Juwon Lawal Razaq, a Nigerian-born businessman, portfolio entrepreneur, and global diplomat, has for some years, been a force in the business scene, a feat that has earned him several awards in recognition of his influence and footprint in entrepreneurship both in Nigeria and overseas.
Started out with almost nothing; usually the foundational story of most successful businessmen, Lawal is not only an inspiration in his chosen field, but his life also is. Records have shown that, from the beginning, he already knew where he was going. Thus, he motivated himself and rose to the top through courage, determination and desire. In a few years, he became an individual being celebrated at home and abroad.
Before he made a name for himself as an entrepreneur with the establishment of his chains of businesses, Lawal was creative and enterprising from a very early age. At a time when most of his mates did not know how to navigate the complexities to reach their goals in life, Lawal had already planned his future in his head. He had a clear vision of what he wanted to do in life. Hence, the founding of Africent Group, a multinational conglomerate with headquarters in Dubai, Logistics City and operations in West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Africent Group is a dynamic and innovative company that provides a wide range of services in Africa and promotes growth, development, and sustainability in various sectors across the continent. Africent Oil Commodities Co Ltd Nigeria is a leading provider of marine fuels and lubricants products. AfricentOCL Uk Ltd is a leading provider of vessels chartering services and marine rules brokerage. Eleven Ocean Ltd, the new venture, is a dynamic and forward-thinking company poised to make a significant impact in the fields of real estate and infrastructure development, investment in Nigeria, mining, drilling, and digital mobile money services.
That Lawal, within the few years of his foray into the business world, was recognized and accepted as a member of the prestigious Forbes Business Council, tells the story of his extraordinary passion and determination to reach for the moon. Today, he is steadily shooting himself beyond Africa’s shores as one of the crème of the young Nigerian business league. His success, despite all odds, is attributable to his unbinding belief that hard work pays, having shown the evidence of a man who is well versed in the art of making money.
Juwon Lawal Razaq was born in Kogi State, Nigeria, and grew up in Lagos. He embarked on his entrepreneurial journey at a young age by managing his father’s palm oil extraction business. Lawal holds a B.Sc in Business Administration and an MBA in Business Administration and Management from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State. He has also received executive training in agribusiness from Harvard Business School. Additionally, Lawal is a soon-to-be alumni of Imperial College Business School in London.
The key to being a good business leader is how good you are with people. That fits in with Lawal’s philosophy of genuinely caring about his employees. He cares not just for fellow directors, but also for the junior staff, from cleaner, to the front desk officer, to the janitor. “It’s a quality that sets one’s image and business apart,” he would say.
Unarguably, Juwon Lawal Razaq’s success story is a lesson to many, especially youngsters who see him as a role model.
-Folorunsho Hamsat is the media relations publicist to Africent Group
