Nigerian Billionaire's Memoir Wins Africa Business Book Award

A memoir that almost never saw the light of day is now Africa's most celebrated business book of 2025.

Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola's "Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business" won the 2026 Business Council for Africa African Business Book of the Year Award. The recognition came less than a year after its August 2025 launch in London.

The 286-page memoir tells the story of Otedola's rise from modest beginnings to billionaire status at age 41. He shares candid details about his ventures across oil and gas, shipping, power, real estate, and finance.

But the book doesn't just celebrate wins. Otedola devotes significant pages to business setbacks, recoveries, and the resilience required to rebuild his fortune multiple times.

The memoir's commercial success matched its critical acclaim. Within 24 hours of release, it climbed to No. 4 on Amazon's Business Biographies list before eventually hitting No. 1 in the Starting a Business category.

African leaders including World Trade Organization Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and business magnate Aliko Dangote endorsed the book. They called it an important contribution to African business literature and a valuable guide for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The timing nearly didn't work out. Otedola finished writing the manuscript in 2019 but postponed publication due to the COVID-19 pandemic, waiting six years to release it.

The Ripple Effect

The award recognizes books that deepen understanding of Africa's business environment and economic development. For a continent often portrayed through negative stereotypes, having authentic African success stories told by African voices matters.

Otedola's response to winning reflected this broader purpose. "Making It Big was written to tell the truth about the journey, the risks, the setbacks, the resilience, and the leadership required to build a business, especially in Africa," he said.

The chairman of FirstHoldCo and Geregu Power added that he hopes the book will inspire entrepreneurs across the continent to keep building and giving back. Early reader reviews suggest it's already doing exactly that, with five-star ratings praising its practical lessons and honest storytelling.

Sometimes the most powerful gift we can give is simply telling the truth about how hard things were and how we made it through anyway.