Nnamdi not only shares his journey to success, including the ‘twist and turns’ but also covers his importance of people…
Mike Awoyinfa
All roads lead tomorrow afternoon to the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, where Nnamdi Ezeigbo, the entrepreneur who founded 20 years ago SLOT, Nigeria’s most successful mobile phones and electronics retail chain business would be making a public presentation of a partly biographical, experiential business book titled ENTREPRENEURSHIP THE SLOT WAY—Succeeding in a Tough Business Environment.
From Okada top to glory: The inspiring love story of SLOT boss Ezeigbo @ 50
The chief presenter of the book is Leonard Stanley Ekeh, the Chairman/CEO of Zinox Technologies Limited, while the chairman of the occasion is Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, the President, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria. Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Victor Ikpeazu is the Special Guest of honour and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Royal Father of the day. Mike Awoyinfa, yours sincerely, is the book reviewer. I will bring you my review next week, but meanwhile, these are praises for the book from eminent Nigerians, business leaders and entrepreneurs of note who have read the book and are full of praises for a small book that carries so much weight in terms of what it has to offer.
Bukky George, Founder and CEO, HealthPlus Limited: “In Entrepreneurship the SLOT Way, Nnamdi shares his unique experiences of how he built SLOT into one of the greatest brands in the history of Nigeria, against the odds! It is a candid, inspiring and empowering read for anyone who seeks to create value, wealth and jobs towards transforming the Nigerian economy and contributing their quota to nation-building.”
Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Founding Chairman/CEO of Neimeth International Pharmaceuticals Plc: “Nnamdi Ezeigbo’s book, Entrepreneurship the SLOT Way is a cook book in entrepreneurial studies. It is intellectual, yet down to earth and easy to understand. It is simply a testimonial on how Nigeria can unleash the entrepreneurial talent that abounds in our nation in order to eradicate unemployment and poverty. Using his experience in founding and running SLOT as a case study, Nnamdi teaches what makes an entrepreneur as distinct from just a businessman and coaches the rookie entrepreneur on how to build a business focusing on Solution, Learning/Leadership, Opportunities and Technology (SLOT) while creating value, jobs and wealth. This is experiential teaching at its best done by a man who has built a business on a solid foundation and with ingredients that will last. It makes for beautiful, easy but highly enlightening reading.
Professor Pat Utomi, Founder, Center for Value Leadership: “An entrepreneur is essentially a change agent who provides leadership that bridges a dissatisfaction gap and profits therefrom. Showing others how this quantum leap in value creation is done without the resources ordinarily required for it, makes him a teacher. Nnamdi Ezeigbo, founder of SLOT, outdoes many in sharing insights from The SLOT Way. It is a tonic and valuable elixir for Nigeria and African continent desperate for new growth and the Great Escape from misery for its ballooning population. Entrepreneur wannabes can adopt and adapt his ideas and win.”
Mike Awoyinfa, Pioneer MD/CEO of The Sun newspaper, author of 50 Nigeria’s Corporate Strategist: Top CEOs Share Their Experiences in Managing Companies in Nigeria: “This is a hands-on toolkit on entrepreneurship written straight from the heart of a man who has lived a successful entrepreneurial life. In every page, you will find golden nuggets of entrepreneurial wisdom to equip and motivate potential entrepreneurs into believing that entrepreneurship is the key to the Nigeria of the 21st century.”
Senator Theodore Orji, Former Governor of Abia State: “This three sectioned book, Entrepreneurship the SLOT Way, is a new window into entrepreneurial operations typifying John Dewey’s theory of pragmatism and revealing that knowing is doing. It lays a solid foundation for teeming generations, old and young, male and female. This is a rare approach as most Nigerians, especially the trader class, believe that making such forays as Nnamdi Ezeigbo has made in his book, could endanger their business secrets. This book potently advocates understudying pioneers and predecessors in different fields so as to evolve successful patterns.”
Emeka Onwuka, former MD, Diamond Bank, Former Chairman, Enterprise Bank: “Simple, practical and realistic, Entrepreneurship the SLOT Way is packed with insights on strategy, innovation and a truly entrepreneurial mindset. It explains how to grow a business successfully in the peculiar Nigerian business environment and a rapidly changing and highly competitive global market space.”
Emmanouil Revmatas, Director (Information and mobility), Samsung, Nigeria: “From the man who spearheaded the technology retail revolution in Nigeria, this book provides valuable insight and advice for anyone interested in the topic of entrepreneurship, particularly within a developing society. Filled with real life examples and practical tips, Nnamdi not only shares his journey to success, including the ‘twist and turns’ but also covers his importance of people, whether they are staff, partners or customers.”
Adeniyi Adekunle, Entrepreneur, Nation Builder and Author, Nigeria’s Call Obey: “Entrepreneurship the SLOT Way is a practical, applicable and straight to the point book. It is clear that Nnamdi Ezeigbo has a deep understanding of how to run a business and he is very conversant with the realities of doing so in a developing country like Nigeria. This book is brilliant.”
Dr. Enase Okonedo, Dean Lagos Business School, Pan-African University, Nigeria: “This is a practical advice given by the CEO of one of the fastest growing and innovative companies in Nigeria on how to build a thriving and sustainable business enterprise. Beginning as a phone repairer and growing a business that traverses Nigeria with ambitions to conquer Africa, he attributes his success to a focus on value creation rather than just ‘doing business’, and openness to learning. His advice stemming from his experience of starting and growing a business in an oft-challenging environment shared in this book is useful, credible and proven I believe all entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs will likewise benefit from being open to the lessons shared in this book by Nnamdi.”
Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, Governor, Abia State: “This is an amazing piece of work. It is phenomenal and timely especially now that our country, Nigeria, is negotiating a difficult and treacherous socio-economic bend. Government and individuals have taken many wide shots in many directions all in the bid to create more entrepreneurs and strengthen the existing ones, sadly these efforts have not yielded results, because Nigeria had not seen and read ENTERPRENEURSHIP THE SLOT WAY. Nnamdi Ezeigbo’s intervention, himself an engineer and a successful entrepreneur is certainly the missing link in our search for sustainable economic growth. This book can mould your mindset and make you a solution provider within the difficult Nigerian business environment. Its academic depth, laced with everyday examples makes the book simple and wonderful.”