Femi Otedola's Book Wins African Business Award

Nigerian billionaire and philanthropist Femi Otedola’s memoir, Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business, has won the 2026 Business Council for Africa (BCA) African Business Book of the Year Award.

The award is given by the Business Council for Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), African Business magazine, and BrandComms. It honours books that help people understand Africa’s business scene, entrepreneurship, and economic growth. Mr Otedola’s memoir stood out from many other notable titles about leadership, finance, and Africa’s economic changes.

This recognition comes less than a year after the memoir was launched in London on 18 August 2025. It had a global release in hardcover and paperback through Amazon and other international sellers.

Unlike many business life stories, Making It Big mixes personal stories with practical tips on entrepreneurship.

In the 286-page memoir, Mr Otedola shares his journey from humble beginnings to becoming a billionaire at age 41. He talks about his work in oil and gas, shipping, power, real estate, and finance. He also reflects on his major business failures, comebacks, and how resilience helped him rebuild his wealth.

The book had a strong start in the market. Within 24 hours of its release, it reached No. 4 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list in the Business Biographies and Memoirs category. It later climbed to No. 1 in Amazon’s Starting a Business category, earning five-star ratings from readers.

Several top African figures praised the memoir. Notable endorsements came from Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Aliko Dangote, and Akinwumi Adesina. They called it an important contribution to African business literature and a helpful guide for entrepreneurs.

Mr Otedola revealed that he started writing the book in 2017 and finished it in 2019. He delayed its publication because of the COVID-19 pandemic and finally released it in 2025.

After receiving this award, the chairman of FirstHoldCo and Geregu Power expressed his thanks to the organisers. He said the award confirmed the reason he wrote the memoir.

In a message shared with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Otedola said, “Thank you to the BCA African Business Book of the Year team for this generous recognition. 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.

This honour humbles me, and I extend my warm congratulations to the other winners. I am grateful that the book is resonating with readers and entrepreneurs across the continent. I hope it will inspire entrepreneurs to keep building and giving back.”