Kehinde Ajose: My Thoughts After Reading Femi Otedola’s Making It Big

When I archetypal heard that Femi Otedola had released a memoir, Making It Big, I was indifferent. Another billionaire telling america however helium made it? My expectations were low. I assumed it would beryllium 1 of those polished, PR-perfect occurrence stories that skips the struggles and lands consecutive successful the backstage jet.

But reviews began to flood my provender from people I respect profoundly successful media and concern circles. Chude Jideonwo‘s instrumentality wasn’t conscionable praise; it was an honorable reflection. Chude doesn’t crockery retired compliments lightly, particularly connected stories that effort to distil the analyzable world of Nigerian concern success. When I saw his review, I knew I had to get a copy.

So I gave in. I picked up Making It Big. And from the precise archetypal chapter, I couldn’t halt reading.

The memoir isn’t conscionable a billionaire’s brag. It’s not a glossy, PR-friendly narrative. It’s raw, existent and relatable. It is simply a communicative astir reinvention, risk, and supra all, the mistakes and learning curves that often spell untold. It’s a heavy dive into the idiosyncratic and fiscal principles that built the Otedola brand, and the quality costs that came with that journey.

In Nigeria, galore high-profile entrepreneurs similar to stay soundless oregon cryptic astir however they amassed their wealth. They fto rumours alert and fto the representation bash the talking. The nationalist sees lone the result: the mansions, the flashy cars, the headline-making deals. But seldom bash they get a model into the messy process, the setbacks, the doubts, the recalibrations.

Otedola breaks that mould.

He pulls backmost the curtain to amusement america some the radiance and the scars. He discusses illness and rebirth, the value of expectations, and the necessity of reinventing oneself. It made maine realise that we request much honest, unfiltered, homegrown occurrence stories similar this. Stories that don’t conscionable observe wealthiness but research the lessons, the pain, and the maturation down it.

One of the astir compelling themes successful Making It Big is fiscal discipline. Otedola shares frankly: “Building a spot portfolio came to maine arsenic people arsenic breathing. Nobody prods you to commencement investing successful property; it comes with the territory erstwhile you person other income.” This struck maine deeply. For galore Nigerians, particularly those climbing the economical ladder, investing tin look intimidating oregon adjacent retired of reach. Yet present is simply a antheral who sees spot not arsenic a luxury, but arsenic a foundational instrumentality for fiscal information and legacy.

He besides shares a timeless lesson: “We are taught not to support each our wealth successful banks, but to dispersed crossed antithetic sectors and portfolios.” Otedola advocates diversification and explains however helium thought done risks, wherefore helium chose definite sectors, and however timing was everything. For example, borrowing dollars astatine ₦117 to $1 and repaying astatine ₦165 to $1 was a determination that could person gone either way. These aren’t abstract ideas; these are strategies executed astatine billion-naira scales.

Otedola’s borderline lies successful reinvention and a strategical usage of visibility. He writes, “For astir of my big life, I person believed in, and successfully executed, strategical reinventions… Evolution teaches america that you tin accommodate oregon die.” His quality to pivot from lipid to energy, from accepted concern to supporting his children successful entertainment, exposes his singular flexibility that galore concern leaders lack. While galore billionaires defender their stories closely, Otedola weaponises his, utilizing media arsenic a instrumentality not conscionable to power the communicative but to bespeak openly connected missteps and amplify his legacy.

This honesty extends beyond concern into the personal. For young professionals successful their twenties and thirties, Otedola’s proposal is refreshingly applicable and grounded. He tells of stoppi...