Femi Otedola’s Making It Big Wins Second Place at 2026 African Business Book of the Year Awards
Nigerian billionaire businessman and philanthropist Femi Otedola has earned international recognition after his memoir, Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business, secured second place at the 2026 BCA African Business Book of the Year Award.
The prestigious award, organised by the Business Council for Africa in partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation, African Business, and BrandComms, celebrates books that contribute to a deeper understanding of Africa’s business landscape, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
Otedola’s memoir finished behind It’s About Tyme, written by Adrian Saville and Bruce Whitfield, which claimed the top prize.
Released globally in August 2025, Making It Big chronicles Otedola’s journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of Africa’s leading entrepreneurs. The book offers readers practical lessons on business, leadership, resilience, risk-taking, and overcoming setbacks while sharing insights from his experiences across the oil and gas, shipping, power, real estate, and financial sectors.
The memoir quickly gained popularity after its release, climbing Amazon’s bestseller rankings and receiving strong reviews from readers worldwide.
The book also attracted praise from prominent African leaders and business figures, including Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Aliko Dangote, and Akinwumi Adesina, who described it as an inspiring resource for entrepreneurs across the continent.
Reacting to the latest achievement, Otedola expressed appreciation to the organisers, saying the recognition reinforces the purpose behind writing the memoir.
According to him, the book was written to honestly share the realities of building successful businesses in Africa, including the risks, failures, resilience, and leadership required to succeed.
He also congratulated the other award winners and expressed hope that the memoir would continue to motivate aspiring entrepreneurs to build successful businesses while making meaningful contributions to society.
