A Nigerian man has expressed regret after discovering what his investment in Fidelity Bank had reportedly yielded nearly two decades after he purchased the shares.
The man claimed that he invested ₦20,000 in Fidelity Bank shares about 18 years ago but never returned to check the performance of the investment.
According to him, he only decided to find out the current value of his shares in September 2026 after discussions surrounding the recent sale of shares in Dangote Refinery renewed his interest in the Nigerian capital market.
To his surprise, he reportedly discovered that the investment had generated a total of just ₦5,332 over the 18-year period.
The revelation means that, based on his account, the original ₦20,000 investment had produced an additional ₦5,332, bringing the total value to about ₦25,332.
The development reportedly left the investor disappointed, with the man expressing regret that he did not use the money to purchase land instead.
His experience has since generated reactions online, with some Nigerians questioning the decision to leave an investment unchecked for such a long period.
One social media user argued that investors should not simply purchase shares and forget about them for years without monitoring their performance.
The user also questioned the practice of treating stocks as though they were physical assets such as land that could simply be acquired and left untouched for decades.
Another commenter said the experience highlighted the difference between investing in shares and investing in property, while joking that the investor had effectively gained a lesson rather than substantial wealth from the investment.
“18 years later and ₦20k turned into ₦25,332? At this point, the man didn’t invest in Fidelity Bank, he invested in a lesson. Land would have been the real long-term relationship,” the commenter wrote.
Another contributor, however, shifted the discussion towards the value of the naira and the importance of choosing investments capable of preserving wealth against currency depreciation.
The commenter argued that investors should consider assets denominated in currencies with stronger purchasing power, while also expressing optimism that the naira could continue to stabilise if economic policies remain consistent.
The reactions have renewed discussions about the importance of understanding an investment before putting money into it, regularly monitoring its performance and considering factors such as dividends, share-price appreciation, inflation and currency depreciation when assessing long-term returns.
It is also important to note that the reported ₦5,332 figure alone does not necessarily provide a complete picture of the investment’s overall performance. Depending on the terms of the investment, an investor’s total returns could include dividends, bonus shares, rights issues, share-price changes and other corporate actions.
Similarly, comparing shares directly with land can be misleading because the two asset classes have different risks, costs, liquidity and potential returns.
The man’s experience has nevertheless sparked fresh conversations among Nigerians about long-term investing and whether investors should periodically review their portfolios rather than leaving them unattended for many years.
