T.M. Kayode

I’ve been thinking a lot about success lately—what makes some people rise to the top while others don’t quite make it. It’s easy to say hard work, intelligence, and grit are the deciding factors, but is that really all there is? As I’ve been diving deeper into this question, I recently picked up Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Yes, I know, I’m late to the game—everyone seems to have read this book already—but better late than never, right?

Malcolm’s work came highly recommended by my mentor (yes, I do have a mentor—more on that later), and I decided to read Outliers for two reasons:

1. To soak in the knowledge.
2. To study Malcolm’s writing style. Because, let’s be honest, the man knows how to spin a story.

I’m currently on page 68, and already, I’m blown away by how he reshapes our understanding of success. We often think it’s all about individual talent, but Malcolm argues there are far more factors at play—many of which are completely outside of the individual’s control. This led me to wonder: Could some of these same patterns apply to success stories in Nigeria? But before we get to that, let me give you a couple of examples from the book that really got my gears turning.

The January Advantage

One of the studies Malcolm references involves hockey players in Canada. As it turns out, a significant number of top players were born between January and March. Strange, right? Well, it’s not as random as it sounds. The cutoff date for youth hockey leagues in Canada is January 1st, meaning kids born earlier in the year are often bigger, stronger, and more physically developed than their peers. By the time tryouts roll around, they perform better simply because of their age advantage, leading to more opportunities, better coaching, and, ultimately, higher chances of success.

Malcolm calls this the “Matthew Effect”—the idea that small advantages compound over time. It’s not just about talent or hard work; sometimes, it’s as simple as being born at the right time. This study really made me stop and think about the advantages we experience every day that we might not even recognize. Could the stresses or struggles we face now be the very things that position us for success later? It’s a thought worth mulling over.

The Computing Age Sweet Spot

Then there’s the example of the computing pioneers. Malcolm points out that many of the biggest names in tech—Bill Gates (born 1955), Steve Jobs (1955), Paul Allen (1953), and several others—were all born within a few years of each other. Why does that matter? Because these guys were just the right age to take advantage of the computer revolution in the 1970s. If they had been born a few years earlier, they might have already settled into stable careers and missed the wave. Born a few years later, and they might not have had the resources or experience to capitalize on the moment.

Looking at Nigeria’s Banking Executives

With that thought buzzing in my mind, I decided to put Malcolm’s theory to the test. I started looking into the Nigerian banking sector. I wanted to see if I could spot any patterns in the ages and graduation years of some of Nigeria’s top banking executives. Did they share a similar “sweet spot” like the tech giants Malcolm talks about?

Here’s what I found:

Name	Bank	University	Year of Graduation
Oluwatomi Somefun	Unity Bank Plc	University of Ife	1981
Wole Adeniyi	Stanbic IBTC Bank	University of Benin	1991
Yetunde Oni	Union Bank	University of Ibadan	1991
Ebenezer Onyeagwu	Zenith Bank Plc	Auchi Polytechnic	1984
Olaniran Olayinka	Keystone Bank	University of Lagos	1988
Herbert Wigwe	Access Bank Plc	University of Nigeria, Nsukka	1987
Sola David-Borha	Stanbic IBTC	University of Ibadan	1981
Peter Amangbo	Zenith Bank Plc	University of Benin	1988
Ademola Adebise	Wema Bank	University of Lagos	1987
Alex Otti	Diamond Bank Plc	University of Port Harcourt	1988
Olukorede Adenowo	Standard Chartered Bank, Nigeria	University of Ife	1987
Kafilat Araoye	Lotus Bank	University of Ife	1985
Yemisi Edun	FCMB	University of Ife	1985
Bolaji Agbede	Access Holdings	University of Lagos	1990

Patterns and Observations

First off, the one thing I learned pretty quickly: Nigerian banking executives really need to make their details more accessible online. I started with a list of 42 executives and could only get 14 complete records. But let’s work with what we have.

A noticeable trend: Most of these executives graduated between 1981 and 1991. Interesting, right? It makes you wonder—what was happening in Nigeria during this period that could have helped shape this generation of leaders in the banking sector?

What Was Happening in Nigeria Between 1981 and 1991?

This is where the rabbit hole gets deep. Between 1981 and 1991, Nigeria was experiencing some significant shifts. The economy went through a downturn in the early ’80s, leading to the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) in 1986. This era also marked the rise of financial deregulation and the privatization of certain industries, which created new opportunities in sectors like banking. Graduating during this time likely placed these individuals at the frontlines of a rapidly changing economic landscape.

In many ways, the challenges of this period may have been the very thing that positioned these graduates for success. Much like the hockey players with a January birthday or the computing pioneers born in the 1950s, these Nigerian executives may have been part of their own “sweet spot”—born and educated at just the right time to take advantage of the economic shifts that would define their careers.

Final Thoughts for Now…

There’s still so much more to explore here. This is just the beginning of a deep dive into how timing, education, and socio-economic factors contribute to success in Nigeria. I’m curious to see if this pattern holds true in other sectors and if we can pinpoint more “sweet spots” across industries.

But for now, I’ll leave it here. I’ll continue this exploration in my next post – maybe, so stay tuned!

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!