Making It Big: Otedola’s nuggets for entrepreneurial breakthroughs

By Prisca Sam-Duru

“Making it Big: Lessons From A Life In Business” is more than just a book; it’s a historical document and an invaluable guide. Written as a memoir by one of Africa’s most influential business moguls and philanthropists, Femi Otedola, the book offers a sincere and captivating peek into his journey, detailing the achievements, challenges, and core values that shaped his astonishing career.

Launched in Nigeria on August 18, 2025, and published by FO Books, “Making It Big” has already garnered high-profile

endorsements from public figures like WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dangote Group CEO Aliko Dangote, African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi Adeshina, and Chair, Royal African Society, Arunma Oteh. Their commendations underscore the book’s significance as a definitive guide for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Otedola’s memoir is embedded with numerous life changing nuggets for young entrepreneurs whose ambition is to make it big in life.

“Making It Big” is as engaging as it is compelling. And in the words of Okonjo-Iweala who also wrote the Foreword, “When Femi Otedola, one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s most successful entrepreneurs decides to capture his experiences in the form of this book, it is important!

There are very few books by successful African business leaders documenting their journey and sharing lessons learned for posterity, but in particular for a younger generation.”

Aliko Dangote also praised the book saying, “As someone who came from an entrepreneurial family myself, I vividly relate with this enriching account, that effectively unpacks useful insights for surmounting business hurdles, as well as connecting many corporate dots for budding entrepreneurs. This is a highly recommended read for anyone who aspires to be successful in a challenging environment.”

For Dr Akinwumi Adeshina, “Making It Big” is a masterclass in attaining and maintaining a positive mindset and a

reminder that it is possible to defy the odds, no matter how stacked they are against you. Packed with personal philosophies and business lessons, this is a book of hope backed up by solutions written to inspire entrepreneurs in Africa and from everywhere.”

Femi Otedola’s book explores themes of resilience, discipline, vision, and the importance of leveraging high-ranking connections within the Nigerian business environment.

The book records Otedola’s outstanding journey from a young boy with huge entrepreneurial dreams to a man who transformed into a billionaire at the age of 41. He began experimenting with business even before attaining the age of ten. Granted that he was too young to grasp exactly what he was doing, he remained resilient while aiming for greatness. All through, he found himself surmounting challenges and injecting innovations into diverse industries spanning oil and gas, shipping, power, etc.

An introductory page subtitled, ‘Setting off into Entrepreneur’ welcomes readers into what the author described as “the story of my life.” His brutal bluntness and stimulating boldness, in this narrative, are the gripping elements that lure the reader into a journey that unravels the person of Femi Otedola and how he transformed into a multibillionaire.

Concisely, what sets this book apart is its raw honesty and directness. Otedola’s narrative flows like a gripping piece of fiction, making the non-fiction content highly engaging. He is brutally blunt about his life, including his early academic struggles, leaving very little unstated. “I’ve described how bored I’d been in school, and that dropping out and helping with my father’s business was the right thing for me. It nearly killed my mother, but I had to follow my instincts and my convictions. I wanted to take charge of my life,” he explained.

The 286-page book is structured into five sections: ‘In the Beginning,’ ‘Growth and Expansion,’ ‘Reaching the Top,’ ‘Collapse and Rebirth,’ and ‘Rediscovery.’ Each of the twenty-three lessons is followed by a “Takeaways” section, providing concise, actionable advice for readers.

The author exposes how certain entrepreneurial strategies as well as self-discipline empowered him to excel in different industries.

At the tail end of “Making it Big”, the author includes insights he titled, ‘Three Business Principles I Adopted without Knowing their Origin. The three pages under this caption provide young readers with rare direction towards the path to greatness.

Key themes explored throughout the book include resilience and reinvention: Otedola shares how he turned moments of crisis, including losing billions, into opportunities with entrepreneurial strategies, discipline, and innovation.

Lesson Four, “Collapse and Rebirth,” is particularly intriguing. This part of the book details events leading up to his losing billions and how he overcame the situation. Some of his strategies included imbibing the virtue of forgiveness, discipline, and mastering the art of reinvention. Under the subheading, ‘Recognise Your Limits, Cut Your Losses,’ The Vice President of Save the Children UK, explains why the collapse of Zenon was ‘the best thing that happened’ to him because of the lessons he learned. “I plummeted to the lowest point of my life, experienced humiliation, saw others for their true colours, and paid heavily to get out of debt. I built a new life after rebuilding my business empire from the ashes of Zenon and am entirely free of debt. I was lucky that all of this happened when I was 47 years old,” he stated.

He also stresses the power of simplicity. In Lesson Nine, “Make Your Life Simple,” he emphasizes avoiding a flamboyant lifestyle. The author shares a fascinating story of a dream that inspired his simple dress code, a lesson he attributes to his grandfather.

He brings the “God Factor” into the narrative. This is a surprising and fascinating element as Otedola’s emphasis on the role of destiny and providence in business success makes a good read. In Lesson Twenty-Three subtitled, ‘Appreciate the God Factor’, the author posits that while hard work is essential, “the God factor, destiny and fate at play, is everything.”

He wrote, “Destiny plays a significant role in how events play out in our lives. Despite our struggles, trials, and travails, our fighting tooth and nail to outshine and outsmart others, providence eventually rules supreme. But you have to watch and pray, do your bit decently and unobtrusively, never tearing down others or abandoning your dreams, and never resorting to crooked ways…The God factor, destiny and fate at play, is everything.”

The lessons in this section are grouped under headings such as, “Don’t hold grudges against those who dismiss your dreams”, “Your heritage can be your guide”, “Pray for what you want”, “Everything happens for a reason”, “Watch those you choose to be close to you”, “Events play out to show you your path”, “Affirm your desires at every opportunity”, and “Listen to your inner voice”.

Why readers should dream big and then match it up with the courage to achieve it on a grand scale is detailed afterwards. He further warns that to make it big, an entrepreneur must leave family out of the business. He states; “It is not a good idea to employ family or entertain requests for political favours because you’re compromising the quality and integrity of your workforce and your company. Family members rarely grow the business or serve its interests faithfully. And because blood is thicker than water, we tend to overlook their excesses and evaluate their performance through rose-tinted glasses.”

The book is also laced with a provocative lesson on politics and business. For Otedola, becoming an entrepreneurial giant requires not only making sure that one’s family is left out of the business, but it is pertinent to “Engage with Political Authorities.” Perhaps the most thought-provoking section is Lesson Nineteen, which delves into the necessity of engaging with political authorities in a developing economy. Otedola argues that in a system heavily dependent on political whims, it’s nearly impossible to “play big” without a mutual relationship with decision-makers.

The author buttresses this point when he averred in page 217 that “In a developing country where democracy is struggling to gain a foothold, and the policy environment is heavily dependent on the whims of political actors, it is practically impossible to play big without engaging with the decision makers.”

This raises a crucial question for aspiring entrepreneurs: What happens to those who lack access to political power? This lesson serves as an implicit call to improve the Nigerian system, advocating for a level playing field where ingenuity is rewarded.

The book also dedicates a chapter to the importance of philanthropy, highlighting how giving back creates a lasting legacy. This is documented in Lesson Twenty-Two. The business tycoon outlines his own extensive charitable work, including his support for Augustine University.

Having provided enormous funding for diverse sectors, Otedola maintains that wealth without a giving attitude is hollow.

The section titled, ‘Be a Cheerful Giver’, also chronicles the intrigues preceding his support for the establishment of Augustine University, Epe, Lagos State. Otedola who is the current Chancellor of Augustine University, narrates his story from when he was approached for support to build the university to how the media and bank dealt with him and his family upon reading a leaked story about his 220-billion-naira debt. “…the Next newspaper broke the story of my misfortune. its eye-catching headline, ‘Femi Otedola’s sinking empire and his floating 12 million yacht,’ upended my world. Adorning the front-page story was a picture of my yacht, with a subheading; ‘The sharks smell blood, and they are circling.’ As soon as Next broke the story, others feasted on it. One of the banks I was indebted to gleefully gave interviews to every paper and broadcast outlet. They stripped me bare, splashing my picture on their front pages with morbid delight. They even dragged my wife and children into the fray because they we

Why it is a bad idea to put one’s money in one bank, what to do to ensure sustainability even after the business owner passes on, and much more, are also documented in the book. Also, under the heading, ‘Don’t Fool Around With Your Health’, Otedola highlights the importance of good health care, to managing the business optimally. “More than anything, physical wellbeing is fundamental to living fully,” he wrote.

“Making it Big” is a blend of personal philosophies and practical business lessons that offer priceless insights for aspiring African business owners. Otedola’s candidness, from his early life to his financial setbacks and philanthropic endeavours, provides a powerful and authentic narrative. It’s a compelling read that not only inspires but also equips readers with the principles needed to navigate a challenging business landscape.

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