After service at Agape Church one Sunday, my 56-year-old friend Elvis Okudzeto pulled me aside. Sandra stood beside him, Dzifa and Mawuli already heading to his black 2019 Mercedes E-350.
“Kofi, I bought land from my brother-in-law 12 years ago at Oyarifa. That’s where I’ll build my dream retirement home.”
I asked gently, “When was the last time you visited it?”
He paused. “Maybe five years ago.”
That silence reflects a national reality.
Many people are not poor.
They simply have no cash flow.
We earn. The first major move? We buy land. Some of us even start building — foundation laid, pillars up, maybe roofing done. Then the project stalls. For years. The uncompleted structure stands there, capital locked in cement and iron rods.
No rent.
No income.
No liquidity.
Meanwhile, life happens — school fees, emergencies, business opportunities. Without steady cash flow, we make pressured decisions. We borrow at high rates. We sell assets cheaply. We postpone smarter investments.
It is rarely poverty.
It is frozen capital.
If land or an uncompleted building is not generating income, it is immobilized wealth. Speculators will say the price of the land will increase in value and can be hopefully resold for a fortune. Sometimes that works if you secure the land and hopefully, development comes to the area.
But Hope is not a strategy.
Cash flow is.
Around the world, countries facing housing shortages have turned to container developments as practical solutions. Shipping containers have been converted into student housing, micro-apartments, retail units and community spaces. They are faster to deploy, modular and income-producing.
Imagine placing a few modern style container studios on that Oyarifa land, adding culturally aesthetic elements that elevate your development into a tourist site and renting them out with Air BnB. Make eclectic YouTube videos promoting your new tourist haven and a steady stream of tourists will make it their favorite destination!
Imagine converting part of your uncompleted building into a modest open-air event space for weekend programs. Even the ground floor of an uncompleted building can generate rent while upper floors wait. Maybe start your fresh juice business in one of the rooms on the ground floor.
The land begins to breathe.
Cash flow gives you options. It strengthens your negotiating power. It brings peace.
This way, even if you buy in hope that land values will increase so you can make a windfall from the sale, you can earn an income as the land values rise!
I have seen too many people become land-rich and cash-poor.
Your story must be different.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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