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Making It Big: How My Life Changed With £250,000 Loan – Otedola

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Otedola Lauds Dangote Refinery As 'Eighth Wonder,' Credits Tinubu

Billionaire businessman Femi Otedola has revealed that a £250,000 loan from his father Sir Michael Otedola, a former Lagos State governor-was the lifeline that helped scale up Zenon Petroleum, the oil trading company that cemented his place in Nigeria’s business landscape.

Otedola made the disclosure in his memoir Making It Big, where he draws parallels between the support he received from his father and the guidance he now provides to his children.

According to him, mentorship and financial backing were critical to his rise and remain central to how he nurtures the ambitions of his own protégés.

He recalled financing his daughter DJ Cuppy’s first major show, which featured Davido, with N10 million when they were just 16. The concert, however, flopped, attracting only a handful of older attendees including former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke and his wife Onari, as well as lawyer Jide Coker.

“Papa, people aren’t coming,” his daughter lamented. His response was to open the gates for free an experience he describes as a lesson in tenacity and perseverance. Today, both artistes have grown into household names.

More insights
Davido, who has gone on to become one of Africa’s biggest music exports, boasts multiple hit singles, global tours, and awards, including a Grammy nomination in 2024. He is also one of the most streamed Afrobeats artistes globally, with a loyal fan base spanning Africa, Europe, and the United States. DJ Cuppy, meanwhile, has carved out her own niche as a DJ and producer, releasing hit singles, headlining major international events, and serving as a UN ambassador. She has also become a prominent advocate for philanthropy and youth empowerment.

The billionaire also recalled spending the summer of 2019 in Monaco with his children, where he shared “nuggets of wisdom” passed down from his father alongside lessons picked up throughout his career.

Beyond family, Otedola credits role models such as the late Wahab Folawiyo, whose pioneering business exploits he studied closely, as key influences in shaping his entrepreneurial outlook.

What you should know 
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, he moved quickly to dominate the industry.

By 2004, he had invested N15 billion in downstream infrastructure, acquiring storage depots in Apapa and Ibafon, as well as four cargo vessels with a combined total storage capacity of 147,000 metric tons.

That same year, Zenon added a fleet of 100 DAF fuel-tanker trucks worth N1.4 billion.

By 2005, Zenon controlled a major share of Nigeria’s diesel market, supplying fuel to some of the country’s largest manufacturers, including Dangote Group, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Nigerian Breweries, MTN, Unilever, Nestlé, and Guinness.

Otedola’s aggressive expansion culminated in 2007 when ten banks approved a syndicated loan of $1.5 billion to Zenon to build the largest premium motor spirit storage facility in Africa. Later that year, Zenon acquired a 28.7% stake in African Petroleum, one of Nigeria’s leading fuel marketers.

Zenon also expanded into the kerosene market, solidifying its influence in Nigeria’s energy sector. However, in 2012, the company was named in a controversial fuel subsidy scandal, where it was alleged to have owed $1.4 million to the government. The case drew public attention after a sting operation revealed a lawmaker, Farouk Lawan, demanding bribes from Otedola to clear Zenon’s name. Lawan was later charged with corruption, while Otedola maintained his innocence.

Buy Otedola’s ‘Making it Big’ Memoir At These Bookstores Across The World

 

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JUST IN: Dangote Confirms N200 Petrol Price Reductions Nationwide; New Price Emerges

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Dangote Refinery Slashes Ex-Depot Price By N40

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has announced another reduction in the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), marking its fourth price cut within a month as the company said it continues to pass lower production costs to consumers despite still processing crude oil purchased at significantly higher international prices.

The latest N50 per litre reduction brings the cumulative decrease in the refinery’s PMS ex depot price to N200 per litre since May 30, 2026, reducing the gantry price to 1, 075. Over the same period, the refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) by N300 per litre and Jet A1 aviation fuel by N520 per litre.

The company said the successive reductions demonstrate its commitment to ensuring Nigerians benefit from favourable market developments while maintaining the long-term sustainability of domestic refining operations.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Dangote Refinery explained that petroleum product pricing cannot mirror daily movements in international crude oil markets because crude is purchased weeks, and sometimes months, before it is processed. According to the refinery, the petroleum products currently being supplied to the market are being produced from crude inventories acquired during periods of substantially higher prices.

It disclosed that the average landed cost of crude processed stood at approximately US$124.80 per barrel in May and US$95.25 per barrel in June, compared with the current international benchmark of about US$71.01 per barrel.

The refinery also clarified that its crude procurement costs are not based solely on the headline ICE Brent benchmark commonly quoted in the media.

Rather, crude is purchased on a Dated Brent basis together with applicable market premiums, freight and logistics costs, resulting in actual feedstock costs that differ materially from benchmark prices.

Despite the sharp increase in crude acquisition costs during the period, Dangote Refinery said it deliberately refrained from transferring the full impact to consumers, choosing instead to absorb a significant portion of the additional costs in order to support market stability and cushion Nigerians from the volatility in global energy markets.

The company noted that this pricing approach has helped to keep petroleum product prices in Nigeria below those prevailing in neighbouring countries, even after accounting for applicable taxes. It added that as lower priced crude cargoes progressively enter its production cycle, the refinery has begun systematically passing the benefits to the market through phased price reductions.

“Today’s N50 per litre reduction is the fourth price cut in one month, bringing cumulative reductions to above N200 per litre on PMS. This approach ensures that pricing decisions are anchored on actual production economics and inventory costs rather than short term fluctuations in international oil markets,” it said. “Nigeria today benefits from the stabilising role of domestic refining capacity. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery currently supplies volumes sufficient to meet national demand, helping to strengthen energy security, eliminate dependence on imports, conserve foreign exchange and provide greater price stability for consumers and businesses”.

The company expressed confidence that if international crude prices remain favourable and lower cost feedstock continues to replace higher priced inventories, Nigerians should expect further moderation in petroleum product prices.

Dangote Petroleum Refinery reiterated its commitment to supplying high quality, internationally certified petroleum products at competitive prices while supporting Nigeria’s economic growth and the long-term development of the country’s downstream petroleum sector.

 

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NNPC Announces Petrol Price; List of 10 States With Lowest Rates Emerge

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has reduced petrol price across its filling stations nationwide, with many now selling below N1,200.

Data obtained by Legit showed that NNPC’s retail stations across the country are selling between N1,170 and N1,395 per litre, depending on their location

Lagos and Ogun recorded the lowest pump price at N1,170 per litre from N1,210, while the price list shows that Yobe recorded the highest pump price at N1,395 per litre.

Other states with high petrol prices include Bauchi (N1,385), Sokoto (N1,378), Plateau (N1,375), and Benue and Zamfara (N1,370 each).

Also, Kaduna (N1,365), Niger (N1,364), Kogi (N1,360), Adamawa (N1,355), and Gombe (N1,345) are among the northern states with high petrol prices. Abuja (N1,210), Osun (N1,220), Kano (N1,222), Ondo and Rivers (N1,230 each), and several southern states, including Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, and Jigawa, where NNPC retail stations are located, sell petrol for N1,235 per litre at the time of reporting

Top 10 states with the lowest NNPC petrol prices 

Lagos – N1,125

Ogun – N1,170

Abuja – N1,210

Osun – N1,220

Kano – N1,222

Ondo – N1,230

Rivers – N1,230

Abia – N1,235

Akwa Ibom – N1,235

Anambra – N1,235

Top 10 states with the highest NNPC petrol prices

Yobe – N1,395

Bauchi – N1,385

Sokoto – N1,378

Plateau – N1,375

Katsina – N1,377

Benue – N1,370

Zamfara – N1,370

Kaduna – N1,365

Niger – N1,364

Kogi – N1,360

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BREAKING: Meet Emmanuel Nnorom, Incoming UBA Chairman

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On Monday, July 6, 2026, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) announced that billionaire investor Tony Elumelu is set to retire as Group Chairman after 12 years.

The Group also revealed the executive chosen to inherit one of Africa’s most influential banking boardrooms: Emmanuel N. Nnorom.

The leadership transition takes effect on August 21, subject to regulatory processes, marking the end of Elumelu’s tenure under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s corporate governance limits for non-executive directors.

For Nnorom, the appointment caps more than four decades in banking, finance, auditing and corporate leadership, much of it spent helping shape institutions that have become household names in Nigeria’s financial sector.

Nnorom’s career spans more than four decades across banking, finance, auditing and corporate leadership.

Born on April 7, 1958, he studied accounting and related services at Templeton College, Oxford University, completing the programme in 1996 before embarking on a series of senior management roles that established him as one of Nigeria’s most experienced banking executives.

He joined Diamond Bank Plc in January 1996 as General Manager for Operations and Branch Businesses, overseeing branch operations until May 1998. He later held brief executive roles as Senior Consultant at Equitorial Trust Bank between August and October 1998 before becoming Executive Director of Operations at Liberty Merchant Bank from November 1998 to November 1999.

His career trajectory
In January 2001, Nnorom was appointed General Manager for Finance and Planning at NUB International Bank, a position he held until April 2004. He subsequently moved to Standard Trust Bank as General Manager for Operations and Control, remaining there until July 2005 before the bank’s merger with United Bank for Africa.

His career accelerated at UBA, where he spent more than eight years rising through the executive ranks.

Beginning as General Manager for External Reporting in August 2005, he was promoted to Group Chief Operating Officer in April 2008, followed by appointments as Executive Director for Group Office in April 2009, Executive Director for Finance in July 2010 and Executive Director for Risk in March 2012.

In January 2013, he was named Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of UBA Africa, overseeing the lender’s operations across the continent during a period of rapid regional expansion.

Nnorom joined Heirs Holdings in January 2014 as President and Chief Operating Officer, helping oversee the investment company’s growing portfolio across financial services, energy, healthcare, hospitality and infrastructure.
Eight months later, in September 2014, he was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp), where he led the diversified conglomerate’s businesses spanning power generation, hospitality, agribusiness and energy.
During his tenure, Transcorp expanded its strategic investments, including interests in the Ughelli Power Plant, Transcorp Hotels and Teragro Commodities, while strengthening its position as one of Nigeria’s largest listed conglomerates with roughly 300,000 shareholders.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

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