Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola's memoir is shortlisted for African Business Book of the Year

Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola's business memoir has made the shortlist for one of African publishing's most closely watched annual prizes, with the Business Council for Africa announcing on Monday that Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business is among nine titles competing for the 2026 BCA African Business Book of the Year.

The award, now in its fourth year and produced in partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation, African Business magazine and BrandComms, celebrates the most compelling business writing examining Africa's economic landscape. The winner will be announced at a ceremony at the Institute of Directors in London on July 3. First prize carries a $10,000 cash award, with $5,000 for the runner-up and $2,500 for third place.

Otedola published Making It Big in 2025, drawing on more than three decades in Nigerian business spanning fuel distribution, power generation, real estate and banking. The book charted his journey through the ups and downs of Nigeria's commercial environment, including his acrimonious exit from Forte Oil, his return to banking through his current chairmanship of FirstHoldCo, the holding company that controls First Bank of Nigeria, and the philosophy he developed navigating a market that has produced few fortunes as publicly documented as his own. The book reached number one on Amazon's bestseller list in its category shortly after publication.

The other shortlisted titles are How We Made It in Africa II by Jarco Martiz, How Africa Works by Joe Studwell, Cultural Confluence in Organisational Change: A Portuguese Venture in Angola by Allete Vonk, Afro-Optimism Unleashed by Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, It's About Tyme by Adrian Saville and Bruce Whitfield, How Africa Eats by Professor David Luke, and Realizing Africa's Potential: A Journey to Prosperity by Landry Signé.

The judging panel includes Arnold Ekpe, BCA chairman and chair of the judging committee; Arunma Oteh, former director-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission and chair at the Royal Africa Society; Chris Ogbechie, former dean of Lagos Business School; Moky Makura, chief executive of AfricaNoFilter; Terhas Berhe, managing director and founder of Brand Communications; Omar Ben Yedder, publisher of African Business and New African magazine; and Anver Versi, editor of New African and African Banker.

Ekpe, commenting on the shortlist, said the Africa Finance Corporation's involvement as headline sponsor this year added institutional weight to the awards at a significant moment. "As AFC approaches its 20th anniversary next year, it understands the importance of narrative and the significance of documenting first hand the business stories being created across the continent," he said. "These stories help deepen understanding of Africa's evolving business landscape and economic transformation."

Previous winners include All Hands on Deck: Unleash Prosperity Through World Class Capital Markets by Arunma Oteh; Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance by Bronwen Everill; and Toni Kan's Riding the Storm: The Untold Story of Africa's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The award has historically favoured authors combining direct practitioner experience with analytical breadth, a combination Otedola's memoir delivers from the perspective of one of Nigeria's most consequential businessmen of the past 30 years.

The Business Council for Africa was established in 1956 to provide intelligence to investors interested in African economies and today operates as a registered not-for-profit promoting African business and connecting the continent with global opportunity.