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Nigerian nightlife promoter Cubana Chief Priest has responded to billionaire Cosmas Maduka over his criticism of the popular phrase “Money na water,” which has become associated with extravagant spending and public displays of wealth.
Naija News understands that the disagreement began after Maduka, founder of Coscharis Group, expressed his disapproval of the phrase and the culture of flaunting money.
The business man described it as wasteful and misleading for younger generations.
He said that true wealth in his time was shown through modesty, not showiness, and that wealth should inspire humility rather than extravagance.
In response, Chief Priest, in a lengthy Instagram post, explained that the modern economy values attention and visibility as forms of currency.
He said that while older generations built wealth through factories, fleets, and real estate, today’s wealth is driven by influence and presence online.
He argued that content and engagement on digital platforms are comparable to the industrial wealth of the past.
Chief Priest also defended the phrase “Money na water,” describing it not as vanity but as a declaration of abundance and flow.
He stated that those who attract attention today can leverage influence and opportunities more effectively than those who quietly hold money without public presence.
He criticized Maduka for not acknowledging younger billionaires who actively use their resources to create visibility for Africa, citing Tony Elumelu and Femi Otedola as examples.
He wrote: “With all due respect to the motivational speaking older generation who built wealth quietly, the world you thrived in is not the one we live in today. In your time, capital was factories, fleets, and real estate. In our time, attention is the main capital. These capitals listed cannot sell in today’s market without the major capital
“Attention (visibility) Visibility has become the new currency. In a digital economy, obscurity is bankruptcy. What you don’t show doesn’t sell. What you don’t amplify dissolves into silence. We are the noise that’s why you know us to the extent you had to use us to make references in your dry speech because you want to use us to trend without paying us, na why you dey run when you see us, you no wan show us real love. Tell me, Why musta billionaire pretend to use the toilet just to run away from an event, that’s a lot of stress for a real billionaire.
“When i say “money na water,” it’s not vanity it’s a revelation of excess liquidity, abundance, and flow. Water moves So does relevance, visibility, and influence. The ability to attract attention and sustain engagement is the new oil field. A man with massive attention today has more leverage than one with quiet billions but no presence.
“Content is not noise. Content is digital equity. The same way factories produced wealth in the 80s, attention produces wealth today. We’ve moved from industrial capitalism to introducing attention capitalism thanks to Zuckerberg.
“While your generation built fences to protect their wealth because the don’t want to help, our generation builds platforms to project it. Silence once symbolized power, today presence does. You mentioned Elumelu that’s my mentor on the corporate sector, he doesn’t just say money na water Papa Lives it, likewise the overall Don Otedola, these are people who used their wealth to give Africa proper visibility that’s why you can publicly identify with them because they are not the only billionaires you know, why didn’t you use our nnewi billionaires ? You go dey mention the ones wey sabi chop their money, why you no use the ones wey sabi hoard money like you, dem plenty for main market. well you did so because you know they do more for Africa with their money by the way the spend it which commands respect for Africa. Remove your name from that Otedola & Elumelu list you don’t belong there sir, your name dey nnewi billionaires list. And like I said at my last interview on Channels TV
“Money na water” is a prophecy that connotes wealth overload. This is my story Perhaps some may choose to go with “lack na water” but over here… MONEYS NA WATER? na my business be this, Na My Lamba make nobody try spoil am as e dey go, wetin from here enter Venezuelas the peace anthem will drop this Friday midnight.”
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