In a powerful and deeply engaging keynote address at the MIPAD Young Global Leadership Initiativeheld in New York recently, the Group Chairman of OANDO, Adewale Tinubu captivated an audience of young African leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals with stories of resilience, vision, and audacious leadership. The event, designed to connect Africa’s next generation with established leaders, offered an intimate glimpse into the mindset and strategies of one of the continent’s most influential business figures.
Tinubu, a law graduate who transformed his career into a journey of bold entrepreneurship, opened his address by emphasizing the importance of dreaming fearlessly. He told attendees, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough,” encouraging young leaders to pursue ambitions that stretch their limits. Drawing from his early experiences in the oil and energy sector, Tinubu illustrated how courage, persistence, and strategic thinking can turn obstacles into opportunities.
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Through vivid anecdotes, he recounted how he began his career as a young lawyer taking notes in meetings, quietly observing the ambitions of others, before deciding to pursue his own dreams. He described the risks he took in the early days of OANDO, from negotiating privatization deals with limited resources to raising capital against overwhelming odds. Each challenge, he noted, reinforced a crucial lesson: leadership requires both vision and audacity, but it also demands resilience and adaptability.
Tinubu emphasized three core pillars that have guided his career: purpose, performance, and people. He shared how purpose, knowing why you are doing what you do, provides the resilience to persevere when faced with setbacks. Performance, he explained, requires disciplined execution, while people, mentorship, team-building, and integrity, ensure that the vision can be realized sustainably. “Experience teaches you where to stop, but youth gives you the courage to take chances,” he said, highlighting the importance of mentoring and empowering the next generation.
Beyond business, Tinubu reflected on the broader lessons of leadership and innovation. He highlighted how originality and global connectivity are transforming industries such as music, marketing, and technology. By staying true to one’s identity and embracing international opportunities, he said, African creators and entrepreneurs can compete on a global stage, a lesson exemplified by the rise of Afrobeat and other African cultural exports.
The keynote also addressed the role of the diaspora in driving innovation, with Tinubu emphasizing that knowledge and global perspectives can accelerate local development. He encouraged young professionals to leverage international experience while remaining committed to solving Africa’s challenges and creating opportunities at home.
Tinubu’s stories were punctuated with candid reflections on risk-taking, setbacks, and the tenacity required to build a company from the ground up. From operating his first oil shipments with minimal resources to orchestrating multi-billion-dollar acquisitions, his experiences served as both inspiration and practical guidance for aspiring leaders.
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Concluding his address, Tinubu urged attendees to embrace ambition, remain authentic, and persist in the face of uncertainty. “Life is your canvas. Paint it fully,” he said. The session underscored MIPAD’s mission of empowering Africa’s emerging leaders with the knowledge, mindset, and courage to transform the continent’s future.
By the end of the event, participants left with more than inspiration. They carried tangible lessons on strategy, leadership, resilience, and global thinking from one of Africa’s most accomplished business leaders.
