Jean Paul was at university in Congo, studying electronic engineering, when his father – a wealthy businessman – was accused by the army of aiding the enemy and shot dead.
Not every businessman, every engineer or every financial expert has learned wisdom.
"I don't go out much," he says, "I have enough to look at here".Mr Shyllon, who runs an engineering company, is one of a small circle of Nigerian businessmen who own huge collections of local art.
He was a brilliant inventor and businessman who occasionally took me with him when he visited engineering companies on Saturdays.
Donors from the energy sector included Syrian-born businessman Ayman Asfari, the head of Petrofac, a FTSE-listed oil and gas engineering company, whose personal wealth is valued by Forbes at £1bn.
And Chinese businessmen are increasingly visible in a host of activities, including timber, engineering and textiles.Official Chinese statistics suggest that trade with Africa, though still meagre compared with other parts of the world, has been rising for several years.
And he is a businessman with credibility on Wall Street and an impressive record of re-engineering failing corporations.
Last year, 25 of Butembo's businessmen each chipped in $15,000 to form a joint venture with a South African engineering firm on a much larger river.
