* Also, See What He Is Saying About Dangote
Magnanimity is seldom a strong suit of Nigerian billionaires. But nature does not use a one-size fits all approach which is why billionaire oil mogul Femi Otedola is widely perceived as one of the rarest and kindest of money men.
Otedola is hardly the type of billionaire whose affluence is clutched in baubles. His ascension to the billionaires’ club was no trick of fate neither was it a mirage mired in tufts of fleeting vanities and buzz words, he is indeed worth every ounce of invincibility and financial acclaim accorded him. Blessed with vigorous optimism, a boots-on-the-ground approach to his endeavours, and an unflinching belief in destiny (read God).
Interestingly, giving, without looking back, is a second skin to him. Whilst he would rather do this without making a song and a dance of it, many a beneficiary, out of sheer happiness and relief, has always rushed to the media. And he has done it again.
When news broke earlier in the week that Christian Chukwu, a Nigerian football legend, is battling a life-threatening ailment and would need about $50, 000 for treatment abroad, Otedola stepped up to the plate and declared that he would foot the bill.
Fondly called Chairman because of his defensive abilities, Chukwu captained the victorious Green Eagles to the African Cup of Nations in 1980. Between 2002 and 2005, Chukwu was the head coach of the Super Eagles, leading the team to bronze medal at the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia.
It was, therefore, an aghast nation that woke up to the news that a man who sacrificed his youth and dedicated the best part of his life to making the country proud through football, was in such situation. The news of his illness and insolvency was broken by Benson Ejindu, the patron of former Enugu Rangers Players Association.
That was when Otedola intervened that he would foot the entire cost of the operation as a “token of support to a great Nigerian who served his country to the best of his ability.” It is not the first time Otedola would be saving a dear patriot’s life. In 2018, he offered to pay for the treatment of actor, Victor Olaotan, who was involved in a ghastly accident in 2016 and was going to have his legs amputated. A chance meeting with Nollywood’s Silver Fox, Richard Mofe-Damijo, changed Olaotan’s story as Otedola also took up the bills.
A billionaire many times over, since he made good, noiseless but far-reaching philanthropy has been his watchword; his philanthropy is innate, a voluntary act which cannot be manufactured. He provides a wide range of social welfare programs with the intent to be the voice of those who desperately need help. He nurtures a robust interest in the humane and chooses only to see the sunny spokes behind the darkest pall. For as long as memory permits, he paints picturesque scenes in lives severely marred by squalor and seeks to mend small damaged lives here and there which was what he is doing for Chukwu.
Interestingly, however, today is the birthday of his brother and best friend, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa. Aliko is 62 today and according to Femi, “Happy birthday to the greatest man that has come out of Africa. My brother, the Visionary, owner of the 2nd largest sugar refinery in the world, the largest cement factory in the world, one of the largest flour mills in the world, the 2nd largest fertiliser plant in the world that is due for completion, and the biggest oil refinery in the world. Aliko Dangote is a titan that God created specially for mankind. You have broken every boundary in worldwide business and industry. Thanks for the brotherly love…”
