Canadian-based Nigerian doctor, Arinze Onwumelu, also known as Dr. Zo, has shared his opinion about the financial prudence of building mansions in villages.
Speaking on the topic, Dr. Zo questioned the longstanding tradition, which he described as economically unviable in the face of modern realities.
“I am Igbo, from the eastern part of the country,” he began, pointing out a cultural norm among the Igbos.
“Building a huge mansion in the village as a rich igbo man is a waste of time and a waste of money” – Popular Canada based doctor Dr Zo
— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺 🇬🇧 (@OurFavOnlineDoc) January 9, 2025
“There is this thing we have in the east that for you to be recognised as an Odogwu (a wealthy man), you must build a big mansion in the village. I did it too. I watched a lot of people this last Christmas go home and open their big mighty mansions in the East, especially. I don’t think other parts of the country have this same concept.”
Dr. Zo expressed concern about the lack of economic value in such investments.
“Sometimes, I wonder, we the Igbos think we are very smart in terms of economy, but sometimes I wonder the economic value. If I build that house somewhere in Lagos, Abuja, or Port-Harcourt, even Enugu, I would have made over a N100 million in the last five years.”
While Dr. Zo did not entirely dismiss the idea of owning property in the village, he advocated for moderation.
“I am not saying you should not build a house in the village. What I tell you is what I tell my younger ones: go to the village and just build a small house, 4-bedroom, have a big compound. It’s always good to have something in the village, but it does not have to be a mansion, occupying everywhere with houses. It’s rubbish.”
Reflecting on his personal experience, Dr. Zo shared the burdens of maintaining such properties.
“What I am saying to you, I did it, my father did it, father’s friends did it, and their kids are struggling today to maintain those houses. I am spending a lot of money to maintain the house I haven’t been in over four years because of things going on in the east—insecurity and stuff. So, what is the economic value? It is just a wrong move.”
He went further to advise against repeating the mistakes of the past. “What I am saying today, you will realise it in 25 years. Absolutely no need for those houses. Use that money and put it in better locations that will give you money. This is coming from a mistake that I made. A village mansion is a waste of time and a waste of money.”
