Austin Avuru: We Were Taught To Leave. But Nobody Taught Us How To Build Back Home

Austin Avuru at Afropolitan Live | Building Institutions That Last in Africa

AUNTY'S SCULPTURE COLLECTION
A limited collection by Anthony Azekwoh x Afropolitan. 200 pieces. Application only.
Apply here: https://formless.ai/c/q1GB9jAzOWTr

In this episode of The Afropolitan Podcast, we sit down with Austin Avuru—Nigerian geologist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Seplat Petroleum—to explore what it really takes to build institutions that last in Africa.
From his early years at NNPC to co-founding one of Nigeria's most successful indigenous energy companies, Austin shares a rare long-term perspective on discipline, governance, succession, and the hidden cost of success. This is not a hype story. It is a builder's story.
We discuss why most African businesses collapse after the founder exits, why managing success is harder than starting from nothing, and why building in Nigeria is difficult but absolutely possible.

🔗 FOLLOW AFROPOLITAN
Website – https://www.afropolitan.io
Instagram – https://instagram.com/afropolitan
Twitter – https://twitter.com/afropolitan
Book 1:1 with Eche – https://convo.vip/echeemole
Book 1:1 with Chika – https://convo.vip/chikauwazie

SPONSORS
VBan – Use code AFROPOLITAN → https://vban.com
Inverroche Gin → https://www.inverroche.com
Risevest → https://click.risevest.com/gb0g/afropolitan
Convo → https://convo.vip

TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Intro
0:45 What it really takes to build in Nigeria
1:36 Discipline, focus, and one step at a time
2:18 Would he still choose Nigeria today
2:48 Starting his career at NNPC
3:49 Founding Platform Petroleum
4:36 Co-founding Seplat and acquiring Shell assets
5:02 Why Seplat listed on the London Stock Exchange
5:14 "We listed to save the company from ourselves"
5:47 Managing success as the biggest risk
6:27 Why African companies don't survive founders
7:47 Why Platform Petroleum still exists today
8:27 What NNPC represented in the 1980s
10:08 Comparing NNPC to Saudi Aramco
11:06 Losing his father at age six
11:36 His mother's role in shaping resilience
12:59 Returning to his childhood school after 60 years
14:14 The missed opportunity to go abroad
17:49 Acquiring IOC assets with audacity
18:50 Negotiating directly with Shell
19:41 Convincing global investors
20:42 Almost failing the LSE listing
22:06 How trust unlocked approval
24:36 Rebuilding market confidence
25:54 Scaling from 22K to 100K barrels/day
27:00 Why scaling breaks businesses
29:00 Choosing the right partners
30:23 When to walk away
32:04 Why indigenous entrepreneurs must step up
35:47 What a family office really is
36:25 Why he refused to write a will
37:00 Structuring wealth to avoid conflict
40:09 Lessons from the Dangote refinery
44:08 Energy transition and Africa's right to develop
47:49 What a just transition really means
50:35 Wealth discipline and philanthropy
53:23 Advice to Africans in the diaspora
55:35 Why Afropolitan exists
57:30 Rapid fire
59:39 Biggest hiring mistake
1:00:10 Best business advice received
1:01:26 One word for the diaspora: "It's possible"
1:02:05 Leaders he wants to see next
1:03:22 Final reflections on legacy