Nigerian billionaire and Chairman of First Bank Holding, Femi Otedola, has revealed that he never attended a university — a decision he says was born out of his lack of interest in academics and his early passion for business.
In his newly released 286-page memoir, Otedola recounted how he struggled through school, admitting that classrooms and textbooks never truly captured his attention. “There was something about academia and me; we were not compatible,” he confessed. “Even when I was allowed to pass, I consistently anchored the bottom of our end-of-term results. My interests were definitely not in academia.”
He recalled starting primary school at the University of Lagos Staff School in 1968 and finishing in 1974, after repeating a class. From there, he moved on to secondary education, but the pattern remained the same — academics just didn’t excite him.
As he entered his teenage years, Otedola’s focus shifted elsewhere. During his time in A Levels at Olivet, his father established Impact Press in Surulere. The young Otedola became fascinated by the machines and the business potential he saw in them. That passion, he said, was far more compelling than returning for his Upper Sixth year.
“All I wanted to do was get involved in business,” he wrote. “I managed to remain in school until the Lower Sixth examination was over, and then I was finished. My father kept watch over me and drew me close.”
His story now stands as a reminder that academic struggles do not necessarily limit one’s future. Today, Otedola is celebrated not only as one of Nigeria’s wealthiest men but also as a visionary businessman whose journey began outside the walls of a university.
