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Why We Are Celebrating Former Daily Times MDs, Title Editors – Fidelis Anosike

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By Eric Elezuo

He is an epitome of what administration and goal getting is. He is Dr. Fidelis Anosike, the president /CEO, Chairman of Folio Holdings Limited, Publisher of the respected Daily Times of Nigeria among others. In this interview, the administrator par excellence revealed the intricate nature of himself, the intrigues towards the acquisition of Nigeria’s oldest newspaper, his political future as well as other sundry issues in today’s Nigeria.

Kindly introduce yourself

My name is Fidelis Anosike. I am the president, Chief Executive Officer of Folio Holdings limited,The group comprises Folio Communications Plc, Times Multimedia Limited, 1st October Limited, folio media group folio investment and trading company.

Folio Communications Plc acquired the of Daily Times of Nigeria Limited. The company is the publisher of the Daily Times, The Sunday Times (TST) and The Business Times, The Daily Times Digital (DTND), folio Nigeria which is an afro pop digital content platform lunched in 2018 with CNN as an exclusive affiliate.www.folio.ng

The Folio Media Group (FMG) has access to the technology space and also doing a consolidated media offering to clients. the Folio Investment and Trading Company (FITC)is an investment company focused on media/creative/cultural industry investment and innovation.

We also have as part of the group, Folio Media and Creative Academy (FMCA)which is working in tandem with relevant authorities, bodies, companies/organizations to train journalists and creative industry practitioners. The aim is to train 50, 000 in those key fields in five years.

Does the Creative African eXchange perform the same function?

No, that is Folio Media and creative Academy. The Creative African eXchange (CAX.caxafrica.com) is part of the Folio Media Group. It is part of the initiative we are trying to use to consolidate the continental space of the creative and cultural industry.

Can you shed more light on 1st October and Miss Nigeria as offshoots of Folio Media Group?

1st October Limited is a publishing company that we set up in 2007 to publish the birth of Nigeria. So it has evolved overtime because we have done over 10 different publications on Nigeria and state governments, and it also went ahead in 2014 to give birth to a global public perception movement for Nigeria called Nigeria, Our Heritage.

This was launched at the Kennedy Centre, and it was the first ever African event at the Kennedy Centre, Washington DC on the sideline of Obama African heads of Government meeting. What we are trying to do with 1st October and Nigeria, Our Heritage is to see how we can transition the love of Nigerians to love of Nigeria.

We saw a gap there in terms of country branding, we want to create a platform that will enable us to use, especially Nigerians in the Diaspora to drive the love for country because at the end of the day, other countries spend tons and tons of millions of dollars in country branding.

Even the United States spends up to $240 million annually to brand their country. You see, once you are in Europe, you take a 30 per cent cut. If Aliko Dangote walks into an office in New York, and says he is a Nigerian, he takes a 30 per cent minus. That is huge! That’s one of the reasons our national development is stunted, because our brand, the brand Nigeria has so much deteriorated. Why? There are so many reasons: political instability, military government of thirty something years, advanced fee fraud, imperialistic gang up and many more. So you can see the reason it has happened over the years.

There is always a reason for everything. So we as Nigerians, what are we doing to change this for the future because people only do business with people who they trust.

Without that trust, we cannot have foreign direct investment coming to Nigeria. You can have $10 billion like in Lagos State, and you are happy, but you could have $100 billion. You can begin to see how that affects national security, the issue of banditry and so on.

The problem is image. Nobody wants to do business with anybody that is dirty. If you wear dirty clothes, you become non attractive. There are options; people can sit down in New York and put their money in Scottish windows or savings accounts and make returns.

But if you want people to come from China or America, you must present yourself in a way that even give them the opportunity to fly down in the first place before they can find out there are challenges.

There are challenges everywhere. Afghanistan is probably receiving more investment than Nigeria even as they are a war-torn country. So it is a matter of how you package yourself as a country. Nigerians must help to improve the whole because when the whole collapses, the part, which may be fantastic, will automatically collapse. That is what 1st October is doing. It is a big project. We just recently partnered with the Nigeria Diaspora Commission, and in October, we will start an immersion programme, which is going to bring 100 very young Nigerians from all the Ivy League schools in the Diaspora and bring them to Nigeria.

We will train them on issues of national development and deploy them to about 100 companies, and expose them to what Nigerians are doing right. We know that a lot of things are going wrong, but let’s amplify the right ones and let’s also inculcate this into the young people. So, it is going to be a deliberate effort to raise 1000 people young people that can become advocates for the country Nigeria.

The only thing we are going to do is positive and we can see the reverse impact. This is what 1st October is all about. This is a positive national development platform.

We have remodeled Miss Nigeria to become more than just beauty pageant, it’s more of an young female empowerment platform was founded in 1957(54years ago) it gave life to all other pageants in Nigeria. (MBGN) etc.

Our very first Miss Nigeria is still alive at 86, chief Mrs Grace Oyelude we shall also institute a commemorative lecture in her honour as a DTN icon.

Every Miss Nigeria is an ambassador of the Green Girl company, with projects like Green Dignity Kit (GDK) and Green Girl academy among others

Can you please trace your background a little; how did it all start?

My father was an Inspector of Police in the Nigeria police force. I got into the university by drawing portraits so I am a graphic and creative artist. I graduated from the
University of Benin.

I tell people that the creative industry is not just my passion; it is my job, did loads of self-development got enrolled at Harvard Business School owner president management course (OPM 39)

I am a Harvard alumnus, and being @HBS opened my eyes to how businesses are run properly.

At 24 years, I established Folio Communications, which went on to acquire Daily Times of Nigeria, the oldest surviving newspaper and noteworthy media organization in Nigeria. I regard myself as a creative and communication player.

And since then, I have been trying to see the much I can do with the resources available to me both access to capital and knowledge.

I also have investments in other areas such as water, renewable energy, and I am also financing some global companies on major research on mobility and renewable energy space.

You founded Folio Communications at 24, how did it happen?

All we need to do as human beings is pray for God to give us consciousness. If you can get consciousness at 10; you can get consciousness at 30; you can get consciousness at 70. If you pray for the grace of God, you can get consciousness early. I think I was lucky to get consciousness early.

How did I find Folio at 24? I had an uncle of mine that worked with the Central Bank, and he introduced me to the Head of Communication, Mr. Bolarinwa of blessed memory, and Mr. Amobi, and they allowed me to enter for CBN creative jobs.

At that time, when they want to make a Christmas cards, Eid cards or something like that, they make it open, and whoever wins, that is if they pick your design, you will be commissioned to do packaging.

I won on three occasions, and the price for each was 14,500 naira. With that, I was able to get my office, and went to create an ecosystem of my friends that studied graphics with me. Whenever a company that needs our services, we all make design submissions and as fate would have it, one of them always won. Together we won on many occasions for companies like First Bank, NNPC, and CBN etc.

That was how I was able to build up capital to go into the communication business. I created a standard for myself and friends and became a relationship manager for them because they were all in a paid job. Whoever’s design that was successful shared the proceeds with others. It was a case of all for one, one for all. We designed, restructured and produced all the diaries of NNPC for 2years running through open and competitive bid process.

Introduced Nigerian idioms into those diaries rather than white labeled ones from FT and co, gave it local content. All because of the love we have for the country. I am fully Nigerian; and I am proud of my ethnicity as an Igbo man. If there is no Nigeria, there will be no Igbo. None of us chose to be here, but we are here.
No one chose his father or mother, and so cannot restructure his parents. We must not use all the energy we have to think of how to dethrone what we had no hand in creating. In the past 60 years, we have been talking about restructuring; we could have used that same energy for better things.

Both Obasanjo and Jonathan had the opportunity to restructure, but they didn’t. Now, Buhari is here and you are asking him to do this and do that when you couldn’t do anything when you were there in that regard.
If all the presidents we have had, had taken up one thing and built on it, it would have been better.
Obasanjo should have picked one place and converted it to Eldorado, and same with Jonathan. If they accuse you of ethnicity, it doesn’t matter. Babangida did it with Abuja on the pretense that Lagos was not safe and proper as Federal capital. That could have been an ethnic agenda.

And today, everyone is enjoying Abuja, and no one remembers it was an Hausa man that built it.
So it doesn’t matter. If it will bring about economic development. With economic development, there will be no banditry. The question is why are we even talking about these things? The answer is for years, we have all been sitting down. The governors of the states were busy manipulating local governments, collecting security votes and doing nothing with them, and nobody made a sound. There are consequences for inaction.

What is happening today is a consequence of long-time inaction; of doing the wrong thing, and not having ideas for doing the right thing. Most of the governors were busy building airports they don’t need, but neglected the primary schools that are supposed to train people that would shape the future. They neglected education, and dwelt on less important things. So when you lose empathy, you start approaching things from the middle. That explains why conspiracy theory comes in. Then someone will start by accusing Fulani herdsmen. Those cows they rear are owned by politicians; the herdsmen are just transporters. The cows are expensive, so in the same way a bullion van carrying N5 million goes about with armed escort, well…

When exactly was Folio Communications established?

That should be in 1991. In 2004, Daily Times was put up for sale. Before then, they had tried to sell the shares through public offer through the stock exchange, but it failed, So BPE resorted to Core Investor Sale which refers to a situation where whoever buys it, takes full management control, folio Communications was already a thriving communication company, and so felt that we needed a media voice and had to create a media company.

Long before then, I was already involved in some creative work for ThisDay, and that was how I met Chief Dele Momodu. I had a lot of background knowledge. I reasoned that if I had to make my dream known, I needed a media voice. So I entered the bid as the singular company involved, others were consultants and consortiums
We were pre-qualified, and made a deposit of $10,000 and put in our technical bid. We were number one. We actually scored 81 per cent. This terrain was known to me. I learnt under Dele Momodu and Nduka Obaigbena; these are men who are far ahead of their time.

I’m sure that until Dele celebrated 60, people may have been thinking he was 90, and so was Nduka. They are my pillars including Okagbue Aduba, when it comes to how I was able to understand Nigeria and how it works. I connected with their energy which was infectious. At that point I already had $1 million for the bid bond. This is a security for your integrity, and so no bank will lend you money for a bid bond You can only finance it with equity. It is money you lose if at the end of the day, you did not pay the bid price Daily Times Bid Bond then was N100 million.

You know they had earlier tried selling it via shares, hoping people will buy and someone will acquire the majority, but nobody came in. This was because the media industry in Nigeria is not bankable; it has not been restructured so it doesn’t have capital flowing into it. We bided and attracted N1.25 billion into the media industry as far back as 2004

In our first bid, was i think N327 million, our competitor, bided N800million in their first bid. That was N500 million above us. But we knew the bid was in two rounds. Our second-round bid was N1.25 billion, while our competitor second round bid was N1.05b and we won.

When we bought and took over Daily Times, its liability was N1.9 billion; the assets were N2.3 billion; the enterprise value was N700 and something million. We bought Daily Times at almost twice the price the government was hoping to get.

It is on record, and I was about 35 years old then. Nobody would have given an Igbo man (Boy) a chance to buy Daily Times. I am a testimony that things can work in Nigeria if you believe. I had no godfather, only by faith and audacity of hope.

Daily Times has had several managing directors and top executives from southwest majorly.
The company was created by Adeyemo Alakija and the London Mirror Group. It went on to have Dr. Ernest Ikoli, Alhaji Babatunde Jose, Amb. Dele Cole, Aremu Segun Osoba, Chief Tunji Oseni, Prince Tony Momoh, Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, Chief Innocent Oparadike, Dr. Onyema Ugochukwu, and Chief Sam Amuka Pemu among others. The Daily Times was the biggest mouthpiece in the country.

At one time, Alhaji Babatunde Jose was asked if he would run for president, and he said he was already chairman of Daily Times. That was how big the Daily Times was. It was the fourth estate of the realm.
Because I did appreciate the enormity of what I took upon my shoulder when I took it over, the commercial problems arising from property didn’t weigh me down I am not a property person the only thing (personal property) I own in Abuja was bought with my money. No government or minister can claim to have given me any Land.

When we took over Daily Times of Nigeria there were about 400 staff in the company then, and money from the government was not going to be coming anymore. So we had to restructure. We had to downsize, and fought with the union for two years. During the fight with the union, the business was closed down. Then Hallmark Bank, which loaned us the money, took over the company. We didn’t recover the company through legal means until September, 2007. So, I acquired the company in 2004, it was hijacked by Hallmark Bank.

Everyone was interested in the assets and no one was thinking about the liabilities. We had to go to court. There was the man, Mr Adrian wood, one time CEO at MTN who joined us at Folio Communications; his mission and mandate were to revive Daily Times, and put it on the same pedestal as the New York Times. He employed people from all walks of life; both Nigerians and Africans to make it a model. We knew that without a dominant and strong media organization in Nigeria, the issues of national development will fail. That is why in America, we have Fox, CNN, etc. on their ideological beliefs, and tied to politics.

Without a strong media, there will be fragmentation, and that explains why the masses don’t have a voice – an ideological voice then becomes commercialized and a merchandise. We wanted to make Daily Times what it used to be. Thereafter, all sorts of people started taking us to court. All these people came from third parties because folio acquired Daily Times alone, Like the typical Nigerian context everything is contentious not to talk of when you acquire a national asset. We adapted to many things in the cause of all these.

The first Times Heroes Awards DTN@91 in 2017 was massively supported. We interacted with many governors in the process. We see what Nyesom Wike of Rivers State is doing today. We are proud of him. We saw the character the man brought with him to the office from day one, and gave him an award. We gave award to people like Bello of Kogi State. You know sometimes you have to encourage people with potential or you lose them. What makes you tough is working and performing in tough circumstances like Wike.

And this is why people respect Aliko Dangote, because walking out on Aliko is walking out on Nigeria. When his refinery starts operation, 90,000 people will be employed. It is about job, job, job – that is what will bring National development, difficult circumstances should not be a limitation. We use Dangote cement, and other products eg GB tomato farm/world class processing factory on thousand hectares in kebbi state and Kebbi rice and Olam Agric production establishment are domiciled in the northern Nigeria without remembering that they in the so-called Fulani area. There is good in every part of the country, and in everybody.

Why did you retain the name Daily Times after acquiring it? Is it because of its influence?

No, it is not because of the influence. Daily Times owns the largest archives. It is 95 years now, and will be 100 years in five years. How many media companies in Nigeria are 100 years old? Daily Times is beyond a newspaper company. It was here before Nigeria. It created the Nigeria Stock Exchange. It has produced two or three state governors. It is a national development company.

In the run off to our 100 years, we have created an event to celebrate icons of Daily Times – our heroes. Times Heroes. The first one that we have designed is for Ambassador Dele Cole. We are hoping to do these in their states of origin like in Port Harcourt. In Port Harcourt, it will be a two-day event. On day 1, we are going to train about 500 journalists of that area so that he can inspire local journalists of that area; tell them how young he was when he went into the media and more.

On day 2, there will be a proper lecture where the likes of Akinwunmi Adesina, Wole Soyinka and co will invited as keynote speakers. There is nothing like making impact in your home state. We have lined up about 15 of our former’s heroes. The first one will be in Rivers State because that is where Dele Cole comes from. We don’t want to keep celebrating people when they are dead; we want to celebrate them while they are alive, and learn something from them. We will talk about national development and the role the media plays.

In Nigeria, we let out heroes die without transferring knowledge. We need to have History of Nigeria because if you don’t know where you are coming from, you won’t know where you are going, we must return history to our schools. And that is what we are doing at Folio Communications. It is important therefore we get this first one right – 1st Ambassador Dele Cole Lecture towards Daily Times at 100. Secondly, we are developing a book, which Dr Onyema Ugochukwu will co edit with Chief Tunji Okegbola DTN Librarian of over 40 years to be launched at our 100-year celebration. Amb Dele Cole proved himself to be an epitome of politics without bitterness, media game changer and diplomat per excellence.

He created the legacy of The Guardian and revived the legacy of Daily Times and when the government was becoming overbearing, he created a new legacy the guardian.

The planning for the 1st Onyema Ugochukwu lecture is also on in 2022, we will celebrate Ernest Ikoli, the first ever indigenous and founding editor of the Daily Times, we are also looking at celebrating Allahaji Babatunde Jose, Aremu Segun Osoba, Dr yemi Ogunbiyi, Chief Sam Amuka-pemu,chief, Mrs Grace oyelude, 1st miss Nigeria, Prince Tony momoh.

Our goal between now and the next five years, is to institute a minimum of 10 lectures. Each of them will be in respective home state of the icon, most of them and their governors have accepted.

And they are all excited about it. And we will send a letter to Governor Wike believing he will be gracious enough to accept and host the 1st Amb Patrick Dele Cole lecture On the continent, Folio Media Group is an exclusive news affiliate to CNN. We are not advertising partners; we are content partners; we are creating products with CNN. We are currently working on a continental media project with CNN which should be finalized and announced soon towards capacity building in the continent aimed at increasing the African voice in the world and also curb fake news.

In The Daily Times, our focus has remained capacity building in media and creativity industries that is what can transform the industry to meet global standards and support national development. We, as a country need to build a competitive advantage in media and creative industry because it’s our low hanging fruit and moreover most young people want to be in that industry so jobs are massively provided. Why are we spending billions building monuments? We have 30 airports or thereabout, some of them are not working – they are not even conforming to the national aviation master plan because the governors just want to build monuments.
Why don’t we channel those funds for monuments to other stuff – things that will create jobs? The media and creative industry where our young people have been exceptional through self-help, let now be deliberate.

Let’s talk about Nigeria Politics. At the moment there are several agitations: for secession, one Nigeria and restructuring. What is your take?

My take is very simple. Of a fact, people’s views are a function of their knowledge. First of all, I will blame the government for not being proactive in the area of communication, but people should understand we are talking of banditry in Nigeria, and we still have coronavirus active. Last year was the first year that the whole country was shut down. What it means is that there will be consequences afterwards. Politicians will lose their livelihood, drivers will lose their livelihood, and when people don’t have livelihood, they look for a way out. When EndSARS was on – yes, Nigeria needed to end SARS because it cannot in the guise of solving a problem become a problem. We have to understand that Nigeria is being exploited by all manner of people, and crime is also all about exploitation.

If those people crying about secession are given a position today, they won’t talk about it again. At the end of the day, most of those cries and hues are not genuine. They are mostly based on vested interest; that is my problem, there is no problem that cannot be solved, so dialogue is key. If we shout about restructure, we should ask ourselves why hasn’t the country been restructured till today. Obasanjo was in power for eight years, why didn’t he restructure? What was his constraint? So was Jonathan after convening a national conference, there may be reasons they did not restructure, so the cries and hues are okay.

People must express themselves, but they should all work on the path leading to a true Nigeria. If we must secede or break you must explain the meaning and modalities to us; not after seceding, we begin to have issues among ourselves. So all those calls must be interrogated. Now, we have non-state actors; people that did not even go to school leading calls.

How? Governance is intellectual. You see those who do not have temperament, who do not understand good and bad leading calls because they have a voice. The cries and hues are okay though because they can form topical issues for 2023 elections. However, today, APC and PDP are the same; there is no ideology. The issues raised could become ideological, and any party willing to give what the people want would be chosen or voted into power the cries and hues are good and bad, but we need to ask ourselves what the real cause,

Nigeria from far back is seen as a rentier state. If your relation is announced as minister today, people will start congratulating you. Why? We need few good people in Nigeria to understand that where you are is better than where you are trying to be, and then work violently to convince the rest to calm down because in the next one and half years, there will be an election.

Buhari has just two years to pack and go. So let not those clamors be an opportunity for people to further rape Nigeria and take advantage of the weak system. Let it be a clamor to formulate the issues that would form the agenda for 2023. When Buhari was coming, he ran his campaign on security, corruption and economy, and so it is easy to score. Others can come with restructuring and more, and Nigerians can see how to vote in the right people. Let the past be bygone.

Given the opportunity sir, can you score the president in six years?

Yes, I think the president has done very well. I believe in foundation, and these are the foundations the president has established. What is the reason the president was able to borrow money? I challenge anyone to try and borrow N50 million, and you will understand. It is typical discipline. When the World Bank gives you money, they don’t just leave you because the money is specified for a project. This is number one. We talk about social programmes. We have an out-growers scheme today impacting on millions It was designed when Akinwunmi Adesina was Agric minister Go and check what is going on in Kebbi. By year end, you will see the number of tons of rice Nigeria will have.

The Dangote refinery has taken years; when it is completed, you will see the impact. It is a social programme because every day, we talk about subsidy, and subsidy removal cannot work without supply, and then money is channeled to every other thing.

On infrastructure, we talk about the rail lines. The rail lines of today were started by Ahmed Joda and Obasanjo. It was an $800 million loan to build various rails. This is about N6 trillion, today because of interest and non-completion, but today the projects were renegotiated and are being delivered as we can see. That was why the president was going to China back and forth. Today, you can enter a train from Lagos to Ibadan, and nobody is talking about that.

In my own region, for 15 years, we had senate president, economic adviser, and others. There are three major roads in the south: East West Road, Enugu-Onitsha Road and Enugu-Port Harcourt Road. It is only in the past six years that we have had consolidated build out. From Enugu to Port Harcourt today will take 1.45 minutes now This is a journey that previously takes three to four hours.

There is the Second Niger Bridge. I can go on and on. In technology, the issue of NIN for which Mr. Afolabi went to jail has been delivered. Yes, people may have a problem on how it is being delivered but no one can give what he does not have.

In aviation, the former governments took loans to build four airports, and the government added the 5th because the then Minister was from the southeast, she added the Enugu Airport. Abuja International Airport is delivered, Port Harcourt and Lagos international airports are delivered as well as Kano all in six years, and massive infrastructure upgrade with a reliable road map in place. Thanks to the Aviation minister, nobody would have been moving around with this banditry. He has made it possible for airlines to be coming on board. Their style may be different, but there is a method to this madness.

These are foundations that i can connect to one good thing is that Buhari has actually changed to a democratic person. In his first coming, he wasn’t democratic at all. It is a big achievement that he was able to get that transformation. I think the government has done more than average in all ramifications, and I can challenge anybody to that.

The problem we have is expectation. We can only get the government we deserve. We cannot get an Obama in Nigeria. We are all complicit. So let’s forget about Buhari and talk about 2023. Let us take the good Buhari has done and build on it; let us take the bad things he had done and correct them.

That is the kind of positivity I want from few good men. Let us not tear the house down. Different versions from different people. Will a Femi Adesina tell you that Buhari is not doing well? No.
But the main concern is how the common man is faring now and how he will fair tomorrow. Buhari’s continuation of his predecessor’s project and supporting all competent regardless of affiliation are the way to go and a big lesson to politicians. Government is a continuum, PMB’s legacy of walking across the aisle is a master stroke.

On a final note, one of the biggest reasons I say Buhari has done well is the 40-year-old Mr Bawa he appointed as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The future belongs to the likes of him and his peers, Nigerian corrupt practices have to be reduced that’s the main threat of Nigeria. I don’t care if he appoints only Katsina people once they are competent.

The Igbos are already leading in commerce. They love competitiveness, building new frontiers. As of today, Igbo control 50 per cent of land in Nigeria; we have bought land everywhere so if you add to the five southeast states we have, we almost control half of Nigeria. To aspire for power, you must be sure you have the capacity to carry it, otherwise it will feel like an elephant on your head. National development is a journey let’s sustain building institutions

Do you nurse any political ambition?

Life is dynamic. For me to have political ambition, I must have finished what I am doing now. I have not revived Daily Times, why nurse political ambition? One can create impact from wherever he is. Politics is not a vocation. It is supposed to be corporate social responsibility. But people who have failed in their fields have found it as a sure means to buy cars and houses. These are depraved individuals; people that have complex.

To have political ambition, you must have thorough knowledge of the terrain and situation in Nigeria. You must also be sure you are going to impart on people. Until I complete the transformation of Daily times, nothing else. Even God will ask me what I have done with the one he gave me. I am constantly building relationships, learning on how I can return Daily Times to become what it used to be.

How wonderful a family man are you; married, with children…

No, I’m not married. I have not been married for 10 years, hopefully, I should be. I have been married to my job for 10 years. I won’t say I’ve been a fantastic family man. I’ve been married before. I have a daughter, who will be 14 next month, and a son, who is 11. Hopefully, I should be married soon as I am in a serious relationship/courtship.

ABOUT MR FIDELIS ANOSIKE

Dr. Fidelis Anosike is the President of Folio Holdings Limited, Folio Media Group, 1st October Publications Limited, Folio Communications Plc – publishers of The Daily Times Nigeria, The Sunday Times (TST) and The Business Times, with business interests in publishing, multimedia content creation and distribution, Renewable Energy, Smart Mobility and Investments among others.
Dr. Fidelis Anosike
Dr. Anosike is the protagonist for the Creative Africa Exchange (CAX), a creative industry consolidation catalyst (www.caxafrica.com). He also champions the Nigeria our Heritage project, a positive perception movement for Nigeria (www.noh.ng).

Folio Communications under Anosike’s leadership acquired from the Federal Government of Nigeria, The Daily Times Nigeria (founded 1926) which is the country’s oldest and most noteworthy news organisation. Over the past 16 years, Anosike has tirelessly worked to restore this National Heritage to its past glory and further take it digital/multimedia in line with current trends.

FMG incubated and launched Folio.ng in 2018, an afro pop culture and digital content platform (www.folio.ng), which is part of Folio Africa and launched with CNN as an exclusive affiliate.

Dr. Anosike is at the forefront of launching MVMO Africa, a digital distribution and monetization platform for movies, video, music and opportunities powered by V-NOVA cutting edge compression technology (LECVE). MVMO which is live in the 2nd quarter of 2021 will deliver content across Africa on low bandwidth of 2G and 3G.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative & Applied Arts from the University of Benin, a graduate of Harvard Business School, after wards i embarked on self-development program Owner President Management Program and Alumni of the Harvard business School; which opened my eyes to how business is been run, also holds an honorary doctorate in Philosophy from Trinity International University Georgia USA.

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Massad Boulos: Inside Story of SCOA Nigeria CEO

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By Eric Elezuo

Rising to the pinnacle of one’s career is not a mean feat. Becoming the chief executive officer of any organization, let alone a multinational firm, or by implication, a multi-dimensional company, is an achievement worth celebrating. It is even more legendary when the subject is internationally connected and has enduring links with notable figures, especially America’s President-elect, Donald John Trump, and is thriving without an iota scandal. Mr. Massad Boulos, the Chief Executive Officer of SCOA Nigeria, is that one person.

Born a Lebanese in 1971 to a Greek Orthodox family in Kfaraakka, Koura, Boulos has over the years, while growing, and through career trajectory, acquired three more national identities including American, French and Nigerian. These have projected to the category of international personalities, looked upon as fostering world peace and coexistence.

His name, which translates to Paul to the Apostle, in Arabic, betrays his religious inclination, but his close-knitted relationship with Arab Muslims and other Muslims of the world further cements his open minded attitude towards humanity even as he categorically and vigorously campaigned for Former President Trump,  who is today the President-Elect, awaiting the coming of January 20 to become the 46th President of the United of America.

While the campaign and election lasted, Boulos prized himself as Trump’s ‘envoy’ to Arab and Muslim Americans, shuttling through the states of Michigan, Arizona and Florida to convince them that Trump is a better candidate, capable of bringing the Israeli/Hamas war to a sudden end. His efforts paid off as Trump won the election with a landslide.

“Our community in Arizona is so big and so important, we can make a difference. We can make sure we get that margin,” he was quoted as saying by Washington Post in August.

He has been a solid ally of Trump since 2018 when his son began to date Trump’s daughter, Tiffany. Both got married in 2022, and in December 2024, Trump, who described him as an ‘accomplished lawyer’, named him his Middle East advisor.

Going down memorylane, The Washington Post in September, captured the origin as follows: “The war, which began 11 months ago after Hamas-led militants carried out a stunning cross-border attack on Israel, has reduced much of Gaza to rubble. The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 dragged back into Gaza as hostages, according to the Israeli government.

“But months of negotiations mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have failed to deliver a cease-fire and hostage-release deal. Meanwhile, fewer than half the hostages have returned to Israel alive, while the war has given rise to starvation and disease throughout the enclave.”

A product of a political hegemony as his father and grandfather were prominent politicians, funding the Free Patriotic Front, Boulos however, chose the path of his father-in-law, Michel Zouhair Fadoul, who came into his life much later in existence, and became a truck seller; a profession he committed his very all, and rose to become the Head of its Nigeria axis. That is the SCOA Nigeria; a prolific truck manufacturing and marketing firm.

He however, had political stint as an ally of Michel Aoun’s FPM and represented it in Nigeria, where his business is domiciled.

It was reported that in 2009, the FPM shortlisted him, though by 2018, he was supporting Frangieh’s Marada. Consequently, hia appointment by Trump defines hia capacity to shuttle between both ideological prism, and bring harnessing in Middle East politics.

He said of the Israeli massacre and the subsequent and ongoing war, “Those massacres would not have happened if there was a strong president at the White House. The entire war wouldn’t have happened.

But Trump’s “clear and unequivocal position on this is that he is totally and absolutely against this war… And he’s totally and absolutely against the killing of civilians.”

The Trump Vance team captured his person as follows in a press statement by the Spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt, while defending him over an avalanche of ‘fake’ information:

“The truth is Mr. Boulos is a highly respected businessman who has proudly served as the CEO of some of his family’s group of companies based in West Africa for more than 27 years and his family has employed tens of thousands of people around the globe.”

The statement further allocated the following achievements to Boulos:

• Mr. Boulos has degrees in both business and law.
• SCOA Nigeria PLC, a member of the FADOUL Group, is a well-known conglomerate that exclusively represents numerous global brands for decades.
• SCOA and the other family group companies have been very successful in the Nigerian market providing high-end products and specialized services to the largest companies in the country.
• SCOA is also part of the Fadoul Group, which is one of the largest privately-owned family businesses in West and Central Africa with a presence in 10 different countries since its founding in 1966.
• The FADOUL Group employs more than 20,000 hardworking people
• The Boulos and Fadoul family companies have developed into a family group with over $1 Billion USD in value and hundreds of millions in assets.

Soundly educated, Boulos, who moved to Texas as a teenager graduated from University of Houston-Downtown in 1993 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He moved to Nigeria to work for SCOA at the completion of his education.

Today, he is a notable shareholding authority in the conglomerate. Boulos, as a matter of principle, will say much about his Enterprises because he “made a practice of not commenting on his businesses”. He allows entities to make their own various conjectures.

A man of peace and saddled with the responsibility of keeping all and aundry qith arms length, Boulos reportedly has ‘links with Christian politicians and parties in Lebanon, including Suleiman Frangieh and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) both of which are Christian allies of Hezbollah, but maintained talks with opposition parties like the Lebanese Forces, says Wikipedia.

It was therefore, easy to portray Trump as supportive of “global peace” in the 2014 election campaigns.

As a positive identity and credential, Boulos has acted as an intermediary between the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas and Trump.

Boulos is married to Sarah Fadoul Boulos, who was born in Burkina Faso in 1986? She lived in Houston, Texas, and was a student at Houston Baptist University until 1996, then moved to Lagos, Nigeria. She is a dance instructor, who in 2005 founded the aspirationally named Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria as a tiny studio in her garage.

More recently, she has been a franchisee of Creative Education International (CrEd) Lagos Island. As at 2020, she worked at La Pointe Delicatessen, in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Together they have four children. While one of their son, Michael, is married to Tiffany Trump, daughter of Donald Trump, another son, Fares, is an actor.

Though he would be holding an important position for the American government come January 2025 when the administration of Trump is inaugurated, Boulos, who has undeniable roots in Lebanon had said his time like during the electioneering will be split.between South Florida and Nigeria, where he oversees his family’s billion-dollar conglomerate, SCOA Nigeria.

Boulos is a longtime proponent of the Grand Old Party (GOP), another name for the Republican Party, His support therefore, for Trump is rooted in both politics and family, and so believes in the Trump Vance Transition Team verdict that, “President Trump wants peace and prosperity for all people.

“President Trump will once again deliver peace through strength to rebuild and expand the peace coalition he built in his first term to create long-term safety and security for both the Israeli and Palestinian people.”

The count begins therefore, on January 25 as Trump resumes office.

However, the management of SCOA in a statement titled “Celebrating the Legacy of Massad Boulos Leadership at SCOA Nigeria”, to further project his image, and prove fake narratives wrong, noted as follows:

Recent media criticisms questioning the breadth of experience and business acumen of Mr. Massad Boulos, the incoming Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, are not only misguided but also dismissive of the remarkable track record of both the man and the companies he has been instrumental in nurturing.

For instance, SCOA Nigeria PLC, where Mr. Boulos serves as Managing Director/CEO, is far from being just another company. It is a formidable force in Nigeria’s industrial and economic landscape. With roots spanning over four decades, it holds the distinction of being the first European automotive assembly plant in Nigeria.

In the 1970’s, SCOA Nigeria PLC made a name for itself by assembling Peugeot 404 and then 504 pickup trucks at its assembly plant at Apapa, Lagos and service center at its Lapal House facility on Lagos Island. Today, the company continues this proud legacy, assembling, distributing, and marketing M.A.N trucks and buses, power generators, tractors, agricultural equipment, industrial equipment and other heavy-duty construction and mining machinery critical to Nigeria’s key sectors.

SCOA Nigeria PLC’s clients include some of the most prominent and respected names in Nigeria’s construction industry, such as Julius Berger—widely regarded as the nation’s leading construction firm—Lafarge Africa PLC, a major cement producer, the Chagoury Group, renowned for developing the prestigious Banana Island, a premier residential enclave in Lagos, the DANGOTE Group, and many others.

Beyond trucks, SCOA Nigeria PLC is a trusted supplier of concrete, road construction and mining equipment, partnering with leading infrastructure companies to drive Nigeria’s development. For example, Julius Berger relies heavily on SCOA’s equipment for large-scale projects, including the 376km Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway and the 43.6km Lagos-Shagamu stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the Abuja-Kano Highway.

Similarly, Hi-Tech Construction, currently working on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road network, depends significantly on SCOA PLC for the machinery and technology required to execute these ambitious projects, aimed at enhancing connectivity and trade across Nigeria’s southern, central, and northern regions.
Similarly,SCOA PLC has also been instrumental in the development of Eko Atlantic City, a groundbreaking urban project built on reclaimed land from the Atlantic Ocean. This visionary initiative, designed to address Lagos’s urbanization challenges and promote sustainable development, has been made possible in part by state-of-the-art machinery supplied by SCOA. Notably, Eko Atlantic City is set to host the United States Embassy, projected to be the largest of its kind globally upon completion, further underscoring the strategic importance of this landmark project.

In fact, SCOA Nigeria PLC’s impact extends beyond Nigeria’s shores. As a member of the FADOUL Group – one of the largest and most successful family-owned businesses in Africa – its influence spans across West and Central Africa. The FADOUL Group, established in 1966, operates numerous successful enterprises, employs over 20,000 people, and is valued at over $1 billion, with hundreds of millions of USD in assets. This legacy highlights the scale and scope of the operations under Mr. Boulos’s leadership.

Contrary to unfounded claims in certain media outlets, the suggestion that Mr. Boulos is not a billionaire is both baseless and misleading. As President-elect Donald Trump rightly described, Mr. Massad Boulos is a “deal-maker,” a characterization grounded in fact. His proven ability to negotiate and execute complex international transactions has facilitated significant partnerships between Nigerian, German, and French businesses, delivering substantial value and mutual benefit.
As a Non-Executive Independent Director of SCOA Nigeria PLC since 2012, I have witnessed firsthand Mr. Boulos’s instrumental role in driving the company’s success. His ability to navigate the complexities of international commerce, exemplified by the supply of a significant fleet of trucks to Lafarge Africa through a tripartite arrangement between a logistics firm, GPC and Union bank plc, has earned him widespread recognition and respect.

Mr. Boulos’s leadership has not only been vital to SCOA PLC’s achievements but also to the broader international business successes of the FADOUL Group. This is precisely the kind of experience and strategic vision he brings to his new role as Senior Adviser on Arab and Middle East Affairs to President-elect Trump.

As noted in a press release by Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman, attempts to smear Mr. Boulos’s reputation are part of a broader effort by opposition elements to undermine President-elect Trump’s nominees. The truth remains that Mr. Boulos played a pivotal role in mobilizing the Arab-American and Middle Eastern-American vote, contributing significantly to the Trump-Vance victory—an achievement that underscores his political and organizational acumen.

Efforts to denigrate Mr. Boulos’s qualifications and achievements are not only futile but also a disservice to the facts. Mr. Boulos’s expertise and accomplishments are well-suited for his new role, where he will undoubtedly deliver impactful results on behalf of President-elect Trump and the United States.

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Celebrating a Man of Outstanding Excellence, Ademola Adeleke

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By Eric Elezuo

“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five-point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed” – Governor Adeleke 

In May 2024, two historical events took place to further cement the tag of ‘Performing Governor’, for which the Governor of Osun State, Asiwaju (Senator) Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke, is known, and justifiably so. They include the conferment of the Asiwaju of Edeland title on him by his community, represented by the Timi of Ędę, HRH Oba Adesola Munirudeen Lawal (Laminisa 1), as well as the best governor of the year award conferred in him by the Vanguard Newspaper.

The prestigious Asiwaju title was previously held by Governor Adeleke’s elder brother, Isiaka Adeleke, who passed away on April 23, 2017.

Today, two years into his administration as the Number One Citizen of Osun State, Governor Adeleke has proved all doubting Thomases wrong, and lifted the state from comatose to prominence with verifiable, welfaristic and people-oriented projects that speak for themselves.

Recall that while stating the reasons behind his award as the Governor of the year, the General Editor, Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Jide Ajani, has said the governor’s attention to Infrastructural development of the state, has been topnotch, with special emphasis to his approval of infra upgrades of several tertiary institutions in the state.

The governor, in his humility, dedicated the award to the entire people of Osun State.

“We watched the video with the Vice Chancellor listing several approvals and even with the Governor asking the University to look into what other areas of intervention the state should act on. That video excites our curiosity and we proceeded to investigate further by leveraging on our team on ground here in Osun as well as a team from the headquarters.

“We discovered what the Vice Chancellor said in the video was a tip of the iceberg. Osun is indeed a huge construction site. You have continued to complete abandoned projects. You have completed many inherited projects from your predecessors

“We have your records on roads, bridges, water, school and health center upgrades among others. We read your multi-billion naira infrastructure plan and its ongoing implementation. You did not play politics with the development of your state.

“It is the totality of your passion for development that convinced the judges to confer the award on you. It is our hope that this recognition will spur you to an even greater push to deliver on your governance agenda”, Ajani had said.

In response, the Governor acknowledged as follows:

“Since I assumed office, I have devoted myself majorly to delivering on our five point agenda. I deploy my network locally and nationally in support of our noble projects and programmes for Osun. I am elated that our contributions are being noticed.

“I dedicate this award to the good people of Osun state. They made our positive records a reality. We have the unconditional support and love of our people in our push to take Osun to greater heights. I will personally attend the conferment in Lagos.

“Our government is forging ahead with our systematic physical and stomach infrastructure agenda. We are working on a new airport, an inland beach resort, cocoa sector revival, upgrade of the free trade zone for agro-industrialisation, robust climate change agenda and digital economy programme. We are on a mission to place Osun on the path of sustainable development”, the Governor told the visiting delegation.

THE MAN, ADEMOLA JACKSON ADELEKE 

Born of the Adeleke family of Ede in Osun State on May 13, 1960, Adeleke commenced his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Surulere Lagos State before he was privileged to relocate to Old Oyo State to continue his education at Nawarudeen Primary School, Ikire.

Adeleke was born Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke to a Muslim father and Nnena Esther Adeleke, an Igbo Christian mother. Like him, Adeleke’s father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was a Senator and the Balogun of Ede land in Osun State. His father, Raji Ayoola Adeleke was also the leader of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

On completion of his primary education, he moved on to The Seventh Day Adventist Secondary School, Ede to begin his post primary schooling. In the later years however, he attended Ede Muslim Grammar School Ede, where he completed his secondary school education and subsequently relocated to the United States of America, joining his two older brothers, who were also studying there.

In the United States, he joined Jacksonville State University, Alabama, and studied Criminal Justice, with minor in Political Science.

To prove doubting Thomases, who wiped up controversies around his educational qualification, wrong, he went back to school and got enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2021.

A businessman and administrator of no mean repute, Adeleke was the humble Group Executive Director at his brother’s company, Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016, where his credible performances shot the company to enviable heights; a height it is still enjoying till date.

It is imperative to note that before he joined Pacific Holdings Limited, Senator Adeleke worked with Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor from 1985 to 1989. His dexterity to work earned him a progression in career, and he berthed as Vice President at Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company. His meritorious stewardship lasted a period of five years, from 1990 to 1994.

Not a few has described Adeleke as the philanthropic capital of Ede, as his influence in aiding the less privileged and downtrodden remains top notch. He is a voracious believer in community development, and has not spared any expense to see that his community receives global influence.

Politically, Adeleke is a beacon of light and hard nut to crack, having remained an albatross to opposing powers and a reference point to ideal administration.

Shortly after he lost his brother, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, who died in April 2017, he contested the Osun West 2017 Senatorial by-election after the death of his brother, emerging as the winner under the Peoples Democratic Party, where he decamped to from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Having emerged senator, Adeleke’s political influence waxed stronger, an on July 23, 2018, he emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Osun State after defeating Akin Ogunbiyi by seven votes. Efforts made to deprive him of the mandate was twated by the courts.

Adeleke’s lawyer in his defense claims his secondary school hasn’t come out to deny his testimonial asking the court to dismiss the Case. The court dismissed the suit stating that the plaintiff could not prove Adeleke’s forgery.

Adeleke ran for Osun state governorship election under the PDP against top contenders Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola of APC and Iyiola Omisore of SDP on 22 September 2018. The election was declared inconclusive by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) while Adeleke was leading, and a rerun slated on September 27, 2018. The candidate of the APC Oyetola was declared winner after the run-off. Adeleke protested the result describing the election as a “coup”.

Much as on March 22, 2019, the tribunal sitting in Abuja declared Adeleke the winner of the election, the Supreme Court later affirmed Gboyega Oyetola as the authentic winner of the 2018 Osun State governorship election on Friday, July 5, 2019

Popularly known as the Dancing Senator because of his penchant to joyfully react to the sounds of music, Adeleke is uncle to one of Nigeria’s popular musicians, Davido.

Governor Adeleke is married to an equally successful businesswoman and a self-made boss. They are blessed with three children who are all entertainers. They are B-Red and Shina Rambo and a daughter, Nike Adeleke. He is the uncle of one Nigeria’s primus inter pares in entertainment, Davido.

As expected, Adeleke is moving Osun State to the greatest of heights as he promised, and many who know him agree that there are still very many more in the offing.

ADELEKE’S EXTRAORDINARY EASE OF DOING BUSINESS STRATEGY 

The governor has shared good news on the ease of doing business in the state as follows:

In continuation of our administration’s effort to improve the state economy and encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), we have completed the harmonization of multiple taxes and levies collected by different government departments, agencies, and ministries across all business sectors of the state economy including the informal sectors into a single bill. This Harmonized Bill curates all levies, which businesses are expected to pay on an annual basis as a single bill.

This initiative is to promote ease of doing business by ensuring seamless and convenient payment of levies and taxes due to individuals and businesses across the state in equal or unequal tranches and ensure the issuance of Harmonized Bill Certificate upon completion of payment of the total amount.

I hereby note to all business owners in Osun state both in formal and informal sectors that the official online payment channels for the state is pay.irs.os.gov.ng; POS machines in Tax stations across the state; commercial banks across Nigeria; and Money Transfer Services for those outside Nigeria.

In addition, we have also completed the deployment of Automation System for improved service delivery on payment of rent and lease on government properties; processing of Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) in 45 days; Electronic Affidavit System; Electronic State of Origin and Local Government Area of Origin portal; Mobile tax stations; Online Tax payment system etc.

ADMINSTRATION’S ACHIEVEMENTS AS SHARED ON NEW YEAR DAY

The governor declared as follows:

The good people of Osun state at home and abroad.

I greet you warmly with best wishes of a prosperous and blessed new year. I convey my intimate prayers that the new year will bring us new opportunities, progress and advancement as a state and in our individual lives.

I extend new year greetings to the elders of Osun state; to our royal fathers; to our religious leaders; to the young and the old; to professional elite, to artisans, to students and to womenfolk. Accept my sincere appreciation for your support before my election and for the last one year of my governorship of our dear state. I am humbled by your prayers and mass backing for our administration.

I remain firmly focused on the Five Point Agenda under which you, Osun people, elected us into office. We reaffirm our faith in the principles guiding the five point agenda which are transparency and accountability, open government, localisation, responsive leadership and attunement to citizens’ aspirations.

On the strength of the above, our government devised wholesale approach to governance such as:

●Dismantling bobby traps planted by our predecessor,
●Blocking leakages in public finance, ●Addressing the corruption and revenue diversion in the solid mineral sector,
● Restoring local government administration for grassroot development
● Embarking on mass water project provision
● Executing 91 kilometers of road construction
● Implementing free medical surgeries with over 50,000 beneficiaries;
● Total renovation of 31 schools
● Launching sport sector reforms
● Reviving the major commercial and industrial projects of the state
● Pushing for implementation of agric processing zone in Osun state;
● re-professionalisation of the public service;
● Strong attention to workers’ welfare;
● Tapping into tourism, entertainment and cultural potentials of the state;
● Ramping up efforts for a cargo and commercial airport for Osun state, among others.

Our administration achieved a lot by ensuring belt tightening, reducing cost of governance and denying ourselves many perquisites of office. As a Governor, my official expenditures are covered through the approval process rather than security votes, thereby assuring transparency and accountability.

As of today, our administration is struggling to purchase official vehicles for the state cabinet because the officials of the previous government bolted away with state vehicles. So our cabinet and other top officials have been using their private cars since we appointed them into office. Also, we are still working to renovate the official quarters vandalized by the officials of previous governments. Many of our top officials still operate from their private houses.

Despite the above handicap, our team is determined to continue to deliver on our electoral promises. I am glad to report with gratitude to God that we have remained responsive to the will and aspirations of our people. We get positive feedback and we are satisfied with our high approval ratings.

We are challenged to do more. We are prepared to make corrections where necessary as much as we will remain uncompromising when it comes to anti-corruption drive, transparency and accountability as well due process. As I always affirm, our tenure is married to rule of law and fear of God…

Adeleke is busy creating an Eldorado out of what remained of Osun State barely two years after he took over the driving seat.

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When Governor Adeleke Became Asiwaju of Edeland

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By Governor’s Office

OFFICIAL PROFILE OF GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE, THE NEW ASIWAJU OF EDELAND

Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun state and the new Asiwaju of Edeland is a pan Nigerian by birth, by philosophy and by worldview. Born at Enugu as a son of independence on 13th May, 1960, the new Ede frontliner widely acknowledged as the Olosun of Osun is a tactical politician, a businessman, show business activist and a humanist within philanthropism. The ever lively, urbane scion of the Adeleke family of Ede North Local Government is an innovative entrepreneur, a grassroot political figure and a strong advocate of good governance, then as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and now as the Governor of Osun State.

From his childhood, the Asiwaju is a man of complex character, a young man with multiplicity of talents and an adult with widely praised open heart, strong will and constancy of adaptation to ideas and innovations. From his secondary education at Ede Muslim Grammar School to his sojourn to the United States and tertiary education at the Jacksonville State University, Alabama where he majored in criminal justice, the Ede frontliner demonstrated deep business interest, unconventional approach and a rare mastery of intricacies of politics, business and social life.

Despite hailing from a well to do family, the Asiwaju was in the United States and Nigeria, a man in search of opportunities for self growth and advancement. His passion for self development and business prosperity occasioned his joining the Quicksilver Courier Company in Atlanta, Georgia, US, as a service contractor between 1985–1989. He progressed to Origin International LLC, Atlanta, Georgia, US, a flavours and fragrance manufacturing company where he served as Vice President from 1990 to 1994.

A suave businessman and administrator, he served as a Director of Guiness Nigeria Limited between 1992- 1999 where he contributed immensely to the expansion of the multinational company. He was later appointed Group Executive Director of Pacific Holdings Limited from 2001 to 2016. Senator Adeleke is also an acclaimed creative Industry entrepreneur and mentor. As a talented creative figure, he mentored world rated ace musicians while his family members and children are leading stars in the global music industry.

As a man ever restless in pursuit of self growth and opportunities, the Asiwaju again opted to restart his educational sojourn which he suspended because of business and entrepreneurial preoccupations. In 2019 after he was rigged out of a governorship election he clearly won, Governor Adeleke, in a can do spirit, re-enrolled at Atlanta Metropolitan State College in the United States and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice in 2021.

All along and considering his family background, the frontliner was for years both a political servant and leader, learning the rope from his father (Senator Ayoola Adeleke) , a second republic progressive Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his brother, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, the First Executive Governor of Osun State. His business teeth were sharpened by his brother, the global business mogul, Dr Adedeji Adeleke while his political potency was strengthened by his sister, the Yeyeluwa of Edeland, Chief (Mrs) Dupe Adeleke- Sanni. The celebrant of today was eventually elected the President of the Adeleke dynasty, representing the sons and daughters of the great Adeleke family at home and abroad.

Having been thus fortified by his innate personality, his family background and his multifaceted experience, his political participation predated 1991 but he took the front seat in 2017 when he was elected with a landslide victory as a Senator for Osun West Senatorial District in 2017. His popularity reached a peak when he won the Osun 2018 governorship election before the open rigging and manipulation that was globally condemned.

As a man of steel character, the frontliner took the gauntlet again in 2022 and beat the incumbent to reclaim the stolen mandate of 2018. Imole as the Governor is popularly known has since been delivering on good governance, winning applause and praises from far and near.

In December 2023, he was honoured with a doctorate degree by the Valley View University, Accra, Ghana. The Vice Chancellor lauded the Governor’s multi-million naira education scholarship as a Senator, his sterling records on workers welfare as a Governor, his performance on infrastructure upgrades and his commitment to due process, rule of law and fear of God.

He has received several awards including the Governor of the Year Award by Champion newspapers in 2023, Sahel Standard Man of the Year in 2022, Vanguard Newspaper Governor of the Year on Infrastructure and a host of other recognition. The frontliner serves on several national governmental committees including being the representative of the South West on the National Minimum Wage Committee.

The new Asiwaju of Edeland is a strong family man, an avid sport lover, a man of God and a David of our time with incessant passion for praise singing and adulation of God Almighty.

Courtesy: Governor’s Office, 2024.

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