Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, former Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, will launch on Monday, March 29, 2021, unveil his new book Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, the story of how he and Herbert Wigwe, his partner fired by youthful zeal, took an audacious step, acquiring a floundering bank, transforming it into a top-five industry player within 10 years.
The book, which containing never-before-revealed insights into the Nigerian banking and financial landscape, according to the author, reveals how the turnaround in the fortune of Access Bank resulted in prosperity for thousands, thereby establishing the author as one the continent’s most inspiring and impactful entrepreneurs of the 21st century.
The virtual book launch is designed as an evening of conversation, inspiration, and entertainment by multiple award-winning gospel artist, Sinach and Nigeria’s highly talented Afrobeat artist, Teni, and will be be hosted by IK Osakioduwa. It will feature an exclusive author Q&A session with Uzodinma Iweala, author and Chief Executive Officer of The Africa Center.
The statement quoted Aig-Imoukhuede as saying the book is aimed at motivating “others to take up the challenge and unlock the power of our national economy and our people. I hope this book will inspire others as much as Nigeria and Africa inspire me. I’m inspired by the resourcefulness and resilience of the people; the richness of the land; and the heritage of those who came before us. This is a place of limitless potential, and opportunity.
“I want to show that nothing is impossible when you are part of a passionate, committed, hard-working team and when faith is the bedrock on which you build your life and your enterprises.
“However, this is not the end of the journey for me and those close to me both personally and professionally. We are moving on to other things and to being the change we want to see in Africa,” he stressed
The event will also offer Aig-Imoukhuede an opportunity to make a number of significant announcements about his plans for the future at the launch of Leaving the Tarmac: Buying a Bank in Africa, the statement added.
“These announcements include a significant multi-generational financial commitment focused on building Nigeria’s next generation of government leaders, helping transform public sector effectiveness, and improving access to quality primary healthcare.
“This is a momentous occasion for me and for everyone who has been a part of this story. I look forward to sharing my Access Bank story with Nigeria, Africa and the world,” the author stressed, noting that profits from the sale of Leaving the Tarmac will be channeled to The Adopt-A-Health Facility Programme (ADHFP) in Nigeria.
Commenting, Muhammad Sanusi II, 14th Emir of Kano and Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (2009-2014), described the new book as “a record of an important part of the history of Nigerian banking in a lucid and jargon-free manner, along the way telling a story about Nigerian economic history, about regulatory reforms, and about key actors in government, the central bank, the banking industry and big business with whom it was his lot to interact over the decades.”
For Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President Africa Development Bank and Nigerian Minister of Agriculture (2010-2015), the book has been “written with brutal honesty, lucidity and humility. The principles in this book are sound, practical and pragmatic, drawn out of the deep wells of personal experience, and inked with sincerity, honest rendition and transparency on what worked and did not work, to help others. One of the best business books I have ever read. Easy to read. Transformational. Memorable. Golden.”
In his own review, Aliko Dangote, Founder and President of the Dangote Group, described the book as a candid body of work, in which “the writer thoroughly simplifies and brings into relatable context, timeless business know-how as building blocks for a sustainable enterprise. His undeniable footprints and giant strides in the African banking sector gives him the vantage position in this book to steer a growing breed of African leaders to success.”
Also commenting, Atedo Peterside, founder of Stanbic IBTC and board member Standard Bank of South Africa, said “Leaving the Tarmac is an excellent compendium of some of the major challenges which investors with audacious goals must learn to overcome and some of the lessons enumerated via simple real life stories and situations can significantly shorten the learning curve for others trying to contemplate starting a new business or taking over and transforming an existing business that is not doing very well.”
