [laughter] >> So back home you would not shake your ass. What's the essence of dancing without shaking [laughter] your ass? >> Right? [gasps] Oh my god. But yeah, it's just so fun. >> [laughter] >> All right. >> It's so fun. >> Yeah, okay. Let's move on. We'll have a lot to talk about anyway. And if you if you've watched all the today's part, I want to say a very big thank you. And to kindly remind you to subscribe to this channel. Trust me, the conversation is about to get deeper. We're going to talk
16:52 about mindset. We're going to talk about the Nigerian belief that it's better outside there. And we're going to talk about a lot of other interesting things. But I would kindly appeal to you to click the subscribe button. Thank you so much. Fari, many Nigerians treat abroad as one place where everyone is comfortable. You tell me, what is the reality? You've traveled quite a lot. You've been in Nigeria, you came from Russia, and you've been to so many other countries. This belief, is it true or not? >> That's a tricky question.
17:39 Well, let's start from saying that abroad is not one place. Abroad is abroad. So it always depends on what country Nigerians are going to, what culture they're going to face. And uh another thing is living Nigeria doesn't mean you're going to face comforts. That is one of the misconceptions Nigerians have about living abroad. I'll make it simple. You know, you earning in dollars or pounds and then after you earn dollars, you come back home, you pay your rent, you pay your bills, you pay your light, gas, you have all those stuffs in your home
18:25 running well for you. But the amount of money you're paying for it is huge. By the time you finish paying all the bills, taxes, your rent, you're almost left with nothing and you might be doing two jobs, one in the night, one in the morning. You know, so all I keep saying is that abroad any country might have a lot of opportunities out there. More developed countries definitely have a lot of opportunities, but there's no country that would save you from survival. Because no matter where you are in this world, life will still hit you hard, life will still come your way. >> Hm. >> It's just that every country has their own challenges. Russia has its own challenges right now.
19:12 There's war going on between Russia and Ukraine. Um America has its own challenges. Those guys don't have culture at all. I will always say that they don't have any culture, any values. Different countries that we keep looking up to that we want to go, the UK has its own challenges. Most of my friends, especially Nigerian friends who are in UK and a couple of Russian friends, they are struggling a lot. Because by the time they end up paying their bills, they work hard, they always tired, they barely sleep, they pay their bills, they don't have any other life going on, and they'll be snapping pictures, lying to their village people that life is smooth there, life is sweet, and village people will believe that they have made it just because they are in UK or US or
19:58 Canada. Because they don't they choose not to show you the true picture of what they're going through. They don't want um it's like I don't want my village people to know >> Hm. >> the hardship I'm going to because they're looking up to you. Uh you know, so they lie a lot, they deceive people a lot because most of my friends who are living there, they complain, sometimes they cry, sometimes they call me, they're like, ah Fari, I wish I didn't live in Nigeria, because, just like I said, every country has its own challenges. And I wish a lot of Africans understood that and saw it clearly that in Africa we have also so many opportunities and possibilities. You just need to learn how to find it and use it. So yeah.
20:44 >> Cool, yeah. We were talking about Russia alien. And a question came to my mind. I'm interested to understand what do you think that people in your place, for example, in Russia and in some other countries you've been to, what do you think they get wrong about Nigeria? >> I mean, it's first thing I would say is the Yahoo picture that they created about Nigeria, the 419, that Nigerians are scammers. And the second thing would be uh this goes not just to Nigeria but to Africa in whole, right? That
21:30 Africa is poor, is not civilized, you know. A lot of white people, they don't even know that Africa is a continent, is not uh is not is not a country. They don't have that knowledge. Uh I remember growing up I used to see on the TV, BBC, right? They kept showing hungry kids. Anything is about Africa, it's either animals, wild animals, hungry kids, and infections, Ebola, malaria, they keep emphasizing these infections. So you're scared to travel to Africa. And so many people are scared of Africa. Because I remember the first time I traveled to Ghana, it was a big deal for my mother, for my whole family. They
22:15 kept sending me messages, be careful there, don't don't go out like that, don't touch people, because they feel like I'll catch one infection or something else. You know, it was it was a bit crazy. I had to start taking videos and showing them around that, hey, it's not the way you think. If you like Africa is poor, is dirty, is it's full of hungry kids walking on the streets. Hungry kids are everywhere in the world. Look at Indonesia, look at India, even in Russia. There's some villages, you go deep into some certain villages, you'll see hungry kids there. People are poor. Poor people are everywhere in the world. Have you seen some American um hungry people on the streets? Old people, you homeless people, they are everywhere in the world.
23:02 This is everywhere. So but somehow media always emphasized on the weakest parts of Africa and they um it's just, you know, it's a media control game where they wanted us to believe that this is how Africa is. And the moment my perception started changing about Africa, Nigeria in general I took it upon myself to make sure that my family changes that perception as well. And right now my mom, my sisters, my other relatives, they're very excited to visit Nigeria one day. >> Mm. >> And it took me years to be able to change that mindset. It took me years. It took me years of exploring, showing them the most beautiful sides of Nigeria, showing them South Africa, showing them Ghana, other
23:49 countries I've been to to show them that this is Africa. It's not what you used to think or believe. >> we we do not live in caves. >> You don't you don't that you don't climb the trees. >> don't walk walk around with caves. >> to say about the [laughter] monkey. It's like Africa's they always live on the trees like monkeys together with monkeys playing games. >> Mm. >> These are these are really hurtful stereotypes. >> Yeah, yeah. I understand another I don't really blame them anyway. I don't really >> don't as well. It's a media. >> don't I don't really blame them. I blame Africa. I blame Africa because you've not been able to truly tell our the best where we can. And um from your experience, you've spent six
24:35 years in Nigeria. From your experience, what is the one lie Nigerians believe about white people like you? >> They feel like white people are smarter than them. >> Huh. >> They treat white people way better than their own people. A scenario, this is what happened to me before. Um in my ex relationship with my ex boyfriend, right? We were going to Kilimanjaro in Port Harcourt going to eat. And do you know all the security guys standing by the eatery opening the doors for you? So the security guy was so excited I saw a white lady. He was like, ah madam,
25:22 boss, you are welcome. He opened the door for me. And because he was even looking at me walking into the um the restaurant and he forgot about my ex. He just closed the door in front of him. And I saw it because I was I was still looking back looking for my for my guy and I was like, where is where is he? I realized he's still outside. He closed the door and and he was just standing and looking like, what just happened? Me too, what just happened? And this guy was so excited. I'm like, I got I got pissed off. I got angry. That that day has actually changed a lot in me. I had to I had to put some sense in his head at that point because I had to like educate him that this is wrong. You
26:07 don't do that. You literally praised me. You don't even know me. What if this guy is the one saving my life at this point? What if this guy is the rich one actually? What if he's the one that has money in his account and I'm the broke one? He didn't know I was broke. I was hungry. I was looking for ways to find money. And you're treating me better than this person just because of my color. How does that make sense to you? >> In his own country. >> In his own country, you'll be maltreating your own people. Look at the biggest businesses in Nigeria. The management are always either Lebanese, either Indians, uh Kenyans, Ghanaians. You look at the chefs in the, you know, uh elite families, you know, private chefs are usually from other African countries. They're not Nigerians.
26:53 When you ask yourself why the the same Nigerians who own the business, they keep saying I can't trust my people. >> Oh. >> It's a big problem. It's a very big problem. >> You know, while we were speaking, I remembered something that happened to my boss, my mentor. It was earlier this year. >> Mhm. >> He came to Nigeria with a couple of um expatriate white people for a business. He was the one who invited them. And um I took them to a hotel >> Mhm. >> in this Abuja. Three white men. When we go to the hotel, the at the receptionist, the lady who attended to them,
27:42 oh god. If you see the way she ignored my mentor and focused on the white men. And the funny thing is that it's my mentor who is actually their boss. So she ignored him completely and focused on the she was so excited, smiling as if somebody dashed her some dollars. She was smiling from ear to ear, paying very close attention. And they were pointing her back like there were four of them on the counter, and she was facing them, and they were redirecting her
28:28 to my mentor who was there. And she wasn't even getting it Until my mentor got angry. And I got angry. My mentor doesn't know how to speak, you know, loudly. He's he's too gentle for my liking. For people like us who are boros in this country, I was so pissed of that. After I finished talking to her, speaking to her that day, she felt like she should just disappear. And it was not the first time. And this is also the same with police people, security people. I've been the same people I was carrying them in my car
29:13 with my mentor and we were on our way to the hotel. The police escort they broke every traffic rule I can think of with their siren >> They don't They refuse to obey traffic rules. But guess what? At every traffic light they speed pass. They run on red light. >> Usually, yeah. >> I will stop. They will run across and start waiting for us ahead. I will stop. When I go to the hotel, I told them I said, you don't teach white people that this is a lawless country. >> Exactly. >> And you're doing that because you felt like you're carrying some white men. You want to treat them better, show off
30:00 and all of that. And then so I quite understand your answer. And if you're a Nigerian watching us I implore you to do better. I implore you to do better. You mentioned about how Nigerians see you as someone who came with bags of dollars. >> Yes. >> So my first question was to ask if people assume you're rich simply because you're white. >> Yeah, it's a big problem, right? It's It's a misconception as well. It's stereotype. They feel like every white person is rich, every white person has money. And even when I sometimes try to explain to certain people I communicate with that
30:47 that's not how it is. You have to be open to the fact that white people are humans like you are. White people are living life, the life you're living. They still come back to the fact that you know no is not like that. The reason white people are always ahead of us is because this, because that, because they are holding all the world's money. They are those is white people every there's no white person that is broke. And I'll be looking at the person and I'm like you know sometimes you can't even explain I don't I don't know. You can't explain to people if you know that they are not willing to understand because their own level of knowledge is >> They made they made they made themselves
31:32 incapable of understanding. >> They're not even open to listening. So it's it's it's quite sad that people think that every white person is rich, every white person has money and they automatically trust every white person when they see. Do you know there are guys in Nigeria who employ white people like me? Beautiful white girls in Nigeria go with people like me to official business meetings just because they believe just because I'm there with them that they'll get that contract or they'll make this money or they'll close this business deal. And all they'll give me is 10 %. Do you know how many times I was invited for stuffs like that? But I never could follow them because
32:21 I was more than that. I'm not just a white person you can use to to grab some cash which didn't really make sense to me and a lot of people are using it as a strategic move to make money. >> Hm. >> A lot. >> Hm. So that also goes to show why Nigerians, most Nigerians love foreign product more than local product. Anything foreign you go to buy phones, they tell you this is London used phone. It's more expensive than Nigerian used phone. What is the difference between used product? Are they not human beings there that use these phones? So Nigerians back home they have Ebola. That is why whatever they use becomes
33:09 cheaper. You see foreign cars. This one is Nigerian used car, foreign used car. So foreign used car is more expensive. >> expensive. >> You go to furniture houses, they tell you this one is Italian, this uh >> This is Turkish, this is French leather, you know? >> And Nigerians manufacture products in Nigeria and find a way to put foreign label on their products just so they could >> They could sell it. >> Sell those product. Quite very pathetic. But what do you think what do you love about Nigeria that Nigerians don't see in themselves? >> It's the ability to create opportunities when life gives you just a little space
33:55 to do that. What I love about Nigerians is that they are they are resilient, they are courageous, they are strong, very very strong and smart nation. I mean, in fact, I keep saying that Nigerians are one of the smartest nations I know. I've traveled to so many countries. I've met different people. >> Mm. >> Nigerians are one of the smartest smartest nations I know. And um what they don't realize or they don't see I'm not talking about all Nigerians, but majority, right? They don't use their smartness to build something, to create value, to build systems. They use their smartness to do the wrong
34:41 things. They channel that smartness or the knowledge they have in the wrong space, you know, on the wrong things, cuz there are so many distractions out there. So one of the things I admire about Nigerians is the strength, is the courage, is the resilience because there's a statement, popular statement, you know, if you can survive in Nigeria, you can work >> anywhere else in the world. >> else in the world. And there's a reason why they say it, you know. So basically that's it. Yeah. >> So let's let's talk about your huge social media following. On Facebook, you have 1.5 million
35:27 followers. On TikTok, we have 898 almost 900,000 followers and over 9.1 million likes. On Instagram, you have almost 300,000 followers. Tell me, how were you able to build all of this within this very short period of time? >> It's a sequence of you know, actions I took which started with content creation. >> Mm. >> And later went into I I was you know, I started with a comedy skits and
36:13 when people ask me, why do you do this? I kept saying, I like the fact that people laugh when they watch my videos. You know, the very first time in Portharcourt when one of my followers, the very first time ever somebody recognized me outside when we're standing in a queue, you know back then when there was a curfew, supermarkets were loaded with people, there there are no products because of COVID announcement. So I remember the very first time I was standing in that queue, somebody approaches me, >> I love your video. Do you know how it feels when a random person recognizes you? So that was the first inspirational kick for me. I was so motivated to do more
37:00 and I kept doing more videos, more videos. And I realized we in Nigeria, we are going through a lot. I wouldn't say people because I was part of the people and I was going through a lot in Nigeria. I was facing Nigeria. We are going through a lot and at the end of the day everybody wants to see reason to smile, to laugh. And at that point people were going on social media to watch some comedy videos and laugh. So that was the reason why I kept creating funny content. But along the line when my brand name went more viral, my videos went viral and I got more exposure, more followers started coming in. I realized I need to give back to the society.
37:46 So I did a lot of charity. In the beginning I didn't have a team but now I have a team, I have a foundation. So giving back to the society was my major you know action that I was trying to do and impact. It's basically creating impacts. The moment I made my audience believe that I'm here not just for myself, I'm here for us. And with you guys, you guys are with me because there wouldn't have been Fari Illusion today without those numbers. >> Huh. >> The reason even I'm here today is because of those numbers. So they made me who I am today and I
38:31 always give it back to them and I always I'm always grateful for any person that just chooses to take his time to click on that follow button and you know follow was my content, was my craft. It's a lot to do. I don't easily follow people. I must admire you. It's either I'm your enemy or the person that admires you for me to follow you. You know, so basically it's it's been impact for me and I I guess that's what made people to trust me more and follow me more because they don't just see someone who creates content. She's she's giving back to the society, so >> Thank you for so much for that. And if you if if you if you watched to this
39:17 point, I'd like you to just quickly follow her. The name is on the screen. That's her name across all social media platform. You're going to learn quite a lot from her content, of course. I believe if you've listened to her to this point, you know how deep she is. What is the hardest thing about being recognized by millions of strangers? I can understand what it feels like to walk into public places. You don't know who knows you. Does that make you feel uncomfortable? >> Yeah. It does. You know, there's a difference between being recognized
40:03 by millions and being truly seen by few. Most of the times I go out, people recognize me. I I wish they could know me for who I am, not for the image I created online. >> Huh. >> You know, because the disadvantage that comes with popularity, being popular, famous is the fact that you lose your privacy. There's nothing like privacy anymore because you're going to stay conscious always. Any place you enter in, you got to be conscious of how you walk, how you sit, how you talk because the next thing you might see somebody peeping with the camera from a side. You know, and um
40:49 it's it's not easy because that puts me in a place where I have to be who I'm not. I wish I could be myself. I wish I could be that crazy Fari that she can be herself anywhere out there, but because of the brand I have to behave myself and then uh just like I said there's nothing like privacy. Um freedom goes away when it comes to numbers, a lot of people recognizing you and uh millions of people also create a particular image of you in their head, in their mindset >> Yes. >> that they feel like that's who Fari is. >> Because of what they've seen online. >> Yes. So people don't know that what you see online or social media is different.
41:35 It could be different from what you've seen in real life. It could be two different personalities. >> Yes. I agree with you. What is your advice to someone who is started from zero followers today? >> Deep one. Uh my advice is simple is to find yourself, right? You shouldn't necessarily be somebody you're not. You have to be able to find yourself, to find your ikigai. Uh ikigai is from Japanese. It means the reason I wake up every day, which in English we call ikigai as a purpose, right? It's purpose.
42:21 So you have to find the purpose even when it comes to content creation or social media because why are you creating content? Who are you sharing this content to? Why do you want people to see your content? What value are you creating? Why do you want a lot of people to follow you? Is it just because you want to be famous and you feel like oh content will bring me money? >> Mm. >> If you're just doing it for money then you're not going to last. Your brand is not going to last. But if you find your ikigai, you find your why, you might have a little passion for creating content and you have zero followers and you don't know where to start. The only advice I always give is find your ikigai, find your why and find yourself. Then you're going to know that every
43:08 other things will start aligning. Once you know what you're creating for who and how and why it becomes pretty easy. It becomes pretty easy. So zero followers it's it's nothing. You know your your zero followers, right? Might be someone's 0.005 followers. And my 100 followers might be your 1,000 followers. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? >> Yes, yes. >> So there's nothing like zero followers. >> Oh. >> It's all about it's all about what state of mind are you at at that point?
43:53 How much knowledge you have, what skills you have, how many people you know, do you have resources or not? Have you already built a brand or you're just starting now? So all those things are combined together before you make them. You just have to be strategic. Find yourself. >> most importantly [clears throat] how you interpret your current situation. >> Exactly. >> That's very brilliant answer. Now we're moving on to the very part that interests me the most. The part I've been waiting for in this interview. [laughter] And it's about the misconception Nigerian men have when it comes to foreign women. Tell me.
44:38 Just one misconception that you think Nigerian men have when it comes to foreign women like you. >> They feel like foreign women are not submissive and tough. >> Mm. >> More like it's hard to get foreign women and they could not be submissive, you know so it's it's one of the big misconceptions because I I keep hearing that a lot and I know even from my own experience a lot of men are scared to they might want you, they might give you signs that they want you but they're scared to go for it. You know, so that's why white women not being submissive is the wrong statement
45:24 cuz I definitely can tell you that if a woman if a white woman or a foreign woman loves you, >> Oh. >> truly loves you she will be submissive. She'll calm down. Even if she looks very loud and you know, she'll calm down cuz she doesn't want to lose you because she has seen the substance. She has seen what makes her happy. So it's it's it's never about oh white women are not submissive or they're hard to get is about how well you are doing at getting her. You know. Then again it depends on cultures as well because you can't say oh Russian women are the same with American women, who are the same with Sweden women, who
46:10 are the same with Denmark women, who are the same with Mexican women. So culture has a way of creating a particular identity in all women. It does. So if you tell me that oh Russian women is the same with Mexican women, I will disagree. >> But what do Nigerian men do very well that you think others should copy? I'm asking this for my gender. Nigerian men if you're watching me now this is the part where you should open your ears very wide. >> I'm not going to say what you want to hear. >> [laughter] >> Please say it. Don't be stingy with the truth. >> No. >> Praise us. Tell us the truth do well. >> bold. No, Nigerian men are bold. >> Mm. >> They are very bold. It's that boldness
46:56 that I always admire. >> much audacity. >> Oh my god, too much audacity. If a Nigerian man wants you, you will just go for you. If you see other foreigners that want to do good, they'll they'll travel here, they'll travel from this country to another country before they can actually tell you, hey, I like you. If it's a Nigerian man, bam. Bam. Just go straight forward. So they're very bold. And when it comes to approaching women, trying to win our hearts, right? Nigerian men are good. They're pretty good at that. And also they are very good at taking care of their women when they truly love them. >> Mm. It's great. Should that part Oh. This is where we talk about Nigerian men. >> Nigerian [clears throat] men really really do take care of their women.
47:42 Again, if they truly love them. >> Yeah. We are responsible people. >> Yes. >> But tell me, what is the funniest experience you've had with Nigerian men? Something that whenever you remember it, it makes you laugh. >> Something that makes me laugh when I remember about Nigerian men. >> The experience you've had with Nigerian men that makes you laugh whenever you remember it. >> I I think it would be it would be more It It wasn't once. It's been a couple of times. It's when they try to treat treat me as Achalugo. >> Achalugo. [laughter] >> I want to marry you. I will do this for you. I'll do this. I'll buy you a house. I'll buy You don't have a car. I'll get you a car. Don't
48:27 worry. Hey, you are doing this. You're shooting your content. You're Oh, you are speaking on stage. Don't worry. I'll connect you to this person, to this person, to this person. It's empty promises. >> Are you not saying that Nigerian men give empty promises to women? Is that what you're saying? >> from empty promises, right? They Nigerian men I mean, what really made me laugh so many times it was the fact that they used the money or resources to try to win me or to get me, which doesn't work with me. >> Oh. >> It might work with some Nigerian women, but it doesn't work with me. You can't bring the car you're driving or the house you have. It doesn't mean if you have 10 houses and you're driving the latest three sports cars, I can never be
49:13 impressed by that. So so it's it's it makes me laugh because you know they're used to already treating women particular way in Nigeria, so they feel like every other women is like that. They generalize women, but no, women are different. >> So so I want you to take a moment before you answer this next question. What would you advise the young Nigerian man to do better items of how to properly treat a lady? >> Hm. That's a deep question. I see in this part of the world women are being disrespected a lot.
50:01 Women are looked down on a lot. They are treated as material things. Their body parts are used to be shamed on. You won't hear in the songs all those all those Nigerian Afrobeat songs where they promote a guy's sensual body parts, but they'll be singing freely about it, about women. They won't use guys shaking yash in the songs. They'll be using women and they keep promoting that. So my advice to young guys would be stop seeing women as something you can use and go cuz we are humans. We have ambitions, we have dreams, we have goals. We
50:47 we can multiply whatever you give us. We have strong abilities which you don't know about and you keep looking down on us. You know, so that would be one of the things, right? And uh I would also advise women, not just guys. >> Oh. >> I would also tell women to stop allowing to joke with your body parts. To to allowing people around you to be when you are in the midst of you know you are in the party you will be sitting vibing they will be making jokes about Yash about this babe that babe this one women should stop allowing men to talk about like that about them. Because women are also a problem.
51:32 They also will be I I I always see women girls young girls they see that as a joke it's not a joke. If you laugh about joke that they are making about you that means you are indirectly disrespecting yourself and you are allowing others to disrespect you as a woman. So basically that's it it's just we are all humans and men should treat us the same respect they want they should respect us as well and we are going to multiply that respect. >> When I was looking you up one of the things that got me glued about you or something that excited me so much about you was when I got to find out that you are
52:19 a mind engineer. As someone who is interested about the mind I felt we should also touch on that a bit and these are just the very few last questions before we end the show. And I want us to start about your faith I try to find find out what you truly believe in what religion you belong to but sources conflict on your faith. So how would you describe your beliefs? >> My faith is more about believing in myself in my abilities in my growth in what I
53:05 can build and what I can make out of myself. My spiritual journey is quite funny, back from Russia. I grew up in a family of two religions. Grandfather was a Muslim, grandmother, she was a Christian. So equally they used to take me to church to pray where they was they were teaching me about Jesus is the Lord being the only true Lord and mosque where they are praying five times a day where I have to close myself fully and be like a Muslim. >> Hm. >> So I knew a lot about Islam and Christianity and I felt like it's it's I'm grateful to my family for doing that. Some people might find it weird, why would you go here and there? You need to pick one.
53:50 You always need to choose one religion. But I'm so grateful to them that they never inclined to only one religion because my grandmother and grandfather, they were quite mature people and quite intelligent. I learned a lot from them. They never force their religion on anybody and they equally respected each other's religion. You know, and I grew up with the mindset that oh when people ask me, are you a Muslim? I'm like, yeah. Are you a Christian? Yeah. I mean, what what else do you want to answer? >> You belong everywhere. >> couldn't pick one. I just couldn't. And my my first love, the guy I fell in love with back in Russia, the guy I was dating was a strong
54:36 Christian. And because of him I was now I now started inclining more to Christianity. I was going to church a lot. It was, you know, I was I was reading a lot of Bible, you know, reading scriptures, learning a lot. After some time I now decided to pray five times a day and learn how Muslims do >> Hm. >> because some people from a side they were influencing me. Some two girls who were my friends, they were influencing me that this is the right way. You are a Muslim because you were born in a Muslim state in Russia. And truly I was born in a Muslim state. Our culture is more Islamic. You know, so I'm like, I fell for it. I was praying as a Muslim for two good years.
55:21 But I gave up when I started traveling around the world. I met Hindus, you know, I went to Hindu temple. I also had some spiritual moments where I saw some certain dreams. I don't want to make it long, but I would only say that my spiritual journey opened my eyes to so many things and what I actually believe in. Uh I truly believe in higher intelligence that of course there is something more powerful than us. Um and I respect people with different beliefs. I respect who their god is, wherever they choose to call them, Allah, Jesus Christ, Buddha. Uh I I respect their beliefs, but don't come and on me. And for me, higher intelligence, the source of all it is,
56:06 right? Is the god. I might be among Muslims and I'll still call Allah. I'll say Allah. Because I remember all these things back from then. If I'm among Christians, I'll say God, God will bless you. God bless you. Because I respect everyone's beliefs, but for me, it's more about yourself. People don't know how powerful they are. They only keep quoting the Bible, right? Remembering some scriptures and saying that, oh, you've been created in God's image. God created you in his own image. But you don't even know what image it is. You are not actually trying to find that power within yourself.
56:53 You're not trying to find full capabilities you have and full potentials that you have. We keep saying, oh, find yourself, do this, do that, do that, do that, do that. But no no no science truly teaches you how to be like God. And if I tell you that if you ask me truly, what do you believe in? I believe in myself. I believe I can be God. I believe I am God. Because God created me in his image, and I believe I can create any life I want for myself. And that's what I've been doing for the past 10 years. Because there was no dream or goal I had that I didn't achieve. Not because I'm resilient or I'm straightforward, I I have coconut head and I'm going for what I want. No, it's because
57:39 your mindset is so powerful that the moment you realize how to use it, you start questioning so many old beliefs, so many old patterns. You realize that religion is just a tool that's been used to control you. And you realize so many things, right? I don't want to just go deeper into it, but yeah, it's it's it's I'm very big on mindset and just like I I always say, I'll state this again that African biggest problem is the mindset, is the mentality of people. It's not government, it's not economy, it's not all those things we keep talking about, competition, limited resources, not all those things.
58:27 It's your mindset, is your mentality. >> Hm. >> Because why would two people are facing the same Nigeria, but both of them are handling it differently. Why do you think so? Why Let me ask you that question. Why two people face the same Nigeria handling it different ways? Mindset. There's right mindset, there's a wrong mindset. >> Hm. There are people who are negative about everything they do, and there are people who have decided that even if you take them to hellfire, they'll build a heaven for themselves. >> People are busy chasing evil spirits and village people and demons. And that's what all their life is going to be like if they keep chasing demons and shouting fire, fire, fire. I will
59:13 never die. If you channel your energy on that and that's the life you keep getting, the demons will always exist in your life. Spirits will always be running after you. >> Hm. Hm. >> Why spirits are not running after me? Where are the demons? I'm looking for In fact, I'm looking for them everywhere. Where them dey? >> And you don't also have ancestral curses that you need to break. >> don't. I don't. >> So it means So it means your ancestors never committed any any abominable things like our African ancestors. >> And you know, if it's somebody having this conversation from a village, a person from a village, he will say, because you are Igbo. Igbo people no get village people. Igbo people no get ancestors. And I'll just be laughing at them
59:59 because in my family, one of the people my mother, right? She's very spiritual. She believes in all those things. Where we always have friction with her. I always try to, you know, teach her that this is it's all in your mind. It's not it's not out there. Everything is in your mind. If you create those spirits in your mind and you strongly believe that spirits exist, demons exist, they will exist. >> For you? >> Of course. >> Hm. So you've answered almost the all the questions I wanted to ask you. You've answered all of them in one. And that is very deep. As someone who was also born in a very deeply religious family, I understand
1:00:45 how tough it can be for one to rebel against everything you've been taught all your life. >> Yeah. >> You just wake up one morning and said, okay, I no longer care about village people coming after me. I'm tired of praying against witches, wizards shouting fire up and down every day, midnight prayer, as if the devil was created solely because of me. The devil should rest. Let me also rest because it's as if this devil is always actively working against those who are praying against it. And I must be honest with you, for me personally was also my turning point when I rebelled against all of those
1:01:31 things. In my family, we we believed that we were under a curse, some, you know, ancestral curse that nobody from that family will ever get to a certain level in life. My great grandfather were born into poverty, my grandfather was born into it, my father, and we believed, we were made to believe that there is a ceiling above our head that we can never break because it's a generational curse. But when I looked at my family, I realized that, oh, it was simply a generational pattern. There was nothing super spiritual about it. It was the mindset because everyone has accepted that belief and it has
1:02:17 it that belief became a problem for everyone because you look at it, okay, they couldn't do it, therefore I can also do it. But those who are watching us now, of course, when we have religious topics like this, especially in Africa. >> To add to what you said, right? I have this favorite statement of Jomo Kenyatta. You know him, right? >> Yes. >> The the anti-colonial activist. >> Oh. >> I love that statement so much and I try to understand why people don't understand the deep meaning of the quote that he made, right? He said the missionaries came to Africa with the Bible. When they came to Africa
1:03:04 with the Bible, we had the land. They taught us how to pray, right? And they taught us how to pray with closed eyes. So they said, let us pray. We closed our eyes. The moment we opened our eyes, we had the Bible and they had the land. >> One of the most powerful thing in Africa I've ever said. >> Is the biggest problem of Africa. Religion is one of the biggest problems of Africa not moving forward. I always said it and I will keep saying it unapologetically. >> Hm.
1:03:50 Hm. [sighs] Before we end this show, I'm sure we're going to keep having this conversation over and over because there's so much to talk about. And [snorts] I usually feel excited when I have someone like you who is ready to talk about these things without you know minding whose ox is gored. But before we end the show, do you intend to leave Nigeria soon? If if if not, what are you building here outside the contents, your foundation, your speaking engagement that they are new things
1:04:35 that you're building currently? >> I'm not leaving Nigeria. >> You have you have you have decided to remain in Nigeria? >> I not going anywhere. [laughter] Nigeria is my home. I've already made this country my home and I don't think people should ask me any more question why you why you not living to your country. There's nothing like my this is my country, this is my place, this is where I found myself, I discovered myself, I cried here, I suffered here, I was hungry here, I was homeless here. This is my home. Do you know how much I learned in this country? So what I'm building here is legacy basically. I'm trying to also make people understand that not all foreigners are the same, not all white people are after what you have. I want to be of those foreigners or
1:05:22 white people who will actually bring a lot of value to Africa being able to move forward and that's the reason I never stop learning. I never stop um doing everything possible to make people here believe how powerful they are and if they want to be smarter than white people, they are smarter than white people. They just need to understand it. >> Mm. >> So I'm building a lot. I'm building value. I'm building systems. I'm building structure. I have team um a lot legacy. And I just started. I just started. >> There's way to do much more. >> Way more. Way more. >> Lastly,
1:06:08 remember earlier we talked about the audacity of Nigerian men. >> Uh-huh. >> Should I show you what it means to have such audacity? >> Show me. >> I should show you? >> Yeah. >> Are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure you not sue me? Mm? >> You're scaring me. >> Are you sure you not sue me? >> You are scaring me. >> [music]
