Africa’s business landscape has always demanded grit, creativity, and vision. Two new books—one from Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola, the other from Indian-born tech investor Prateek Suri—show how persistence in the face of uncertainty can turn obstacles into empires.
Otedola’s Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business traces decades of navigating Nigeria’s unpredictable oil sector, financial crises, and regulatory battles. Suri’s Gateway to Africa: A Visionary’s Path to Business, Investment and Innovation in Africa tells a very different story—that of a digital pioneer betting on Africa’s innovation economy and building billion-dollar ventures across fintech, real estate, and technology.
Different industries, different starting points—yet both men arrive at the same conclusion: survival in Africa requires resilience, presence, and the courage to adapt.
Crisis as a Teacher
For Otedola, the lesson came through painful near-collapses: market crashes, government policy shifts, and political storms that would have crippled others. His fortune grew from reading Nigeria’s regulatory environment better than his competitors.
For Suri, failure was part of the formula. He speaks candidly of ventures that collapsed and pivots made under pressure, emphasizing that agility—not perfection—is what drives success in frontier markets.
The African Style of Leadership
Unlike boardrooms in New York or London where executives remain distant, both Otedola and Suri argue that African leadership demands presence.
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Otedola recalls personally bailing out staff in times of hardship.
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Suri describes midnight troubleshooting at factories or debugging code with his team.
Here, leadership isn’t a title—it’s rolling up sleeves when it matters most.
Policy as Destiny
Both books also double as warnings for policymakers. Otedola points out how erratic fuel pricing and inconsistent rules choke enterprise, while Suri calls for harmonized digital and trade policies that match Africa’s ambitions.
The shared message is simple: no matter how visionary entrepreneurs are, hostile policy environments turn growth into a constant uphill climb.
Blueprints for Builders
To entrepreneurs across Lagos, Nairobi, or Accra, these books are more than biographies. They’re practical playbooks.
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Suri’s mantra: build, fail, adapt, and build again.
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Otedola’s reminder: reputation is currency—guard it fiercely.
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Their joint conclusion: wealth is built by staying the course when others give up.
Looking Ahead
Neither man writes as though his journey is over. Otedola hints at fresh moves in clean energy and philanthropy. Suri looks to the future of AI, sustainability, and bold bets on humanity’s next technological shift.
Far from being reflections on the past, both works are roadmaps to the future—showing Africa not as a continent catching up, but as one setting the pace for global business innovation.
Final Thought
Making It Big and Gateway to Africa are not simply personal stories. They are declarations that Africa’s future belongs to those willing to endure turbulence, think boldly, and seize opportunities in places others overlook.
