Being successful in business is the most fascinating kind of art. It is what separates the men from the boys; the pretender from the seasoned entrepreneur. And you can see in Abdulsamad Rabiu’s dynamic enterprise both the lush and tensile strength of a business giant and leader of men. His matchless finesse, acumen and resolve as BUA Chairman landed him the privileged role of the Bank of Industry’s Chairman. Rabiu’s leadership of the development bank is marked by incomparable brilliance, fortitude and tact making BOI richer and stronger than he met it.
According to a Forbes’ report, his commodities and cement empire, plus his real estate holdings in South Africa and London, are worth $1.2 billion, up from $670 million sometime back. He ranks 23rd on Forbes 2013 list of Africa’s 50 Richest. Indeed, Rabiu epitomizes youth that constitutes the rarity of Nigerian society — a young man who excelled and became a respected tycoon.
But, unlike many of his generation, he advocates hope knowing that things could change in a society which culture of fear has permeated for decades. Over the past few years, Rabiu began working outside the box to make his peers understand that only their unstoppable people’s power could effect real change. He projects a manic self-confidence in public. He still has his edge: prosperity hasn’t robbed him of his disrespect for conventional wisdom, his spooky ability to see around corners, and his feral determination to make perfect products at all costs. All in all, success becomes him.
MAN WITHOUT EGO…OIL MOGUL, JULIUS RONE, CELEBRATES 42
If his dreams last, Julius Rone will turn the age to gold. He will challenge resolve and stretch the boundaries of motive, till he chances on glory, at the crossroads where wildest fantasies mesh with reality. There is much to admire in Julius Rone, “The Great”. His realistic bent, his wittiness, and charming demeanour. Add to that, his infectious tenacity and blithe disposition, which has so far, endeared him to the most exclusive high society circuits, and you have an ideal portrait of charisma and panache in a 42-year-old. Yeah, Julius Rone clocked 42 last Saturday, and he has attained that ripe age with unusual élan.
Julius is no doubt a rare phenomenon and gift to this generation. While most of his friends, family and business associates are already in the know and appreciate this fact, like the infinite crowd of folk that constitute mere acquaintances to him, they are continually stunned, captivated and humbled by the man, Julius’s infectious humility and generosity of spirit. Those who are yet to encounter the benevolence of Julius or profit from it nonetheless share a bubbly enthusiasm for it. At the very least, everybody seems to love Julius. Magnificence, order, complexity, mystery and possibilities—the same things that draw folk to their most treasured daydreams lure them to him.
The primary difference is that subtle and blatant idolatry takes a front seat in the flurry of emotion and perpetual elocution of the rare civility and bounteousness of spirit accorded them by Rone. Unlike commonplace characters in the high society circles, Julius ‘The Great’, doesn’t have much company in the rarefied air in which he lives and creates; he is exclusively his own man and thus well-attuned to staying in orbit. In 42 years, he has grown to establish his dominance in the oil and gas sectors, overcoming adversities to record victory after victory in a field erstwhile dominated by retired generals and sit-tight political godfathers.
There is no doubt that he has made an incredible impact in the world of Nigerian business, but it’s his determination to never give up that has always resonated with the loudest peal. Since he made his remarkable foray into the Nigerian oil and gas industry, Julius through his UTM Group, a globally recognized energy, shipping and power conglomerate, has demonstrated outstanding abilities as a leader, manager, and visionary.
