(Cont'd) What she didn’t have in capital, her husband, *Walter Akpani*, supplied. At the time, Walter was a young finance professional. He believed not just in the numbers, but in the fire he saw in his wife’s eyes. He gave her what he could, N200,000. It wasn’t a lot. But it was enough to start. Northwest Petroleum was born in humble places. Northwest was servicing churches, homes, and hotels in Lagos, supplying diesel in 200-liter drums. From these tiny cylinders of fuel grew an empire that now spans Nigeria’s oil value chain, from downstream supply to midstream terminals and upstream investments. Today, Northwest Petroleum owns and operates some of the most sophisticated storage terminals in Nigeria, with a capacity of over 100 million liters and berthing facilities that rival global standards. Its mega stations, spanning the country, are more than just petrol stops; symbols of how far dreams can go when watered with unity. *The Banker Who Waited* While Winifred built her empire, Walter sharpened his expertise in banking and finance. At the helm of United Mortgage Bank, he quietly laid the groundwork for something bigger. He saw the future and it had “Providus” written on it. But even visionaries need believers. Walter returned to the same place where he once gave N200,000—to the woman who had become a billionaire in her own right. He asked her to invest. She did more than that. Winifred didn’t just fund the dream, her company, Northwest Petroleum, became the largest shareholder of Providus Bank, owning over 34%. Walter became the bank’s pioneer CEO. And Providus? It soared. Together, they had traded places. First, he backed her. Then, she elevated him. One good turn, as the saying goes, deserves another—but in the Akpani household, it births empires.