BBNaija alumnus Ike Onyema expresses remorse over not leveraging emotions to secure the top award

Ike Onyema, a former Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem housemate, has expressed regret over not employing a more emotional approach during his time on the show in 2019, stating that he would have done "anything" to claim the grand prize if he had a better understanding of the competition's dynamics.

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Onyema revealed that his initial strategy was to focus on winning tasks, believing that this alone would secure his victory, but he now acknowledges that this approach was misguided, saying "I regret not crying, if I knew what the show was, I'd have been in that house doing emotional displays, crying up and down."

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The reality TV star disclosed that his earnings from his first appearance on the show were less than ₦4m, despite his success in various tasks, with most of the rewards being disbursed in increments of "₦500,000 here, ₦300,000 there," totaling around "three point something million."

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Onyema stated that he has no regrets about his relationship with a fellow contestant, describing it as a genuine connection rather than a tactic for the cameras, and saying "for me, it was a normal relationship, I even think I tried because, normally, I'm not really a relationship person, I'm focused on business."

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When asked if he regretted the relationship, Onyema responded, "how am I going to regret it, I enjoyed it for the time it lasted, the only thing I would change is I would try to win that money."

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As an entrepreneur, Onyema chose to relocate to Nigeria from the United States, citing the country's greater freedom to establish businesses, particularly in the liquor industry, where obtaining a license is significantly easier than in the US.

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He explained that getting a liquor license in Nigeria was a relatively straightforward process, involving "just talking to a few people, making some good contacts at the government office and doing one or two things," which allowed him to quickly obtain his license and set up his store.

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In contrast, Onyema's experience in the US was marked by difficulty in obtaining a liquor license, with his applications being rejected "over and over" despite numerous attempts, highlighting the relative ease of doing business in Nigeria.

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However, Onyema noted that making money in Nigeria requires greater effort, saying "but to make money the way you want, you have to think and work a lot harder here than you would over there, it was when I came to Nigeria that I realised I thought I used to struggle, I didn’t know, it’s here I learned how to struggle."

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Onyema also expressed admiration for the resilience and optimism of many Nigerians, despite economic hardship, saying "another thing that shocked me was the spirit of the people, everybody was so happy, you could even see a street boy who hadn’t eaten for two days, but he’d wake up that morning thanking God."

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He observed that even in difficult circumstances, Nigerians often display a positive attitude, with a street boy who receives ₦1,000 being "happier than ever," demonstrating a remarkable capacity for joy and gratitude.

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Reflecting on his financial journey, Onyema acknowledged making costly mistakes, including excessive spending on image-related expenses and investing in businesses without proper due diligence, saying "some of the financial mistakes I made were spending too much on photo shoots and stylists, and investing in businesses because people came with proposals and they were my friends."

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Onyema dismissed the suggestion that women had contributed to his financial mistakes, saying "that's why I thank God, the thing I want has been hard to get—money, but the thing I don’t want, women, is too easy."