Boss Of The Week

Dr Stephen Akintayo: Leading Gtext Homes to Strategic Marketing Advantage

Published

8 months ago

March 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo and Omotayo Omidiji

There are very few Nigerian billionaires, who have remained accessible, display humility among humanity while engaging ferociously with the legitimate business of creating and recreating wealth, making live liveable for the citizenry and giving the government of the day the leeway to provide adequate democratic dividend for all and sundry. Prominent among them is the multi-faceted, multi-talented, resilient and ebullient entrepreneur par excellence, Dr. Stephen Akintayo, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Gtext Homes, and its many affiliates, the Stephen Akintayo Consulting among very many others.

In this brief chat, the soft spoken go-getter, who practically rose from the proverbial grass to grace, tells the story of determination, resilience and focus. His life trajectory culminates in why everyone is a candidate of success, irrespective of the background. He tells how he doggedly built his empire via strategic marketing advantages, and rising to the status of king of real estate.

Excerpts:

HOW DID YOU COME ABOUT THE RELATIVE HUMILITY YOU ARE TODAY ASSOCIATED WITH?

Well, I think it is relative as you said. I am not sure everyone believes I’m humble, and the reason is that, I am a very straight shooter. When issues come, I confront them headlong. In my office, you will hear people say do not go and report people to oga because if you go, he will bring both the person that said something and the accused and you will confront each other. And because of that, some people have the perception that I am a straight shooter. For me generally, I have been through a lot in life, capable of making anyone humble normally. I grew up in the northern part of Nigeria, and at some time, in the village, where there was no running water, and no electricity. I had to fight for everything in life.

It’s humbling however, to note that I started my business with one thousand naira, and for us to be in the four continents of the world, I had to keep proving myself. Sometimes, I get into rooms, and overhear people saying I’m fronting for someone. They are like how come he had achieved so much at such a young age. Some even make bold to say…maybe he is doing hard drugs. I just laugh, and keep proving myself.

IN YOUR LIFE TRAJECTORY, DID YOU BY ANY MEANS MAP OUT YOUR STAGES BECAUSE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU SEEMS TO BE FOLLOWING A WELL PLANNED SEQUENCE

At the age of 17/18, I read the books that changed my life. I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Think and Grow Rich and others. The books woke me up to know that it is not degrees that is going to make me rich. It made me know that degree is just about going to school and being enlightened. If I want to be rich, I needed to do a trade. Having gone through that book at the age of 18, I started my first business as a very shy person, and my first business was multilevel marketing of food supplement by GNLD. It was difficult to market a drug, as I couldn’t look a potential customer in the face, but the book I read said if I could do this, I would become rich. So I had to.

I started business by selling e-books from day one in the university. I was just sold to doing business; hawked electronics and all stuffs. I failed many times doing business but I kept at it because I had no choice, and because we were not rich and money was always an issue, so I just had to keep at it and that was it for me.

SO YOUR TARGET WAS JUST TO BE RICH?

My target was to be financially free. I hated poverty. My mother was always borrowing money to pay my school fees from our neighbours, who incidentally were her juniors, but she had five children and my dad wasn’t financially stable to support her. They will then look at her with disdain and still not give her the money, saying our children too have not seen help. I just hated it. I hated that we were poor. I did not see a toilet we could flush until I was 13 when we moved to a new house, a government quarter because my mum worked with PHCN. It was just marvelous that we could sit, defecate, and flush a WC. At that teen age that I read that book, I just started planning that this is what I needed to do, and I remember as a student, I had a picture Ark. I had a list of companies I was going to own from media to real estate to production companies. Now, I am beginning to tick them out.

AT WHAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE COULD YOU DESCRIBE AS YOUR TURNING POINT?

A lot of people ask me this question often times, and my answer is always that there wasn’t really a major turning point except for 2015. The business that eventually became a mainstay for me was the bulk SMS company. We tried to convince companies that we could market their products by sending SMS. We had email and phone number database where we could help them send SMS to a large number of people. But at some point, I became indebted without even borrowing money. This was because I was representing a university in Hungary then. Along the line, we did a transaction, which the university later cancelled despite receiving processing fees from some applicants. They insisted I must refund their money, to the extent the matter was settled at the police station. The Police advised I should sign a post dated cheque for the refund to avoid embarrassment. This was in 2012. That is why when people ask why am I this bold, I tell them, I have been through a lot.

I came out of that experience, and restrategised, and within a twinkle of an eye, companies like Chivita, PZ, Unilever, Indomie became our clients, and by 2015 election, we were handling Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s SMS Campaign nationwide, Buhari’s e-mail Campaign nationwide. I was even picked up by the DSS in the cause of the job. I have been through a lot.

WHY WERE YOU PICKED UP BY DSS?

I was never told other that it was order from above. I told them I was the one handling the president’s SMS campaign but they did not bother a bit. So I followed them to their office until my lawyer, Dr. Ope Banwo, arrive to help secure my release. I also did an article that went viral titled, “How Jonathan sent DSS to arrest me.” In 48 hours, we had over 5million hits worldwide, infact some opposition thought I was part of why Jonathan lost. All in all, that 2015, was our breakthrough year because everybody was our customer. We had a single transaction worth 30million and I think at the end of the year, we made over 200million naira. And that was the year I also know the next thing to do?

It was in October of that 2015 that we went into Real Estate. We couldn’t just continue to rely on the Tech thing, which is always through third party platforms. But now, we are using all platforms for our social media clouts, and digital marketing. We train companies on how to use social media. I wanted to build something that is standing on something solid, and that was why we delved into Real Estate.

WHAT WAS THE FEELING LIKE WHEN YOU MADE YOUR FIRST MILLION?

It was actually the first 30 million, and it was exciting. I paid off a lot of debts. I remember I had to lodge in Protea Hotel, the one in Alausa for that night. And incidentally, that day was my birthday, I laid on my bed and just said thank you Jesus. So I started calling my debtors, I paid all of them and this excites me that I could pay back, because these were people that insulted me then.

I grew up with only values, no money. We were poor but we were taught key values, key moral. My mum and dad were not rich but they were people of sound values. I was so happy to pay back. Infact I need them to know that I have integrity. Those experiences made me know Nigerians are bullies by culture and character and you need a bigger bully to deal with them.

This is why businesses are dying in Nigeria, Once you are still small, everybody wants to cheat you. I was happy to pay; to pay my landlady after owing for like over a year. I earned who I am today, at least with God’s grace and mercy. I worked hard for what I own, and what I represent today. I worked hard every single minute of my life.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE DELVING INTO REAL ESTATE, GTEXT AND OTHER BUSINESSES, AND HOW ARE THEY THRIVING NOW?

For me it was a case of asking yourself what’s next because my dad, based on his own level became successful as a young man at age 20 as a construction contractor. He had a breakthrough in the Northern part of Nigeria but he is from Ogun State. In no time, before I was even born, the business collapsed as the northerners started doing their own construction. So I grew up meeting a father who practically had no job, and became a prophet. So growing up, I made up my mind that I will not build my business on government contracts, and that is why it is easy to be upfront. I did not collect any contract from the government even real estate. I buy from families. My dad’s story taught me to innovate and evolve, and that was how real estate came in. I needed to have a back up; something solid on ground. I needed something physical so that when people talk, they will know we are doing a real business not audio real estate business. We needed something that is physical and not social media. I needed to document my journey.

AT THIS AGE AND LEVEL OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENT, CAN YOU SAY YOUR ARE FULFILLED?

I can not say I am fulfilled. You know I told you I have this ark, and I have only touched 10 percent of it. My advice to people that are worried about me is that they should not worry, I have not started, you will have to ask questions for a long time. We have a long plan, and it is a global empire that we are building and as the Lord keeps us alive, we would redefine what it means to be wealthy in Africa.

WHAT IS THE NEXT ITEMIZED STEP IN THIS GREAT ARK OF YOURS?

Media and movies. We are hoping to achieve them this year. We are looking forward to getting a radio licence, buy an existing radio station, and a production company. We are into Netflix, Amazon and Prime. We have two movies we are working on, and one is actually about my mum.

You know, as you start building an empire, cost of marketing and PR becomes heavy so it is wisdom to own your own media to make it cheaper, and for collaborations.

Also, we are building up to four hundred houses on credit union, to help our balance sheet, and it is a 150 million dollar project in Texas. And we are looking at introducing Credit Union too in Nigeria to make mortgage easy for people who want to buy properties.

ON A SCALE OF 10, HOW FAR HAVE YOU GONE ON THE AFOREMENTIONED PROJECTS?

For us, vision is key, and it is a process. By August, we would do ground breaking and begin proper construction. It is seven to ten years plan so we are hoping that phase one will be done in two years, that is fifty unit housing which is residential. It will be the largest in the US. We would use solar, wind energy and it is going to be smart housing so we go commercial from the seventh to tenth year, and will be putting a golf range, acquarium, shopping mall and a couple of other commercial facilities.

YOU WERE RECENTLY RECOGNISED BY FORBES, TELL US ABOUT IT

We got Forbes Best of Africa and Real Rstate Mogul award. It is probably the biggest award I have received so far; it was humbling, and I am probably the youngest recipient ever. In fact, recently, Forbes African team were in my office in Ikoyi to talk about possible areas of collaboration. They recognised us on two levels; one is on investment coaching because they have seen how I have written over forty books and a good number of them is about teaching and mentorship. This is what it is; it is not really about building businesses because we know about how entrepreneurs thrive on other people’s money.

One level is African investment coach and another level is as real estate mogul. For the real estate mogul, there are companies that are way bigger than us and for us, there were a lot of innovation we brought into the real estate space. For example, we started 24/7 operations where customers can call us at 2am and make payment and we attend to them. We pioneered that and it is free. We also partner with DHL, to ensure documents are safely delivered anywhere in the world. So if you buy land from us in Nigeria and you are in Australia, DHL will deliver your document to you in front of your house without any extra cost; those were the innovations. We are also into virtual inspection and virtual allocation. We brought a lot of ideas into the industry, so for us when we grow into a sector, we look at how we can deepen the sector, things that others will copy from us, but we do not mind since we are able to help increase transparency. We were also the first to talk about green and smart homes in Nigeria, and at some point, we had to slow down because of dollar issue.

Now what we do about our estate; we just model and house our staff. For some reasons, we have moved to Dubai and now we have over hundred housing units there just to be sure that our investors were getting good Return On Investment, but I must say, we had our hands burnt, I lost over a million dollars in Dubai.

In business, you don’t give up, you learn from the mistakes and challenges, and move on. The problem most enterpreneurs have is their inability to learn from elders. Personally, I enjoy the counsel of elders. They will help you shape some perspectives of your businesses. Many think I am a one man business, but they don’t know the many people behind me, who can vouch for me. I run my business in a very transparent way so integrity is key for me.

YOU STUDIED MICROBIOLOGY; HOW COME NONE OF YOUR BUSINESSES ARE RELATED TO IT?

I always encourage young people who follow your platform. I had this brother who has a university degree. By the time I visited him, he was living in one room with eight of his siblings. He said egbon things are difficult, I remember going back to school that day and I kept saying to myself I will never end up like that man. I will not only focus on the course I am studying, but I will try many things, and whatever will bring me out of poverty, I will embrace. You know many of us studied courses based on what was given to us. While at school, I wasn’t even the best student. It is interesting to note that the best student then once begged me for job after graduation. I just told her I can support her but I won’t give her job for obvious reasons.

When I left school, I tried printing hundreds of CVs in a bid to secure a circular job, but all to no avail. One of my potential employer even advised me to go and continue with my popcorn business, that one day something great will come out of it. I did bulk SMS, I posted it on walls, at every bus stop from Sango-Ota to Ikeja-Along, that was the only thing I could do. I would go to school, beg them to subscribe to my bulk SMS business, that was the only thing I had, and my mother had died of Ovarian cancer then, and she was our breadwinner. I was chased out of my friend’s house where I was squatting, and I had to go back to the only house my mum built at Sango-Ota.

We hardly eat, but at least we had a roof over our heads, and that explains why real estate is important to me. I have been through a lot in my life but one of my biggest regret is my mum not being alive today. She died because we had no money to take her to a private hospital. By the time she was taken to a private hospital with help of colleagues, it was too late. She died two days after she was operated upon. The disease had already spread. For that, I don’t joke with people’s health, and my employees can attest to that. I lost my mum because I had no money. She couldn’t even live to witness my graduation.

So, that is why I have serious dislike for poverty, and also why I am writing books to teach people. I am sent to my generation and I want them to know how to make it and that is why I am writing books. I am open to writing a book with Dangote so that he can at least teach us, share his story of how he started, built his career so that young people can follow. The youth just want the elders to show us the way, to let us know they also passed through the same phase so when I am going through my own, I can understand that it’s a phase that will pass. Look at what Tony Elumelu is doing through his foundation. We also have foundation through which we give out grants. We also support widows and pay many children’s fees.

WE ALSO KNOW YOU ARE A PASTOR, TELL US ABOUT IT?

I started pastoring as a teacher in my secondary school. I went to a Christian primary school. My fellowship in secondary school and university took me as their pastor. I also pastored Winners Chapel Campus Fellowship then in few years I became ordained in my church but after a while, I pulled out of pastoring and the reason is obvious. I realised that it became a tool for blackmail. I am a businessman and that’s why I do not use the pastor title. The title I use is doctor because I have been given honourary doctorate degree and I have decided to stick to that.

PEOPLE ATTACH YOU TO WINNERS CHAPEL, WERE YOU ORDAINED THERE?

Yes, but I am no longer part of the pastoral thing, but I’m still a faithful and loyal member. For me, I do business with you because I am a businessman not church member or because I am a Christian. My advice is do not use sentiment, do not get carried away by religion, investigate whomever you want to do business with, do business because you are convinced they have something of value to offer you. Always remember we have a bullying culture.

I believe strongly in giving; my life has changed because of giving, and I am very much committed to that, but sometimes it is good to separate some things from some things; business is business, church is church, ministry is ministry, and I am not involved in any administrative thing in church. I used to be involved in church adminstration, but I pulled out because I started travelling, I got so many responsibilities. So, if you hear people call me pastor, know they are members from time past. They still call me pastor privately, it is between us, not everybody.

IN A NUTSHELL, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU ARE A MAN WHO BECAME RICH BY BOOKS?

By books, yes, fear of God, and integrity. Like I said, people cannot start trusting you with millions of dollars if you have not shown some level of integrity, I think that is important and I want to encourage the young people that business do not always go right, but do your best to show integrity. I have a consulting programme where I charge twenty thousand dollars but it is for business owners whose business is bringing over a million dollars and they are trying to take the business international, they want certain structure. What I make from coaching is more than enough. I still loan my company till today, a lot of people do not know that there are some rich people in this country, I manage personally their social media page and there are things behind the scene that some people do not know. Some people think my only company is real estate; business is business, but what has helped me more is integrity and transparency.

I am a Havard trained real estate investor. I also have the fear of God and mentorship. I also have enjoyed counsel and support from people who study me. We started real estate in Nigeria then moved to Dubai where some average property is almost five hundred thousand dollars and in one year, we became the largest black home brokerage by volume of what we were doing. And this is owned by a black man. We are in the U.K and US as well. We have housing units in Alabama, and everybody plays by the rules including family members.

WHAT CLOTH DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN?

I love Agbada, I used to be a suit guy but as I start doing things internationally and I saw the reputation of Nigerians internationally, I had two options: either I pretend not to be a Nigerian or I wear it as a badge of honour. It is when they see that integrity you bring to play that you can start changing that perspective and perception because many of what is going on is the perception internally, we don’t trust ourselves.

AND YOUR BEST FOOD?

It used to be fura when I was in the north, in the south it is Amala and Abula, gbegiri and ewedu together. I am an African man.

I have been to about hundred cities in the world

AND WHICH OF THE CITIES IS MOST EXCITING?

Manhattan, New York. This is because of my love for real estate. Whenever I’m in Manhattan, I always insist on high floors, from where I can have an overview of the city. For me, it is a way of meditation, love and attraction. I will be looking at those buildings and say to myself, one day I will build one.

DO YOU FOLLOW SPORT, WHICH OF THE TEAMS DO YOU SUPPORT?

I used to follow Chelsea but I changed to Liverpool.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?

Twelve years, I got married at twenty six.

DIDN’T YOU THINK EARLY MARRIAGE WAS GOING TO AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS?

No, my wife and I have been in business together since our campus days. We met on campus during the days of bulk SMS. She understood my dreams and my aspirations very well. Now we travel a lot with the kids. We spent Christmas partly in London, the U.S. and Dubai. I just move around with them.

ARE YOU IN COMPETITION WITH ANYONE, ESPECIALLY IN REAL ESTATE

No…but it’s rather unfortunate that you are not in competition with anybody but people are in competition with you. I wish everybody well, and for young people, I now run a CEO retreat, where i train real estate developers. If you sit somewhere and envy me, that is your business; there is nothing I can do about it, but I have learnt that it is a sign of growth. For me, where I am going is more important.

WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE, AND THE WEALTH YOU HAVE ACQUIRED, WILL YOU DESIRE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN THE FUTURE?

As at today, No. But the truth remains that I am politically aware, and I understand political strategies. I can sit you down and tell you how you can make your move, and remember I am a trained digital marketing guy, I understand all those things but if I want to do politics, what am I going into politics for? I am a young man, I have connections, contacts but must I go into politics to have power? No.

I advise young people who rush into politics to build a name, if you do something solid the politicians will beg you because they know you have the solution, the capacity, and the answers. For me, I am very well positioned globally, growing my business is very important to me, supporting people in government across the world. We want to start partnering with people in government but we want to make sure our record is clean, our stories are clear because if you do not tell your stories, others will tell their own and their own will become the truth so we need to tell our own.

I have no political agenda, I have friends in all parties and I will continue to have friends in all parties but no plan to join politics. However, no one knows tomorrow, and can’t tell what the people can demand tomorrow. But as at today, that is not a headache I can afford to carry.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME SIR

Boss Of The Week

Meet the Working Senator, Ajagunna Olubiyi Fadeyi

Published

2 weeks ago

October 28, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Men of timbre and calibre, like dynamites, come in very small packages, saying very few words, and churning out gigantic achievements that stand the test of time, and last for ages. The Senator representing Osun Central Senatorial District, Ajagunnla Olubiyi Fadeyi, royally known as the Bafoyin, is a man of timbre and calibre; a man of many parts; a complete gentleman, and more importantly, a go-getter.

In just 16 months as his people’s representative in the Senate, Ajagunnla has demystified governance, making every step, hour, minute and seconds count admirably for the interest and benefit of the people, whose mandate he is riding on at the Red Chamber.

His avalanche of deliverables has become a case study for colleagues, who wish to know how he has been able to achieve so much within a short space of time, and with inadequate funds.

The personality of the working Senator is captured by as many as know him in and out, and presented below:

Ajagunnla Olubiyi Fadeyi was born to the family of Dagilogba Baba Ayodeji Fadeyi, of Eran’s Compound, Oke-Ede, Ila Orangun in Osun State and Mama Esther Tinuola Fadeyi of Odu’s Compound of Oke Ejigbo also in Osun State.

His father, while alive, was an astute and respected Administrator, who served at the then University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-ife, while his mother rose through the ranks to become a Matron in nursing before becoming the owner of Oduduwa Hospital in Ile-Ife.

Buoyed by parent’s conviction that education is a non-negotiable ingredient for a meaningful and purposeful life, the young Biyi, as he is popularly called, started his illustrious educational career at Seventh Day Primary School, Ile-Ife, and thereafter, proceeded to Moremi High School also in Ile-Ife, for his Secondary School education, This was immediately followed with a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours at the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. For his postgraduate honours, he obtained a LL.M in International Business Law at the University of Cumbria, Carliste in the United Kingdom.

Growing up in Ife, he developed a penchant for academic pursuit, so it’s not a surprise that he attended Ivy League colleges in the US, specializing in Business Management, International Relations, PPP Risk Analysis and Political Economy. He also took Senior Executive Courses in International Relations and Political Economy from the renowned London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) London, United Kingdom.

Ajagunnla Olubiyi Fadeyi is a member of Senior Executive Course in National and International Security at Harvard’s John Kennedy School, Boston, USA.

Olubiyi also has gone through some executive courses in Leadership and Block Chain strategy at the said business school, Oxford University, United Kingdom. As a Public Private Partnership (PPP) expert, who facilitated many PPP projects in and outside Nigeria, he has participated in PPP Executive Courses at the International Law Institute (ILI) in Washington D.C, USA.

Biyi has also been to the prestigious Harvard Business School (HBS) in Boston, United States where he attended Senior Executive Management courses in Creating Shared Value, Competitive Advantage Through Social Impact as well as other courses at the Harvard Law School, specializing in Negotiation. It is worthy of note that while at Harvard, Biyi attended three major faculties, the Business School, The Kennedy School of Government and the Harvard Law School where he became a Senior Executive Fellow.

He also has a Honorary Doctorate Degree in Infrastructure, Planning and Management, from the Esfam-Benin University, and Honorary Doctorate Degree in Administration, Policy, and Leadership, from the Commonwealth University in UK.

As a PPP Consultant and expert, he has partnered with state and Federal Governments on Public and Private Partnerships (PPP) on infrastructure projects mainly on Road, Bridges and Seaports in Nigeria, which has attracted over 7 Billion USD Foreign Direct Investment through his core International partners to Nigeria in the last 15 years.

Ajagunnla Obubiyi Fadeyi is the Executive Chairman of Fane Group, a Group of Companies with subsidiaries in Consultancy, Real Esate.

He is an expert in Road and Sea Port Infrastructures, Energy Services, Hospitality and Sport Betting. He is also the Chairman of Harvard Continental Hotels, Luckia-fane Gaming Company Ltd and Chairman Dubia Free Trade Zone, A Multi-Billion Naira Company with well over 500 employees in its payroll.

He is a strategic Partner to the Economic European Development Council (EEDC), Partner to European Market Research Centre, Energy Partner to Luckia Gaming South Africa, and Infrastructure development partner to China Harbour Construction Engineering Company, China.

In his desire to give back to the society, he forayed into politics, and contested for the Senatorial seat of Osun Central Senatorial District in 2019. Ajagunnla came with a bigger wave in the 2023 Election, and presented a robust issue based campaign with which he defeated then the serving Senator from Osun Central in a hard fought election, winning with a wide margin.

Ajagunnla Olubiyi Fadeyi is a member of the 10th Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Communication, and also the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Trade & Investment.

A Senior Executive Fellow of Harvard, a proven guru and philanthropist, Ajagunnla is happily married with children.

Boss Of The Week

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim: Security Colossus, Performer Extraordinaire

Published

4 weeks ago

October 12, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The hallmark of diligence and genuine stewardship is result: a result that impacts on the lives of the populace. Consequently, one individual has been described as not only industrious, diligent and result-driven, but has exhibited tangible results that speak volumes of her passion to serve. She is the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim.

Young, dynamic, energetic and with an eye for details, Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim cuts across as a thoroughbred professional, whose stock and trade rests squarely on the need to deliver dividends of democracy, trust and egalitarianism.

It is therefore, not a surprise that the Honorable Minister has consistently received accolades from her immediate constitutuency, the Police, other security agencies across board, stakeholders in the Nigerian security business, and the general public, who have seen and acknowledged her undisputed legacy of thorough policing, initiatives and landmark achievements in the little over one year as an appointee of President Bola Tinubu.

This is one public officer, who has redefined gender inclusion, proving beyond reasonable doubt that women have class and height as far as administrative equanimity is concerened. She has given stakeholders and all and sundry that framework on which to unanimously agree that she, in the discharge of her constitutional duties, has exceeded expectations of observers, analysts, employees and employers as she continually dishes out one great innovation after another.

It is not by accident therefore, that recommendations were showered on the Minister at the 2024 Security Conference and Awards of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), which was held at the Oriental Hotel, in Lagos with notable dignitaries from the security agencies and beyond, in attendance.

Speaking as the Distinguished Guest Speaker at the meet, Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim, had highlighted the grace she brought to Police Affairs Ministry, which has seen to both the initiation and execution manifold projects, and their attendant testimonies, including identity tracking for national security.

“As someone deeply invested in the safety and security of our nation, I have spent considerable time reflecting on how best to address Nigeria’s complex security challenges. The more I engage with experts, our police force, and other stakeholders, the clearer it becomes that identity tracking is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. It is not just about knowing who is in our country; it is about building a system where every identity is securely accounted for, and reducing opportunities for crime,” she said.

THE WOMAN IMAAN SULAIMAN-IBRAHIM

A native of Keffi, Nasarawa State, Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim was born in 1980 in Jos, Plateau State to the family of Mr S. K. and Aisha Danladi, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim was however, raised in Abuja, Nigeria.

With a parent, who values education, she began her schooling early, and attended Aruwa Nursery School, Abuja and Jabi Primary School, (now, LEA Primary School, Jabi), for her nursery and primary school education before preceding to Federal Government Girls College, Bwari, Abuja for her secondary education. At the age of 19, she graduated from University of Abuja with a degree in Sociology. At the age of 21, she received two master’s degrees from Webster University, an MBA and MA. She did her mandatory National Youth Service Corps at NNPC, Kaduna zonal office.

Her incursion in professionalism started at Abuja Geographic Information Systems, AGIS, before she moved to the United Kingdom where she worked in human resource, Business and Management before becoming a certified [SAP] HCM consultant.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim joined Mary Kay and later became a senior sales director. She was a special adviser on strategic communication to the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and she was appointed a member of the Nasarawa State Economic Advisory Council by the Executive Governor of Nassarawa State, Engr. A. A. Sule in September 2019.

She was recently the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons for the duration of 6 months from December 2020 to May 2021, from where she was made the Honourable Federal Commissioner of the National Commission For Refugees Migrants And Internally Displaced Persons Office.

Appointed in August 2023 as the Minister of State for Police Affairs, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, a distinguished international professional with over two decades of expertise spanning the public, private, and development sectors, has a wealth of experience in conflict management, human capital development, peace building, and national security. She has no doubt established herself as an administrator par excellence.

Well read and well learned, Sulaiman-Ibrahim obtained is a B.Sc in Sociology holder from the University of Abuja. She is reputed have earned two Master’s degrees; an MBA and an MA in Management – both from Webster University, St. Louis (London Campus) at the young age of 21.

Reflecting her dedication to continuous professional growth and barefaced love for education, the honorable minister is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Security and Strategic Studies at the Nigeria Defence Academy.

In addition to her academic achievements, she co-founded and serves as the President of the BumbleeBee Civic Initiative (formerly The Beehive Initiative), a platform dedicated to mentoring politically inclined women and promoting grassroots civic awareness.

Her public service record is equally impressive and worthy of emulation. As Special Assistant on Strategic Communication and Partnerships to the Minister of State for Education (August 2019 to December 2020), she led the development of the innovative Alternate School Programme, securing Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval for its implementation. She later served as Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), where she significantly improved national efforts to combat human trafficking and address irregular migration.

She has also served as Federal Commissioner and CEO of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI). In this role, she launched the “Project 5s” initiative, a comprehensive program aimed at addressing the pressing challenges faced by vulnerable populations in Nigeria.

As a politician, strategist, and award-winning leader, Imaan has garnered recognition for her work in national security, conflict resolution, and human capital development. On July 27, 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed her as the Minister of State for Police Affairs, making her the first female to hold this position.

Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim is indeed a force to reckon with in administration.

ACHIEVEMENTS AS MINISTER

As a prudent and high flying administrator, Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim explained her achievements so far in a speech as follows:

“In my role as Minister of State for Police Affairs, I have therefore made it a personal mission to prioritize the integration of cutting-edge identity technologies into our policing systems. Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, my Ministry has been working tirelessly to complete the National Data Fusion Center. This facility, now at an advanced stage of development, will serve as a centralized hub for integrating and analyzing identity data from multiple sources, and will significantly enhancing our capability to track and neutralize threats.

“It might interest you to know, that when we resumed office, our first task was to develop a comprehensive reform roadmap—The Renewed Hope Police Reform Roadmap. We critically reviewed eight previous attempts at reforming the Nigeria Police Force and conducted on-ground assessments of police installations nationwide. I personally examined policing systems in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, amongst others. These efforts, combined with extensive consultations with stakeholders at local, national, and international levels, led to the creation of a reform roadmap built on six foundational pillars designed to strengthen and redefine the NPF’s operational capacity.

“…our vision is ambitious but clear: to create a world-class Nigeria Police Force that is inclusive, community-based, intelligence-led, and technologically advanced—fit for the 21st century. We aim to excel in maintaining public safety, upholding the rule of law, and fostering community trust through transparency and accountability.

“As you will suspect, the first pillar of our reform roadmap is Technical and Operational Excellence, which focuses on harnessing technology to elevate the capabilities of our personnel. We are also enhancing sectoral policing capabilities, including air, marine, and transport policing. Other pillars include Infrastructure Advancement, Welfare Enhancement, Policy Framework Development, Community Policing, and Rebranding and Strategic Communication. These pillars provide the strategic direction necessary to achieve the President’s vision for a secure and prosperous Nigeria, and we are already making significant strides in implementing key interventions.

“For example, we have significantly enhanced the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC). This has led to the resolution of major cases, including the arrest of suspects involved in a 16-billion-naira financial crime against a major financial service provider, amongst several others.

“Additionally, the NPF Green Initiative was recently launched, which is the most ambitious police project in the last decade. The initiative, currently in its implementation phase, includes solar power installations at 5,000 police locations, deployment of 840 electric vehicles and 605 gas-powered vehicles, establishment of 14 electric vehicle charging stations, and installation of 38 gas refill stations.

“Given the size and demands of the NPF, we are also exploring the establishment of a Police Industrial Complex. This facility will produce essential equipment to meet the NPF’s operational needs. This approach will not only preserve foreign exchange but also create local jobs and stimulate the economy. Preliminary commitments are already in place, and we are working closely with stakeholders to finalize the details.

“In collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development, we have deployed mining marshals to secure critical mineral sites

“We have also graduated and deployed the first batch of officers under the Special Intervention Squad. These officers are equipped with the advanced skills and capabilities needed to protect communities, uphold the rule of law, and restore peace in conflict-prone areas. Alongside this, we are reviewing the curriculum of our training institutions to ensure that the training officers receive is relevant and responsive to emerging security challenges.

“Automation is another key aspect of our reform. We have streamlined the process for obtaining the Police Character Certificate through an automated system with globally validated reference numbers, significantly improving turnaround times for applicants.

“To enhance regional cooperation, we have strengthened the West African Police Information System (WAPIS). The legal framework has been fortified, and key security institutions are now equipped with WAPIS terminals. This has significantly improved access to critical information, enhancing our ability to combat crimes effectively.

“Over the past year, we have made strategic investments in surveillance technologies, drones, and communication systems to boost real-time information gathering and response capabilities. We have also introduced ICT applications such as the RescueMe App and e-CMR (electronic Central Motor Registry) to enhance our epolicing strategy. These platforms have improved efficiency and productivity across our operations.

“Our efforts extend beyond technology; we are committed to community engagement as a fundamental aspect of our security strategy. We have held numerous townhall meetings nationwide to foster grassroots understanding of security dynamics and develop community-specific solutions. We have also strengthened our partnership with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), resulting in better intelligence sharing and collaboration.

“In addition, we are developing a National Policing Policy to enhance the operational capabilities of the NPF and ensure more responsive and responsible policing. We have also launched the NPF Gender Policy to improve the gender balance within the force, and I am proud to announce that our advocacy has led to the inclusion of a female officer in the force’s leadership team.

Hajia’s father was an Abuja-based engineer and developer while her mother was a teacher. She is the second child in a family of eight children, and is happily married, three children.

Boss Of The Week

The Impactful, Philanthropic Life of Medical Genius, Dr Flora Obiageriaku Aladi

Published

1 month ago

October 5, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Young, trendy, energetic, humane and an absolute go-getter combine to define one of Nigeria’s exclusive achievers, who are making waves across professional divides and geographical locations. She is Dr. Flora Obiageriaku Aladi, an eloquent, dexterous and capable medical hand, who has sworn to affect humanity with all that she is blessed of God.

A Nigerian-born Canadian, whose educational trajectory took shape from the University of Calabar, Cross River State, where she had her medical education, obtaining a medical degree in the bargain, before immigrated to Canada in company of her young family of her two children in 2003 to join her husband.

On arrival to Canada, she enrolled at the University of Calgary, trained in family education, and obtained a degree in Family Medicine.

Saddled with the principle of human life, Dr. Aladi has not failed to use her experience, training and resources to see to the wellbeing of hwr immediate community, Calgary, Alberta, Canada and the universal being. This, she has been doing in over 13 years of medical practice and exigency.

Dr. Aladi oversees the Health Watch Medical Clinics, which currently operates at two locations (Mckenzie Lake and Chinook Park Plaza) as the Medical Director, bringing to bear the experience of a thoroughbred professional, whose stock in trade is care of humanity.

Not only is she a medical specialist, she is an American board certified Independent Medical Examiner, with special interest in women, maternal and child health, Anti-aging, esthetics (skin care and body sculpting), obesity and men’s sexual health. It is not an understatement to absorb her as an all-rounder, infact, a medical accomplishment personified.

An academic of no mean repute as well as an author, she has distinguished herself in the area of research, publishing ten papers in the areas of health disparities and fuzzy logic (Organizational Informatics).

In recognition of her accomplishments, Dr. Aladi has been nominated twice as the Alberta Family Physician of the year by the Alberta College of Family Physician.

In March 2019 she received a prestigious award of Excellence by the Alberta college of Family Physician/College of Family Physicians of Canada making her the first Nigerian to receive this award in Canada.

Also in 2019, and 2022, she received award from Women of Vision “Above and Beyond award” for her support towards a successful conference. She is also the first female medical doctor in her home town hence the origin of the nick-name “trendsetter”
She is currently a medical staff with the university of Calgary department of Family Medicine, Preceptor with the Alberta International Medical Graduate program and Board member Primary Care Services (South Calgary Primary Care Network).

Dr Aladi and her family have been active members of the Igbo Cultural Association of Calgary (ICAC) & Nigerian Canadian Association of Calgary (NCAC) and has volunteered twice as the ICAC Ibo Day Gala Co-Chair.

Among many of her distinguished qualities is her of philanthropy. She is an ardent philanthropist and is currently sponsoring free eye surgery for the under privileged in Nigeria. Again, outside the area of medicine, and in collaboration with her husband, she is involved in real estate investment and restaurant industry – talk of a genuine master of many trades.

Easily identifiedas Dr. Flora Aladi of Calgary’s Health Watch Medical Clinic, as many that know her, describe her as an energetic, and a patient focused family physician, providing a wide range of general medical services to patients in the Calgary area, and environs

Reports have unanimously stated that she has demonstrated special interest in the following areas:

Maternal and child health
Family planning clinic
PAP smear services
IUD insertion
Birth control pills advisory services
Removal of lumps
Other minor surgical procedures

The reports specified that “As a dedicated medical practitioner committed to providing the best possible services to patients in this community, Dr. Aladi does not only give herself to patients’ care in the office, but does house calls/home visits to selected cohorts of frail, very unwell and elderly patients as well as community care.”

Dr. Aladi is also in the professional habit of making available the following other services as follows:

Walk-in Clinic
Travel Consultancy
Prenatal Care
Pre-Employment Medical Exam
Drug Testing
Drivers Medical Exam

She is for all intent and purpose eligible described as a general practitioner in the field of medicine.

Dr. Flora Obiageriaku Aladi is a 2003 medical graduate from one of Nigeria’s prestigious universities. She moved over to Canada and undertook her postgraduate medical training at the University of Calgary Medical School in Family Medicine. She holds Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) qualification.

She is your typical next door Family Doctor, who is in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Aladi is married with children and enjoys volunteering, fund raising and travelling, amongst many other endeavours, when she is not looking after patients.

Striding gingerly to the fifth floor, in a couple of weeks, Dr. Aladi is fondly referred to as the fierceflower by loved ones. This is an aftermath of her beauty, never-say-never attitude and down to earth personality that has conquered boundaries and barriers.

We celebrate your doggedness ma, as you are deservedly crowned our boss of the week!