In the late 1980s, a young Aliko Dangote embarked on a journey that would forever alter the trajectory of his business empire. His destination was Brazil a nation grappling with the crushing burden of foreign debt, estimated at nearly $1 billion, the largest of any country in the world at the time. Yet, amid this…
In the annals of Nigeria’s entrepreneurial history, the late Mr. Mobolaji Bank-Anthony stands out as a man of vision, foresight, and courage. His journey reminds us that true success often lies not in the accumulation of degrees, but in the ability to recognize opportunity, act decisively, and transform knowledge into wisdom. Born in Kinshasa (then…
It was the early months of 1995. The air in New York was brisk, Wall Street buzzing with its usual rhythm of ambition and numbers. In a corner office high above the city streets sat a young Cuban‑American businessman, flipping through the glossy pages of a magazine. He was successful by every measure Wall Street…
The Temangalo deal was supposed to be simple:sell a few acres to National Social Security Fund NSSF, raise cash & buyout an incapacitated Asian shareholder from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC). A noble cause, right? Well…the media didn’t get that memo. Nzeyi, the bona fide landowner, teamed up with Minister Amama Mbabazi & offered…
How old were you when you discovered that the famous 2008 NSSF Temangalo Land Saga had its roots in a bank transaction? Well…I was “three-months-ago old” when I finally connected those dots. It all began in 1991 at a place that sounds like a chapter from a novel when a few ambitious sons of Kigezi…
When Prof Ezra Suruma arrived at Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB) in 1993, the World Bank had one message: “We’re here to help…but also, we’re bringing our people.” Their financial credit terms required Uganda to accept a COO, Deputy MD, CFO and Credit Manager almost an entire leadership tier from without the country. As Chairman and…
Gen Z and a late Millennials might be oblivious of the fact that Uganda at one time had a locally owned Commercial Bank – The Uganda Commercial Bank (UCB). By 1993, it had grown to over 3,000 staff & 189 branches from just 60 branches five years earlier. However, losses began to mount given the…
In the age of knowledge workers, the old cliché “information is power” rings truer than ever. Which is why withholding information has become not only extreme, but downright irritating. Intentionally withholding information doesn’t add value — it deletes it. Yet the motive is the same: to gain power. It’s the same old need to win,…
Peter Drucker is quoted to have made a statement that stood out as the wisest: “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to…
A couple of years watching successful people strive to become even more successful, I’ve noticed one constant truth: people will only change if they believe it serves their own best interests, as defined by their own values. That may sound cynical, but it isn’t. I’m not saying selfishness is the only motive in life. Every…
