Posted by Samuel on Sat 01st Nov, 2025 - tori.ng
He attributed the inability of Africans to achieve global success to a lack of collaboration and an excessive focus on individual ownership.
Nigerian billionaire and business mogul Obi Iyiegbu, widely known as Obi Cubana, has explained why many African entrepreneurs find it difficult to attain global success.
Cubana, in a video circulating online, spoke about the differences between African and Western business mindsets.
He attributed the inability of Africans to achieve global success to a lack of collaboration and an excessive focus on individual ownership.
According to him, most Africans prefer to operate alone, while their foreign counterparts understand the power of partnerships and shared ownership.
He said, “This I must own it all” mentality limits growth and makes it difficult to execute large-scale projects, as individuals often prioritise control over collective progress.
“Why we Africans don’t go far in business is because we want to own it ourselves. Nobody wants to share. You see, But oyibo people, I bet you there might be 20 owners who don’t even know themselves and they come together to make complex project look very simple.
“But our problem is that I want to have Obi Cubana and Sons Limited. whether your sons are interested in the business you do or not and that’s why the moment they die, the business dies.
“The moment they are incapacitated, the business dies because there’s no second or third generation to carry on.”