By Ademuyiwa Balikis
In less than a month since its global release, Nigerian billionaire Femi Otedola’s memoir, Making It Big: Lessons from a Life in Business, has soared to the #1 spot on Amazon’s international bestseller list in the business category.
The book, which hit shelves on August 18, 2025, is now topping global rankings, outpacing works by some of the world’s most popular business authors, including Steven Bartlett’s The Diary of a CEO. On Amazon’s Starting a Business bestsellers chart, Making It Big currently occupies the top position, a remarkable feat for a debut memoir from an African business leader.
Otedola, one of Nigeria’s most influential entrepreneurs, is best known for his pivotal role in the energy, finance, and philanthropy sectors. In Making It Big, he chronicles his rise from modest beginnings to becoming a force in global business. The memoir offers readers not only a behind the scenes look at his professional journey but also practical lessons on leadership, risk taking, resilience, and philanthropy.
The book was launched with a coordinated global campaign in London and simultaneously distributed across major markets. In Nigeria, copies spread through bookstores in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, and other cities. Beyond Africa, it was stocked in leading UK outlets such as Waterstones and made available across East and Central Africa, including Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, Ghana, and Cameroon.
Since its release, Making It Big has generated excitement not only among Nigerian readers but also internationally. The memoir’s early climb to bestseller status underscores the growing appetite for African voices in the global literary and business space.
By reaching the top of Amazon’s business category, Otedola joins a select group of African authors whose works have achieved international commercial success.
As Otedola himself hinted in pre launch interviews, the goal of the memoir was to share real lessons that can inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. With its rapid success, Making It Big is already doing just that, sparking conversations about business, leadership, and the power of African stories.
