Entrepreneurship7 Comments

Many people out there believe that Nigeria as a country can only boast of dubious businessmen and politicians with no real entrepreneurs of genuine business sources. That is not true, Nigerian entrepreneurs are some of the most creative and inventive in the world. These Nigerian entrepreneurs worth admiring and their never say die business spirits are changing the way business is done in the country and beyond.

There are many Nigerian business men and women who are not only known locally but the world over for their business acumen and the ardent believe in their country. These Nigerian entrepreneurs do business in one of the most difficult business environment in the world and still make great success despite the odds.

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Yes, these entrepreneurs has shown beyond reasonable doubts that one can amass wealth in great quantity doing business within this country, Nigeria. You are not rich simply because you established factories/companies outside Nigeria thereby enriching other countries to the detriment of your country of origin, you are rich when you create same in Nigeria.

All that would be stated here are facts with the intentions of setting some misconceptions about Nigerian entrepreneurs who have become millionaires and billionaires doing business in their own country. We want you to challenge your instincts with the achievements of these Nigerian entrepreneurs worth admiring and see what could be possible if you look inward and see the numerous opportunities that exist in Nigeria. Why won’t you? After all the window of opportunities in Nigeria is still wide open for any strong willed Nigeria to write his/her name in gold with genuine business achievement in the country.

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Look at the following names of big time Nigerian entrepreneurs and see how possible it is to start and run good business in Nigeria. See the names of great Nigerian entrepreneurs who have done the same, proving that wealth truly exist in this country and can only be achieve when you cultivate the true entrepreneurship spirit today.

List Of Some Nigerian Entrepreneurs

These Nigerian entrepreneurs are some of the finest in country who have defied all odds to create wealth through resilience and entrepreneurship skills. These entrepreneurs are among the bests in their respective industry.

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20. Obinna Ekezie – CEO, Wakanow.com (Travel And Tourism)

19. Tony Elumelu – Chairman, Heirs Holdings, United Bank for Africa, Transcorp (Banking, Hospitality)

18. Nnamdi Ezeigbo – CEO, Slots Nigeria (Retail, Computer Gadgets)

17. Jason Njoku – CEO, Founder, iRoko Partners (Online Media Distribution, VOD)

16. Sim Shagaya – Founder, CEO, Konga.com (eCommerce, Retails)

15. Lady Kehinde Kamson – Founder, Sweet Sensation Confectionery Limited (Confectionery)

14. Linda Ikeji – Founder, LindaIkeji Blog (Internet, Blogging)

13. Ibukun Awosika – Chairman, Board of Directors, First Bank of Nigeria Limited. CEO, The Chair Centre Group (Furniture, Banking, Security)

12. Innocent Chukwuma – Founder, Innoson Motors Manufacturing (Automobile)

11. Femi Otedola – Chairman, Forte Oil and Gas (Oil And Gas)

10. Cosmos Maduka – Coscharis Group (Automobile, manufacturing)

9. Jim Ovia – Zenith Bank, Visafone (Banking, Telecom)

8. Pascal Dozie – MTN Nigeria, Diamond Bank (Banking, Telecom)

7. Tony Ezenna – Orange Group (Pharmaceutical)

6. Ifeanyi Ubah – Capital Oil (Oil And Gas)

5. Leo Stan Ekeh – Zinox (Computer, Technology)

4. Fola Adeola – GTBank (Banking)

3. Hakeem Bello Osagie – Etisalat Nigeria (Telecom)

2. Vincent Amaechi Obianodo – Young Shall Grow Motors, RockView Hotels (Transportation, Hospitality)

1. Aliko Dangote – Dangote Group, (Manufacturing, Foods, Bureau De Change, Oil And Gas)

What is special about these Nigerian entrepreneurs? Nothing except that they are Nigerians who were determined to succeed against all odds. With the same determination, you can make it as an entrepreneur.

SEE ALSO: 18 Ways To Become An Entrepreneur

While gathering some information about these Nigerian entrepreneurs, I was exposed to some unique strategies of retaining whatever a person had worked hard to achieve instead of loosing them to scavengers within your territory who are busy creating loopholes in order to reap from where they did not sow. Much on that later.

What Has Kept Nigerian Entrepreneurs Going

1. They Know And Believe In Their Line Of Businesses

One can easily be pushed out of the way if he doesn’t know where he is going. These Nigerian entrepreneurs clearly understand their business and believed in it. This has kept them going even when the roads gets tough.

It is no longer news that complete automobiles are already being manufactured in Nigeria by Innoson Motors Nig. This man knows exactly what he is doing and has remained true to his business despite poor acceptance of his product by the Nigerian people who loves foreign made vehicles. Gradually, Nigerians are now buying and shipment to other countries had already begun.

2. They Have Mission And With Clear Vision

These guys know where they are going because they know very well that for them to get to his destination, the must be clear with their business expectations.

SEE ALSO: How To Become A Successful Entrepreneur

(a.) Fola Adeola, the founder of GTBank is on with clear mission of providing the best of innovative banking services to Nigerians and he has his mission clear in mind and in writing. He put efforts to work it out and today, GTB is one of the biggest bank in Nigeria.

(b.) Aliko Dangote is on a mission to provide solutions to the needs of over 170 million Nigerians and another 200 million Africans. He is currently achieving it and living big in the process. He is the richest black man alive in the world today.

(c.) The computer guru who has taken his passions further away from admiring the sleek foreign made computers, Engr. Leo Ekeh is saddled with a mission of having a Zinox computer in every Nigerian home. He is on his way to achieving in a record time.

3. Nigerian Entrepreneurs Are Focused

These guys know the onions of their business. They choose one business and stick with it until the business start giving account of itself before diversifying to other profitable areas of other lines of businesses.

Raymond Dokpesi is a very good example in this regard. He ran his radio business for long before branching to TV business. Both are currently successful and still expanding.

When you look at Zenith bank of Nigeria, the complete picture of how it is run and maintained would simply project focused brains behind it and that is where you have the man, Mr Jim Ovia and his team. He and Fola Adeola focused on banking and they have given very good account of themselves to all Nigerians and the world to see.

Ifesinachi motors

Ifesinachi motors

Talking about the big Nigerian entrepreneurs in transport business in Nigeria and the likes of Ifesinachi, Chisco, The Young Shall Grow, Ekendili Chukwu and the rest of them comes to mind. They looked at the sector and discovered there is business sense in moving millions of travelers around Nigeria for their daily businesses. They focused in this line of business and created wealth for themselves.

4. They Are Opportunist

When I say opportunist, its not with the intentions of ascribing wrong motive. What I mean is that they don’t shy away from what will bring profit to their businesses. Once they notice any change in the system that creates problems needing solutions, they will turn it into business golden opportunity by creating businesses around solving the problems. That is why they are entrepreneurs.

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They know that problem has a solution and the solution could mean business opportunity, so they always look out for problems. They work with both their ears and eyes wide open for business opportunities that other people may never loot at.

Orji Uzor Kanu once said “A good businessman must have nose for business the same way a journalist has nose for news. Once your eyes, ears, nose, heart and brain are trained on business, you sniff business opportunities everywhere. A good businessman sees where others don’t see. What I see, you may not see. You cannot see because that is the secret of the business. The entire world is a big market waiting for anybody who knows the rules of the game.” And that is what Nigerian entrepreneurs are all about.

5.They Are Big Thinkers

They don’t take mediocre approach to things. Once they consider any thing to be worth venturing into, they go for it without delay. They dream big and understand what it takes to achieve their dreams.

See how big Dangote cement industry has become, How Dokpesi has expanded his entertainment and communication firm to become one of the biggest in Nigeria, How Otedola is the largest distributor of diesel in Nigeria, How Ifeanyi Uba is making it big with Kerosene distributions. Think about that. Understand that its not about how much money you started with but how entrepreneurial you are that matters.

6. Flexible

Flexibility makes it work and Nigerian entrepreneurs, most of whom did not even finished their basic school education need no certificate to know this. They are well aware of Nigerian government strategies and how they do their things. Call them sons and daughters of the soil and you are right because they know the government inside out and are always on the look out for the ever changing patterns of the government policies.

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They understand these changes and are always open to swift adjustments to follow along with whatever changes the ruling entity comes up with to create further business opportunities. They are smart and know the rules of the game.

7. They Compete With Each Other

They compete with each other to retain their fair market shares. As businessmen, they know that any business without competitions doesn’t exist. They sometimes fight with all the strengths they’ve got to stay in game and to remain afloat. One example of this was the dual between Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola for the shares of Cheron Nigeria. So you see, nothing in life comes easy and they know it.

8. They Are Good Networkers

The Nigerian entrepreneurs know the value of networking. Yes, they network and even patronize themselves. They do pull resources together for deals and split the profits; that alone is one of the major reason they have remained the big weights in controlling the economy.

They do compete against themselves but that’s just part of the game. After all, Footballers embrace themselves and musicians often sang against themselves for money, they simply make their money while the public are busy discussing what they did or said to each other.

9.They Have Strong Management Team

This is what helps them to remain where they are. With good team, working together for a common goal, the transitions from little business to something big becomes easier.

10. They Are Persistent

They mean what they do and work hard to remaining it no matter the circumstances! Take Linda Ikeji for example, she was persistent in her blogging despite it wasn’t profitable at the beginning. With time, the blog become a multi billion naira business.

Nigerian entrepreneurs have the inner strength to fight it out and would never take no for an answer when they are on any deal that look potentially profitable.

READ ALSO: How Not Ton See Money If You Want To Be Richer

Take your time and go through the few Nigerian entrepreneurs mentioned here and see for yourself how they are killing it. Try to uncover the real secrets of their success as outlined and see what you can learn from them to better your own entrepreneurial skills.

If it’s anything that does nothing to put food on your table and to take adequate care of your family, then  stand up and challenge your self with any of the lucrative businesses listed on this website and see the ones you can do and have your name written in gold.

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7 Comments

  • fatola j.o. March 23, 2016

    i really enjoy us writeup .it is fantasticod will expand ur coast. fatola j.o

  • Emmy March 28, 2016

    this is awesome

  • Ebie May 12, 2016

    What about Mike Adenuga. Globacom ? Doesn’t he worth been on the list. heard he workd as a cabman just to pay his school fees abroad. My thought

  • Olayinka June 30, 2016

    This is really encouraging, today is my first time reading your article, and I want to say it has polished my thought process.

  • Chris Ajayi July 24, 2016

    I admired the style of your writeup. I am sure i will spend more time drawing inspiration from several of your other articles. Thanks

  • Onyeks07 February 1, 2017

    Quite inspiring post here. Am really challenged

  • BeeEtim June 28, 2017

    Inspiring post. Well done

Leave a Reply to BeeEtim Cancel reply