By Eric Elezuo

Billionaire business man, Femi Otedola, has added yet another feather to his crown of grace with the recent appointment as a Non Executive Director by FBN Holdings, the parent company of one of Nigeria’s leading financial inclusion banks, FirstBank of Nigeria Plc. The appointment was formalised during the 11th Annual General Meeting of the company.

The appointment, which took effect on August 14, 2023, subject to the shareholders’ approval, was contained in a corporate filing signed by the Holdings’ acting secretary, Mr. Adewale Arogundade.

His appointment, according to the bank is based on his reputation as a “dyed-in-the-wool and visionary entrepreneur whose energy is directed at transforming enterprises and putting them on the path of growth”.

Part of the statement described Otedola as

“A strong leader with a track record of achievements in business and always aiming to make things better and adding value in areas where pioneers have trod.

It added: “He was thrust into the public’s consciousness with his foray into the downstream sector of the oil industry when he started Zenon Petroleum and Gas Limited.

“Zenon disrupted and redefined the standards in the sector, and to ensure that his very high standards are met, he also invested in storage, shipping, insurance brokerage and port agency and petroleum retail outlets building a formidable, value-driven presence along the downstream value chain.

“In his quest to grow his foothold in the sector, he initiated the purchase of majority shareholding in the then African Petroleum Plc in May 2007 and joined the board as chairman of the board on 25 May 2007.”

The son of a prolific politician, who rose to become the governor of Lagos State, the Geregu Power Plc Chairman, simply addressed as Femi Otedola (CON), is a focused and determined man, a man, who made his choice from day one, and has refused to be derailed. He has carved a niche  for himself in the prolific world of entrepreneurship.

Born on November 4, 1962, in Ibadan to the family of the late Sir Michael Otedola, a former governor of Lagos State, Otedola is a definition of everything good, positive and encouraging. He has lived his 60 years representing the very essence of living, affecting lives as a philanthropist, developing careers and manpower as a businessman, industrialists and entrepreneur, and raising biological children, who has stood their own in the society. There is hardly anywhere this tall, handsome phenomenon of a personality can be faulted.

The billionaire businessman started his education at the University of Lagos Staff School before attending Olivet Baptist High School. 

A former chairman of Forte Oil Plc, the Chancellor of St Augustine University, Epe, Lagos, is the founder of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, and the owner of a number of other businesses across shipping, real estate and finance. He has recently invested in power generation as part of the liberalisation of the sector in Nigeria.

Known for never settling for less; known for his abhorrence to mediocrity, the Geregu Power Plc chairman, scored yet another top as he chose his 60th birthday to fulfill a lifelong ambition of cruising on the most expensive boat in the world, the Christina Onassis. It has been reported that while growing up, Otedola’s childhood fantasy has remained to cruise the yacht made exclusively for the best of the best in the society. The yacht, owned by late Greek billionaire, Aristotle Onassis. is presently housing Otedola and his close and dear family members as they transverse exclusively across the most beautiful islands and shores the universe is known with.

Otedola heard about Onassis, the Greek Shipping guru, at the age of 13, and adopted him as his role model. It was therefore with nostalgia that he looked forward to the day he would cruise his. So, his 60th birthday presented a veritable opportunity to fulfill this objective, the amount of Pounds splashed notwithstanding.

LIFE AND TIMES OF FEMI OTEDOLA

The man, who has homes in Lagos, Abuja, Dubai, London and New York City has a much impressive existence since he set out to take the bull by the horns in the field of enterprise. This is as chronicled by wikipedia. In 2003, having identified an opportunity in the fuel retail market, Otedola secured the finance to set up Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, a petroleum products marketing and distribution company.

As owner and chairman of Zenon, in 2004 he invested N15 billion in downstream infrastructure development and acquired storage depots at Ibafon, Apapa as well as four cargo vessels, amounting to a combined total storage capacity of 147,000 metric tonnes. The same year he acquired a fleet of 100 DAF fuel-tanker trucks for N1.4 billion.

By 2005, Zenon controlled a major share of the Nigerian diesel market, supplying fuel to most of the major manufacturers in the country including Dangote Group, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Unilever, Nestle and Guinness.

In March 2007, it was announced that ten banks had approved a syndicated loan of US$1.5 billion (N193.5 billion) to Zenon as working capital to build the largest premium motor spirit storage facility in Africa. Later that year Zenon acquired a 28.7 per cent stake in African Petroleum, one of Nigeria’s largest fuel marketers. Zenon also invested across the financial sector, becoming the largest shareholder in a number of Nigerian banks including Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa (UBA). As well as diesel, Zenon also became an important player in the kerosene market.

In 2012, Zenon was among a number of companies named in a report into an alleged fuel subsidy scam. According to the report Zenon owed the government $1.4 million. It was further reported that Farouk Lawan, the Nigerian legislator who compiled the report, had apparently been filmed collecting $500,000 of a supposed total sum of $3 million from Femi Otedola to remove Zenon from the list. It subsequently emerged that Otedola had previously reported Lawan’s harassment and demands for bribes to the State Security Services, who had orchestrated a sting operation. Lawan was charged with corruption in February 2013.

In 2007, Otedola was appointed chairman and chief executive of Africa Petroleum through the acquisition of a controlling stake in the business. In December that year he personally acquired a further 29.3 per cent of the company for N40 billion. A merger of this personal holding with Zenon’s brought Otedola’s total stake to 55.3 per cent.

Following Otedola’s entry into the company African Petroleum’s share price rose sharply, increasing the market capitalisation from N36 billion to N217 billion in six months. In 2008, in response to public concerns over the availability and pricing of kerosene, African Petroleum launched an initiative to saturate the market and sell fuel at N50 per litre from more than 500 service stations across Nigeria.

In March 2009, Otedola became the second Nigerian after Aliko Dangote to appear on the Forbes list of dollar-denominated billionaires, with an estimated net worth of $1.2 billion. In October 2009, Otedola announced a move to upgrade African Petroleum’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage terminals in Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt. Difficult economic conditions caused by the slump in world oil prices and credit squeeze of 2008–09 led African Petroleum to record a loss in 2009.

In December 2010, African Petroleum rebranded, changing its name to Forte Oil PLC. Otedola carried out a restructuring of the business, focusing on technology and improved corporate governance. Forte Oil returned to profit in 2012.

In 2013, as part of the Federal Government’s push to liberalise Nigeria’s ailing power sector, Otedola financed 57% of Forte Oil subsidiary Amperion Ltd, which acquired the 414 MW Geregu Power Plant for $132 million.

Forte’s improved financial position and diversification into power generation resulted in a 1,321 per cent rise in its share price during 2013. The first half of 2014 saw the company’s pre-tax profit more than double year-on-year to 4.19 billion naira ($25.7 million). Revenue growth for the whole year was 33 per cent. In November 2014, Otedola returned to the Forbes rich list having dropped off it following the fall in share price during 2009.

In September 2015 Forte Oil sold 17 per cent of its equity to Swiss commodity trader Mercuria Energy Group, giving Forte access to global commodity markets. The deal was thought to have given Otedola an estimated $200 million. In 2019, Femi Otedola sold Forte Oil Plc and announced plans to change focus from oil to power with his company, Geregu Power Plc.

In 1994, Otedola established CentreForce Ltd, specialising in finance, investments and trading. Otedola is also the owner of Swift Insurance.

Otedola is Chief Executive and President of SeaForce Shipping Company Ltd and was at one point Nigeria’s largest ship owner after extending control over the distribution of diesel products. One of his ships, a flat bottomed bunker vessel with a storage capacity of 16,000 metric tonnes, was the first of its kind in Africa.

In January 2006, Otedola was appointed a non-executive director of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, a multi-sectoral conglomerate established in 2004 by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to respond to market opportunities requiring heavy capital investment in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa. He held this post until February 2011.

Otedola has made a number of real estate investments, including a N2.3 billion acquisition in February 2007 by Zenon of Stallion House in Victoria Island in Lagos, from the Federal Government. The following month he was appointed chairman of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja and tasked with driving its expansion and upgrade to a seven star facility. He is the owner of FO Properties Ltd. Otedola has been reported to be a financier of the People’s Democratic Party and is said to have contributed N100 million to President Obasanjo’s re-election expenses in 2003. He has served as a member of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) since 2004, and the same year was appointed to a committee tasked with developing commercial relations with South Africa. In 2011, Femi Otedola was appointed by President Goodluck Jonathan to Nigeria’s National Economic Management Team.

In 2020, Forte Oil rebranded to Adrova PLC.

Currently, as at October 2021, he was announced as the single largest shareholder (5.07%) of First bank PLC.

His philanthropic gestures have remained a reference point to other wealthy individuals. He is known to have made several donations to the Michael Otedola University Scholarship Scheme, which was established in 1985 to give underprivileged students in Lagos State access to higher education. In 2005 Zenon donated N200 million to the scheme’s fund. Since its inception the scheme has benefited more than 1,000 students.

In 2005, Otedola made a N300 million personal donation to the completion of the National Ecumenical Centre; Nigeria’s primary place of Christian worship, in Abuja. In 2007 he was among a group of donors who gave N200 million to the State Security Trust Fund in a drive to reduce crime in Lagos State. Later that year he donated N100 million to the Otedola College of Primary Education in Noforija, Epe. In 2008 he donated N80 million to the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Port Harcourt. He also promised and fulfilled his pledge of 25,000 dollars to the Super Eagles in the match against Algeria in the 2019 AFCON.

In September, 2022, Otedola was appointed as a member of the National Peace Committee (NPC), headed by former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 elections.

It is not an understate to say that Otedola is highly blessed of God with wisdom and entrepreneurial skills to make the desired change in the everchanging business world.

An unrepentant dotting father, husband and family man, Otedola is married to Nana, and has three daughters and one son. They are Tolani, a singer, Florence Ifeoluwa and Elizabeth Temi, and a son, Fewa. Florence Otedola, aka DJ Cuppy, is a Disc Jockey and music producer, as well as a tourism ambassador for Nigeria while Temi is an actress, a style blogger and aspiring designer.

Congratulations sir on this new phase of achievement