Boss Of The Week
The Consummate Entrepreneur, Kola Adesina
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.
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.
By Eric Elezuo
There seems to be no end to the flow of awards, honours and laurels coming the way of one of Africa’s living legends among women, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is the Director General of the World Trade Organization, as a result of her leadership qualities, exemplary lifestyle and societal impact.
Only last week in far away Davos, the Nigerian export to the world, and former Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, was named and crowned the ThisDay Woman of the Year for obvious reasons.
According to the Editor-in-chief of ThisDay and Arise News, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, while presenting the award, Okonjo-Iweala qualifies as “an uncommon African who is carrying the African flag around the world showing that the African century is upon us.”
He noted that the reason behind the choice of the former Nigerian Finance Minister lies in her exceptional leadership and strategic vision for the future of the WTO which saw her recent reappointment for a second term.
“To the glory of God, it is an honour and privilege in Davos today, to present on behalf of the audiences of ARISE News Channel around the world and readers of THISDAY Newspapers in commemorating our 30th anniversary, to present our 2024 ‘Woman of the Year’ award to an uncommon African, who is carrying the African flag around the world, showing that the African century is upon us. It is a privilege to present our 2024 Woman of the Year award to the head of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,” Obaigbena had said while making the presentation.
Okonjo-Iweala, who is not new to awards, even with the ThisDay organisational, applauded the honours noted that “…this is very, very, very special and I promise you I don’t take it lightly.
“I’ll continue to do my best to try and represent the country, and the continent the best way I can, and to make sure that the dividends of development also flow our way.”
Madam DG’s trajectory in the journey of administration has been phenomenal, and laddened with special touches of creativity, which has consistently placed her on the pedestal of greatness.
While looking forward to celebrate 71 on June 13, Okonjo-Iweala cannot help but accommodate the outpouring of affection and respect that have trailed her performances in all offices she has occupied so far. This underscores her significant influence in global affairs and her role as a respected figure on the world stage, and serving as a reminder of the personal connections and goodwill she has fostered worldwide. She certainly deserves every accolade.
Humble and family oriented, the face of African standard is a woman full of appreciation, and do not hesitate to put her in the forefront, irrespective of her humongous achievements.
She once expressed thus: “I consider myself blessed to have a loving husband, family, friends, and well-wishers! All Glory and Thanks to God!”
Okonjo-Iweala, who for the seventh time in her meritorious career, was recognised, and named one of Forbes’s World’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2023, is an accomplished financial expert, a former Foreign Affairs Minister, who is fond and proud of her traditional ankara attire.
It is worthy of note that Forbes is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family with a particular focus on business, technology, communications, science, politics, and law.
According to Forbes’ 20th annual ranking of 2024, the distinguished Nigerian Economist holds the 87th spot, moving up four spots, and surpassing South African businesswoman, Mpumi Madisa, who stands at 88th.
Okonjo-Iweala also beat Tanzanian President, Samia Hassan, who made her debut on the list at the 93rd position, alongside Nigerian media mogul and philanthropist Mo Abudu at the 98th. Her position bestowed on her the status of the most powerful woman in Africa.
Topping the powerful woman chart, however, is Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission for Impactful Policy and Budget, while Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank President, secures the second spot, with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris following closely in third place.
Okonjo-Iweala, who shattered barriers in 2021 as the first woman and the first African Director-General of the WTO, is celebrated for her remarkable career at the World Bank, and impactful economic reforms in Nigeria.
Her recognition on Forbes’ list underscores not only her significant contributions to global trade but also her commitment to economic development, governance, and international leadership.
In 2022, “The World Trade Organization head Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, made the No. 91 of 100 powerful women in the world, and continues to play a crucial role in providing financial assistance and promoting global trade as the threat of a global recession rises.
A statement from Forbes added that Okojo-Iweala is “an economist and international development professional with more than 30 years of experience working in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America.”
Also in 2021, Okonjo-Iweala was recognized by another media platform, Time magazine as one of the world’s most influential people for the year under review.
“In March 2021, she became first woman and the first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
“She has said she believes in the power of trade to lift developing countries out of poverty help them achieve sustainable development.
“Earlier in her career, Okonjo-Iweala served two terms as Nigeria’s Finance Minister, from 2003-2006 and 2011-2015; she also briefly served as Foreign Minister in 2006.
“She was also Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance that has immunized 760 million children globally.”
According to Wikipedia, Okonjo-Iweala was born on June 13, 1954 in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State, Nigeria where her father Professor Chukwuka Okonjo is the Eze (King) from the Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Ukwu.
Okonjo-Iweala was educated at Queen’s School, Enugu, St. Anne’s School, Molete, Ibadan, and the International School Ibadan. She arrived in the US in 1973 as a teenager to study at Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976. In 1981, she earned her Ph.D in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a thesis titled Credit policy, rural financial markets, and Nigeria’s agricultural development. She received an International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women (AAUW), that supported her doctoral studies.
She spent a 25-year career at the World Bank as a Development Economist, scaling the ranks to the Number two position of Managing Director, Operations between 2007 and 2011. She also served two terms as Finance Minister of Nigeria (2003–2006, 2011–2015) under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan respectively. She also had a stint in the external affairs ministry as minister.
She is a seasoned economist and international development expert, and sits on the Boards of Standard Chartered Bank, Twitter, Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), and the African Risk Capacity (ARC).
She is married to Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon. They have four children – one daughter, Onyinye Iweala (AB, MD, PhD, Harvard) and three sons, Uzodinma Iweala (AB, Harvard, MD, Columbia), Okechukwu Iweala (AB, Harvard) and Uchechi Iweala (AB, MD, MBA, Harvard).
Okonjo-Iweala became a US citizen in 2019 after spending several decades working and studying in the United States. Among an avalanche of high class honours trailing her, Okonjo-Iweala is also the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organisation, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Center for the Study of Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja.
Many has praised her leadership acumen at the WTO and her dedication to global trade issues, underscoring her impact on international relations and economic policies.
Considering her speed, acumen, productivity, proactive nature and eye for details, the end to her honours and recognitions is nowhere in sight.
We once again say a big Congratulations to Madam DG.
By Eric Elezuo
…from all we now know of Mr. Anyaoku, it is obvious that he was destined to be a diplomat, because he had all the makings – intelligence, friendliness, the ability to get things without offending anybody – S.I. Metu
Among the world’s very and highly respected diplomats is Nigeria’s diploma extraordinaire, Chief Emeka Anyaoku. His larger than life figure is further buttressed as he slides two more years into the nonagerian cadre. The world raises a toast to an accomplished and dedicated international figure as he celebrates 92 years of continuous impact in world politics and humanitarian endeavours.
Chief Anyaoku, before, during and after his glorious days with the Commonwealth of Nations as its Executive Secretary, has remained in the forefront of policy makers, image changers and global builders, and he is a few of these calibre of men, who do not have any kind of scandal trailing them. He qualifies as an enigma, and served as the third Commonwealth Secretary-General.
With his signature red cap, a white collar-like attire round his neck, supporting every apparel he wears, Anyaoku is very visible in every gathering and occasion.
A multiple award and honours winner, including the prestigious GCON, GCVO, CFR, CON, Anyaoku was born Eleazar Chukwuemeka Anyaoku, of Igbo parents and heritage, Emmanuel and Cecilia Anyaoku, on January 18, 1933, in Obosi, in the present day Anambra State. He was educated at Merchants of Light School, Oba, and attended the University College of Ibadan, then a college of the University of London, from where he obtained an honours degree in Classics as a College Scholar. Aside from his international career, Anyaoku finds ample time to fulfill the duties of his office as Ichie Adazie of Obosi, traditional Ndichie chieftainship. He is the first of his mother’s children, and had five other siblings.
Wikipedia further captured his trajectory as follows:
After his secondary education, Anyaoku in 1952 proceeded to teach at Emmanuel College, Owerri in the then Eastern Region, he was there until mid-1954 lecturing in mathematics, Latin and English. He was reputedly an assiduous young teacher, meticulous in preparing his lesson notes. He gave back to his students the best of what he had learned at MOLS while injecting humor into his teachings.
One of his teachers at MOLS had kindled in him an interest in the Classics. His Latin teacher had inspired in him a love for the languages, laws and culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the classical roots of the English language. Anyaoku then decided to go and study Classics at the new University College of Ibadan, the premier higher institution of its kind in the country, which had been instituted in 1948 as an overseas college of the University of London.
During the mid-1950s when Anyaoku was an undergraduate at the University College, Ibadan, the Nigerian nation was embroiled in debates, discussions and demonstrations on the political future of the country. There were controversies on when Nigeria should gain independence from Britain and with what political structure it should seek independence whether as a unitary or federal state. The city of Ibadan was one of the main epicenters of these debates. And the University College, which had brought together brilliant students, lecturers and politicians from diverse parts of the country, became a centre of what was then described as national radicalism.
Anyaoku was in the thick of this as a student union leader. He along with like-minds in the union leadership campaigned in favour of unitary state, against federalism. They sent petitions and delegations to the three foremost political leaders in the country then, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe in the Eastern region of the country, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the Western, and Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello in the Northern region.
Anyaoku in 1959 obtained a London University Honours Degree in classics as a college scholar and joined the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) in Lagos. The corporation sent him as an Executive Trainee to the CDC headquarters in London from where he went on a course at the Royal Institute for Public Administration in London. On 1 October 1960, Nigeria was granted independence by Britain. And Anyaoku was posted back to the CDC West Africa regional office in Lagos at the end of December 1960.
In 1977, the Commonwealth Heads of Government elected him as Deputy Secretary-General. In 1983, Nigeria’s civilian government appointed Anyaoku to become Nigeria’s Foreign Minister. After the overthrow of the government by the military later that year, he returned to his position as Deputy Secretary-General with the support of the new government in Nigeria and the endorsement of all Commonwealth governments.
At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Kuala Lumpur on 24 October 1989, Anyaoku was elected the third Commonwealth Secretary-General. He was re-elected at the 1993 CHOGM in Limassol for a second five-year term, beginning on 1 April 1995.
Chief Emeka Anyaoku has lived up to expectations, and merit the positive tags that trail him the world over.
We wish the seasoned diplomat a glorious 92nd birthday, and many more years to follow, looking magnificently young in health and wealth.
The Wikipedia captured her trajectory as follows:
In October 2009, she was elected Ghana’s representative to the executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Ahead of the 2012 general elections, Jane Opoku Agyemang moderated the debate with Kojo Oppong Nkrumah.
On 26 October 2018, she became Chancellor of the Women’s University in Africa located in Zimbabwe.
She has served on many local and international boards and committees such as the Centre for Democratic Governance, (CDD-Ghana), the editorial board of the Harriet Tubman Series on the African Diaspora (Africa World Press Inc. USA), the Africa Initiative in Canada, and the College of Physicians and Surgeons as an Eminent Citizen.
Opoku-Agyemang is an author. Her focus areas includes Literature with a focus on Women from Ghana, Oral literature in Ghana and Africa, Communication Skills and Issues in the African Diaspora. As an academic she has written and published in scholarly journals and presented articles at various conferences including at the 200th Anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City and at the Inaugural Lecture to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 2015, as Education Minister, she published and launched a five volumes collection of published folktales titled ‘Who told the most incredible story?”’
A key focus area during her tenure was empowering girls and advocating for gender equity in education. Her leadership drove the implementation of policies that tackled gender disparities, promoted higher female enrolment and retention rates, and empowered girls through education. Her initiatives played a pivotal role in creating more inclusive opportunities for young women across Ghana.
Additionally, she led the conversion of 10 polytechnics across the regions into technical universities, a bold initiative that elevated the status of these institutions, broadening their academic scope and enhancing vocational education. This reform was instrumental in aligning Ghana’s educational framework with global trends, equipping students with practical skills for a competitive job market.
During her tenure, Opoku-Agyemang initiated the construction of 124 Community Day Senior High Schools, known as “E-Blocks,” to improve access to secondary education in underserved areas. By the end of her term, 50 schools were completed and operational, providing modern facilities such as science laboratories, libraries, and ICT centres. This initiative significantly expanded educational opportunities, particularly in rural and peri-urban communities, and underscored her commitment to addressing disparities in access to quality education.
Opoku-Agyemang oversaw the completion of key infrastructure at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ho, including the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, a hostel block, and staff accommodation at its Sokode campus. The university was inaugurated by President John Dramani Mahama in November 2015, underscoring the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality higher education and supporting the training of health professionals to address national healthcare needs.
She also played a critical role in establishing the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in the Eastern Region. She facilitated the passage of the enabling Bill in Parliament and secured funding for the university. In December 2016, President John Mahama officially cut the sod for the construction of the UESD’s Somanya campus.
Vice presidential campaign
Opoku-Agyemang was selected as the presidential running mate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on 6 July 2020 for Ghana’s December 2020 General elections. She became the first female running mate of the two major political parties in Ghana. Her selection by the flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress was applauded by women groups and women activists as a positive sign to the Ghanaian political scene to promote gender balance and equality.
She appealed to Ghanaians to vote for change and promised to use her office as vice president to influence sustainable development and practical youth-centred policies. Her campaign message was devoid of attacks on opponents. Her intensive campaign in the coastal communities and her home region, the Central Region yielded results as the NDC won most of the constituencies they had lost in 2016. The NDC also won 9 out of the 16 regions in Ghana including the major battleground, Greater Accra.
The NDC National Executive Committee, on 7 March 2024, officially endorsed Opoku-Agyemang again as the running mate for the party’s flagbearer, ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Opoku-Agyemang became the vice president–elect after Mahama won the 2024 presidential election.
On 7 January 2025, Opoku-Agyemang was sworn in as the Vice President of Ghana, becoming the first female to hold the office. The ceremony took place at Independence Square in Accra, where she took the Oath of Allegiance and the Vice President’s Oath before Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo. Her appointment marked a significant moment in Ghana’s political history, as she became the first woman to assume the role of Vice President in the country’s history.
Opoku-Agyemang has been honoured with honorary degrees from the University of the West Indies and Winston-Salem University. She has also received an award for Global leadership from the University of South Florida in Tampa. She received the Officer of the Order of the Volta award for Academic Distinction in 2011 by President John Atta Mills and Ghana Women of Excellence Award in the Education category due her contribution to the development and promotion of quality education in Ghana. She was acknowledged for Outstanding Performance in Advancing International Education, School for International Training, Vermont, USA on two occasions.
In 2020, she was named among the 40 Most Inspirational Female Leaders in Ghana for serving as a role model for women in Ghana and in Africa. In January 2023, she was listed among the 100 most reputable Africans.
It is believed that her antecedents and wholesale performances in all the offices she had previously held, will come to bear as she studiously assists Mahama to reignite the 24hour economy he is known for.
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