Boss Of The Week

Maya Angelou: An Enigma Never to Be Forgotten

Published

6 years ago

December 14, 2019

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Character is a virtue, and only a few can boast of it in overflowing quantity. One of such few is celebrated poet and human rights activist whose stock in trade dovetails into many endeavours, Maya Angelou.

Born Marguerite Annie Johnson, on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, as the second child of Bailey Johnson and Vivian (Baxter) Johnson, Maya Angelou was many things woven in one. In fact, even in death which occurred on May 28, 2014, her personality still occupies a large space in the heart of humanity and the society.

As a growing child, Maya was very attached to her brother, owing to an extent the ‘calamitous marriage’ between their parents. In fact, it was her brother, who fondly nicknamed her Maya, derived from ‘My’ or ‘Mya Sister’

Angelou’s ability to face the storms developed early in life and manifested as she grew up. At a age of three when her parents marriage ended, she was forced to travel by train in the company of her brother, who was just four to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson.

Summarising her life in a brief, Linguist John McWhorter in The New Republic wrote: “And Angelou’s life has certainly been a full one: from the hardscrabble Depression era South to pimp, prostitute, supper club chanteuse, performer in Porgy and Bess, coordinator for Martin Luther King Jr.’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference, journalist in Egypt and Ghana in the heady days of decolonization, comrade of Malcolm X, and eyewitness to the Watts riots. She knew King and Malcolm, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln.”

She was an accomplished American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist, who has seven published autobiographies to her credit, in addition to three books of essays, several books of poetry, as well as a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years.

In her lifetime, Angelou received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees., and is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim. Here is a stanza from the poem:

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,
When he beats his bars and would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings –
I know why the caged bird sings.

The poem, considered a defense of black culture, shot her to limelight, and she became a respected spokesperson for black people and women. Her works are widely used in schools and universities worldwide. She made a deliberate attempt to challenge the common structure of the autobiography by critiquing, changing and expanding the genre. Her books center on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel.

A workaholic of great standard, from the 1990s, Angelou made around 80 appearances a year on the lecture circuit, something she continued into her eighties. In 1993, Angelou recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” (1993) at the first inauguration of Bill Clinton, making her the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Angelou’s goods works live behind her, and she has been honoured in many quarters including the establishment of the Maya Angelou Project, which her grandson, superintend over as the President.

In one swift eulogy, the HEN Foundation, joined millions of the world population in bringing the memories of the one who could easily be referred as a legend to life. In his address, the Founder of the Foundation, Mr. Jimmy O. Eniola spared no words in describing the personality of Angelou. The excerpt of his address is as follows:

“I stand before you as proud humanitarian ambassador of a country that has produced the first black Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka; and world-acclaimed writer, Professor Chinua Achebe, and many other academicians that have identified with the works of Madame Maya Angelou. I am delighted to inform you that our foundation is on the exciting verge of immortalizing this humanitarian icon by establishing a permanent Center in Nigeria in memory of Dr. Maya Angelou. This Center, apart from providing the opportunity for an exchange program between Nigeria and the United States, will also be a center where people can engage in research and learning on gender equality, and the evils of discrimination, human trafficking and sexual abuse. Already, we have donated some items that were hand-crafted by our empowered youth in Nigeria to The Maya Angelou Project. These include beads, handfans, necklaces, earrings and our traditional African Aso-oke fabrics and attires. We are proud to acknowledge that Dr. Maya Angelou’s lifetime work and cause has been a veritable source of inspiration to us at HEN Foundation. The impact and contribution of Dr. Maya Angelou’s on the African continent can never be overestimated. You will all recall that she spent a substantial part of her life engaging in the Pan-African Movement in both Egypt and Ghana. Today we are proud to admit that her work has impacted positively on the lives of millions of African citizens,” Eniola said.

HEN Foundation was founded as a memorial to Eniola’s late mother, with the objectives of empowering the needy with basic healthcare and access to basic education.

Among its many humanitarian jobs, the Foundation has made over 500 pupils in a public primary and secondary school in Nigeria beneficiaries of HEN Foundation’s Mathematics Skill Pilot Program. Additionally, over 800 students in the inner city of Lagos State, Nigeria, benefited from the free University entry forms and free tutorial classes for the University Matriculation Examination.

Also, in 2017, HEN Foundation conducted a free Cancer Screening Exercise for over 1,000 patients, in collaboration with the University of Ibadan Cancer Research Center and the Femi Gbajabiamila Foundation at the Akerele Healthcare Center, Surulere, Lagos, at which valuable medical equipment was donated to both the cancer research center and the healthcare center. Only three days ago, a program in Nigeria to mark the International Girl’s Day was supported by Hen Foundation with the announcement of educational scholarships for three students. The Foundation is busy following the basic footsteps of Maya Angelou.

Highly soft and kind-hearted, Maya Angelou found it in her heart not only to weep on the death of one who raped her as a teenager but lost her voice in the process. She is quoted as saying: “If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.”

A writer, Gary Younge, in 2009 revealed that “To know her life story is to simultaneously wonder what on earth you have been doing with your own life and feel glad that you didn’t have to go through half the things she has.”

Much as she faced the greatest of challenges, she made the best of life, and came out victorious. Her life therefore, is a challenge to as many who thinks they have reached their tethers end; those who think they have suffered a lot and even those who lingering between redundancy and taking a step.

Angelou was married to Tosh Angelos in 1951, but the marriage ended in 1954. She had a son when she was 17 named Glyde. But he changed his name to Guy Johnson later. w

In 2013, at the age of 85, Angelou published the seventh volume of autobiography in her series, titled Mom & Me & Mom, which focuses on her relationship with her mother.

Here are a few of the quotes Angelou is known for:

I make writing as much a part of my life as I do eating or listening to music –1999

I also wear a hat or a very tightly pulled head tie when I write. I suppose I hope by doing that I will keep my brains from seeping out of my scalp and running in great gray blobs down my neck, into my ears, and over my face – 1984

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

Nothing so frightens me as writing, but nothing so satisfies me. It’s like a swimmer in the [English] Channel: you face the stingrays and waves and cold and grease, and finally you reach the other shore, and you put your foot on the ground—Aaaahhhh! –1989

Angelou died on the morning of May 28, 2014. She was found by her nurse. During her memorial service at Wake Forest University, her son Guy Johnson stated that despite being in constant pain due to her dancing career and respiratory failure, she wrote four books during the last ten years of her life. He said, “She left this mortal plane with no loss of acuity and no loss in comprehension.”

Angelou is survived by her son, Guy, one grandson and two great grandchildren among a host of world followers, who call her mother and follow her exemplary footsteps.

Boss Of The Week

Evangelist Ebenezer Obey: Celebrating a Music Maestro at 84

Published

23 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

At 84, most professionals have retired to a quiet country life, living off their savings and investments or on other individuals, but not the ebullient music icon, philanthropist and accomplished teacher of God’s word, simply identified as Evangelist Ebenezer Obey.

Till date, Obey, who called himself Chief Commander in the early days of his musical adventure, still performs at shows and events; his voice still melodious and sonorous, serenading every individual within the radius of his performance. He had been an icon, and has remained an icon.

True to his words, the Evangelist marked this year’s birthday as he had always done; celebrating with God’s people, and winning souls for Christ through crusades.

This year, the music legend celebrated his 84th birthday with a two-day crusade in Abeokuta, Ogun State

The crusade themed: “Thy Kingdom Come” was organised in collaboration with the Riye Council of Knights of Methodist Church Nigeria, Egba Diocese, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The well-attended crusades held on March 25 and 26, and featured several notable gospel artistes, such as Esther Igbekele, Joseph Adelakun aka Ayewa and Adegbemi Adewale, among others.

Evangelist Obey capped the crusade with his amazing music prowess at the Freeman Methodist Cathedral Auditorium in Abeokuta with a praise celebration

Esther Igbekele, a gospel artiste, described the event as great and wonderful programme while also thanking the celebrant for the honour of ministering.

Beyond dishing out the word through the crusade, Evangelist Obey, who is now a Professor of Music at Olabisi Onabanjo University, held a charity outreach for the less privileged in the community, noting that giving to the less privileged was his own way of showing gratitude to God for lifting him from obscurity to global stardom in the music industry.

With the crusades done and dusted, the godly Evangelist chose a low key birthday on d-day as it fell on Good Friday; a day that symbolizes the climax of the Passion of the Chriat.

He expressed hope and prayed that God would grant him the grace to see his 85th which he said would be well celebrated

Obey was born on 3 April 1942 to an Egba–Yoruba ethnic background family. Obey, whose real names are Ebenezer Remilekun Aremu Olasupo Fabiyi, was born in Idogo, Ogun State, Nigeria of Egba-Yoruba ethnic background. He is of the Owu subgroup of the Egba.

Ebenezer Obey began his professional career in the mid-1950s after moving to Lagos. After tutelage under Fatai Rolling-Dollar’s band, he formed a band called The International Brothers in 1964, playing highlife–jùjú fusion. The band later metamorphosed into Inter-Reformers in the early-1970s, with a long list of Juju album hits on the West African Decca musical label.

Obey began experimenting with Yoruba percussion style and expanding on the band by adding more drum kits, guitars and talking drums. Obey’s musical strengths lie in weaving intricate Yoruba axioms into dance-floor compositions. As is characteristic of Nigerian Yoruba social-circle music, the Inter-Reformers band excel in praise-singing for rich Nigerian socialites and business tycoons. Obey, however, is also renowned for Christian spiritual themes in his music and has since the early-1990s retired into Nigerian gospel music ministry. It will be worthy of note to also say that Chief Commander just as he is fondly called by his fans, has played alongside popular gospel music veteran, Pastor Kunle Ajayi during his 30 years on stage concert in Lagos.

Obey married Juliana Olaide Olufade in 1963. His wife, known as Lady Evangelist Juliana Obey-Fabiyi, died at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on 23 August 2011, aged 67. They have several children and grand children.

Hale, hearty and overtly cheerful, Obey is already making plans for his 85th birthday, saying it would be well celebrated.

Obey is one of the few Nigerians, who had projected themselves in the positive light, remaining a beacon of hope to the teeming youthful generation, who have discovered no element of guile in his 84 years sojourn on the surface of the earth.

From all of us at The Boos, we wish the grand performer of generous 84th birthday, and many more years of transparent living for the benefit of the society.

Happy birthday sir!

Boss Of The Week

Nola Adetola: Raising the Lagos Skyline with Oyster Towers

Published

1 week ago

March 29, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

With over 1000 housing units providing for shelter-seeking Nigerians, in just nine years, the influence and humanity embedded in the organizational structure of Veritasi Homes cannot be overemphasized.

Led by its indefatigable and energetic Chairman, Nola Adetola, Veritasi Homes has proved beyond reasonable doubt that its mission of providing affordable luxurious accommodation has come to stay.

The firm, in conjunction with Cooplag, brought the mandate to the fore one more time on Thursday, when under the watch of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and many other distinguished Nigerians including the Chairman of Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, conducted the Groundbreaking ceremony for a highrise edifice, right in the heart of the prestigious Eko Atlantic City, Lagos, called OYSTER TOWERS.

This development is coming less than six months after the Nola Adetola-led team began the construction of another high rise apartment, Allied Towers, in the high profile Ikoyi Island. A testament of how desirous he is about bridging the housing deficit in Nigeria.

The entrepreneur, in his speech, noted that his efforts are geared towards continuous provision of luxurious, but affordable accommodation for the Nigerian public, as a real estate giant, in rewarding partnership with Cooplag, under leadership of Francis Adeoye.

In his speech, the Chief Executive Officer of Veritasi Homes, Mr. Nola Adetola, noted that the project is a bold new chapter in the Lagos’ skyline, and will provide competitive and a whole new approach to luxurious living, especially with its location in the Eko Atlantic City axis.

“Today, as we break ground on Oyster Towers, we are declaring possibility and our determination to do something meaningful with it. Together with COOPLAG, we open yet another chapter in Lagos’ skyline, in Nigeria’s housing story, and in Veritasi’s journey,” he said.

Recalling the journey, the trajectory, and the achievements of the Veritasi brand, Nola informed that “Nine years ago, when we began this journey, we looked at Nigeria’s real estate market and asked: Can we do better? That question gave birth to Veritasi Homes. And today, we are doing it.”

Also speaking, the President of COOPLAG, Francis Adeoye, also underscored the significance of the project and the vision behind it.

“Today, we are not just breaking ground, we are breaking barriers. We are laying the foundation for a future where cooperative strength meets architectural excellence, where innovation meets legacy, and where our members and stakeholders can aspire to live in spaces that reflect their values, ambitions, and achievements,” he said.

Adding, Adeoye intoned that “This is the realisation of a shared dream, a dream to redefine urban living and empower our members. For over three decades, COOPLAG has stood as a beacon of cooperative strength, financial empowerment, and community development.”

Expressing his belief in the abilities of the two organizations, Governor Sanwo-Olu confirmed his trust in their efforts, noting that he has been in working relationship with the team, especially Cooplag.

He informed that having been involved in the groundbreaking ceremony, he would nonetheless be involved in every step of the way, until the project comes to conclusion.

Speaker after speaker, everyone agreed that the partnership is one of the best things to happen to the real estate sector, and would give vent the housing revolution the organisations are dedicated to.

The two organizations later put pen to paper to officially seal an agreement that was meant to materialize via the erection of beauty, style, architectural intelligence, elegance and housing space in the highbrow Ikoyi Island.

With the speeches and paperwork concluded, the guests moved outside, where the traditional ritual of scooping the earth over itself was held, signifying the commencement of the task of bringing the Oyster Towers project to reality within the next coming months.

Veritasi Homes and Cooplag are tested and trusted organisations in the housing and homes sector of the Nigerian economy.

The Impressive World of Indefatigable Investor, Adetola Nola

By Eric Elezuo

Here’s the story of a man, who read his way out of poverty. A man, who is known by a dictum not common to ordinary mortals; the dictum of perfection. It is no wonder that he is credited with the saying, “I am a perfectionist, and I take nothing short of excellence”.

His name is Adetola Nola. He is the Chief Executive Officer at Veritasi Homes and Properties, A.R.N Farms and Commodities Limited, which he founded and signed off to build one of the largest rice milling plants in West Africa; Asteric Asset Management, and Baraka Energy Lithium Processing Limited. Nola’s image looms large, and he still has years before his 40th birthday.

Nola is a typical example of the ‘real’ Nigerian youths, who are steadily proving that the not too young to run mantra is not just about politics, but spreads across every facet of human endeavour, chiefly among which is entrepreneurship.

It is therefore, not a surprise that before the age of 30, the star brained thinker, determined achiever and never-say-never entrepreneur, who has conquered the world of real estate, agriculture, mining and asset management giant, is already ruling their worlds, giving back to humanity and creating leverages that are already making the world a much more better place as well as pave the way for upcoming youths to bring their dreams to reality.

Nola is a standard measure for administrative competence, and the that fact anyone can achieve greatness if they set their minds to it.

Born 1990, Adetola Nola, is unarguably an excellence-driven and innovative real estate entrepreneur with positive energy and experience instrumental in redefining success in the Nigerian real estate industry. He does not only boast of these energies, but steadfastly put them to work and has reinvented a whole new strata of home management, estate development and all round provision of affordable housing for every class of humanity, Nigerians more especially.

A well-read intellectual, Nola is a Bachelor of Engineering degree holder in Chemical Engineering from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He has not left anything to chance as regards improvement educationally as he has just concluded an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) degree at the Metropolitan School of Business & Management, London.

His strong leaning on education and in continuous learning have created in him a need not to rest on his oars, prompting him to attend many capacity development courses, including Strategic Management & Leadership courses at the London Metropolitan University, Finance and Management Courses at the London School of Business & Finance; and numerous seminars locally and internationally. Little wonder he tells anyone he cares to listen that “I read my way out of poverty”.

Ever since he ventured into entrepreneurship, Adetola Nola has not looked back; he has not allowed himself to be weighed down by the vicissitudes surrounding business establishment and grooming, and has consequently, raked in extraordinary achievements under the age of 30, prompting the magnanimous Forbes to recognise him among the Forbes Africa Under 30 Class of 2019, when he was 29.

Reacting to his selection, Nola noted that “It is an honour to be part of this list that features so many great people. Forbes has done a great job compiling and ensuring the credibility of this list since inception, and it is a leading resource for entrepreneurs, like myself.”

The CEO is an epitome of impressive leadership, corporate management skills, and rich top management experience. His expertise, knowledge and experience span sales, marketing, real estate investment, property finance, real estate advisory, management, leadership development among a long list of business and entrepreneur oriented endeavours.

From a mere start up, Nola kick-started his real estate career. He began as a real estate sales consultant with Grenadine Homes, where he recorded a plethora of successes in closing property deals. Every pie he puts his hands is on becomes a done deal. His ingenuity won him a trip to Dubai while at Grenadine. He reported that once, he sold shoes so well to a client that the client felt he could sell real estate, and there arose his interest in real estate.

In 2017, after facilitating projects for other real estate companies, he founded his own company, Veritasi with just one staff – his secretary. But his style of leadership, rooted in eye for details and profits, the company recorded over N2 billion in revenue in less than two years of operation. In his modesty, he attributed the feat to the company’s vision of solving the housing problems of middle-income earners in Nigeria.

From the proverbial mustard seed, the company has grown to boast of over 12,000 real estate consultants, 1300 Veritasi Realtors and over a score full-time staff, today. This is a magnificent leap by all standard.

Nola has remained undaunted in his pursuit of the golden fleece or the green pastures even as he encountered untold entrepreneurial hassles. It has been reported that the man, who today has a Midas touch, has failed severally in business, but his sight on the ultimate goal, kept him going. And today he is a success story. A point of reference, and a veritable instrument with a passion to see and help other businesses grow.

“All the other businesses were learning grounds for us. They failed, but they taught me a lot of things. Because when I started Veritasi, I understood business dynamics and a lot of other things. I am trying to resurrect one or two,” he said.

The entrepreneur’s experience in growing businesses from the scratch to fruition is predicated upon his ability to have either founded or co-founded five other companies, including Noah and Nola Incorporated, Pineapples Luxury Retail Store and Couture 89 amongst others. He is also the current Founder/Chief Strategist Officer of Nola Travels. It is worthy of note that Nola founded this particular business with the sole aim of helping unemployed graduates. That explains how kindhearted he is, and can always be!

Walking in the footsteps of great African entrepreneurs like Tony Elumelu, Nola has a wholesome ambition of raising at least 200 successful African entrepreneurs who will, in turn, create employment and the circle continues. He has, as a matter of fact, been training batches of at least forty realtors and entrepreneurs on business and financial intelligence in his office every Thursday since November 2018. He also helps friends and family members to analyse their businesses, just as he assists the same friends and family members to see to the fruition of their businesses.

In all, Nola has analysed over 40 businesses, and still counting, for close friends and family members in the same way he has helped in restructuring about 20 of these businesses free of charge.

His corporate social responsibility has grown in leaps and bounds, affecting lives and giving hope to as many that he has come in contact with. He is presently championing the emergence of smarter communities with green energy in Nigeria while developing and providing properties that are timely in delivery, cost-effective, energy efficient, and durable. He is also a strategic investor with investments in the automobile industry, fashion and agriculture. His catalogue of palliatives for the good of his people has remained green even as he is still a very young man.

Nola is a thoroughbred inspirational speaker as well as a resource person in many affairs of life. While impacting his community, he has acted as a resource person at many learning and discourse sessions. He has also spoken in many local and international conferences including University of Mazda, Abu Dhabi and Property Investment & Homebuyers Show, London and others.

In his quest to further affect humanity, he has partnered with a number of NGOs with the aim of eradicating poverty and establishing a positive legacy. His belief in entrepreneurship has given him leverage to solve the challenge of unemployment and poverty in Africa. He has therefore, created platforms where people can work and learn to build companies of their own.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Nola is not new to awards considering his humongous achievements. He has to his credit multiple local and international awards among which are Most Enterprising Student from Obafemi Awolowo University; Most Innovative Staff from Grenadine Homes; Best Intern in Operations from NNPC; Young Real Estate CEO Speaker from Property Investment Show, London and Fastest Growing Entreprenuer from Grapevine Real Estate.

Nola is a force to reckon with, and had started from the earliest of stages to create the accolades that follows him today, even at his youthful age.

THE PRESTIGIOUS CAMBERWALL ESTATE, LEKKI

Recently, Nola’s company unveiled an ambitious site and services scheme in Lekki, called Camberwall Estate. This magnanimous project is coming just after the Star City Garden in Ibeju-Lekki was first released. The estate consists of service plots.

A must buy and home to every lover of affordable luxury, Camberwall, a homely estate, which is located along Eleko Beach and opposite Amen Estate in Ibeju-Lekki Council, is a few minutes drive to Lagos Business School, and proposed airport. There is no doubt that it is an investor’s delight.

Speaking about the estate, Nola said it is a residential haven designed to provide affordable experience in a conducive and serene environment. He added that the estate is designed to accommodate modern state of the art facilities like interlocked road, clinic and security beautiful landscape, drainages, street lights, and estate club houses.

That is not all, it comprises a central designed architectural piece of accommodation, which provides residents with an ideal believe of tranquility and modern convenience. As part of his innovations, he is replicating noiseless and smart homes in Nigeria.

Nola does not only have a Midas touch in business, he is a stickler to excellence, decorum and the best of services. Little wonder he rolled out the drums to celebrate staff and clients as the year 2021 wound down in a most elaborate end of year party. He is by all means the class of technocrats capable of turning the economic fortunes of the nation, Nigeria around, and needs to be giving a chance.

A typical Epicurus son, Nola is a lover of good things including splendid food, neatly and smartly tailored apparels and worthy vacations to ease the stress and rejuvenate the mind.

Welcome to the impressive world of the indefatigable investor, Adetola Nola!

Boss Of The Week

Fola Adeola to Head Tinubu’s Petroleum Task Force

Published

3 weeks ago

March 14, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From his comfort zone, after meritoriously guiding the broad brand, Guaranty Trust Bank, to a height high enough to draw international comparisons in quality and service delivery, co-founder, Mr. Fola Adeola, attracted attention, bagging a presidential appointment as the Head of a nine-member Presidential Petroleum Reform and Value Optimization Task Force.

The appointment, approved on Friday by President Bola Tinubu, places a mandate on Adeola and his team to design and coordinate the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

The appointment was announced in a statement by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga as follows:

PRESIDENT TINUBU ESTABLISHES TASK FORCE ON PRESIDENTIAL PETROLEUM REFORM & VALUE OPTIMISATION

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has approved the establishment of a Presidential Petroleum Reform & Value Optimisation Taskforce to design and sequence the next phase of structural reforms in Nigeria’s petroleum sector.

Mr Fola Adeola, co-founder of Guaranty Trust Bank and founder and chairman of the Fate Foundation, is the Task Force’s chairman. As chairman, he will coordinate the group’s work and ensure the timely delivery of its mandate.

Other members of the Taskforce are: Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Osagie Okunbor, Abubakar Suleiman, Adaeze Aguele, Farouk Gumel, Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye and Seyi Bella.

Mofoluwasho Fadayomi will serve as secretary.

As constituted, the Taskforce is a time-bound, high-level executive working group tasked with producing execution-ready reform blueprints that will consolidate ongoing reforms, unlock capital within the petroleum sector, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading global energy investment destination.

The initiative reflects the President’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s petroleum industry into a more competitive, transparent, and value-maximising sector capable of driving long-term economic growth, macroeconomic resilience, and industrial development.

It will operate as a technical reform body rather than a representative committee, engaging industry operators, regulators, investors, and civil society as consultees while focusing on actionable policy design and implementation strategies.

The Taskforce will report directly to the President and provide monthly progress memoranda. An interim report will be submitted after three months, while the final outputs are expected within six months of inauguration.

President Tinubu expects the Task Force to deliver three major reform blueprints.

One of the deliverables is the Implementation Toolkit for Immediate Structural Fixes – including draft legislative amendments, executive instruments, and institutional restructuring proposals.

The second deliverable is the Capital & Liquidity Acceleration Blueprint, aimed at unlocking $5–10 billion in sectoral liquidity while safeguarding Nigeria’s sovereign interests.

The third blueprint will focus on the National Energy Transformation Strategy – a ten-year roadmap with measurable targets for production, foreign exchange earnings, GDP contribution, and cost competitiveness.

President Tinubu has directed all Ministries, Departments, Agencies, regulators, and relevant institutions to provide full technical support to the Taskforce and to submit inventories of ongoing initiatives to ensure alignment with the emerging reform framework.

In furtherance of this directive, President Tinubu has also directed all existing committees, teams, and working groups established under various reform initiatives within the sector to align their activities, reporting structures, and work programmes with the new Task Force.

The streamlining will ensure coordination, avoid duplication of mandates, and provide institutional clarity, thereby ensuring coherence in the petroleum sector reform architecture.

The President has also directed that all relevant documentation, institutional knowledge, and ongoing workstreams should be made available to the Taskforce to support the development and implementation of its comprehensive reform framework.

The creation of the Taskforce represents a strategic presidential instrument to accelerate petroleum sector reforms, strengthen governance architecture, optimise national energy assets, and position Nigeria’s petroleum resources as a foundation for sustainable economic transformation.

The Taskforce will automatically dissolve upon submission and acceptance of its final report.

Fola chairs the committee alongside reputable industry and financial sector experts, including Ademola Adeyemi-Bero, Osagie Okunbor, Abubakar Suleiman, Adaeze Aguele, Farouk Gumel, Phillipa Osakwe-Okoye, and Seyi Bella with Mofoluwasho Fadayomi will serve as secretary.

President Tinubu tasked the committee with producing execution-ready reform blueprints that will consolidate ongoing reforms, unlock capital within the petroleum sector, and strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading global energy investment destination.

The committee’s establishment comes after President Tinubu announced Presidential Executive Order 09 on February 13, 2026, that mandates direct remittance of all government petroleum revenue to the federation account.

THE CAREER TRAJECTORY OF FOLA ADEOLA

Beyond being a financial wizard, Adeola has once tried his hands in politics, aiming for the number position of the Nigerian nation as the vice president. That was when ran with the present National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu under the umbrella of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Born on January 10, 1954, Adeola is an alumnus of Methodist Boys High School, Lagos, and Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Diploma in Accounting in 1975.

He became a Chartered Accountant in 1980 following his training with Deloitte, Haskins and Sells and D.O. Dafinone & Company (both Chartered Accountants). Over the years he has received professional development training at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland.

In 1999, he completed a one-year sabbatical at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos, Nigeria, where he carried out research on economic development and job creation policies.

Adeola co-founded one of Nigeria’s biggest banks, now a holding company, the Guaranty Trust Holding Company, owner of Guaranty Trust Bank, together with Tayo Aderinokun in 1990. He served as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director from inception until 2002.

He is also the founder of FATE Foundation and chairman of Main One, Nigeria’s leading telecom company.

In the public sector, Fola served as the past board chairman of the National Pension Commission from December 2004 to June 2006. He also at one time chaired the Lagos State Disaster Relief Committee.

He was decorated as Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in December 2002 by then President Olusegun Obasanjo. He also has an honorary doctorate from Nkumba University, Ntebbe, Uganda.

In 2009, he won Banker of the Decade award by the Vanguard Newspaper group. Other awards trailing the accomplished bank include Distinguished Famous Alumni award by Yaba Tech Zik Leadership in 2003, and This Day Awards 2011 – Change Makers in Social Entrepreneurship.

Adeola is married to Hajara, and they are blessed with six children.