Headline

Adeduntan, Ahmadu, Hosa Okunbo: Gigantic Strides to Forbes Best of Africa

Published

6 years ago

September 12, 2020

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The web space was a beehive of activities Friday when the trio of Nigeria’s successful business leaders and prolific entrepreneurs, were honoured with one of world’s most glamourous awards; the Forbes Best of Africa awards.

The foremost business leaders are the Managing Director/CEO, FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan; Founder/Executive Chairman, Online Integrated Solutions Limited, Mahmood Ahmadu and Chairman, Ocean Marine Solutions Limited, Captain Hosa Wells Okunbo.

Adesola Adeduntan: Forbes’ Latest Man of the Moment

The irrepressible Managing Director/CEO of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Dr Adesola Adeduntan, added additional feather to his cap when he was bestowed with the Forbes Best of Africa award by Forbes Africa in conjunction with Foreign Investment Network (FIN) for his contributions to the financial services sector in the country and the African continent. It must be noted that earlier in the year, Adeduntan bagged the much celebrated Cranfield University School of Management Distinguished Alumnus of the year Award. Without mincing words, the silent achiever is not new to awards.

An all rounder, the trained veterinary doctor turned visionary banker, has practically conquered every aspect of human endeavour he found himself, leading the FirstBank to a height only imaginable as the banks marks 126 years of uninterrupted banking. It would not be forgotten in a hurry that a media intelligence report presented by P+ Measurement Services, placed Adeduntan atop the list of most prominent and reputable Nigerian banking CEOs in Q2 2020. As the first quarter of 2020 was winding down, he was a guest lecturer at the Edinburgh School of Business where he spoke authoritatively on financial institutions’ role as drivers of financial inclusion.

With all these super human achievements trailing him, only a few persons would believe that the indefatigable Adeduntan is just 51 years old. This is as a result of the achievements that have trailed his young life. Under his watch, FirstBank was named the biggest mover of 2019 according to KPMG Report within the same period. It is not incorrect to say that Adeduntan is a creative achiever.

Born Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan on May 7, 1969, in Ibadan, Oyo State, the banker started his early education at Ibadan Municipal Government Primary School (IMG), Adeoyo between1975 and 1981, for his primary education before proceeding to Urban Day Grammar School, Old Ife Road, Ibadan, where he had his secondary schooling. His excellent to duties created a space for him to become the Deputy Senior Prefect in his final year in 1986.

In the same year, he was admitted to the University of Ibadan in to study Veterinary Medicine, and qualified in 1992 as a Veterinary Surgeon, a profession he hardly practiced before switching over to financial management.

Consequently, in 1994 he joined Afribank (Nig) Plc., and was posted to the Ibadan Main Branch as a graduate trainee. He spent 18 months there learning the ropes, and working in various areas of banking operations including cash management, clearing, credit risk management, and foreign operations.

Between September 1995 and May 2002, Adeduntan worked with Arthur Andersen Nigeria, rising to become manager in the firm’s financial services industry business, leveraging on the 18 months mentorship he received at Afribank. In this role, he led and managed the statutory audit of a number of leading Nigerian banks.

In August 2000, he served as an instructor at the Andersen World-Wide Induction training for new hires in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. He also served as the lead instructor for the Local Office Basic Accounting Training and Induction course in 1999. It was while he was with Arthur Andersen that qualified as a chartered accountant in 2000.

With more feathers to his cap, Adeduntan moved to the financial services industry in KPMG as a senior manager in June 2002, and served diligently till October 2004 when he bowed out. At KPMG, he co-pioneered the firms’ financial risk management advisory services. He was also a KPMG-accredited Trainer and facilitated several internal training programmes.

When he left KPMG in 2004 to study, he pursued a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the Cranfield School of Management, where he was a British Chevening Scholar. He graduated in September 2005.

Armed with yet another great feather, Adeduntan moved to Citibank Nigeria Limited in 2005 where he became the Senior Vice-President (General Manager) and Chief Financial Officer. He was saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the bank’s financial and product control functions, quality assurance and operational risk management. he was on hand to assist the bank in its recapitalisation during the banking consolidation era.

In October 2007, he called it quits with Citibank, and a month later, pitched tent with the Africa Finance Corporation, as the pioneer Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager.

His achievement at the AFC includes leading the team that secured an A3/P2 investment grade international credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service in March 2014. This made the Africa Finance Corporation the second highest-rated lending financial institution in Africa.

In July 2014, he was appointed an Executive Director/Group Chief Financial Officer of FirstBank, where he was responsible for the bank’s financial control, internal control and enhancement, business performance management, treasury and procurement functions.

On Monday January 4, 2016, Adeduntan succeeded Bisi Onasanya, and assumed duty as Managing Director of FirstBank of Nigeria Limited, and its commercial banking subsidiaries including FBN UK, FBN Ghana, FBN DRC, FBN Guinea, FBN Gambia, FBN Mortgages, FBN Senegal, FBN Sierra Leone and First Pension Custodian Limited.

He coordinated his functions so professionally that on December 7, 2016, he was awarded the 2016 Banker of The Year award by the Leadership Newspaper “For refusing to ‘go with the flow’ even when the temptation was high and the reward substantial, and for reminding his colleagues that banking is nothing without integrity”.

A man of many beneficial and influential parts, Adeduntan currently sits on the board of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and as a non-executive director on the boards of the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), FBN Bank U.K. Ltd., Universal Payments Plc., and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

In less than five years at the helm of affairs at FirstBank, Adeduntan has turned the tables and rewrote banking narratives, delving into all aspects of human endeavour to see to the development of SMEs, youth entrepreneurship among many others.

In his speech at the kick off of FirstBank’s celebration of 125 years of unbroken business operations, Adeduntan hinted as follows:

“From that very modest beginning in 1894, First Bank has traversed an incredible journey of delivering impeccable financial services to its customers and supporting the building of the modern-day Nigeria and indeed, West Africa, including our early pivotal role as the monetary and fiscal policy regulator for the entire West African region,” he said.

Adeduntan has seen to the sponsorship of prolific enterprises to guide the youths on the right path. These include the African Fashion Week which took place at the Oriental Hotel and Youth Empowerment Seminar at the Harbour Point Event Centre. These shows among a whole lot have a lot of testimonials following.

Adesola is married to Mrs. Adenike Adeduntan and together they have three wonderful children.

He has change the financial game, make positive impact in the economic advancement of Nigeria, and very many other countries, especially where FirstBank domiciles, and of course succeeded in bagging the prestigious Forbes Best of Africa Awards

Mahmood Ahmadu: The Man Forbes Best of Africa Cap Fits

No one was surprised when this great son of Africa was nominated as the winner of Forbes Best of Africa award. The reason is not farfetched: Mahmood Ahmadu has conquered the vast territory of entrepreneurship, leaving in his trail tales of good tidings of great joy.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Mahmood Ahmadu, who is the Founder and Executive Chairman of OIS, also known as Online Integrated Solutions Ltd, was born on September 9, 1966. He is a product of a very humble beginning. It is not by accident that his crowning coincides with his 54th birthday.

He attended ATBU and Nasarawa State University, where he obtained his qualifications. Records have it that Mahmood Ahmadu obtained further educational qualifications in the form of management, IT and communication industry courses. He has since utilized these skills to start and operate small businesses involved in the exchange of various profitable products and services.

At quite an early age during the early 1980s, Mahmood received a family inheritance with which he established his first company called A2A Communications Limited. The company, it is said, shot him into limelight as one of the pioneers in the field of GSM business, especially in Northern Nigeria with branches in almost all the state capitals. He has since shown class in the field of buy and sale, service delivery among others, establishing various facets of companies to accommodate the teeming and growing Nigerian workforce. His business activities and operations span 53 countries and five continents.

Mahmood has further leveraged on his growing goodwill over the years and dexterity in creating opportunities to expand his venture both locally and internationally. He has also raised awareness on the importance of education and has also enhanced the quality of education through scholarship programmes.

He has always aimed to be the best in whatever he does, and thus has stayed on top in managing a strong international network between IT and Telecom companies thereby boosting his capability, capacity and credibility. This has given him an edge in relating seamlessly with both the international and local business world, giving his companies a multinational presence in over 56 international locations across 10 different time zones.

Mahmood strongly believes in CSR, and has inculcated it as a form of belief, faith and culture. In addition to raising awareness on the importance of education through scholarship programmes, he has made donations to various charities and individuals as well. This way, he has been able to build an African multi-business conglomerate with special focus on Information Technology which many African countries have leveraged on to achieve cost-effective services for their people and governments.

An astute business man, Mahmood has been known to work within the provisions of the law, and in his years of practice, has not ran foul of the laws of the land.

Mahmood holds the Nigerian National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), his altruistic tendencies, hard work and selfless benevolence have endeared him to many, and attracting many recognitions and awards internationally, like the UK Asian Voice Charity Awards for community empowerment. It is worthy of note that he is the first to be recognized with this award.

He is also an awardee of the London Leadership and Peace Award at City Hall London awarded by Boris Johnson. He also received the prestigious Euro Knowledge ‘Africa Change maker Entrepreneur’s’ award at The House of Lords in London for his Fintech platform and his drive for social inclusion for the millions of financially excluded and unbanked.

Mahmood is also the recipient of (BEFFTA) the Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ also in London among many others for his numerous contributions to community engagement empowerment and advancement. Ahmadu is sure a businessman in a class of his own

Mahmood is no stranger to awards as a result of his numerous achievements and assistance to humanity. In 2016, for instance, he won the BEFFTA Lifetime Achievement Award, Asian Voice Charity Award for Empowering Local Communities as well as the ISAC Award by Nigerian Economic Development.

Entrepreneurship aside, he is a genuine family man, and a proud one for that matter.

For standing firm in the world of entrepreneurship, affecting lives and carting away the prestigious Forbes Best of Africa Award, you are our boss of the week. Congratulations sir!

Idahosa Wells Okunbo: Indefatigable Choice for Forbes Best Africa

The mark of greatness lies in the ability to point at a direction, and say this is the number of lives I have touched, impacted and given a new lease of hope. However, it is only a handful of the men of means who qualify to be dressed in this garb, and the person of Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbor, popularly known as Hosa, is the first out of a few to be so classified. It was therefore, not a surprise when he was nominated and honoured with the Forbes Best of Africa award.

Hosa’s philanthropy speaks loud and volumes, and has become a reference point in admonition and encouragement.

Born on January 7, 1958 in Benin City, Hosa, a business magnate, investor, philanthropist and trained commercial pilot of repute, is a proud product of the Reverend Robert Amos Okunbo family, who himself is a clergyman, teacher and community leader.

Okunbo started his path to a glorious career when he enrolled at the Government Primary School in Benin City, old Bendel State, now Edo State for his elementary education. He proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, in 1971, where he sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, and came out in flying colours.

As a scholar, who was not confused as regards the path he wishes to follow, he made his choice early in life to become a pilot. Consequently, he pursued his desire by studying at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria, Kaduna State, and became a professional commercial pilot at the age of 21. He also attended ACME School of Aeronautics, Fort Worth Texas in 1983, where he obtained an Airline Transport Pilot License.

At the age of 25 in 1983, Okunbo was made a captain. He practiced his trade as a flight captain with Intercontinental Airlines for about two years, before moving over to Okada Airlines where he served with honours for another three years.

In 1988 and at the age of 30, he retired from piloting having recorded over a whopping 7,000 hours of flight time, and ventured into private business, a calling that further launched him into the cycle of philanthropy.

With his hands in many pies, Okunbo established Hoslyn Ventures Nigeria Ltd., a company that was saddled with procurement in the Nigerian petroleum sector. Hoslyn Ventures was an indigenous oilfield service company that was responsible for the Early Production Facility (EPF) project at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 1998 and 2001.

More so, he had served in many capacities including chairmanship or directorial position on numerous company boards in Nigeria in various business sectors such as the agro-allied, petroleum, telecommunications, power, real estate and banking industries.

A man of diverse intelligence, who has investments in many businesses, Okunbo founded the following companies, which he also sits atop as chairman:

Wells San-Carlos Agro Farms Ltd., which, in March 2016, unveiled a $750 million, 9,000-hectare (22,000-acre) farm intended to “create 85,000 jobs in Edo State”.
Ocean Marine Security Ltd., an offshore asset-protection company, rendering services to major oil companies in Nigeria, including NNPC. Wikipedia reported that the company recently completed the building of the 46-kilometre (29 mi) Escravos–Warri Crude Pipeline, which was inaugurated by Nigeria’s former Minister of State for Petroleum, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.
PPP Fluid Mechanics Ltd., a marine and logistics company
Westminster Security Solutions Nigeria Ltd, a franchise of Westminster Group Plc UK, of which he is major shareholder.
Wells Group of companies, which include Wells Dredging Ltd., Wells Property Development Company Ltd., and
Wells Entertainments Ltd. – through which Okunbo financed the movie Black November.
OMS Tankers Ltd., which owns Nigeria’s first marine tankers.
Hoslyn Habitat Ltd., which is a design, construction and landscaping company.
Gyro Air Ltd., operators of charter flight operations.

Okunbo is a director in the following companies:

Joint Marine Environ Guard Ltd. (JMEG)
Secure Anchorage Area Ltd. (SAA)
Digisteel Integrated Services Ltd.
Phil Nugent Nigeria Ltd.
Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Ltd. (IEDM), which is a core investor in Ibadan and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies.

Okunbo is member of the Board of Directors of NatCom Development and Investment Ltd., which is the holding company Nigerian telecommunications giant NTEL.

Capt. Hosa Okunbo

In 2012, Okunbo received the Africa Titans Award from the Congress of the United States in collaboration with the African Society Summit, in recognition of “strides on behalf of Africa in the international arena.” He was honoured for being one of those “who seek to project a new and hopeful light on Africa.”

In November of the same year, the University of Benin conferred on him with an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

He was granted the “Worthy Ambassador of Unity Award” as an old student of Federal Government College, Warri in March 2016.

On October 2, 2014, the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediauwa, gifted Okunbo “with the ‘Traditional Beads’ for being a worthy son of the ancient Kingdom.”

Hosa’s act of philanthropy is congenital as he is known to have expressed his benevolence to as many that has come his way. Testimonies have it that no one who comes in contact with him goes back without a smile on his face. He is known to be nice to a fault, and has seen quite a good number of his constituents through academics or profitable empowerment.

He is a very good man.

Okunbo is married and is blessed with numerous healthy and prolific children

Headline

Amid Denials, ADC Reportedly Secures Rainbow Event Centre As Venue for National Convention

Published

7 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Baring any last minute change, the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as National chairman and National Secretary respectively will hold the party’s National convention at the National Rainbow Event Centre in Garki on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has being denied two venues without any cogent reasons despite early arrangements, according to sources.

First, it was alleged that the Abuja Transcorp Hilton Hotels, which was initially approached, turned down the ADC request to use it’s facility.

The ADC, having sensed sabotage, has kept the Rainbow Event Center under rap as it’s definite venue.

The last National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party was held at the same venue.

Located adjacent the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters, the event centre will host the second NEC meeting of the ADC and it’s forthcoming national convention.

According to The Guardian’ report, the ADC leadership has communicated the venue to state chapters with the caveat not to escalate it.

The ADC is in a battle of survival against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and has approached the Supreme Court for intervention.

The INEC national chairman Prof Joash Amupitan has suspended recognition of the David Mark-led ADC rendering a leadership vacuum in the party.

INEC said it’s decision was on the basis of an Appeal Court pronouncement that ordered statusquo ante-bellum be maintained.

Reports say that why the venue is being quietly decorated moderately for the event, the ADC intends to fully move in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Guardian

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Shettima Lacks Respect, I Won’t Engage Him, Atiku Responds to VP’s Challenge

Published

9 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has hit back at incumbent Vice President Kashim Shettima over the latter’s poser over achievements in office, saying he won’t take the challenge because Shettima was disrespectful.

Shettima had reportedly challenged Atiku to provide details of eight projects he executed for the development of Northern Nigeria during his tenure as vice president for eight years, as well as name eight individuals he empowered while in office.

But, speaking in an interview with GTA Hausa podcast, Atiku said he would not engage the vice president on the matter.

“I will not respond to Kashim Shettima because he is disrespectful. I am older than him and I have more experience in governance than he does, so I will not respond to him,” he said.

The former vice president further argued that cultural values in Northern Nigeria discourage younger individuals from publicly challenging their elders in such a manner.

“It is not part of our tradition in the North to disrespect elders. You cannot look at someone who is above you in both age and accomplishments and start taunting him. That is not our tradition, so I won’t engage with him,” Atiku emphasised.

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2027: ADC Leaders Plan Massive Coalition Against APC, Tinubu

Published

12 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Eric

There are indications that the ongoing dispute in the leadership of African Democratic Congress (ADC) may lead to the formation of a 10-party coalition, far bigger than what was initially envisaged, reports quoting sources close to the opposition have said.

The Senator David Mark-led leadership of the ADC was removed from the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on account of what the election umpire said was its interpretation of the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which directed it to maintain status quo ante bellum in a suit involving the Mark-led executive and Nasiru Bala Gombe, a claimant to the national chairmanship seat of the party.

While Senator Mark-led team has argued that the said Bala Gombe lacks the locus standi to institute the suit or lay claim to the party’s chairmanship seat, having resigned his position in May 2025, INEC insisted it would no longer recognise either of the parties in the ADC.

Following the imbroglio, a source, however, said that those pushing the ADC might end up leading it to a bigger coalition, as the development has opened the eyes of many opposition leaders to the possibility of a broader coalition.

Last week, leaders of the ADC engaged a group of leaders from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), while it also engaged with leaders of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), aside from what was called ongoing cross-party discussions with the newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“What we are seeing is that the loss of ADC on one hand could be the gain of the opposition in this country. What those fighting the ADC don’t know is that you cannot keep the people silent when they are determined to exercise their rights of association. The ADC will be on the ballot in 2027 with a coalition bigger than earlier envisaged,” a source in the know stated.

The source stated that already, the ADC coalition looks good to benefit from the travails of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP, as well as the resolve of members of other parties whose leaders believe they can benefit from a broad-based coalition in 2027.

It has earlier been reported that the attempt by the leaders of the ADC to rally a strong party behind the possible choice of former President Goodluck Jonathan or in the alternative, a Peter Obi/Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket, is upsetting the ruling party, whose strategists were said to have activated cells of internal opposition within the emerging coalition.

A leader of the ADC, however, said that those pursuing the coalition party are surely pushing it into better things. The way things are going, we may end up with at least a 10-party coalition. That would be bigger than what we initially set out to do,” the source stated, adding that such a development would amount to a masterstroke against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which he said had chosen to interpret the court ruling awkwardly.