The Pilgrim @chumarajah - Twitter Profile

6 months ago

"Poor Nigerians beg. Middle class Nigerians beg (We can have a whole conversation about whether there is anything like a middle class in Nigeria). Rich Nigerians beg. It is easy to look at the fuel attendant begging at the petrol station and get irritated while you are on your way to beg someone to help you fast track your passport that has been stuck at the immigration office for weeks or months. It is easy to complain about all the people who beg at public events while you are waiting for the event to end so you can beg someone who will help your child gain admission to a university. It is easy to get irritated about Lagos agberos begging for money in the streets while you are on your way to beg for something bigger: a contract, an appointment with someone who will open doors, a political godfather who will put your name on the ballot." Read: Blessed Are The Shameless -

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Ameh Itodo MD

@doctor_ameh

11 months ago

Femi Otedola has come under fire for publishing his book Making It Big. The backlash was swift and as usual expected. Don’t take advice from someone born into wealth and privilege or someone born with a silver spoon should not be taken seriously. To these all ever knowing critics,a wealthy man writing about success is unrelatable and even arrogant. So if we should not listen to those who are rich, should we instead seek financial advice from those who are poor? If the goal is wealth creation, is it not safe to listen to those who have actually built wealth whether from scratch or from a position of privilege? No two people ever begin life from the same starting point. Some are born into affluence while others into scarcity. Yet what matters most is what each person makes of the opportunities available to them. The fact that a businessman’s father was once a governor does not invalidate his personal achievements. History is filled with examples of children of privilege who squandered their opportunities and faded into obscurity. Femi Otedola has built businesses, created jobs and made tangible contributions to the society.That alone sets him apart and makes his insights valuable. It is also important to recognize that every book has a target audience. Not every book is written for every reader. Some people may find the tone unrelatable others may find the advice transformative. But to dismiss the book entirely because of the author’s background is unfair and shortsighted. We eagerly consume the writings of American businessmen like Bill Gate, Warren Buffett, and other global business moguls. Why then are we so quick to disparage our own when they attempt to document their journeys? Personally I think books written by indigenous billionaires should hold special value. Unlike their Western counterparts, these businessmen operate within the same system, environment and cultural realities that Nigerians face. Their struggles with infrastructure, government and local economic challenges are experiences foreign authors cannot fully capture. That makes their stories and lessons even more relevant and important to us. I can speak from experience. One of the most impactful books I ever read was Africa, Arise and Shine by Jim Ovia which chronicled the founding of Zenith Bank. Similarly, Leaving the Tarmac by Aigboje Imoukhuede provided deep insights into Nigeria’s banking and business landscape. These works did more than just tell stories. They offered practical lessons, motivation and a roadmap for navigating success within the Nigerian environment.Even if one does not personally like Otedola or any other wealthy Nigerian, there are still valuable lessons to be extracted from their journeys. To reject these books purely out of personal bias is unfortunate. At the end of the day, opinions are not facts. Nigeria is a nation of over 200 million people and no single perspective can claim absolute authority on what is right or wrong to read. A person may dislike the author, disagree with his methods or even question his privilege. But that does not make the lessons in his book invalid. We must learn to separate personal bias from intellectual growth. Wealth is not built on criticism. It is built on knowledge, strategy and action. If a billionaire is willing to share his perspective whether or not you agree with every detail it is worth at least listening. When it comes to the pursuit of success, humility and openness to learning are just as important as hard work.Dont weaponise your dislike for Otedola to tell others they must not read his book. Even Peter Obi once got advice from a mad man! So just chill.

doctor_ameh's tweet photo. Femi Otedola has come under fire for publishing his book Making It Big. The backlash was swift and as usual expected. Don’t take advice from someone born into wealth and privilege or someone born with a silver spoon should not be taken seriously. To these all ever knowing critics,a wealthy man writing about success is unrelatable and even arrogant. So if we should not listen to those who are rich, should we instead seek financial advice from those who are poor? If the goal is wealth creation, is it not safe to listen to those who have actually built wealth whether from scratch or from a position of privilege?

No two people ever begin life from the same starting point. Some are born into affluence while others into scarcity. Yet what matters most is what each person makes of the opportunities available to them. The fact that a businessman’s father was once a governor does not invalidate his personal achievements. History is filled with examples of children of privilege who squandered their opportunities and faded into obscurity. Femi Otedola has built businesses, created jobs and made tangible contributions to the society.That alone sets him apart and makes his insights valuable.

It is also important to recognize that every book has a target audience. Not every book is written for every reader. Some people may find the tone unrelatable others may find the advice transformative. But to dismiss the book entirely because of the author’s background is unfair and shortsighted. We eagerly consume the writings of American businessmen like Bill Gate, Warren Buffett, and other global business moguls. Why then are we so quick to disparage our own when they attempt to document their journeys?

Personally I think books written by indigenous billionaires should hold special value. Unlike their Western counterparts, these businessmen operate within the same system, environment and cultural realities that Nigerians face. Their struggles with infrastructure, government and local economic challenges are experiences foreign authors cannot fully capture. That makes their stories and lessons even more relevant and important to us.

I can speak from experience. One of the most impactful books I ever read was Africa, Arise and Shine by Jim Ovia which chronicled the founding of Zenith Bank. Similarly, Leaving the Tarmac by Aigboje Imoukhuede provided deep insights into Nigeria’s banking and business landscape. These works did more than just tell stories. They offered practical lessons, motivation and a roadmap for navigating success within the Nigerian environment.Even if one does not personally like Otedola or any other wealthy Nigerian, there are still valuable lessons to be extracted from their journeys. To reject these books purely out of personal bias is unfortunate.

At the end of the day, opinions are not facts. Nigeria is a nation of over 200 million people and no single perspective can claim absolute authority on what is right or wrong to read. A person may dislike the author, disagree with his methods or even question his privilege. But that does not make the lessons in his book invalid.

We must learn to separate personal bias from intellectual growth. Wealth is not built on criticism. It is built on knowledge, strategy and action. If a billionaire is willing to share his perspective whether or not you agree with every detail it is worth at least listening.

When it comes to the pursuit of success, humility and openness to learning are just as important as hard work.Dont weaponise your dislike for Otedola to tell others they must not read his book.

Even Peter Obi once got advice from a mad man! So just chill.

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The Pilgrim

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