The need to properly structure PeDan Investments became increasingly apparent to Daniel. Operating through nominee accounts and a simple business name registration felt inadequate and potentially risky long-term, especially considering the scale of funds MH was generating and his ambitions for legitimate investment. Turning 18 was still several months away, a legal hurdle for directorship, but the groundwork for a proper Limited Liability Company could, and should, begin now.
His first concrete step was hiring dedicated personnel. Managing everything himself – MH, RF, university, and now the initial stages of PeDan – was unsustainable. He needed someone on the ground in Abuja, someone experienced and trustworthy, to handle the administrative and legal formalities. He recalled the positive impression Mrs. Ada Chukwuma, the lawyer he always used, had made during his initial, brief search before buying the Wuse II house. Her corporate services background seemed ideal.
He reached out again, this time under the more formal guise of 'Daniel Adekunle, Principal Investor, PeDan Investments'. He conducted a thorough remote interview via an encrypted video call, ensuring his voice was slightly modulated and his background blurred for security. He outlined his vision for a new investment firm focused on Nigerian tech and real estate.
He was impressed again by Mrs. Chukwuma's professionalism, her insightful questions about governance and compliance, the fact that she didn't ask too many questions, and her apparent discretion. He offered her the role of 'Operations Director (Interim)', tasking her immediately with managing the incorporation of PeDan Investments Ltd. with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). He offered a generous salary package, significantly above the market rate, paid monthly from a PeDan nominee account, emphasizing the need for absolute confidentiality.
Mrs. Chukwuma accepted. The incorporation process began. Daniel, still legally a minor, couldn't be the primary director. They structured it with his mother, Sarah Adekunle, listed as the sole Director and 100% Shareholder on paper. Daniel provided Sarah with a drafted Power of Attorney document, prepared by the corporate law firm he planned to retain, giving him full authority to manage the company's affairs and finances on her behalf.
Sarah, trusting her son implicitly and seeing the obvious success he was generating, signed the necessary documents without deep questioning, understanding it was part of his 'online business' structure.
Mrs. Chukwuma expertly handled the CAC registration, filings, and obtaining the Tax Identification Number (TIN). Within a few weeks, PeDan Investments Ltd. was a legally registered entity. She then proceeded to open official corporate bank accounts with two major Nigerian banks.
Daniel immediately linked these accounts within his MH admin panel, designating them as primary withdrawal points, adding another layer of legitimacy to his fund movements, though he still planned to use nominee accounts for initial, larger MH withdrawals before transferring cleaner funds to the main PeDan Ltd. accounts.
With the legal entity established, Daniel began defining its initial operational scope more formally. He drafted internal strategy documents, outlining the investment theses for the sectors he'd identified:
Seed-Stage Tech: Specifically targeting FinTech, AgriTech, and EdTech startups in Lagos and Abuja. Initial ticket sizes N10M-N25M. Goal: Identify high-growth potential early.
Real Estate: Focus shifting from personal acquisition to strategic land banking in high-growth corridors (Lekki/Epe in Lagos, specific districts in Abuja). Future plan: Joint venture developments.
Market Intelligence (Future): Develop proprietary market insight reports based on MH analytics (heavily sanitized and generalized to be non-attributable). Offer as high-value consultancy service to corporate clients once PeDan established credibility. Goal: Legitimate high-margin revenue stream.
He tasked Mrs. Chukwuma with setting up the basic operational infrastructure: a registered office address (a virtual office initially), professional email addresses, basic accounting software setup (liaising with an external accounting firm he also vetted and retained). PeDan Investments Ltd. was no longer just a name; it was becoming a functioning entity, ready to deploy capital.
This intense period of corporate setup coincided with the end of the first semester at FUTA. Exam season descended on the campus. Daniel found himself needing to compartmentalize rigorously. Hours were spent revising lecture notes, working through calculus problems, memorizing programming syntax. He joined study groups with Bisi and other coursemates, contributing actively, ensuring his student persona remained credible. Nights, however, were often dedicated to MH trades, monitoring RF stability (which was crucial during this period when his direct admin time was limited), and holding late-night planning calls with Mrs. Chukwuma.
He felt the pressure mount, the juggling act becoming more demanding. He did eventually ace his Computer Science papers, but struggled slightly more with the less engaging GNS courses. He took the final exam for Calculus I, feeling reasonably prepared but also acutely aware that his mind was partly preoccupied with a N5 million Forex trade MH was currently executing.
The last day of exams, April 24th, brought a widespread sense of release across the campus. Students streamed out of exam halls, relief writ large on their faces. Plans for the semester break were excitedly discussed. Daniel felt the relief too, but it was tempered by the knowledge that his 'break' would involve managing the incorporation fallout, planning PeDan's first moves, and overseeing an operation generating millions daily. He packed his bags at the duplex, booked his drive back to Abuja, ready to switch modes fully from student back to CEO.