How I Dropped Out of School to Create Wealth, Build an Empire, Says Femi Otedola in New Memoir

Nigerian billionaire businessman, Femi Otedola, has revealed that his journey to becoming one of Africa’s most influential entrepreneurs began not in the lecture halls of a university, but outside the walls of a classroom he could not complete.

Otedola, who today chairs one of Nigeria’s largest financial groups and has built a multi-billion-dollar empire spanning energy, shipping, and finance, disclosed in his newly released memoir, Making It Big, that he neither completed high school nor obtained a university degree.

The 286-page memoir, which hit bookstores on Monday, chronicles the mogul’s unorthodox rise to success. He candidly recounts his early struggles with academics, which forced him to abandon formal education altogether.

Yet, instead of seeing his lack of certificates as a limitation, Otedola said he turned it into motivation to prove himself in the competitive world of business.

“I struggled with school and eventually dropped out. But outside the classroom, I found another kind of education, one that came from taking risks, learning from mistakes, and seizing opportunities,” he writes.

Otedola narrates how his early ventures from dabbling in small trade to navigating Nigeria’s energy sector gradually evolved into a business empire that would make him one of Africa’s richest men. His story underscores resilience, risk-taking, and a refusal to let academic setbacks define his future.

The memoir also offers rare insights into his family life, the challenges of managing wealth, and his reflections on leadership, philanthropy, and legacy.

With Making It Big, Otedola joins a select group of African business leaders who have documented their journeys, inspiring younger generations to see beyond conventional pathways to success.