What delays release of billionaire Femi Otedola’s memoir

Rich, successful and controversial. These three adjectives best fit the personae of Nigerian billionaire, Femi Otedola. To his admirers and detractors, he is certainly an intriguing personality. His calm mien makes it easy to underestimate him, but that will be at your peril. He needs no introduction. In the last two decades, he has been in the spotlight as a shrewd businessman, He has dealt with a case of intrigues, conspiracy theories and the fifth columnists. Many have eagerly been waiting to read and learn more about the man Otedola via his memoirs. Of course, they know it will simply be an unputdownable item to own. And the man at the centre of it wasn’t oblivious of this request and he set to work at achieving a compelling read for all.

Spotlight learnt that about seven years ago, he beckoned on two of Nigeria’s best writers and polemicists in the persons of Kunle Bakare —publisher of Encomium magazine— and Simon Kolawole —publisher, The Cable— to help him put his ideas into a paperback. He was said to have settled for the two gentlemen because of their mastery of fluid narration and more importantly, since he has so many things to talk about, the writers know him much. In November last year, he excited many when he announced the final wrap of the interviews on his debut book on business lessons conducted by both Bakare and Kolawole spanning 18 months across Lagos, Monte Carlo, Paris, New York, London and Dubai. But close sources said the energy tycoon who clocked 58 on Wednesday November 4 is not in a hurry to release the memoirs for public consumption. The two writers were said to have been very impressive in the delivery of a fascinating and insightful business book in which Otedola sets his story against a backdrop of momentous events he lived through. The book is also primed to be a bestseller anytime it’s finally released to the public.