Boss Of The Week

Mike Adenuga Jr. Makes Waves on the Nigeria’s Billionaires’ List

Published

8 months ago

January 13, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The drums are not enough to roll out in celebration of the official recognition and elevation of one who has come to be known by many gracious appellations including the Guru, the Bull, the Chairman and Spirit of Africa, Dr. Michael Adenuga Jr. CSG, GCON, in the Nigeria’s billionaires’ status. This is because it appears the eyes of those in charge of placement are beginning to be opened. Without an iota of doubt, the man, who sits atop the Globacom brand, is in the real sense of the word, Nigeria’s and even Africa’s richest man. The reasons are not far-fetched.

In the entire continent of Africa, Dr. Mike Adenuga is in a class of his own, and therefore, it is inconceivable to actually put him in the same sentence or list as any of the others. He is without any shadow of doubt, Africa’s hidden treasure. If by a stroke of luck, the cash and material gifts he gave out to people this foreclosed season is counted, there’s every tendency that it will surpass the total account balance of a reputable billionaire. That’s how rich Mike Adenuga is!

The reason is simple: Unlike the others whose worth can be calculated via their listed companies and assets, Adenuga’s intimidating wealth is usually in the realm of speculations, they are mostly privately-owned- which is reason he is usually given any position that meets the fancy of the publications. Today, he has been allocated a net worth of $7.4 billion. That, in any case, does not tell the story of his riches and philosophy.

Adenuga who hit it big by a dint of hard work and God’s grace is by far the numero uno billionaire on the continent.

Now take out your calculators and start to crunch the numbers: He wholly owns Globacom, a telecommunications network and infrastructure (with operations cross sub Saharan Africa), juicy oil wells, has huge investments in banking, construction and an humongous real estate portfolio.

The serial investor who signs his name as MA Jnr, and sure to hit 71 on April 29, 2024 has dared to thread where others dread, and has impacted the African continent with his entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit.

His passion for giving is not only personal, as the culture has also been imbibed by his companies like Globacom.

In previous years, the company had dished out goodies most industrialists and multinationals dare not try. It gave out a total of 20 completed and furnished houses, 24 brand new cars, 100 generators, 200 sewing machines and 1,000 rechargeable fans among many other mouth-watering prizes in its 2022 Festival of Joy. Needless to say that many homes were infected with untold joy as landlords emerged from nowhere, just as people became car owners overnight. That is the stuff Adenuga is made of. His preoccupation certainly is discovering new ways to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

Before Globacom, Adenuga whom many also call Chairman was one of Nigeria’s silent billionaires. He was known but never seen, and still hardly seen. His Consolidated Oil was achieving remarkable feats in the oil and gas industry without any fanfare.

Then came Glo, and he became one of the most recognizable Nigerians alive. Of course, one cannot talk about the revolution of telecommunications industry in Africa without dedicating reasonable number of crisp, glossy pages to Adenuga and Glo. The reason is because Globacom, the first and only telecommunications brand wholly owned by a Nigerian, became a mega success in a very short space of time. The company became Africa’s treasure, and lifted Africans from the doldrum of exorbitant call cost. He made it easy for Africans to own phone lines within a short period of the GSM revolution, especially in the West African sub-region.

Glo introduced innovative products and delivered first-rate service and before long, Adenuga had taken this winning formula to other African Countries-Republic of Benin, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.

It also became the first indigenous company to lay an international submarine cable, Glo 1, which has gigantic capacity to link Africa directly to Europe and America. The optic fibre cable provides excess bandwidth to all the cities connected to the cable, and has led to a much faster and robust connectivity for voice, data and video.

Adenuga has over the years learnt to mold his companies into major, if not dominant, players. In the oil and gas sector, Conoil Plc is one of the largest and most profitable oil marketing companies in Nigeria. Conoil Producing, the downstream arm of the conglomerate, made history by becoming the first Nigerian company to strike oil and produce it in commercial quantity in 1991. This is his only company that is publicly-quoted.

With his fortunes in oil and gas, real estate and the cash cow of telecommunications, it is doubtful if any Nigerian has his raw cash. It is difficult to access his earning but the fact The bullish bull has been on the Billionaires List for decades is evidence that despite the difficulty in assessing his worth, he is a goldfish that has no hiding place..

Adenuga who got an MBA at Pace University in New York, and supported himself as a student by working as a taxi driver hit his first million as a trader selling lace.

The taciturn man of vision, who has been described as an angel of mercy for his philanthropy and immense propensity to give ceaselessly, in his characteristic disposition, may not be throwing a huge party, when he hits three scores and ten but in the homes of many who have felt him, there will be abundant prayers and celebration.

He is a quintessential leader who has the uncanny ability to spot and nurture talents. Reputed to be very hands on in the operations of his businesses, Dr. Adenuga, whose daughter, the cerebral Mrs. Bella Disu is the Executive Vice Chairman, Globacom, still gets briefs on the day-to-day running of his business empire.

Dr Mike Adenuga Jnr ‘s contribution to the business world has not only been recognised locally, but he has also attained international acclaim.

In Nigeria, he holds the highest civilian honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), an honour reserved for mostly vice presidents, and in Ghana, he was awarded the highest civilian honour of Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG).

According to President John Mahama who conferred the indefatigable businessman with the honour at a state ceremony ”You have touched many lives in Ghana. You have provided employment for our teeming youths, artists, footballers and many more. I am particularly proud of you. This award is our way of a saying a simply thank you.”

The entrepreneur extraordinaire was also honoured with the award of Chavalier de la Legion d Honnuer, the highest National honour of France which was bestowed on him by French President, Emmanuel Macron. He has also been privileged to host the French president at the Mike Adenuga Centre, Alliance Francaise. In fact Macron unveiled the edifice in 2019.

Explaining why the French Government decided to confer the honour on Adenuga, President Macron who described the consumate businessman as a true model of Africa noted that he had contributed immensely to the African and French Economy.

He also applauded Adenuga for his promotion of the French Language and culture in Nigeria. Adenuga single-handedly rebuilt the Alliance Francaise, Lagos which is now part of the Mike Adenuga Centre located on Osborne Road, Ikoyi.

Adenuga, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, received the singular accolade of being the first to donate N1.5 billion to fight the dreaded coronavirus scourge. He set the stage for other Nigerians to contribute to the management of the scourge. That is typical of the Guru, he leads, others follow.

It is not hard to imagine that Adenuga is the richest man in Nigeria, and indeed Africa, and of course when one quantifies wealth in terms of liquidity, and not stocks. He is unmatchable.

It is in order therefore, to salute the remarkable business guru, the worthy son of Africa!

Lending his voice to Adenuga invincibility, and the fact that he stands tall above others irrespective of his number in the list of richest men, Ololade Olaoye wrote that “The ratings are usually based on stock market figures and performances. Unknown to many, this often has its limitations.

“In Africa for example, Stock Exchanges are not as vibrant and accurate as in other climes. It is laughable whenever the African ratings accord low figures to someone in the uncommon league of Dr Mike Adenuga Jr., a man who’s practically the wealthiest and most cash-liquid man in Africa.”

He further noted as follows:

“Dr. Adenuga was the first Nigerian to discover oil in Commercial quantity, since 1991, over 30 years ago. Today, he owns about ten oil wells and Conoil, his only publicly quoted company, operates both upstream and downstream, with humongous gas deposits. There are not many such operators in Africa. Most of those individuals with huge investments in the oil sector have since packed up. Adenuga’s tenacity is remarkable and salutary.

“In telecoms, Glo remains a formidably popular and dominant player, fully owned by one man, Dr Adenuga, who makes money every second. His uncommon investments in submarine cables from Europe to Africa gave the Glo network the “speed of life!” as well as the status of the market leader in the highly profitable business of internet.

“Glo is always grossly undervalued when the ratings are announced. For obvious reasons, as not doing so wouldn’t align with the agenda of those desperate to make the man look small.

“In banking, Adenuga owned Devcom Merchant Bank and Equitorial Trust Bank which was acquired by Sterling Bank Plc. Adenuga currently owns substantial stakes in both Sterling Bank and First Bank of Nigeria.

“In Real Estate, Dr. Adenuga’s property portfolio at home and abroad is second to none. His properties dot many city capitals in Nigeria and beyond.

“Not too long ago, he acquired significant interests in Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the biggest Construction conglomerate in Nigeria. He is heavily into manufacturing and many other sectors of the economy.

“Directly and indirectly, he’s the single largest employer of labour in the country, possibly asides government. It is noteworthy, that his philanthropic gestures are beyond imagination. You should ask about the impact of the Mike Adenuga Foundation. That a good deed does not get reported doesn’t mean good hasn’t been done. Glo has touched the lives of too many entertainers and sports icon. Matter of fact, Glo elevated our celebrities to superstar status and helped to reward the services of some of our forgotten icons. Glo customers are pampered endlessly.

“No wonder, he is often referred to as “The Spirit of Africa…”

“Let us face it, if we counted the numbers, dollar for dollar, Mike Adenuga would sweep everyone off the park. But we are in the world of paid narratives and agenda, when you can buy your place on the rich list and those who already merited their place there don’t mind paying a few bucks to be overvalued. But if you ever become a billionaire, be this one: the billionaire who doesn’t care for the validation of rich lists and the media. The one who touches lives here and there, far and beyond. And ultimately, the one who’s more about the truth of the matter, than the narratives written by others. We all can’t be the Spirit of Africa but trust me, we can learn a lot from his values and essence.”

Following up on the pragmatic nature of the man, whose close friends call The Bull, Chairman, Ovation Media Group, Chief Dele Momodu, in one of his Pendulum accounts titled, Dr Mike Adenuga: Encounters with the Spirit of Africa, wrote to celebrate his 68th birthday in 2021 that he is “a man who touches too many lives from behind his private and exclusive circumvolution.”

Dr. Adenuga is many things and more, and today, we raise a toast to Africa’s most liquid-based billionaire, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. CSG, GCON.

Boss Of The Week

The Consummate Entrepreneur, Kola Adesina

Published

2 weeks ago

September 7, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

His trajectory to the top is an enviable story of perseverance, focus, commitment and attention to details. He is a clear symbol of opportunity created, opportunity taken and opportunity adequately utilised. His name is Chief Kola Adesina, the Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Group, a leading international energy (power, oil and gas) and infrastructure conglomerate.Born on August 12, 1964, Kola Adesina, embodies the advantages of what education can do, taking his strides in academic excellence from day one. Even till the present, he is still pursuing the greater good of education, directly and indirectly.

An entrepreneur of international repute, the managing director of Sahara Group, former Chairman of Egbin Power Plc, and board chairman of Ikeja Electric, is a toast among the teeming number of Nigerian philanthropists. He basically stands out.

Adesina earned both his B.Sc degree in Insurance and M.Sc degree in Business from the prestigious University of Lagos. He furthered his education by obtaining executive programmes at Harvard Business School and The Wharton School of Advanced Management Programme.

Adesina’s steides into the world of the As began immediately after his undergraduate days as he joined Insurance industry to Kickstart a career that was to blossom to classical height. He later joined Sahara Group where he moved up the ladder due to his selling skills.

At Sahara Group, he led various projects which included the nationwide strategic management of the supply chain of Fuel to the Emergency Power Plant of the defunct National Electricity Power Authority (now Power Holding Company Nigeria Limited), the Majestic Oil delegation on the acquisition of the Sierra Leone Refinery and also managed the Crude Oil contract of the Group in Côte d’Ivoire where he also served as the Director of Infrastructure, responsible for the acquisition of strategic assets in Africa.He served as a member of the Presidential Committee inaugurated by President Jonathan on the Accelerated Expansion of the Electricity Infrastructure in Nigeria, which culminated in the unbundling of PHCN successor companies. He also chairs the board of Ikeja Electric.In 2022, he was crowned as Vanguard Private Sector Icon of the Year.

According to a narrative volunteered by his organisation, the billionaire industrialist is a consummate entrepreneur with experience that traverses the academia, finance, energy, trade and diplomacy. He’s a Director at Sahara Group, a leading international energy (power, oil and gas) and infrastructure conglomerate with operations in over 38 countries across Africa, Asia, Middle East and Europe.

Kola currently leads the vision of Sahara Power Group aimed at bringing energy to life by deploying diversified power sources to light up lives, businesses and sustainable interventions in Nigeria and across Africa. Kola specifically oversees the Group’s affiliates including Ikeja Electric, the largest privately owned power distribution business in South Saharan Africa (SSA), Egbin Power Plc – the largest thermal plant in SSA (with 1,320MW installed capacity with ongoing expansion plans to increase the capacity over two-fold, providing a quarter of the total generating capacity in Nigeria) and First Independent Power Limited.

Kola combines his years of management and business diplomacy experience into creating and executing innovative strategies for governments across sub Saharan Africa in the energy sector. Kola is a much sought after resource person on energy related issues, especially the power sector in Africa and is also a frontline speaker at conferences across the globe.

He is passionate about empowering young people and takes great pride in mentoring youths to seek creative ways of galvanizing their energies for sustained excellence and productivity. Mr. Adesina is a pan-Africanist, a seasoned entrepreneur and avowed promoter of the Pan African Dream of regional integration and trade.

Am accomplished family man, Kola Adesina holds a B.SC (Insurance), M.SC. (Business), Masters in International Law and Diplomacy and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Insurance.

Boss Of The Week

The Impressive World of Indefatigable Investor, Adetola Nola

Published

4 weeks ago

August 24, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Here’s the story of a man, who read his way out of poverty. A man, who is known by a dictum not common to ordinary mortals; the dictum of perfection. It is nobwonder that he is credited with the say, “I am a perfectionist, and I take nothing short of excellence”.

His name is Adetola Nola. He is athe Chief Executive Officer at Veritasi Homes and Properties, A.R.N Farms and Commodities Limited, which he founded and signed off to build one of the largest rice milling plants in West Africa; Asteric Asset Management, and Baraka Energy Lithium Processing Limited. Nola’s image looms large, and he is just 34.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the proverbial mustard seed, the company has grown to boast of over 12,000 real estate consultants, 1300 Veritasi Realtors and 18 full-time staff, today. This is a magnificent leap by all standard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

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

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

THE PRESTIGIOUS CAMBERWALL ESTATE, LEKKI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Boss Of The Week

Meet Nigeria’s Next CJN, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun

Published

1 month ago

August 18, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

During the week, the National Judicial Council (NJC), in line with popular anticipation, recommended Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun to President Bola Tinubu for appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

On confirmation, Kekere-Ekun will become the second female to become Nigeria’s head of the judiciary, after Aloma Mariam Mukhtar, whose tenure ran from July 2012 to November 2014. She will replace Justice Kayode Ariwoola, who will formally bow out on August 22.

The NJC also recommended 27 candidates for appointment as judges of state courts and one as Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja.

A statement by the spokesperson of the NJC, Soji Oye, said the recommendation was made at the Council’s 106th Meeting presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, held on August 14 and 15.

The statement read: “The NJC also “recommend twenty-seven (27) candidates for appointment as Judges of States Courts and a candidate for appointment as Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja to their various State Governors and Mr President.

“NJC recommends Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, CFR as the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria and Twenty-eight (28) others as Judges of various Courts.

“The National Judicial Council at its 106th Meeting presided over by the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria, Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, held on August 14 and 15, 2024, recommended Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, to President Bola Tinubu, for appointment as the Chief Justice of Nigeria.

“This is imperative as Hon. Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, will formally bow out of office as the Hon. Chief Justice of Nigeria next week Thursday on August 22, 2024.

“Council also recommend twenty-seven (27) candidates for appointment as Judges of States Courts and a candidate for appointment as Kadi of the Sharia Court of the FCT, Abuja to their various State Governors and Mr. President as follows:

Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN)

Hon. Justice Kudirat Motonmori Kekere-Ekun, CFR

Six Judges, High Court of Kwara State

Olawoyin, Ibijoke Olabisi, Abdulrazaq, Fatimah Funsho, Folorunsho, Oba Muritala, Dikko, Yusuf Adebayo, Adeniyi, Oluwatosin Adenike and Osuolale-Ajayi, Temitope Olalekan

One Judge, High Court of Kaduna State

Zubairu, Murtala Ja’afaru

Four Judges, High Court of Benue State

Kor, Vincent Tersoo, Ikwulono, Maigida Maimuna, Adagba, Nguhemen Julie and Tor, Damian Tersugh

Two Judges, Customary Court of Appeal, Benue State

Onche, Ogah Inalegwu and Igba, Theophilus Terhile

Eight Judges, High Court of Rivers State

Onyiri, Frank, Ugoji, Victor Chinedum, Obomanu, Godswill Vidal, Oguguo, Rita Chituru, Fubara, Alatuwo Elkanah, Kokpan, Bariyima Sylvester, Obu, Ibietela Innocent Madighi and Wifa-Adedipe, Lesi

Six Judges, High Court of Ondo State

Daomi, Williams Adebisi, Fabuluje, Adewumi William, Ogunwumiju, Mobayonle Idowu, Demehin-Ogunbayo, Inumidun Happiness, Kpemi, Ojufisintei Justinah and Adegoroye, Olufunke Adeola

One Kadi, Shariah Court of Appeal, FCT, Abuja.

Muhammad, Lawal Munir

“All recommended candidates are expected to be sworn-in after the approval of the NJC recommendations to the President and their respective State governors.”

Justice Kekere-Ekun joined the Lagos State Judiciary as Senior Magistrate II and rose to the position of the State High Court Judge. She served as Chairman of Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja, between November 1996 to May 1999. She was appointed to the bench of the Nigerian courts of appeal in 2004 before her appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July 2013.

Kekere Ekun was born on May 7, 1958 in London, United Kingdom. In 1980, she received a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Lagos and was admitted to the Nigeria Bar on 10 July 1981, having graduated from the Nigerian Law School before she proceeded to the London School of Economics where she received a master’s degree in Law in November 1983.

In October 2022, a Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) was conferred on her by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Kudirat joined the Lagos State Judiciary as Senior Magistrate II and rose to the position of the State High Court Judge. She served as Chairman of Robbery and Firearms Tribunal, Zone II, Ikeja between November 1996 to May 1999. She was appointed to the bench of the Nigerian courts of appeal in 2004 before her appointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in July 2013.

In 2020, Kekere-Ekun was on the seven-member panel that sacked Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha and declared that the winning candidate was Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who originally came fourth in the election results. Ihedioha described the verdict as “unfair, unjust and does not reflect the voting that took place during the elections”.

Kekere-Ekun is expected to bring a new lease of life to the judiciary towards restoring its dignity and respect. Her tenure Kickstart on August 22 when Justice Ariwoola will bow out of office.