Barely a day after its global release, billionaire entrepreneur Femi Otedola’s memoir, Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business, has broken into the Amazon Best Sellers list, ranking No. 4 in the Business Biographies and Memoirs category.
The book, which hit the shelves on Monday, August 18, is already rubbing shoulders with international bestsellers including Gary Stevenson’s The Trading Game, Simon Squibb’s What’s Your Dream?, and Phil Knight’s iconic Shoe Dog.
A Chronicle of Resilience and Reinvention
In Making It Big, Otedola — who today serves as Chairman of Geregu Power Plc — delivers a deeply personal yet practical narrative of his entrepreneurial odyssey.
From his early beginnings in the oil and gas sector to his audacious moves into energy and finance, Otedola charts the risks, setbacks, reinventions, and triumphs that shaped his career.
“This book is a reflection of my journey — the lessons I learned, the setbacks I endured, and the triumphs that came after years of perseverance,” Otedola explains in his introduction.
The memoir goes beyond boardroom anecdotes. It distills practical insights on risk-taking, resilience, and leadership, positioning itself as both a business playbook and a motivational guide for young entrepreneurs in Africa and beyond.
Endorsements From Global Leaders
Even before release, the book drew endorsements from some of the world’s most influential voices in economics, business, and finance. Among them:
- Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), who praised the work as “a story of courage, vision, and resilience.”
- Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, who described Otedola as “a symbol of African entrepreneurship whose story must inspire the next generation.”
- Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group, who called the memoir “a landmark contribution to the body of African business literature.”
- Dr. Samuel Adedoyin, founder of the Doyin Group, who commended the candor and practical lessons embedded in the pages.
- Arunma Oteh, former Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank, who described the book as “a must-read for anyone determined to create lasting value.”
These endorsements underscore the cross-continental impact Otedola has had — not only as a businessman, but as a symbol of African enterprise in the global economy.
From Oil to Power: A Career in Transformations
Otedola’s story is one of constant reinvention.
- Zenon Petroleum & Gas: In the early 2000s, he transformed Zenon into a dominant player in the downstream oil sector, supplying fuel to most of Nigeria’s major industries.
- Forte Oil: In 2007, he took control of the struggling African Petroleum, rebranded it as Forte Oil, and turned it into one of Nigeria’s leading energy companies before divesting in 2019.
- Geregu Power Plc: Today, Otedola chairs Geregu Power, a major player in Nigeria’s power sector and one of the few publicly listed electricity companies in West Africa.
Through these shifts, Otedola has demonstrated a knack for spotting opportunities in distressed assets and converting them into profitable enterprises, a recurring theme explored in his memoir.
Philanthropy and Legacy
Beyond business, Making It Big also reflects on Otedola’s philanthropic endeavors. He has donated billions to causes ranging from education and healthcare to disaster relief. Notably, he contributed ₦5 billion to the Save the Children Foundation in 2019, one of the single largest charitable donations in Nigeria’s history.
The memoir positions these philanthropic choices as integral to his worldview — that true success is measured not only by wealth, but also by the impact one leaves on society.
Global Availability and Cultural Significance
The book’s release has been accompanied by an extensive distribution push. Copies are available across Abuja, Lagos, Accra, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala, as well as in London for readers outside Africa.
The rapid ascent of the memoir on Amazon suggests that Otedola’s story resonates far beyond Nigeria. For many, it represents the emergence of African voices in global business literature, putting the continent’s entrepreneurial narratives on the world stage.
What’s Next?
Publishing analysts predict that with its early momentum, Making It Big could soon rival Shoe Dog as a staple on reading lists for MBA programs and entrepreneurship seminars across Africa.
For Otedola himself, however, the memoir is not just a book — it is an invitation to the next generation to embrace ambition, take risks, and remain resilient in the face of uncertainty.
As he puts it:
“No dream is too big. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward — if you remain disciplined and resilient.”
With a bestseller status achieved within 24 hours, Making It Big seems destined to become both a personal legacy for Otedola and a blueprint for Africa’s next wave of entrepreneurs.
