Boss Of The Week
John Olajide: The Meteoric Rise of a Tech Solution Provider
Published
10 months agoon
By
EricBy Eric Elezuo
His technological vision is spread, covering software, engineering, healthcare among many others. He is a person, who has demystified the theory of silver spoon origin as the sure point of success. He has proved even from Ajegunle, stars are born. He is John Niyi Olajide, the brain behind world class enterprises leveled in technological acumen vis a vis Cavista Holdings, a renowned global software engineering solution firm and Axxess Global Partner, a leading global home healthcare technology company.
Endowed with a great can-do attitude, Olajide is an ardent believer in the efficacy of passion, which has seen him through the turbulent world of entrepreneurship, and coming out strong and conquering. He was quoted as saying “I’m very passionate about economic development; about leveraging business and economic investments to improve the lives of everyone and create opportunities for a lot of people.” He is without an iota of doubt a human-oriented businessman.
His Axxess has played and continued to play a major role in shaping the $100 billion home health industry in the USA and the $600 billion global industry, in addition to helping to process over $30 billion in claims for over 3 million patients served by over 9,000 organisations around the globe.
A native of Erinmope-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, Olajide was born and raised in Ajegunle, one of the slums in Lagos State, noted for criminality and other unwholesome activities, yet through a dint of hard work, determination, focus, had one of the meteoric rises to stardom in history.
He attended Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta after his nursery and primary education before proceeding to the United States of America for his university education, where he had to work harder to pay his through school. Today, he is both a Nigerian and an American, creating firsts in technological know-hows. It would not be out of place to say that Olajide’s entrepreneurial acumen is both inherent and inherited considering that his father worked his way out of Ajegunle to Ogba where he was a distributor for Unilever.
Other than being a prolific Nigerian-American entrepreneur, Olajide is an investor and an incurable philanthropist, whose humanity speaks volumes. His leap of faith to establish Axxess, world’s leading global home healthcare technology company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, in 2007, Axxess has like the proverbial oak tree spread and established a presence in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, and boast of more than 1,200 employees from over 45 countries. Even as he enjoys prominence in inventions and innovations in the US, Olajide remains a man, who knows his roots, noting at every point in time that Africa, and in particular Nigeria, always remained in thoughts. “We have a lot of work to do, but I live every day with the belief that anything is possible,” he once said.
Highly patriotic, he celebrates Nigeria and its teeming youthful population, “Nigeria is the hub for the best brains in the IT sector and software development. It’s my own way of contributing my own quota towards ensuring sustainable growth and opportunities for job creation in the economy. I am passionate about increasing access to quality healthcare for people everywhere in the world and with technology, we can make that possible.
“Nigeria is blessed with highly cerebral youth who are doing great things with limited resources when it comes to all aspects of software development, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and the rest. This spurred my interest in partnering with CAVISTA Nigeria.
“Today, CAVISTA is creating solutions to the challenging issues of health care delivery in Nigeria and employing great young minds to solve problems, rather than allowing them to leave Nigeria to use their skills to develop in another country,” he said.
He currently supports and partners with leaders in Africa across government, business, and technology. A rare feat, all in a bid to ensure the continent remains self-sustaining. John is also the Chairman of Cavista Holdings which fully owns Cavista Technology Limited, the global technology company with operations in Nigeria, the Philippines and India. With over 300 software engineers in his employment, he focuses on helping training and developing young talents to solve complex challenges in the Nigerian technology space, while creating job opportunities for development and growth. He has also partnered SheCode to get more female engineers in the process.
Also in his spread of influence, Olajide has set up a world class farm, know as Agbeyewa Farms, an agro-allied company operating in Nigeria, and situated on 50 acres of arable land in Ekiti, with the aim of providing thousands of jobs for the young ones. While most people know him as a tech mogul, his foray into agriculture through the multi-million-dollar Agbeyewa Farms is promoting food security and creating thousands of jobs. Olajide has the aim of restoring the idea of dignity and prosperity in farming. The farm is already making waves in the food cultivation and production industry.
A man of many positive parts, Olajide’s interests also include tourism development, and he holds the concession through his Glocient Hospitality Limited, to revamp Ekiti State’s flagship tourism destination, Ikogosi Warm Springs in Ikogosi-Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti-State into a world-class golfing and vacation. He is equal to the task.
The “100% Nigerian and 100% American is an entrepreneur, investor, care at home innovator and global community builder, who moves easily in all social, political, economic and intellectual circles with the sole aim of building constructive relationships and advance the best ideas to make the world better. With his Axxess Holdings and Cavista Holdings, he is helping improve access to healthcare everywhere and creating tens of thousands of jobs in various industries.
Olajide is not new to awards and recognitions. In 2022, he was appointed Vice Chair of the Board of the Corporate Council on Africa Board, a business association which promotes trade and investment between the US and countries in Africa. His commitment to building a stronger community resulted in him being chosen by his peers to serve in 2020 as the youngest-ever chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce’ board of directors and executive committee, and he successfully led the Dallas business community through the COVID-19 pandemic and shepherded the DRC to create a permanent board-led council to advance diversity, equity and inclusion. He currently serves on multiple boards, including the board of the Presidential Precinct, the Executive Committee of the Dallas Regional Chamber, and the Board of the Dallas Citizens Council where he works with other leaders to provide guidance on the policy issues that will move the region forward.
Through Axxess’ corporate citizenship efforts, John has benefited numerous organizations, including the University of Texas at Dallas, Business Council for the Arts, Texas Women’s Foundation, Visiting Nurses Association of Texas and many more. In 2019, John was named Humanitarian of the Year by Grace for Impact, an international non-profit organization focused on providing access to high quality healthcare.
Olajide has been recognized as the Outstanding Healthcare Executive of the Year and a Leader in Diversity, and AXXESS is recognized nationally and internationally as a Best Place to Work.
In 2016, Olajide was recognized as the youngest-ever Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas at Dallas.
He has endowed the largest scholarship fund for the Engineering School for Computer Science students. He is currently chairing the billion-dollar campaign fundraising campaign for the University. He is also co-chair of a capital campaign raising $750 million to provide future opportunities for students at the school. He also serves on the Executive Committee for the Chancellor’s Council of the University of Texas System.
The proud graduate of the University of Dallas, Texas, also serves on several other boards, including the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. He is in the business of helping to attract businesses to the most prosperous region in the United States.
Through his holdings’ corporate citizenship and philanthropic initiatives, Olajide has benefited numerous organizations addressing healthcare, education, poverty and women’s issues, among others, and he is not stopping.
Olajide’s corporate social responsibility is topnotch. He believes strongly in community engagement and invests actively to ensure that the local communities benefit through educational, health, transportation, and other infrastructural schemes, examples of which are numerous.
RARE STORY OF HOW AXXESS STARTED
ThisDay, after an counter with Olajide told the his story of the emergence of Axxess as follows: “…while in college, nothing gave him the clue that he would be involved in the technology of healthcare. Regaling THISDAY of his foray into this field he said while he was in college, he had an aunt that worked for a local healthcare organisation.
One time in 2001, he went to visit her and noticed there were lots of people working at different workstations at different desks. This prompted him to ask questions about their paper works and computer network? When he revealed that there was a tech lacuna, the aunt took him to her boss who expressed interest after hearing the benefits of a computer network.
“This computer network was supposed to help them improve their business, track their revenues, streamline their operations, decrease cost of doing business and help them be more successful as a business and healthcare business. Over all, it would help improve their patients outcomes.
“Immediately, he set out to build a computer network for that organisation.
“Getting the job done, he started getting referrals and with that, he paid his way through school. But beyond that, the opportunity opened his eyes to the tech lacuna in the healthcare industry and he went on to fill it. Backed by his business acumen nurtured way back in Nigeria, his entrepreneurial spirit sprung up and he helped his aunt set up a business.
“First he researched what the licencing and regulatory standards for that type of business in the US was, in the state of Texas in particular. He proceeded to get her licence and everything else she needed. He was just 20 then and the business still exists and thrives.
“With the success recorded, he began to get referrals, “but I realised that here’s an industry that’s underserved from a technology perspective. Overall, they need to help and I saw the ability to create technology”. And so he did.
“Giving a break down of what the job entails he said it made the healthcare industry benefit from cloud-based technology or web-based software in the clouds to help them be more efficient.
“Noting that the old order of documentation was not effective he thought to create technology that provides excellent health care and gets information in real time. With this, it decreased cost of business and boosted efficiency.”
Olajide has done well, not just for himself, and his beloved Ekiti, but for humanity in general.
Let’s raise a toast to Nigeria’s own export in human capacity development, technology transfer and a czar in tech problem solving.
Congratulations sir, you are our boss of the week!
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Dr Stephen Akintayo: Leading Gtext Homes to Strategic Marketing Advantage
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Adedeji Adeleke: Celebrating a Philanthropist at 67
Published
1 week agoon
March 10, 2024By
EricBy Eric Elezuo
At 67, he still remains one of the most sought after personalities with the milk of human kindness. His philanthropy reverberates across the length and breadth of the African continent, and with a net-worth of over 1.7 billion in United States of American dollars, it is not hard to imagine that the erudite scholar and reputed oil and real estate magnate, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, is a force to reckon with in the Nigerian socio-political and economic terrain.
To many, he is the hitherto unknown ‘Baba Olowo’, as represented by his son, David Adeleke, in his hit song, Emi Omo Baba Olowo, to many others, he is just the father of one of Nigeria’s successful musicians, Davido, and to many others, he is the pathfinder that has helped in paving a path of fruitfulness for the Adeleke family in particular, and the people of Osun State in general.
Ebullient and renowned, Dr. Adedeji Tajudeen Adeleke, a native of Ede in Osun State, was born on March 6, 1957 in Enugu State, to Ayoola Raji Adeleke and Esther Nnenna Adeleke. Growing up with his maternal grandmother, fashioned in him the distinct features of Nigerian-ism thus becoming one of the few Nigerians, who are privileged to savour the true Nigerian originality, boasting of two physical ethnicities – Yoruba and Igbo.
Adeleke’s linage is blessed as his siblings are also movers and shakers of the Nigerian political and economic environments. His elder brother, late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, was the first civilian governor of Osun State, and his younger brother, Senator Ademola Adeleke, is the present governor of Osun State.
Fondly called Deji by family members and loved ones, and Chairman by friends and associates, Dr. Adeleke, whose father was a renowned labour leader and activist, in addition to being the Balogun of Ede land and one time Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is many things one.
Tapping from the Igbo background of his beloved mother and the Yoruba originality of his father, Dr. Adeleke has overtime showcased qualities that stood him out as a believer in the oneness of the country, Nigeria.
Dr. Adeleke lived his early life in Enugu, where he developed inert abilities to mastering business craftsmanship, before moving to Ansar-Ud-Deen Primary School, Surulere Lagos, for his primary education. Thereafter, he proceeded to Seventh-Day Adventist Grammar School, Ede where he graduated from in 1975, obtaining his West African School Certificate in flying colours.
His brilliance, coupled with opportunities, created a leeway for him thereafter to proceed to Western Kentucky University in the United States of America where he distinguished himself in academics and other endeavours, and graduating with a Bachelors degree in Finance in 1979.
A thoroughbred lover of education, Adeleke followed up his bachelors degree triumph with an MBA in 1981 and thereafter a Ph.D. in International Business from Pacific Columbia University, Mills Valley, California in 1983. It is not an understatement to say the proverbial ‘baba olowo’ is well read.
Having completed the academic trilogy, and with undisputable qualifications, Adeleke returned to serve his fatherland in the capacity of a Corps member in the National Youth Service Corps scheme; a clarion call he obeyed with all his being as a true Nigerian.
Armed and totally ready to take on the world, Adeleke ventured into the entrepreneurial world, audaciously establishing a drilling company, Pacific Drilling Company Limited which soon became the brainchild of other entrepreneurial ventures, metamorphosing into Pacific Holdings Limited, with a distinct focus on finances and investments in different sectors of the Nigerian economy, which comprises other groups of companies with diverse biases, including Pacific Energy Limited.
An egghead of no mean abilities, Adeleke is one of few academics, who holds double doctoral degrees, as he was privileged to bag a second Ph.D from the University of Phoenix, Arizona USA, where he studiously laboured for his honours.
His lofty academic sojourns have in more ways than one paved the way for him to conquer the competitive world of entrepreneurship. He is also the founder and Chairman Board of Directors of Pacific Merchant Bank Ltd which later became one of the legacy banks in the guise of present day Unity Bank Plc.
Quintessential in all ramifications, Dr. Adeleke is a philanthropist of note as his foundations and establishments speak volumes of his worth, and what he is capable of doing. Among his many foundations, dedicated to the upliftment of mankind, is the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF), a not-for-profit NGO, which has become a vehicle for the awards of scholarships at all levels of education, and distribution of medical assistance to diverse medical units across board; locally and internationally to meet the needs of needy Nigerians.
Adeleke’s SDF is also the brain behind the establishment of the prestigious Adeleke University Ede, where he is the Pro-Chancellor. In addition, Dr. Adeleke sits on the board of various blue chip companies across the globe.
Adedeji Adeleke through the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF) founded Adeleke University in Osun State ede, to ensure less privileged students have access to a quality higher education.
Adeleke is known to be not just a father in words, but highly impactful, consciously and unconsciously imparting his children and any other person that crosses his path with his Midas touch of gold.
It has been said that no one comes his way, and leaves without a meaningful impact in his life. With his SDF tool, not a few lives have witnessed a turnaround.
Dr. Adeleke is blessed with four children, two males and two females named Adewale Adeleke, David Adeleke (Davido), Sharon and Ashley Coco, from his beautiful wife, Veronica, who died in 2003, and many grandchildren. His children are living examples of his paternal influence as they all have carved a veritable niche and influence for themselves in different areas of human endeavours.
His youngest son, Davido, is a world renowned musician and philanthropist, carting away awards after awards in many areas, and luving the life of a real chip off the old block with humongous acts of giving that has left many just wondering.
He also has numerous grandchildren among whom are Imade Adeleke, Hailey Adeleke and the newest twins, who are Davido’s children.
Adeleke is a lover of life, and the good things that come with it. As a result, he owns a Bombardier Challenger 605 Business jet and a Bombardier Global Express 6000 for both classic luxury and ease of movement, as an international businessman, who is constantly on the move.
At 67, Adeleke could be described as an accomplished husband, father, nationalist and entrepreneur.
We salute your dexterity and pray for more of wealth and health and many more years of celebrations. Happy birthday a true legend!
We celebrate you sir!
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Babajide Sanwo-Olu: A Governor and His Many Gracious Strides
Published
2 weeks agoon
March 3, 2024By
EricEarlier, Sanwo-Olu briefly attended Government Demonstration School, Gbaja Surulere before moving to Ijebu-Ife Grammar School, Ogun State to complete his secondary education.
A politician of positive repute, Sanwo-Olu began his political career in 2003, when he was appointed a Special Adviser on Corporate Matters to the then deputy governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro. He was later made the acting Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget until 2007, when he was appointed as the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry by then governor, Bola Tinubu. After the General Elections of 2007, Sanwo-Olu was appointed Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions by Governor Babatunde Fashola. He was later moved to the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in 2016 as the Managing Director.
Sanwo-olu’s achievements are renewed on a daily basis as a they keep springing up without notice. Some of his notable public sector achievements however, include the supervision of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) privatization projects. He set up and was the Pioneer Board Chairman of Lagos Security Trust Fund. The LAGBUS System and the Control & Command Centre in Alausa Ikeja were subsequently established under his directives.
Sanwo-Olu, like many of his predecessors, has kept faith with the Lagos master plan, and has worked assiduously to maintain and meet the target. He has therefore, been working on different development activities, one of which is road construction across major areas in Lagos state.
In 2020, Sanwo-olu asked that the statue of Fela Kuti that was erected by Akinwunmi Ambode be removed from Allen Avenue in Ikeja, to ease the situation of traffic in that area. However, the statue is said to be relocated to a more convenient area in the State. He commissioned the Oshodi -Abule-Egba BRT Lane amongst other projects in 2020.
Sanwo-olu has worked on the Control & Command Centre in Alausa, which significantly improved the capacity of the security agencies to respond to distress calls in a swift and timely manner.
While under appointment as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC) in 2016, he, as a visionary administrator returned the hitherto struggling organisation to the path of efficiency and profititability. This took him only two years.
He also refocused the organisation to effectively tackle housing deficit in the state, which again validated his credentials as a resourceful leader and problem solver. His valuable experience garnered from executive-level roles in the private and public sectors has not only distinguished him, but also made him a valuable resource to some notable organisations on whose boards he has served
A statement on his website summarized his expected delivery, noting that “It is unexpected that Babajide’s enterprising career in the private sector, defining roles in public service and selfless contributions to the society would not have attracted international recognitions and accolades at home. But as a man attired in modesty, these awards and laurels are encouragements that keep him on the path of service to God and humanity.
“A devout Christian and family-focused man whose marriage to Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu is blessed with lovely children, Mr. Sanwo-Olu, in addition to his love for public speaking, is a member of numerous prestigious clubs, which include Ikoyi Club 1938, the Island Club, Yoruba Tennis Club and the Clear Essence Health Club.”
In 2020, Sanwo-Olu stood like the rock of Gibraltar between the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic and the health of Lagos residents, and was regarded as one of the outstanding governors in the fight against the scourge.
“We must ultimately defeat this virus if we remain vigilant and do not take anything for granted. Stay safe Lagos, your health is important,” the governor was quoted as saying.
In October of the same year, Sanwo-Olu employed his human relations training to quell the EndSARS crises, which had its epicenter in Lagos.
In May 2023, Sanwo-Olu was reelected governor under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeating his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) to the second position.
Though his re-election was contested by both Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP) and Olajide Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the tribunal, and up to the Supreme Court, Sanwo-Olu emerged victorious.
With special regards to his litany of achievements, Sanwo-Olu has obtained a variety of awards in his career, both from within the shores of Nigeria and from foreign places. Some of them include:
- Platinum award from the Lagos State Public Service Club.
- 2009 Best in Human Capital Development award from the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
- Merit award from the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
- Merit award from the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria (CIPMN).
- Merit Award from the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN).
- LSDPC Impactful Leadership and Recognition Award.
- Media Nite-Out Award for Best Governor of the Year (2020).
In addition, he is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Directors (IOD), Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), and Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD).
A lot of people have said that the path to Sanwo-Olu’s success stories and achievements lies in his ability to remain a loyal partyman and an astute politician. These have consistently paved the way for his glorious strides. His achievements in Lagos have become a reference point to many other governors in Nigeria.
In today’s Lagos, development, sanitization, security, technological know-how and community coexistence are at top level owing to the direction Sanwo-Olu created, and rooted in his THEME agenda.
Sanwo-Olu, without an iota of doubt, is doing well. It is on this note, we recognize you sir, as the Boss of the week. Congratulations!
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