Author Description

A Safe Pair of Hands is the story of Austin Avuru and his rise from provincial Abbi in what is now Delta State to the pinnacle of corporate Nigeria. At the same time, it is the story of Seplat, the small company he co-founded in 2010, turning it into Nigeria’s pre-eminent Oil and Gas Company over ten short years. It is a compelling story of excellence, resilience, doggedness and that unique can-do Nigerian spirit. Austin Avuru: A Safe Pair of Hands charts the remarkable story of a boy from Abbi, in Delta state, who rose to become CEO of Nigeria’s pre-eminent oil and gas independent. Austin Avuru, a bright student from a modest background, had talent but also good fortune on his side, which propelled him to university and on through the ranks as a geologist. In Peju Akande and Toni Kan’s lively account, based on candid conversations with Avuru, the CEO reveals his motivation, his mentors and his personal struggles and successes, culminating in the high-stakes dual listing of Seplat on the London and Lagos stock exchanges. – ALISON CULLIFORD From the backwaters of the Niger Delta, in Nigeria’s oil rich region, to one of Africa’s most influential boardrooms, Austin Avuru’s story of becoming reads like a dream. A Safe Pair of Hands is a riveting tale, despite its being a master class work on the audacity of entrepreneurial undertaking. And that’s because it has benefited from careful research and painstaking delivery by a pair of writers with a keen eye for the diversity of human relationships: our foibles, triumphs, generosity, candor, nepotism. This book is a must read for anyone who believes in potential. – TOYIN AKINOSHO