Boss Of The Week
Oyindamola Adeyemi: The Amazing Amazon and Indefatigable Entrepreneur
By Michael Effiong and Eric Elezuo
In Africa’s very patriarchal system where gender neutrality is not a common topic, there are some sectors that have over the years been classified as the exclusive reserve of men.
But in the last couple of years, some women with their tenacity, integrity and ability to overcome fierce opposition have carved a niche for themselves by breaking this mythic glass ceiling-and one lady who has remarkably done just that in the Nigerian oil and gas, construction industry and financial services is Ms. Oyindamola Lami Adeyemi.
Still Earth Group, where Ms Adeyemi is the Group Managing Director, has proved its mettle in the intricate terrain of developing concepts and delivering mega projects across Nigeria.
Her vision when she founded Still Earth over a decade ago, still remains to deliver performance with purpose and her goal has always been to benchmark her operations with international best practices.
From the outset, Still Earth has had to leap over impossibly high hurdles to reach goals that had boggled the minds of contemporaries and competitors- all thanks to the able Ms Adeyemi, who has run the Group with her characteristic style of being decisive, bold and imaginative.
With an undeniable unmatchable can-do spirit, undeniably Ms Adeyemi, who believes that the infrastructural deficit in Nigeria is too wide, has a track record as a woman of steel has proven that challenges notwithstanding, indigenous companies can achieve amazing results with a good management and leadership.
That is the reason Still Earth pride’s itself as having the ability to deliver projects on budget, on time and with the best quality too!
As a premier general contractor highly regarded as one of the leading engineering & construction companies in Nigeria, Still Earth Construction and Realty now has a portfolio of completed projects and satisfied clients that are in both the public and private sectors. Indeed, it is setting its sights on conquering bigger, mega territories in all corners of Nigeria and abroad.
At the moment, the company is assiduously working on some major projects, and has successfully completed several projects of various categories both as direct contractors and sub-contractors.
Some of its reputable clients include Julius Berger Nigeria, Dangote Refinery, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd, Oyo State Government, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Lagos State Government, Ekiti State Government, Akwa Ibom State Government, Delta State Government, Federal Ministry of Transport, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited, many HNI’s amongst others. amongst others. These first-rate organisations certainly cannot be wrong!
The company’s aim is to develop the country’s infrastructural base by responsibly executing every project it is entrusted with, while creating real benefit for communities it serves by adopting principled and uncompromising approach to its professional and value standards.
It aims to be an international market leader, preferred general construction contractor that is globally recognized. Its focus is to achieve consistency and proficiency in the delivery of outstanding service, while adding value for clients through professionalism, pro-activity, creativity, transparency, timeliness and qualitative performance.
One major area that Still Earth has also thrived is its work force. Ms Adeyemi has marshalled her team well by activating and directing the positive energy of her people to achieve excellent results.
It has continued to invest in qualified talents and thus lead a workforce of trained individuals in order to become the industry major player in sector in line with its ambitious aspirations.
According to the company “Our objective is to work together as a team to achieve success on every project for our clients, through the professionalism, diligence and hard work that we profess and promote”
There is no doubt that Still Earth is driven by ingenuity and innovation, it has a human face because the Group Managing Director draws her deep understanding of both human and business dynamics to run an efficient organization. She always ensures to make it about the client and her company and nothing more.
Little wonder the company’s core mission is “To add exceptional, lasting value through our technical expertise, corporate culture and corporate social responsibility to our staff, clients, country and humanity”. Very Impressive!
Not done with just making a mark in the construction industry, like a typical knowledgeable serial entrepreneur, she has formed other companies and invested in other sectors. One of those new adventures is in the finance sector with the establishment of Still Earth Capital Finance.
Her journey to the top was not easy, according to her it was more of perspiration and perseverance “I have years of experience that spans the Banking Sector, Retail Marketing, Public Sector, Oil & Gas and Construction. My story is one of grit, resilience and persistence, which over the years has built a solid foundation to pursue excellence end-to-end and achieve higher goals.”
As a result of her sterling achievements, she has won many accolades including the African Leader of Integrity Merit Award – Excellence in Corporate Governance and Service Delivery from Accra, Ghana.
She earned her B.Sc Degree in Political Science from the University of Abuja, and an M.Sc Degree in Political Economy and Development from the same University and is also an alumna of the prestigious Harvard Business School, Massachusetts, Boston, after attending the Owner/ President Management Program. Ms Adeyemi certainly has enough grounding to aspire to the top echelon of the business world where many turn problems to opportunities.
The reserved technocrat with both beauty and brains was born and raised in Gombe State, North Eastern Nigeria to a Yoruba father from Ondo State and Hausa/Fulani Mother.
Her multilingual, multi-ethnic upbringing has made her a bridge builder which enables her to feel free at home in the Northern or South Western part of Nigeria.
Fluent in both Hausa and Yoruba, Ms Adeyemi has built a solid reputation as one of the few entrepreneurs without an ethnic bias, which makes her such a distinctive and appealing business leader.
Though classy and fashionable, she is not the kind of executive you meet at every occasion, highly intellectual, she prefers negotiating complex deals and explaining the intricate genius of construction to spending time at social events. She is indeed a respectable business amazon that is worthy of emulation.
For your dexterity, courage and service to humanity, you are our Boss of the Week. Congratulations ma!
The Wikipedia captured her trajectory as follows:
In October 2009, she was elected Ghana’s representative to the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Ahead of the 2012 general elections, Jane Opoku Agyemang moderated the debate with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
On 26 October 2018, she became Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa located in Zimbabwe.
She has served on many local and international boards and committees such as the Centre for Democratic Governance, (CDD-Ghana), the editorial board of the Harriet Tubman Series on the African Diaspora (Africa World Press Inc. USA), the Africa Initiative in Canada, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons as an Eminent Citizen.
Opoku-Agyemang is an author. Her focus areas includes Literature with a focus on Women from Ghana, Oral literature in Ghana and Africa, Communication Skills and Issues in the African Diaspora. As an academic she has written and published in scholarly journals and presented articles at various conferences including at the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and at the Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 2015, as Education Minister, she published and launched a five volumes collection of published folktales titled ‘Who told the most incredible story?”’
A key focus area during her tenure was empowering girls and advocating for gender equity in education. Her leadership drove the implementation of policies that tackled gender disparities, promoted higher female enrolment and retention rates, and empowered girls through education. Her initiatives played a pivotal role in creating more inclusive opportunities for young women across Ghana.
Additionally, she led the conversion of 10 polytechnics across the regions into technical universities, a bold initiative that elevated the status of these institutions, broadening their academic scope and enhancing vocational education. This reform was instrumental in aligning Ghana’s educational framework with global trends, equipping students with practical skills for a competitive job market.
During her tenure, Opoku-Agyemang initiated the construction of 124 Community Day Senior High Schools, known as “E-Blocks,” to improve access to secondary education in underserved areas. By the end of her term, 50 schools were completed and operational, providing modern facilities such as science laboratories, libraries, and ICT centres. This initiative significantly expanded educational opportunities, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities, and underscored her commitment to addressing disparities in access to quality education.
Opoku-Agyemang oversaw the completion of key infrastructure at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, including the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, a hostel block, and staff accommodation at its Sokode campus. The university was inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama in November 2015, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality higher education and supporting the training of health professionals to address national healthcare needs.
She also played a critical role in establishing the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in the Eastern Region. She facilitated the passage of the enabling Bill in Parliament and secured funding for the university. In December 2016, President John Mahama officially cut the sod for the construction of the UESD’s Somanya campus.
Vice presidential campaign
Opoku-Agyemang was selected as the presidential running mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on 6 July 2020 for Ghana’s December 2020 General elections. She became the first female running mate of the two major political parties in Ghana. Her selection by the flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress was applauded by women groups and women activists as a positive sign to the Ghanaian political scene to promote gender balance and equality.
She appealed to Ghanaians to vote for change and promised to use her office as vice president to influence sustainable development and practical youth-centred policies. Her campaign message was devoid of attacks on opponents. Her intensive campaign in the coastal communities and her home region, the Central Region yielded results as the NDC won most of the constituencies they had lost in 2016. The NDC also won 9 out of the 16 regions in Ghana including the major battleground, Greater Accra.
The NDC National Executive Committee, on 7 March 2024, officially endorsed Opoku-Agyemang again as the running mate for the party’s flagbearer, ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Opoku-Agyemang became the vice president–elect after Mahama won the 2024 presidential election.
On 7 January 2025, Opoku-Agyemang was sworn in as the Vice President of Ghana, becoming the first female to hold the office. The ceremony took place at Independence Square in Accra, where she took the Oath of Allegiance and the Vice President’s Oath before Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. Her appointment marked a significant moment in Ghana’s political history, as she became the first woman to assume the role of Vice President in the country’s history.
Opoku-Agyemang has been honoured with honorary degrees from the University of the West Indies and Winston-Salem University. She has also received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She received the Officer of the Order of the Volta award for Academic Distinction in 2011 by President John Atta Mills and Ghana Women of Excellence Award in the Education category due her contribution to the development and promotion of quality education in Ghana. She was acknowledged for Outstanding Performance in Advancing International Education, School for International Training, Vermont, USA on two occasions.
In 2020, she was named among the 40 Most Inspirational Female Leaders in Ghana for serving as a role model for women in Ghana and in Africa. In January 2023, she was listed among the 100 most reputable Africans.
It is believed that her antecedents and wholesale performances in all the offices she had previously held, will come to bear as she studiously assists Mahama to reignite the 24hour economy he is known for.
By Eric Elezuo
The academic environment, or to be more specific, the ivory tower, thrives on quality, capacity, intelligence and ability to think out of the box. It is further complicated when to become a vice Chancellor, one has to be above board, be the ultimate cetris paribus and have the never-say-never attitude to get things done.
These are the qualities, and more that propelled 41-year-old Professor of International Law, at the University of Abuja, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, to the height of administration head of the institution as the Vice Chancellor.
Just into her fourth decade as a human being, Aisha has come of age, smashing the proverbial glass ceiling, and hitting stardom where it was least expected. She is the real slay queen, endowed with beauty, brains and absolute intelligence.
A profile of her personality published on the university site, noted that for her to assume the incumbency of the University administration, Aisha has arrived, seen and conquered, creating room of encouragement, inspiration and desire among the young ones, especially the female folks, who look up to her. She is an enigma.
The profile reads as follows:
Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, a distinguished scholar and professor of International Law at the University of Abuja is from Katsina State, Nigeria. She began her educational journey at Sacred Heart School, Kaduna, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) in 1993. She proceeded to Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, earning her West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 1999, her LLB degree from the University of Reading, UK, the LLM from the London School of Economics, UK, BL from the Nigeria Law School, Abuja and Ph.D from the University of Abuja, Nigeria.
Maikudi’s academic excellence took her to the University of Reading, where she earned an LLB in 2004. She further specialised in Public International Law, obtaining an LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2005. After completing her legal education at the Nigerian Law School (2006–2007). In 2007, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi did her National Youth Service Corps at the Corporate Secretariat and Legal Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. She pursued and had a PhD in International Law from the University of Abuja in 2015.
She joined the University of Abuja as a Lecturer II on 4th September 2008, and rose through the ranks to become a professor in 2021.
Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi broke barriers as the first female and youngest Head of Department in 2013, the first female Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law in 2018, and the pioneer Director of the University of Abuja International Centre in 2019. She also served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), where she was instrumental in enhancing academic standards and promoting a culture of excellence at the University.
To date, she is the youngest Professor of the University of Abuja and indeed Nigeria, as well as the first female Professor of Law in the North West and the University of Abuja. She specializes in United Nations Law, backed by extensive research and numerous publications in academic journals and book chapters. Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi floated a Postgraduate course on United Nations Law and has supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate theses and dissertations, contributing to the growth of legal scholarship. She has also taught Company Law for over 12 years and is well versed in its mechanics.
Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi has represented her university and country at numerous national and international conferences, workshops, and training sessions across the UK, US, South Africa, Germany, Italy, China, Ghana, and Egypt. She has presented papers at many of these events, further solidifying her global reputation as an academic leader.
She is an active member of several professional organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Law Teachers Association (NLTA), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), and Nigerian Society of International Law.
Aisha is married with children.
By Eric Elezuo
The constantly improved city of Osogbo was agog weekend when the Secretary to the Government of the Osun State, Igbalaye Teslim Adekunle, was installed as the Bobagunwa of Osogboland, replacing his late father, Alhaji Abdulrasheed Igbalaye, who was the pioneer Bobagunwa of Osogbo.
The installation of Teslim Adekunle mark the continuation of visionary leadership, a legacy built on profound patriotism and a relentless commitment to the progress of people of Osogbo in particular, and Osun State in general.
The occasion, a combination of pomp, grace, culture and class, drew together the who is who in Osun, West and national politics to the land that bustles with melodious springs.
This venue was the royal palace of Ataoja of Osogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji (Larooye II), who presided over the ceremony, and had the singular honour of conferring the prestigious feather on the new Bobagunwa.
As early as the first light of the d-day, guests from all corners and walks of life, some, who had arrived the day before, began trooping into the colorful premises of the palace with giant billboards showcasing the about to be installed Bobagunwa and the royal father.
From afar as well as near, dignitaries including traditional rulers, government officials, captains of industries, entertainment buffs, students organisations, community groups, youths and the general public, all converge to witness the glory of a man many believe is a force to reckon with, in both community relations and political administration.
Among notable names present were the Osun state Governor, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke; the Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi; former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinola; former Osun state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori and her husband; Oba Abolarin Adedokun, Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewole Egbedun; Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Akinyode Abidemi Oyewusi; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, Sen. Lere Oyewunmi, Senator representing Osun Central, Sen. Olubiyi Fadeyi-Ajagunla, State PDP Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, Former Chief of Air Marshal, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao; Araba Ifayemi Elebuibon, Mr. Oye Balogun the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Dr. Folashade Arike Ayoade, the Timi of Ede Land, Oba Munirudeen Lawal, Hon. Adewale Morufu Adebayo, and a host of other eminent personalities.
Glad in prestigious all red traditional babariga attire, Igbalaye arrived the venue, in company of his wife, children and aides to a rousing welcome of acceptance. The team could not help but respond to the melodious sounds emanating the drums of the itinerant drummers, with corresponding dance steps.
It was not long before the Ataoja, in full view of the guests, including Governor Adeleke, performed the rites of installation, and pronounced Igbalaye, the new Bobagunwa of Osogboland to a loud applause that ricochetted across the length and breadth of Osogboland. He enjoined the new Bobagunwa to uphold tradition and its institutions, and never betray that trust of his people. He harped on the sanctity of the title, and advised the bearer to remain a beacon that he has always been.
In his response as the Bobagunwa, Teslim Adekunle, promised to extend the legacy of truthfulness, honesty, leadership and hard work as handed down by the previous Bobagunwa.
With happiness visibly showing on his face, the Bobagunwa conducted himself round the venue, exchanging pleasantries, in apparent performance of his first official duty as the stool occupier.
In his brief remarks, Governor Adeleke, known for his jovial disposition and dancing prowess, congratulated the new Bobagunwa, and task him to bring unity to not only Osogboland, but the entire Osun State and Nigeria at large. He also thanked the Ataoja for the honour his SSG, noting that the royal father has been a supporter of the administration towards delivering good governance.
The stage was practically set for music, dance and good food, and every attendee had his very full. King Sunny Ade was on hand to make that guest enjoined the best of dancing and music
According to tradition, the title of Bobagunwa is conferred upon deserving sons of the land, and carries immense prestige, aa well as comes with responsibilities.
It is those, like Teslim Adekunle, who have played a significant role in the growth and development of the city in the past, and are committed to the future development of the state in culture and tradition, infrastructure and general growth, are eligible for the honour.
Bobagunwa, a Yoruba language word, which means “to reign with the king” is a clear testament that Teslim Adekunle is qualified to be a confidant of the reigning king. And by implication, demands express commitment and dedication to the king of Osogbo, who is the Ataoja.
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