I wish I played a more emotional game to win BBNaija prize, Ex-housemate Ike Onyema

Former Big Brother Naija Pepper Dem housemate, Ike Onyema, has shared that he wishes he had used a more emotional approach during the 2019 edition of the show.

He mentioned he would have done "anything" to win the grand prize if he had better understood the game.

In an interview with Kaptain Jeff TV posted on Monday, Onyema said he thought winning tasks alone would guarantee his victory.

"I regret not crying. If I knew what the show was, guy, I’d have been in that house doing emotional displays, crying up and down. But I thought if I went in there, won all my challenges and kept winning, I’d win the money," he explained.

The reality star revealed he earned less than ₦4 million from his first time on the show, even after winning several tasks.

"The first time, I can’t remember, but it shouldn’t be more than four million. It should be three point something million," he said, adding that most of the money came in smaller amounts like "₦500,000 here, ₦300,000 there."

When reflecting on his relationship in the house, Onyema said he had no regrets about dating another contestant. He insisted it was genuine and not just for the cameras.

"For me, it was a normal relationship. I even think I tried because, normally, like I said, I’m not really a relationship person. I’m focused on business. How can I make this? How can I do that?" he said.

When asked if he regretted the relationship, Onyema replied, "How am I going to regret it? I enjoyed it for the time it lasted. The only thing I would change is I would try to win that money."

"See, I would try different ways. I would win that money. But other than that, I wouldn’t change anything."

The entrepreneur also talked about why he moved to Nigeria, despite being born in the United States. He said Nigeria gives entrepreneurs more freedom to start businesses.

He noted that getting a liquor licence in Nigeria is much easier than in the US.

"I sell drinks here. To get my liquor licence, I just had to talk to a few people, make some good contacts at the government office and do one or two things. I got my liquor licence and my store quickly."

"When I was in the US, I tried to get a liquor licence to sell drinks. Do you know how many months and how many times I applied? They rejected me over and over. So the freedom here is sweet," he said.

Still, he mentioned that making money in Nigeria takes more effort.

"But to make money the way you want, you have to think and work a lot harder here than you would over there."

"It was when I came to Nigeria that I realised I thought I used to struggle. I didn’t know. It’s here I learned how to struggle," he added.

Onyema also expressed how inspired he is by the resilience and optimism of many Nigerians despite the tough economy.

"Another thing that shocked me was the spirit of the people. Everybody was so happy. You could even see a street boy who hadn’t eaten for two days, but he’d wake up that morning thanking God."

"He’s smiling. He’s joyful. Somehow, you give him ₦1,000 and he’s happier than ever," he shared.

Talking about his financial journey, the reality star admitted he made mistakes by overspending on image-related costs and investing without proper checks.

"Some of the financial mistakes I made were spending too much on photo shoots and stylists, and investing in businesses because people came with proposals and they were my friends. I didn’t properly examine the businesses," he said.

When asked if women contributed to his financial mistakes, Onyema dismissed that idea.

"That’s why I thank God. The thing I want has been hard to get, money. But the thing I don’t want, women, is too easy," he said.