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With FUNSHO AROGUNDADE
By all standards, Nigerian billionaire investor, Olufemi Peter Otedola is a highly exposed figure. Without a university degree, this 63 year-old tycoon has built a multibillion-dollar business empire including chairing the board of Nigeria’s biggest financial services group, First HoldCo Plc, emerged its largest individual shareholder and ambitiously leading the group into becoming Nigeria’s foremost financial powerhouse with N1 trillion capital base. That’s a record.
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But despite this achievement, Otedola still feels he needs to develop strategic thinking, leadership capabilities and organisational transformation skills. To him, leadership refinement is a continuous process, regardless of one’s current wealth or status.
At 63, Otedola, one of Nigeria’s wealthiest men humbled himself as he decided to walk into a classroom at London Business School to sit alongside other top-tier global executives, take notes, ask questions, engage other students to learn and to think about what leading a business means in 2026. The programme, titled ‘Leading Businesses for the Future’, was designed for senior business executives and leaders seeking to develop strategic thinking, leadership capabilities and organisational transformation skills. It is one of several executive education offerings that London Business School runs for senior practitioners across global industries. Despite his tight schedules of attending board meetings and cutting deals across the globe, Otedola braved the odds to complete the programme. The academic milestone highlights a growing trend among high net-worth executives and entrepreneurs who prioritise lifelong learning to navigate complex corporate landscapes.
For the billionaire, the achievement carries personal weight that goes beyond a certificate. The Forbes-rated Otedola left school sometime around 1979 without completing his A-Levels at age 17. His parents were disappointed though he chose to work at his father’s printing press in Surulere, Lagos. He later dabbled into commodities where he made his first fortune before his foray into the energy business, then power generation and now financial services.
Reflecting on the academic feat, Otedola, on his social media pages, said the experience reminded him that learning never stops and that humility is important in gaining knowledge. He noted that no knowledge is ever wasted as the programme reinforced his determination to keep learning and remain focused on becoming the best leader he can be.
