Osas Baba Big Spender

“Baba!”
“Odogwu!”
“Boss man!”

They are all too familiar. Sometimes I subconsciously ignore that call for a few minutes before I realise the caller is referring to me. Me, Osas, the same guy who once argued with a bus conductor over fifty Naira change like my life depended on it, because it did. God is good abeg…

These days, I won’t lie, I spend money, I dey spend am well well, I enjoy my life because the “enjoyment” that people are raving about doesn’t even scratch my account.

When I go out with my guys, I’m the friend who stands up, sways his hand dramatically and says “Bills on ME!” without thinking about what they’re ordering. Everybody in my circle wishes to have 2 birthdays in a year because of me. On their birthdays, I multiply their age by their birth month and send that amount to them in dollars. Crazy, right, I know.

So you can understand now  why that title makes sense, “Baba Big Spender.” But what always makes me laugh is that most of the people shouting it didn’t know me back when enjoyment used to look like a forbidden fruit.

In the University, this “Osas, Baba Big Spender” was a different person entirely.

  I was not “financially disciplined” because I was wise and owned 50 books on finance. I was careful with money because I genuinely did not have enough of it, and the little I had was very much planned and budgeted for.

I had always wanted to be a “tech bro”, not just for the name and hype; I really loved tech. Since I was a child, I could sit with my uncle’s laptop for hours and lose track of time. Figuring things out gave me a kind of excitement I couldn’t explain.

In my 100-level, I started my tech business, OsasTech Labs, building custom software, developing websites and apps, creating automation tools, designing and maintaining IT systems, and a lot more. I knew I needed to do this business on a bigger scale, but everything I needed cost money that I didn’t have. I had my checklist: better laptop, stronger software, paid courses and training.

Every time I looked up the price of anything that I needed, I would feel the knot in my chest. There were nights my laptop would freeze in the middle of work, and I’d just sit there staring at the screen like, “Please… not today.” I knew the problem wasn’t village people; the system was just doing more work than it was designed to carry. But moments like this motivated me and kept me focused on saving.

I saved like a lunatic: I reused a lot of things, I wore my clothes until they became “vintage,” my screen guard was changed once every 6 months, if there was any cheaper alternative, I had already found it, compared it, and probably had the internal debate on why it made more sense.

Some people felt I was overdoing it, but what they didn’t see was that I was obsessed with one thing: not remaining where I was.

I got the nickname “Mr Savinus” because whenever there was an invite that I knew would lead to a debit alert, I always declined, saying that I was saving for something and couldn’t afford to spend money now.

By my 300-level, I had saved enough to start purchasing my devices, and I had been taking some jobs, so I had a good amount of money saved. I will never forget, it was a total of ₦1.1M in my savings account, I called it my capital to prosperity. I started buying the tools, I got a good laptop, sold off the other one, got a Wi-Fi router, keyboard & mouse combo, quality headphones, and finally, paid for the courses and Software licenses.

Fast forward to 3 years post NYSC, and I am getting international clients who pay good money for my work. I also realise how financially literate I am, even while being a millionaire in dollars. I soon understood that my university savings lifestyle had a way of shaping my thinking positively when it came to money

So yes, today I spend and enjoy my life as much as I please. It feels good not to panic over unforeseen bills the way I used to. But every time someone calls me “Baba Big Spender,” I just smile because I remember the version of me who would hastily walk past enjoyment like it was a weapon fashioned against me.

People see the lavish spending now. But they didn’t see the years that shaped this ME, years of trekking to class just to save ₦200.

Osas’ story shows that discipline and smart saving are not about denying yourself; they are about having a goal and working towards it. The little choices you make today, like investing instead of instant enjoyment, shape the life you will enjoy tomorrow. 

At Open Space, we believe the same principle applies: giving you control over your money, your tools, and your opportunities means you can spend, invest, and live on your own terms, just like Osas did.