Investment Options in the Markets Now

Ask the average investor what comes to mind when they hear the word “investment,” and the answers are always almost predictable: stocks, real estate, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs. These instruments dominate conversations, headlines, and dinner-table debates, and for good reason. Through them, millions have built wealth. They are familiar, yes, but they do not always mean optimal.

In the economy now, especially in Nigeria, understanding how your money works is just as important as where you put it.

Now, let’s break it down.

Stocks offer ownership and long-term growth potential, but they also come with volatility. While equity markets have historically delivered average annual returns of about 7–10%, short-term swings can erase value quickly. For stocks, timing matters, and emotional discipline matters even more.

Real estate feels solid because you can touch it, yet high entry costs, illiquidity, maintenance expenses, and exposure to economic slowdowns often dilute real returns.

Bonds promise stability, but with yields frequently trailing inflation, many investors quietly lose purchasing power over time. And despite diversification and professional management, Mutual funds and ETFs remain closely tied to market cycles. When markets fall, most portfolios fall along with them.

All of these options share a common trait, and that is the fact that returns depend heavily on market movements investors do not control.

Cooperative Investment:

There is, however, another category of investing that receives far less attention, one that does not rely on stock rallies or property price surges, and that is Cooperative Investments.

Cooperative investment involves individuals pooling resources into member-owned, democratic entities to invest collectively for social and economic gain. In common cases, the funds pooled together are invested into the informal market with strict and highly effective recovery measures in place.

This means that the resources or capital are deployed as loans to businesses. Borrowers repay those loans with interest, and that interest becomes the source of investor returns. Here, the focus shifts from speculation to cash-flow-driven performance, rooted in real economic activity.

At Open Space Finance, this is exactly how investing (Cooperative Investment) works. Capital is not sitting idle or waiting for market sentiment to improve. It is actively deployed into structured loans, with returns generated from interest repayments. Investors can track their investment growth daily, seeing progress in real time rather than waiting for quarterly statements or market headlines to turn favourable.

What sets this model apart is its clarity. Returns are not driven by optimism or hype. Capital can be reevaluated annually or biannually.  Your investment interest is structured to remain competitive in real terms, and investors earn from use, not volatility.

Globally, this approach is gaining momentum. Private credit has grown into a multi-trillion-dollar asset class because investors are seeking steadier income and lower volatility, especially in uncertain markets.

Beyond returns, the impact is tangible, and it creates a ripple effect.

Based on reports, small and medium-sized enterprises account for roughly 70% of global employment, yet millions remain underfunded. Access to credit consistently correlates with business expansion, job creation, and improved household income. Lending-based finance now supports over 140 million micro and small businesses worldwide, helping entrepreneurs move from survival to scale.

That means investor capital does more than grow. It enables businesses to expand, improves livelihoods, and raises standards of living. In this case, shared prosperity is not incidental; it is embedded in the model.

Traditional investments still matter, but the conversation is evolving. Investors today want transparency, consistency, and a clear understanding of how value is created.

At Open Space Finance, investing is grounded in real economic activity. Capital funds growth, not only for the investor but also for other businesses within the ecosystem.

What are your thoughts about these types of investments? Share with us in the comment section.