By Dr. Lukman Raimi
Reading culture is dwindling, but wisdom is buried in books. To provide the people with the invaluable lessons in the recently launched book of the Billionaire Femi Otedola. I have provided a useful summary for social media followers. While most summaries focus on the stories and 0embellishments, my summary focuses on thematic issues.
Femi Otedola’s Making It Big launched in 2025 is both memoir and business handbook. Spanning his journey from a young entrepreneur in Lagos to billionaire investor and philanthropist, the book distills the mindset, crises, and reinventions that shaped his path. It is not merely a personal narrative but a framework for thriving in volatile markets.
Key Themes & Lessons
There are nine themes in the book with rich lessons for readers.
1. Early Passion and First Principles: He left A-Levels to work in his father’s printing press, a decisive decision that prioritised practice over theory. The message for readers is that immerse yourself early, pursue what excites you, and don’t fear unconventional choices. Avoid following the crowds!
2. Breakthroughs in Oil Trading: From small hustles into Zenon Petroleum, leveraging fleets, depots, and scale. He focused on operational efficiency, reliability, and seizing energy bottlenecks in Nigeria. The message for readers is that working hard must be completed with working smartly. Femi was simply smart!
3. Seed Capital and Risk: A £250,000 loan from his father catalysed growth of his business. Lesson for readers is that working and growth capital is key for leverage. When capital is given, use it wisely, as it amplifies both risk and return.
4. Fall and Rise: The 2008 ecomomic recession or financial crash wiped out billions of investment funds; yet Femi rebuilt his business through resilience and pivoting. Message for readers is that in times of turbulence, reinvention became the philosophy of real fighters. Femi accepted reality, preserved the core, re-risked and strategically reposition his business operations. Hard times don’t last, but hard people do!
5. Corporate Turnarounds: Transformation of African Petroleum into Forte Oil was a masterstroke. Also, tactical shift to Geregu Power Plc emphasized long-term perspective by diversifying into infrastructure-heavy investment. Message for readers is that in entrepreneurship, insight matrers, because fortunes endure through timely reallocations of resources, not static success in one sector. Diversify your investment portfolios.
6. Business and Politics: Like all entrepreneurs, who are smart, alert and vigilant, Femi acknowledged interplay between enterprise and policy in Nigeria. The book advises aspiring and established ones to master regulation, macroeconomics, and stakeholder management.
7. The Entrepreneurial Mindset: This is my favourite as an entrepreneurship educator, Femi Otedola emphasises the following:
*Dream big, start small, be resilient.
*Reinvent proactively, build systems, brand consistently.
The take away quote is: “To prosper, accept that nothing is beneath you.”
8. Family and Mentorship: Entrepreneurs must be good at preserving intergenerational wealth, hence Femi supported his children’s ventures as “learning laboratories.” Parent as investor-mentor ensure wealth sustainability by providing seed funding for their children’s ventures, while insisting on prudential utilisation and accountability.
9. Philanthropy and Legacy: Entrepreneurs must give back to the society and people. Femi Otedola’s book distills endowments, scholarships, and medical interventions as giving back that define his later years. Wealth without impact is empty; true legacy is lives touched.
Why It Resonates with me as an entrepreneurship educator
To me, the book is a rare, candid African billionaire memoir, covering wins and losses. Also, it unveils practical strategies and insights for aspiring and established entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Thirdly, the book was endorsed by Aliko Dangote, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Akinwumi Adesina, underscoring credibility for entrepreneurship.
Takeaways for Entrepreneurs, Policymakers, and Students
1. Entrepreneurs: Build systems, anticipate shocks, pivot when needed.
2. Policymakers: Recognise how regulation shapes enterprise survival.
3. Students: Success is iterative; resilience and humility are as important as ambition.
Bottom Line
Making It Big is more than a memoir—it is a toolkit for creating, losing, and regaining fortune in unpredictable environments. Its enduring lesson: courage, resilience, and purposeful giving define the true meaning of success.
