One is primarily a preacher; the other is a business mogul. One is an incorrigible unrepentant Christian; the other a faithful Muslim. One is a blunt, no-nonsense personality; the other is a discreet and reserved individual. But they are both entrepreneurs. They are visionaries. They have made their impact on the Nigerian society. They cannot be ignored in the scheme of things. They both wield enormous influence on practically every sphere of our national life in Nigeria.
Bishop David Olaniyi Oyedepo is the founder and presiding bishop of Living Faith Church World Wide, also known as Winners Chapel, which has its headquarters, a 5,000-acre (20 km2) land called Canaanland, in Ota Ogun State, Nigeria. The church dedicated a 50, 000 capacity auditorium, Faith Tabernacle, in 1999 and has established about 100 educational institutions based on Christian principles across Nigeria and the African Continent from primary to tertiary levels. Bishop Oyedepo, born in 1954, was in 2011 named by Forbes magazine as the richest pastor in Nigeria.
Alhaji Aliko Dangote is the Founder/Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, a conglomerate which started in 1977 as a small trading firm with a loan from his uncle. Today, his business interests cut across food processing, cement manufacturing, freight, telecommunications, etc. Dangote, who was born in 1957 and whose conglomerate is the largest industrial group in Nigeria, is ranked by Forbes Magazine as the richest man in Africa and the 43rd richest person in the world.
What do these two individuals have in common? Maybe the question to ask is can these two very dissimilar indibuals possess anything in common? My answer is in the affirmative. Yes they can and indeed they do have some things in common. Let's check out some of the similarities between a bishop and an alhaji.
1. Both of them were born in the 1950’s
2. Both of them started small. Bishop Oyedepo started his ministry with a small congregation but today he has one of the larest congregations in Nigeria. Alhaji Dangote started as a petty trader and has grown his business to a conglomerate.
3. Both of them moved from the North of Nigeria to Lagos in the South-West region of the country. Bishop Oyedepo moved from Kaduna to Lagos before eventually settling in Ota, Ogun State while Alhaji Dangote moved from Kano to Lagos.
4. Bishop Oyedepo is the richest pastor in Nigeria, according to Forbes;Aliko Dangote is the richest African, according to Forbes
5. The two of them are involved in different ventures: Bishop Oyedepo is a preacher, author and publisher, propietor/chancellor and the church he leads is involved in hospitality, bakery, etc. while Dangote is into cement, sugar, salt, oil and gas, telecommunications, etc.
6. Bishop Oyedepo church has branches in different countries; Dangote has plants in different countries.
7. Dangote’s sugar refinery at Apapa port, Lagos is the biggest in Africa while Bishop Oyedepo’s Faith Tabernacle is the biggest church building in the world.
8. Both of them have private jets
9. They were both influenced by a grandparent. The two of them acknowlege the influence of a grandparent on their lives.
10. The two of them are huge employers of labour.
This post is not just about the similarities between these two personalities but the lessons we can also draw from their stories. Some of these lessons are:
i. Mentors and worthy role models are important to our success in life. Both Bishop Oyedepo and Dangote can never forget the impact of their grandparents on their lives. And even as they progressed in their chosen endeavours, they took on more mentors.
ii. Success is a journey. We should learn to start small but dream big. Both of them started small but they had big dreams and they have ended up big and are even getting bigger.
iii. Patience is a necessary virtue one should possess. It has taken both of them over two decades to get to where they are today.
iv. One should not stop thinking. These two personalities are visionaries and thinkers and we can see the reflection of these in their achievements. They keep starting new ventures (products of their thinking). They are innovators (because they keep thinking).
v. It is not always true that being a jack of all trades makes one a master of none. Bishop Oyedepo and Alhaji Dangote are men of many parts who are very successful. They learned to diversify their interests and thereby increased their sphere of influence and impact.
What other lessons have the lives of these individuals taught you? Please on't hesitate to share them with us on this forum.
Cheers.
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