Boss Picks

Battle of the Royals: The Ooni vs Alaafin: Who Blinks First?

Published

5 months ago

August 24, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Just like it happened in 1991, what started as a mere traditional exercise of authority, has blossomed into a bitter rivalry rooted in the quest for superiority. It is the battle of two Yoruba royals, two prominent ethnic monarchs; the Ooni of Ife His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, and his Oyo counterpart, the Alaafin of Oyo His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Abimbola Owoade.

In 1991, the then Ooni, Okunade Sijuwade and the then Alaafin, Lamidi Adeyemi, had been locked in a war of supremacy as a result of the Sijuwade’s conferment of chieftaincy honours on Chief Tom Ikimi, the then Chairman of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Lamidi had protested, stressing that the Ooni has no such powers in Yorubaland, adding that he, the Alaafin, is the only one permitted to exercise such authority, legally and traditionally.

Ooni Sijuwade had boasted that “The crown on the Alaafin of Oyo’s head, which qualified him to be a traditional ruler was given to him by the Ooni of Ife.

“I can withdraw his crown by evoking the special power conferred on me at the temple of Oduduwa, and he will become an ordinary citizen of this country.”

In response, the Alaafin Adeyemi responded, also harshly that “Certainly, 1000 Oonis put together cannot dethrone the Alaafin.”

Describing Sijuwade’s actions as the blasphemy of the Year, Lamidi appealed to the then Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, and the Oyo State Governor, Abdulkareem Adisa to call the Ooni to order.

“It pleased God, the king of kings, the wish and determination of my people and well meaning Nigerians to put me on the throne of my forefathers, and it is with him, Allah, that all powers and authority lie,” Lamidi had said, further accusing Ooni of not being one of the sons of Oduduwa, who is revered as the progenitor of the Yoruba race.

But with the coming of Oba Ogunwusi as the new Ooni following the death of Sijuwade, things began to look better. Ogunwusi, who was said to be determined to end whatever feud in existence, paid visits to Alaafin Lamidi, and he was received. The Yoruba nation heaved a sigh of relief in partial belief that the cat and rat-like relationship previously experienced has ended.

Though another conflict arose in 2018 when Ogunwusi credited the Igbo race as offshoot of Oduduwa. Lamidi quickly rose in disagreement.

But many years after, and even with Sijuwade and Lamidi having joined their ancestors, another brouhaha has erupted. Ooni Sijuwade died in 2015 after 35 years on the throne, while Alaafin Adeyemi died in 2022 after 52 years on the throne.

This new crisis started when the Ooni bestowed the title of Okanlomo of Yorubaland on businessman, Dotun Sanusi during the unveiling of 2geda, an indigenous social media and business networking platform, at Ilaji Hotel, Ibadan.

According to the Ooni, Sanusi’s unparalleled commitment to the cultural and economic growth of the Yoruba race forms the basis for conferring the title on him.

The development did not go down with the Alaafin of Oyo, who strongly criticised the decision of the Ooni of Ife, noting that the Ooni does not have the power and right to confer honours that cover the entire Yorubaland.

Oba Owoade, in a move that shocked the entire Yorubaland race and the nation generally, demanded that the title be revoked within a timeline of 48 hours or the Ooni should “face the consequences.”

“The dictum that nobody is above the law of the land is now being put to a crucial test. The Alaafin hereby demands revocation of the so-called Okanlomo of Yorubaland chieftaincy title conferred on Engineer Dotun Sanusi within 48 hours or face the consequences.”

The Alaafin further argued that the Ooni’s jurisdiction on conferment of titles was limited, stressing that “The instrument of office presented to Oba Ogunwusi during his installation specifically limits his traditional area of authority to Oranmiyan Local Government, which has now been split into three local governments, viz: Ife Central, Ife North, and Ife South.”

He further warned against attempts to undermine his peace-building efforts across Yorubaland, recalling his earlier appeal to traditional rulers to work for unity.

“It is the joy of our forefathers for us to be in unity, and they did their part in ensuring peace and unity in Yorubaland. We must also strive to achieve this. God Himself is involved in our matter; therefore, we must always, at all times, be concerned about the peace and unity of Yorubaland. We say we want development, but no meaningful and sustainable development will come without peace and unity.

“But it seems the Ooni of Ife is misconceiving the Alaafin, Paramount with the Heart of Gold, and his peace initiative as a sign of weakness, hence taking decisions that are not only ultra vires but derogatory to the Titan of Yorubaland,” the Alaafin said.

In his response, the Ooni downplayed any supremacy battle with the Alaafin, describing the 48 hours ultimatum to withdraw the Okanlomo of Yorubaland Chieftaincy title conferred on Sanusi as empty threats of a dead empire.

In a statement by the Ooni’s spokesman, Moses Olafare, the Ife monarch said he awaits the elapse of the 48 hours ultimatum.

Posting on his social media page, Olafare wrote: “The Ooni is busy setting up businesses and creating jobs for youths across Yorubaland, they are busy fighting supremacy that does not exist. Dead empire.

“Their 48-hour ultimatum will soon lapse. We are waiting. Dead Empire. Ooni plans for the groundbreaking and launching of the Ojaja smart city in Ibadan, the biggest in Africa, someone is somewhere busy issuing 48 hours empty threats.

“Where does this king (Ooni) have time for supremacy hullabaloo? Issuing 48-hour ultimatum over a Chieftaincy title that doesn’t even exist.”

Speaking to newsmen, the Ooni said “Forget supremacy, we have only one boss, and that’s our God. He is the supreme being. He’s the king of kings. Who are we, all of us in this world? We are all His subjects. So, what I’m trying to do for Yorubaland is to see how we can unite. United we stand, divided we fall! The day we unite in Yorubaland, we’ll realize how powerful we are.”

Prior to the immediate altercation, matters have been brewing negatively between the two monarchs. Recall that in May, during an event hosted by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the Alaafin was seen remaining seated while other monarchs stood to greet the Ooni.

Also in June, another video depicting both monarchs shunning greetings at the West African Economic Summit in Abuja, went viral.

Though both palaces denied any rift, it’s obvious that between the monarchs, there’s basically no love lost.

In the last few days, when the Yoruba traditional conflict resurfaced, quite a lot of individuals; prominent and otherwise, have lent their voices for and against Ooni and Alaafin, depending on the divide one is viewing from.

While many has given verdict to the Ooni as the supposed custodian of the Oduduwa legacy and the monarch, who lives and manages the Ile-Ife source of the Yoruba genealogy, others have looked towards the Alaafin, citing his relationship with the British colonial government as a go-between for the Yoruba kingdom.

But a source has told The Boss that what is playing out today may not be unconnected to differences in political leaning as it was in 1991 when Sijuwade was more of a Social Democratic Party (SDP) man as opposed to Adeyemi having bias for the NRC. However, our source has failed to elaborate on the leaning of the two prominent Yoruba leaders in today’s Nigerian politics.

Recalling history on the latest rift, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, said he had reached out to Yoruba leaders to mediate in the crisis.

He said the intervention of cultural and political leaders alike is being sought to quell the lingering crisis and avert reopening of wounds.

Adams said, “It is an issue between two fathers. I have been calling Yoruba leaders to look for a way to resolve it. We don’t want the unity of the Yoruba land to be tampered with now.

“I will be in touch with the two fathers. I will talk to them, but I have talked to some of the Yoruba leaders that we should weigh in on the issue. Before I became Aare Onakakanfo, I had been very, very close to the palace of Ooni. At the same time, I was very close to the late Alaafin.

“So I see them as two fathers. Anything that happens between your two fathers, you must look for a way to resolve it amicably. We don’t want to open our old wounds in public.”

“It’s an issue that will be resolved by the Yoruba leaders soon. Our political figures have a role to play, too.

“Apart from the individual leaders in social culture, our political leaders have a role to play, and our real fathers have a role to play. We know that the issue has been lingering for a long time. But in the long run, I believe it will be resolved soon.”

In the same vein, the Yoruba Council of Council (YCE), has lent their voice to the lingering agelong crisis, urging restraint.

Speaking through its Secretary-General, Oladipo Oyewole, the group tasked the governments of Osun and Oyo States to urgently intervene to prevent aberration by the two monarchs.

He called for a thorough revisit into history to ensure that the royal fathers uphold culture in a proper perspective.

“The Yoruba Council of Elders has been inundated with inquiries on the unfortunate incident in which our royal father, Kabiyesi Ooni of Ife and the Alaafin of Oyo are in a serious disagreement over the rites of their offices and/or responsibilities as torch bearers for our culture.

“History has to be understood to sort out the issue in a proper perspective. Pending when that will be done, there is no gainsaying that any action that goes beyond the ‘Omoluwabi ethos’ must be avoided by the royal fathers.

“In this case, the government of both Osun and Oyo states ought to swiftly come to the aid of our motherland by putting measures in place to contain any aberration by the royal fathers. This is an urgent situation.”

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF OONI/ALAAFIN SUPERIORITY CONFLICT

Giving a historical perspective to the conflict, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, backed the Ooni as head of all kings in Yoruba land.

The Organising Secretary of the group, Abagun Omololu, blamed the British for the confusion after dividing the Yoruba land into several provinces to facilitate administration.

Omololu’s chat with The Punch is prwsented as follows: “During the colonial period, the British deliberately divided Yorubaland into several provinces to facilitate administration, grouping different divisions or districts. By the 1920s, 1940s, the principal provinces comprised: Oyo Province – encompassing Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso, Iseyin, Osogbo, Ede, Iwo, and Ilesa; Ondo Province – including Ondo, Owo, and the Ekiti districts (Ado, Ijero, Ikere, Ise/Emure, Ikole), as well as Akoko. Ijebu Province – covering Ijebu Ode, Remo, and Egbado (later Yewa); Abeokuta Province – comprising the Egba towns of Abeokuta, Ibara, Ake, Owu, and others; Colony Province (Lagos) – Lagos and surrounding settlements such as Epe, Ikorodu, and Badagry.”

The paper quoted Omololu as saying that the Alaafin’s authority was confined to Oyo province and constituent towns, while the Ooni’s supremacy transcended provincial boundaries, claiming that the evidence of the Ooni’s supremacy is epitomised in the fact that all Yoruba lineages trace their origin to Ile-Ife.

“It is, therefore, historically evident that the Alaafin’s power was largely confined to Oyo Province and its constituent towns. While the Alaafin exercised temporal and political authority within this domain, he never held control over all Yoruba towns. By contrast, the Ooni of Ife’s supremacy transcended provincial boundaries, resting on spiritual, ancestral, and cultural legitimacy. All Yoruba lineages trace their origin to Ile-Ife, recognising the Ooni as the primordial custodian of their heritage.

“Thus, whereas the defunct Oyo Empire’s political dominion was geographically limited, the Ooni’s authority as ‘first among equals’ endured across Yorubaland, encompassing every Yoruba town, including Oyo itself. The distinction is clear: temporal might does not equate to spiritual or cultural primacy, and colonial records consistently reinforced this hierarchy,” he said, adding that the Ooni was revered by all Yoruba kings, including the Alaafin, as the spiritual head of the race.

“While the Alaafin of Oyo retained historic prestige as a symbol of the Oyo Empire’s political might, the Ooni of Ife was superior in colonial recognition as the spiritual head of the entire Yoruba nation. This was not a power imposed by the British, but rather one they acknowledged, codified, and used in their provincial administration,” Abagun said.

Also speaking, a legal practitioner, Pelumi Olajengbesi, interviewed by The Punch, said the Ooni was within his powers as custodian of Yoruba identity to confer the Okanlomo title on Sanusi.

Olajengbesi held that “no Supreme Court judgment or constitutional instrument vests exclusive pan-Yoruba jurisdiction in the Alaafin.”

He added, “With the greatest respect, the oft-cited Supreme Court decision that purportedly vested Alaafin authority now exaggerated must be properly confined to its facts. Judicial pronouncements are case-specific, and no ratio decidendi of that court has ever declared the Alaafin the sole custodian of Yoruba legitimacy. No statute in any Yoruba-speaking state vests exclusive authority in the Alaafin to confer titles of pan-Yoruba significance, and the court cannot by judicial fiat extend such jurisdiction.

“The law is clear, history is unambiguous, and jurisprudence is settled. The Ooni of Ife has not usurped power; he has exercised it intra vires—lawfully, historically, and culturally. He remains the ancestral father of the Yoruba nation, and his competence to confer honours symbolic of unity is beyond reproach.”

The legal practitioner asked that the Alaafin should be properly advised, as he argued that Ile-Ife is acknowledged as the cradle of the existence of the Yoruba people.

“Every student of Yoruba history knows, tradition and scholarship unanimously affirm Ile-Ife as the cradle of existence of the Yoruba people, the primordial seat where Oduduwa, progenitor of the race, laid the foundation of legitimacy from which all kingdoms, including Oyo, derived their authority.

“As a lawyer, I find no legal, historical, or moral defect in the Ooni’s conferment of the title Okanlomo of Oodua on Chief Dotun Sanusi, an illustrious Yoruba son. On the contrary, it is a timely reminder that while empires rise and fall, the foundation of Yoruba identity, the Ile-Ife and the Ooni, remain timeless, indivisible, and unimpeachable. The Alaafin of Oyo should be properly advised,” Olajengbesi added.

THE POLITICAL ORIGIN/BACKGROUND OF THE OONI-ALAAFIN CRISIS

In a long narrative, a Yoruba scholar, Elder Adeyemi Sijuwade, has presented what in his opinion, explains the origin of the power tussle between two of the most important monarchs in Yorubaland. He wrote:

OONI/ALAAFIN SUPREMACY CONTEST – THE FACTS OF HISTORY AS PER 1888 TREATY AND 1903 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GAZETTE BY THE BRITISH COLONIAL RULER SETTLES THE MATTER

It is quite unfortunate that this issue has to rear its ugly head again. With the death of Alaafin Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who came to the throne with the mindset of revenge of the perceived enemies of his Father Alaafin Adeniran Adeyemi II, who was deposed from the throne and banished to Ilesa, Osun State before his subsequent demise in Lagos.

It’s on record that the young Lamidi Adeyemi was the son that was detailed by the family to be attending to his Father’s comfort and needs at home and this subsequently affected his education which was limited to ordinary West Africa School Certificate with which he worked at the Lagos City Council and later at Royal Exchange Insurance Company before ascending to the throne of Alaafin of OYO Kingdom.

Fact check to history as per the copy of the Signing Of The Treaty Of 3RD JULY 1888 Between Her Majesty The Queen Of England & Ireland and The Alaafin Of Oyo and Head Of Yorubas.

With this fact, it was incontrovertible that Alaafin was the Political Head in Charge Of Yoruba Administration even after the Fulani Feudalist had sacked the OYO Empire and took over the control of the Headquarters of the Empire of Oyo Ile now in present day Kwara State, North Central of Nigeria.

The safety flight of Alaafin Of OYO with the remnants of his defeated Armies now migrated Southwards and were made to settle in about 3 Settlements before finally finding a safety abode in AGO OYO now renamed OYO and taken as the OYO of the Old History.

The wranglings between the Late ASIPA OF OYO CHIEF AMUDA OLORUNKOSEBI AND LATE ALAAFIN LAMIDI ADEYEMI III speaks volume of the claims of ASIPA as the rightful Land Owner of the present OYO.

Please note that the CHIEFTANCY TITLE OF ASIPA has been Approved And Gazetted by the OYO STATE GOVERNMENT as 2ND CLASS OBA with STAFF OF OFFICE and no longer a Chief under the Alaafin Of Oyo.

What now becomes the relevance of ASIPA TITLE among the OYOMESI will now become subject of debate in the modern day history.

For ease of reference, the crisis between AKARIGBO OF REMO AND ELEPE OF EPE that started in 1899 (11 Years After The Treaty) on the matter of Beaded Crown between AKARIGBO AND ELEPE brought to fore the Paramount Position and Supremacy of the OONI OF IFE in YORUBA LAND.

At the explosion of the Civil Strife Between the AKARIGBO AND ELEPE which led to serious Bloodshed, Loss of Life and Carnages, the cause of the strife was the issue of ELEPE OF EPE wearing Beaded Crown without the Authority Of AKARIGBO OF REMO.

After a prolonged Riot that led to destructions of lives and properties, the then British Government intervened in the matter.

The then Government contacted the ALAAFIN OF OYO for his intervention but ALAAFIN politely told the Government that the OONI OF IFE was their Father and he was the only one vested with the Authority on the Beaded Crown for all the YORUBA OBAS.

The GOVENOR then personally visited the OONI OF IFE for his intervention to settle the matter and requested for his presence in Lagos.

The IFE PALACE told the GOVERNOR that it was a TABOO for OONI to leave ILE IFE but the GOVERNOR insisted that he has the mandate of the KING OF ENGLAND to prevail on OONI to help resolve the BEADED CROWN issue.

The details of what the Government provided to meet the demand of OONI is in the records at the National Archives.

With no dissenting voice from any OBA in the Western Region including the OBA OF BENIN who attested to the SUPREMACY OF OONI, the INQUIRY was held at LAGOS CITY HALL on the 1ST APRIL 1901 and it was stated by the OONI OF IFE that ELEPE OF EPE had no right to the Beaded Crown and that AKARIGBO OF REMO was right in his actions to demand for removal of the Crown from ELEPE.

The OONI OF IFE consequently presented the List Of Yoruba Obas who are entitled to the Beaded Crown and what Traditional Materials to be presented before being given the Crown.

The Government Gazette of 28TH FEBRUARY 1903 has put to rest the issue of the most Paramount Ruler in Yoruba Land.

It was on the strength of the above that there was no contest between the OONI And ALAAFIN through out the Colonial Rule. Constitution Of the First Council Of Obas Meeting in Oyo in 1934 in which the OONI OF IFE was the CHAIRMAN of the meeting with 4 other OBAS and the Governor in attendance.

The Attendance List is as follows –
(1) OONI OF IFE
(2) ALAAFIN OF OYO
(3) OBA OF BENIN
(4) ALAKE OF ABEOKUTA. (Now ALAKE of Egba Land)
(5) AWUJALE OF IJEBU ODE (Now AWUJALE of Ijebu Land)

The venue of the meeting was subsequently rotated at the domains of the OBAS listed above and in all the meetings, OONI OF IFE presided over all. Records available at the National Archives attest to this fact.

Please note that the Immemorial Advertorial included with this write up was to show to the readers that the then 8TH OBANIKORO OF LAGOS – AJAYI BEMBE (1897 – 1906) was the INTERPRETER BETWEEN THE OONI OF IFE AND THE GOVERNMENT.

It was further stated in the reports that were Gazetted that all YORUBA OBAS vacated their PALACES and Sleeping Outside The Walls Of Their Palaces on hearing the News that OONI was on his way to Lagos and remains there until his return back home and it was even stated that the ALAAFIN OF OYO was outside his Palace for the duration.

That Late Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111 fought tooth and nail to regain the throne back to his family line with just one King Ruling after the deposition of his Father for which he deserved a BIG APPLAUSE.

He tried desperately to rewrite the History of the formation of the Council of Obas and Chiefs but he never succeeded.

Despite ganging up with few other Obas like Soun Of Ogbomosho, Olubadan Of Ibadan, Owa Of Ilesa in leading a revolt calling for the Rotation Of Chairmanship Position of OYO State Council Of Obas from its Permanent Position Of OONI OF IFE, he never succeed.

However, at the Creation Of Osun State and with the exit of OONI from OYO State to Newly created OSUN State, the opportunity finally presented itself for ALAAFIN to be the Chairman Of OYO State Council Of Obas & Chiefs.

Having forgotten the earlier unwholesome alliance with the Obas mentioned above for Rotational Chairmanship, he occupied the office.

Unfortunately, after the expiration of his 2years tenure and Olubadan Of Ibadan was to occupy the seat as per their previous agreement before the exit of OONI, the ALAAFIN reneged on the agreement and resigned from the Council because he couldn’t stand seeing OLUBADAN or SOUN who were promoted from BAALE in 1977 to OBA to be presiding over meetings where he will be present.

With all of the above and other records available at the National Archives, readers are free to their opinions and to change the Gazette on this issue or legal option can be resorted to.

Whilst the majority of YORUBA LEADERS are still trying to reposition YORUBAS to its Old Glory of History which made OONI ADESOJI ADEREMI and CHIEF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO to fight for the reclamation of the rights of the Yorubas in Kogi and Kwara State.

Please note that at the creations of States in 1967 in which Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the VICE CHAIRMAN FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, he influenced the Creation Of CENTRAL WESTERN STATE with ILORIN as the CAPITAL and COLONEL DAVID BAMIGBOYE as the GOVERNOR.

Unfortunately, due to the shenanigans of some Influential Fulanis wearing the toga of Religions with few Uncultured Yorubas playing on their intelligence, they demanded for a change of name and it was subsequently renamed KWARA State – the name of a small River that serves Pastoralist Herdsmen.

Whilst the rest is now History but
there was one loud and visible gain for it in that the OLOFA OF OFFA Was Able To Have His CROWN AND SHOES BACK WITH THE SAME TREATMENT FOR OTHER YORUBA OBAS ANYTIME THERE IS A MEETING OF TRADITIONAL RULERS WHERE EMIR OF ILORIN WILL BE PRESENT.

May the Almighty God continue to Bless The Soul Of the LATE BRIGADIER DAVID BAMIGBOYE for putting an end to that SLAVISH BEHAVIOR.

I have a Culled Article On How Oloofa Of Offa Got His Crown & Shoes Back Written By A Concerned Yoruba Man .

The vengeance of the ALAAFIN AOLE On APOMU TOWN around 1759 was what led to the Beginning Of The End Of OYO EMPIRE with the refusal of AARE ONAKAKANFO AFONJA in taking further directives from Alaafin.

It would be recalled that the Young PRINCE AOLE has his youthful working career in APOMU, IKIRE & ORILE OWU AXIS trading in Woods & Planks.

He was reported to be involved in a shady deals in the selling and buying that would have earned him a jail sentence but just a punishment of 12 Strokes of Cain at the Order Of Kabiyesi ALAPOMU OF APOMU, the rest are in the History Books for more details.

LAST LINE: WHEN THE CELESTIAL BATTLES THE TERRESTRIAL

For a crisis that has lingered for over a century, with no party willing to bat an eyelid, the end may not be soon. It is more more disheartening that while the Yoruba are trying and beginning to find their feet in the Nigerian geographical expression, it is being consumed by its own inability to harness tradition to proper use.

It must be made clear who between the celestial leader and the terrestrial leader, is the ultimate leader of the Yoruba.

Notwithstanding, as difficult as it may seem, the solution requires just one party to blink, and peace is back to reckoning. But who will blink first? The Ooni or the Alaafin?

Time will tell!

Boss Picks

The Boss Man of the Decades, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr + The Conoil Deal That Shaped 2025

Published

3 days ago

January 11, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

Love him or hate him, you can’t fault him. He is an enigma. A definition of class, humanity, intellectual discipline and entrepreneurial acumen. He is the very epitome of when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. And of course, a reference point and research material when it comes to philanthropy. Dr. Mike Adenuga doesn’t give little or give just for giving sake. He gives to sort and solve a lasting challenge. Yes, he is Dr. Michael Adenuga Jr., ‘The People’s Billionaire,’ and without introduction, the brain behind the increasingly success stories recorded at the Globacom Group, among his many other conglomerates and subsidiaries.

Known by many appellations, such as the Spirit of Africa, a rare gem, walking kindness, moon amongst the stars, owner of wealth beyond money, the mighty oak, the man with the gift of Foresight, the Bull, Pillar of sports among a whole lot more, Adenuga’s image looms large. He appears little, and achieves so much more. Hardly seen, but gracefully and consistently felt.

Adenuga qualifies for the engravement of ‘the gods have come down to us in the likeness of men’. Yes, this is because his agenda is solely centered on affecting the lives of people for the very right reasons, and that, among a plethora of many other reasons, has qualified the Duke of Giving and Enterprise to emerge as The Boss Man of the Decades.

For decades, even prior to the awesome establishment of the Glo brand, Adenuga has remained a never-say-never entrepreneur, conquering territories, breaking new grounds, establishing new vistas and reaching for new horizons. And in all, carrying along all and sundry in his gains and expansion.

Even when the business atmosphere proves cumbersome, Adenuga rises taller than usual, ensuring that dependants as well as service receivers never lack nor complain.

In 2025, among his many achievements, Adenuga exhibited one of his most prized business and entrepreneurial skills with the strategic transaction between his Conoil Producing Limited and TotalEnergies. This is one deal, whose implications stretch beyond balance sheets into Nigeria’s long-troubled oil production narrative. The humongous nature of the transaction and impetuousity associated with it have placed Nigeria on a pedestal only the likes of Adenuga can negotiate for in the oil industry. That’s how big the Bull is.

Seen as a big boost for Nigeria’s oil and gas production, the major production deal was signed in Paris, at TotalEnergies’ headquarters in La Défense, Paris, by Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., Chairman of Conoil Producing, and Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of TotalEnergies.

Also, in 2025, Adenuga held the most outstanding meeting with the President of France, negotiating another deal that promises extreme generosity for the Nigeria and its economic. Though the details of the deal is still close to the chest of the Chairman, its manifestation is expressing green as the ebullient colors of the Globacom Group, under the magnificent management of Mrs Bella Disu nee Adenuga.

He held similar meetings with the President of Ghana, Dr. John Mahama, earlier in the year.

In 2024, he rose from a year that has been replete with economic downturns, where several enterprises and entrepreneurs were counting their losses, and significantly raked in over United States $700 million, to shove up his fortune. A feat, only the very ready can achieve.

According to Billionaires.Africa, a news magazine that tracks the progress or otherwise of African billionaires, Adenuga, in spite of the harsh economic environment, occasioned by policy somersaults of the present administration, proved that his business acumen supercedes environmental economic variables, giving him the leverage to not only have its head above water, but to smash every available class ceiling of average.

The magazine wrote, “Amid a year marked by currency depreciation across several African nations, including Nigeria, billionaire businessman Mike Adenuga solidified his position among the continent’s wealthiest individuals and the world’s 450 richest people. Adenuga, who built his fortune in telecommunications and oil production, saw his net worth rise by $700 million in 2024, a testament to the resilience and diversification of his business empire.

“As of Jan. 1, 2024, Forbes, the U.S.-based business magazine renowned for tracking global billionaire fortunes, estimated Adenuga’s wealth at $6.1 billion. By Dec. 31, 2024, his net worth had grown to $6.8 billion, ranking him as the 448th richest person in the world. Adenuga’s wealth is anchored in his control of Globacom, Nigeria’s second-largest mobile telecommunications and digital services provider, which boasts over 60 million subscribers.”

Adenuga has proved over the decades that he is not the regular billionaire. He is of the stock that is not regulated by stock market figures, but by liquid cash. And that explains why his wealth and net worth supercedes whatever figures churned out by any institution, or any position he is placed in the billionaires’ list.

Adenuga is, for all intent and purpose, in a world and class of his own. This is because his business trajectory and personal philosophy are uniquely his, and therefore worthy of emulation.

Sitting atop one of the most cherished and subscribed network, Glo, Adenuga has not only inspired lives, and practically lifted not a few to enviable heights.

Known for his diverse investments in oil, gas, telecommunications, banking, construction, and real estate, Mike Adenuga notably shook up the African telecom sector with the launch of his telecommunications network, Globacom Limited (Glo), in August 2003.

Also referred to as The Guru, Adenuga is like the proverbial Iroko tree, who is unlike any other. In terms of humility, pedigree, magnanimity, wealth and portfolio of investments, he is one of a kind.

When the Federal Government decided to give indigenous businessmen licences in the dollar-denominated but capital-intensive upstream oil sector, Adenuga was one of those who applied.

Unlike others who sold their licences for quick money, Adenuga was vision personified, and decided to go into full scale prospecting and exploration. The gamble paid off as one of the wells that was being drilled struck oil, making his company, Consolidated Oil, the first indigenous Nigerian company to discover oil in commercial quantity. The epoch making discovery on December 24, 1991, changed many narratives.

Despite his success, Adenuga believes business must have a human face, it must add value, it must have an impact and ultimately, be socially responsible. These are some of the core values that he considers before throwing his money into any investment.

That is not all, he also firmly believes that the world is a field of battle and you must prepare to win, not some time but all the time. He’s a mountain climber like the Tibetan Monk, who believes that you must survive all odds to get to the top.

Incredible tales have been told about his amazing capacity for work. He is known to sleep very little when there is work to be done, and he expects his staff to imbibe the same work ethic. Though generous, he is said to have zero tolerance for incompetence or sloppiness. With him, one must be on their toes every time.

It is therefore, no surprise that his targeted investments and the grace of God Almighty have placed him well ahead of the authentic list of billionaires. His never-give-up spirit is well known and it is this force that has driven him to achieve feats many mortals will think are impossible.

Adenuga has no rival. He is a symbol of endurance, entrepreneurship, extraordinaire and self-made business titan, who is certainly one of the wealthiest black men in the world.

HIS EARLY LIFE

Born on April 29, 1953 to Oloye Michael Adenuga Sr and Chief (Mrs) Juliana Oyindamola Adenuga, the Yeyeoba of Ijebuland, Otun Gbadebo of Ikija and Iyalaje of Ijebu-Igbo, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr was not a silver spoon kid, but his parents were comfortable.

The indigene of Oru, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State was born and schooled in Ibadan. He attended the famous Ibadan Grammar School. He had his university education in the United States. He majored in Business administration with emphasis on Marketing.

While in school, to augment the allowance sent by his parents, he worked as a cabbie (Taxi Driver), putting in many hours of work a week. This culture of back-breaking hard work shaped him for his ambitious business adventures later in life.

HIS FAMILY

Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr is married to Mrs. Titi Adenuga (nee Adewale). She provides the comfort and stability that such an incredibly busy man requires. His children are Oyin, Babajide (Bobo), Paddy, Bella, Eniola, Bimbo, Sade and ‘Niyi Jnr. He also has grandchildren.

HIS BUSINESSES

As soon he finished his studies in the United States, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. returned to Nigeria. His mother was into business, and it was under her tutelage that he began trading. It is probably because of the tremendous impact that she had in his life as Business Adviser that he adored her so much. She passed on in 2005.

Dr. Adenuga Jr, who is the youngest of his parent’s five children, began by selling removable car stereos. Probably sensing his business acumen, he was allowed to run the family saw mill factory in Ogun State.

He began to steadily grow the business. First, he went into the importation of saw mill equipment, then veered into importation of beer eventually hitting it big with his importation of lace.

Recounting those early days, the businessman extraordinaire said he was returning home from a trip in the United States when he missed his British Airways flight and had to fly Swiss Air. On that flight, he was lucky to sit next to the owner of one of the biggest lace manufacturing companies in Austria.

He, it was, who convinced him before the flight touched down to give lace importation a shot. He took this advice and the reward was good. Later, he also went into tomato puree and vegetable oil. He was a sort of Jack of all trades and master of all. By the age of 26, he was already a millionaire.

As he grew older with more financial muscle, he decided to streamline his operations and look for investments in key sectors of the economy to concentrate on. That was how he began to structure the Mike Adenuga Group where he is Chairman.

When General Ibrahim Babangida decided to break the monopoly of foreigners in the oil industry and encouraged Nigerians to participate, Adenuga was one of those who took up the challenge.

His company, Consolidated Oil applied for and was granted some oil blocs. It was a very risky decision and even his mother advised him against it. He spent over $100 million on evaluation, interpretation and drilling. His courage and tenacity paid off when Consolidated Oil became the first Nigerian company to explore, discover and produce oil in large commercial quantities. Now called Conoil Producing Limited, it is currently the leading indigenous oil and gas exploration and producing company in Africa.

Years later in year 2000, he bought over the moribund National Oil and Chemicals Company (NOLCHEM), taking over the government’s majority shares. He has since injected fresh funds into the company and rechristened it Conoil Plc.

Conoil Plc has over 450 retail outlets all over the country and is the acknowledged leader of development in modern retail outlets such as mega stations and non-space pumps in new-look retail outlets. It is the market leader in aviation fuels.

Adenuga’s most ambitious project yet is in telecommunications. His company, Globacom is the Second National Operator in the country. The first is the government-owned NITEL. It is obvious that with Globacom, Adenuga is not interested in short-term profit, he is there for the long haul and of course, his desire is to give Nigerians and Africans world class telecommunication services.

When he launched the network, he was two years behind the others, Adenuga’s entry strategy was to be innovative and aggressive. He waged a price war, democratized and demystified telephone services. Today, the ultimate risk taker has taken Globacom from the nadir to the zenith of the industry.

Glo was the only operator in Africa to launch its operations on the superior 2.5G network which enabled the convergence of voice, data and multimedia technologies.

But more importantly, it launched operations on Per Second Billing, thus ensuring subscribers only pay for actual time spent on a call instead of the practice of billing customers N50 per minute even when the call cuts off at just 2 seconds. It also crashed the cost of SIM card from N30,000 to N6,999 and later N100, thereby making it possible for low income earners, students and artisans to own GSM lines today. It is now one of the most recognizable brands across the continent.

The network currently has over 60 million subscribers, and is the most preferred network in Nigeria, with a vast network of already laid fibre crisscrossing all parts of the country.

The Globacom network comprehensively covers over 400,000 communities, all the 36 states and all major highways. Globacom has highly successful subsidiary networks operating in other West African countries.

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.

Glo 1 – This is the only solely-owned high capacity submarine cable with connection to the USA and running from the UK through African and European countries. It has been and continues to be a huge commercial success at the heart of the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

It is remarkable that it is a Nigerian company that has pulled off this ambitious project. One of Adenuga’s close associates said the idea of building a submarine cable berthed when the entrepreneur went on a business trip to Paris, the French capital, sometime around 2008.

While there, he found out that telephone calls to Nigeria were epileptic unlike the connection between France and other parts of Europe. When he made enquiries about what could be done to solve the problem, he was told it was to have an international submarine cable. There and then, Dr Adenuga decided to build Glo 1, and the rest is now history. The project is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and foresight of ‘The Guru’.

Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr also has vast holdings in the banking, real estate and infrastructure sectors of Nigeria.

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.

HIS SUPPORT FOR SPORTS

His passion for giving is not only personal, the culture has also been imbibed by his companies especially Globacom. Through Globacom, he became the biggest supporter of football in Africa.

For so many years, the company supported the development of Nigerian sports through the sponsorship of the Nigerian Premier League and the national football teams of Nigeria when no other corporate organisation wanted to touch the assets.

Globacom spent billions of naira in developing the Nigerian league and clubs, and this culminated in Enyimba Football Club winning the prestigious Champions League twice in a row, while the Super Eagles won the Nations Cup in 2013.

In that same 2013, the company signed a N1.9 billion deal with Nigeria’s league Management Committee. The company also did same for other associations and major leagues in Africa.

Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr. also started a football revolution with the sponsorship and transformation of the yearly Glo/CAF Footballer of the Year Awards. He is the undisputed pillar of sports in Africa.

HIS GIANT STRIDES IN CULTURE AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY

Nigeria’s entertainment industry has also received a massive boost through Adenuga’s love for the arts expressed through Globacom.

No company in the nation’s private sector in the last two decades, has consistently invested largely in Nigeria’s entertainment industry like Globacom Limited.

Adenuga’s vision is reflected in Glo’s youth-driven ecosystem. There is no strata of Nigeria’s entertainment industry that you will not find the signature of Glo on it: from music to acting to comedy to sports, etcetera, the list is long.

Glo has come to be regarded as a network of stars. No corporate organization has had the kind of constellation of entertainment heavyweights as it brand ambassadors as Globacom. All through the years, the cream of the country’s musicians, footballers, literary icons, actors, actresses and comedians have either be signed on as brand ambassadors or featured in the company’s commercials.

Some celebrities who have graced Glo’s Hall of Fame include: King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Osita Osadebe, Oliver d’ Coque, Prof Wale Soyinka, Yusuf Maitama Sule, Nelly Uchendu, Onyeka Onwenu, D’Banj, MI Abaga, PSquare.

Others are Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Juliet Ibrahim, Matter Ankomah, Davido, Wizkid, Flavour, Gordons, Basketmouth, I go Dye, Teniola, Brother Shaggi, Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Osaze Odemwingie, Joselyn Dumas, Michael Essien, Anthony Joshua, Tobi Amusan, Ime Bishop Okon, Asake, Chike, Kizz Daniel and a host of others.

While the commercials that featured these stars helped to market the Glo brand and make it a household name, the partnership benefited these celebrities very well as it served as strategic public relations for their individual brands and its attendant financial gains.

So far, no corporate organization has touched the lives of these celebrities like Glo. The advent of Glo has really been a blessing to celebrities in the industry and beyond. The most interesting factor is that Glo is still in the business of investing in the industry despite excruciating economic realities in the country.

This explains Glo’s humongous investments in talent hunt shows in the last eighteen years. It has sponsored shows like: Rock ‘n’ Rule, GloNaiga Sings, Laffta Fest, and the world number one music singing talent reality TV show, X Factor, which birthed in Africa for the first time in 2013.

Others are Slide and Bounce concert, an entertainment tour which went round all the geopolitical zones of the country as well as Glo Mega Music Show and Glo’s Battle of the Year, which gave the winners a life-changing N9 million prize money, a Toyota Hiace bus valued at N25 million and other prizes.

Glo has also been in the forefront of showing the celebrities in the CNN Glo-Sponsored African Voices Change makers.A host of African talents have featured in the international programme.

Similarly, the nation’s art and culture have also been positively touched by Globacom. From Ojude Oba in Ijebu-Ode, Ofala in Onitsha, Lisabi in Abeokuta, Imeori in Abiriba, Oru – Owerri in Imo state, Afia- Orlu in Nnewi, Anambra State and Abia –Ugwa in Isiala Ngwa, Abia State, among others. The company has through sponsoring the festivals not only brought them to international limelight, but has also turned the host cities into major tourist attractions.

HIS PASSION FOR PHILANTHROPY

He is without doubt, the most generous Nigerian alive. He gives ceaselessly and carelessly. He is an angel of mercy; giving is living for him. One cannot help but open mouth wide whenever they open his philanthropic envelope

Describing Adenuga’s large heart in an article, The Boss Newspaper Publisher, Dele Momodu, wrote “Everyman should wake up and pray to meet and become good friends with the Spirit of Africa. Trust me, it is worth every second of it. Just imagine a man who dashes out the same kind of cars he drives to friends.

“Dr. Adenuga believes that his friends are entitled to the same kind of material things that he wishes for and buys for himself. He has no jealous or mean streak in him in that respect,” he wrote.

Adenuga’s former close aide, Bode Opesietan also stated “Dr Adenuga’s generosity is legendary. He gives personal rewards like no other billionaire. If God has given you this kind of resources, it is not for you and your family alone” he would say”.

Also during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adenuga was 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.

According to Adenuga “How much money can one individual or his family enjoy? You must spread it and touch lives…that is what brings true happiness and joy. What’s the point if your friend is wealthy and it doesn’t show on his friends”.

There is nothing more to add. When it comes to philanthropy, Adenuga is in a class of his own! Indeed generosity is in his DNA!

HIS PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE

Dr. Adenuga loves integrity and loyalty. Because he hardly goes out, he is able to monitor people and events quietly from his desk and home.

Aside from this, He has had to navigate his way through the murky waters of Nigerian politics. Dr. Adenuga avoids and shuns politics like the plague. He does not believe that he must be involved in politics for his businesses to survive or thrive.

All he campaigns for is an avenue to do business on a level playing field because he knows that he can survive and outlast most people. He considers himself one of the fittest and the best, if not the fittest and the best since he is methodical, calculating and highly industrious and energetic, and does not like attracting unnecessary attention to himself or his business.

Among many of his pluses, Adenuga is sagacious, methodical man, and rewards excellence. He does not suffer fools gladly. Most of his offices around the world are open 24 hours.

HIS LIFE STYLE

You can call him an enigma and you will not be wrong. He is a very shy gentleman, a trait that many mistake for arrogance. Before Globacom, Dr Adenuga Jnr was one of Nigeria’s silent billionaires. He was making his money without fanfare. Then came Glo, and he became one of the most recognizable Nigerians alive.

Till date, he hardly attends public functions and even if he does he sneaks in without any fuss and leaves even before the Master of Ceremony recognizes his presence. He has said to as many that care to listen that he orders to live under the parapet.

Despite this elusive persona, those who have met him can attest to his ebullient nature. He is one man who catches his fun when he is in the mood. He has very fine and elegant taste. A connoisseur through and through.

Contrary to what many think, he still finds time to unwind most times only in the company of his inner circle of friends and family.

Dr. Adenuga is neither ostentatious or extravagant in his style and dress. For him moderation is the value of life. In the early days, it was obvious he loved safari suits, but these days nice flowing shirts which mostly have his personal crest emblazoned on them are the norm.

Of course like all billionaires, he loves powerful cars, nothing over the top or attention-seeking. And as per flying, he has the accoutrement that fits his jet set, super executive lifestyle, which means he has long forgotten what it looks like to fly commercial.

HIS LOVE FOR FRANCE

Dr. Mike Adenuga has always had a great affection for France, and had long established a cordial relationship with the nation between the recent President Bola Tinubu incursion into French territory. He often visits the country, where he also owns property, and has maintained a productive and valuable relationship with French interests.

It was out of this desire, love and affection for France that he ardently supported the development of Alliance Française in Lagos, in the wish to see that its activities, efforts and initiatives could be enhanced, and its reach and appeal increased.

The brand new, ultra-modern Mike Adenuga Centre was unveiled by French President, Emmanuel Macron in 2019.

It is for this great act and his humongous investments that the French president deemed it fit to bestow on him the country’s highest national honour.

HIS HONOURS ROLL

For his contribution to economies and communities across the globe, Dr. Mike Adenuga has been appreciated with so many awards, traditional titles and honours. The most prominent are the national honours from Nigeria, Ghana and France.

In Nigeria, he holds the highest civilian honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), this honour was hitherto reserved for mostly vice presidents.

In Ghana, he was awarded the highest civilian honour of Companion of the Star of Ghana (CSG). According to then 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, artistes, footballers and many more. I am particularly proud of you. This award is our way of a saying a simple thank you.”

The entrepreneur extraordinaire was also decorated with the Chavalier de la Legion d Honnuer (CdrLH), the highest National honour of France, by French President, Emmanuel Macron.

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

Adenuga is an impressive African treasure, business phenomenon and this generation’s Mr. Consistency, and so deserves the very best of toasts.

Congratulations sir!

Boss Of The Week

Consistent, Focused, Impactful: The Story of Bella Disu

Published

3 weeks ago

December 21, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From whichever angle one views it, Bella, the beloved daughter of billionaire businessman, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., is an enigma, a point of reference and research material for acumen, industriousness and resilience. She is the typical of the never-say-never spirit of the Nigerian women. Yes, she has taken hers a niche higher, infact beyond the reach of competitors.

Nigerian women have shown resilience, strength and character in administration, government and entrepreneurship, contributing more than their quota, and giving vent to the growth and development of the nation’s socio-economic sector. Among them is the impactful Executive Vice Chairman of the A-list communications outfit, the Globacom Group, Mrs. Bella Disu.

A strong purpose-driven professional and boardroom guru, whose administrative skills, intellect, experience and academic trajectory have remained a subject of reference, Bella, as she is fondly called, is a woman, who though has a privileged background, carved a niche for herself, climbing through ladders and cadres to get to where she presently is, and more importantly, can boast of the desired leverage and ability to defend her position.

Born Belinda Ajoke Adenuga, on May 29, 1986 to the duo of Emelia Adefolake Marquis, a Nigerian entrepreneur, and the global phenomenon, Dr. Mike Adenuga Jr., Bella received her early education in Lagos, at the prestigious Corona School in Victoria Island before enrolling at Queen’s College for her secondary education. In 1998, she transferred to Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, where she concluded her secondary education.

She proceeded to the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations, and later, a Master of Science degree in Leadership from the Northeastern University, also in Boston.

In 2004, Disu joined her father’s Globacom, and consistently rose through the ranks to become the Executive Vice Chairman of the company. She is also a non-executive director with the construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

In April 2010, Bella took a break to solemnize her romantic relationship with her heartthrob, Jameel Disu, a venture capitalist, and both formalized their union in a fairytale wedding that is still the talk of the town, almost 15 years after.

As phenomenal and weighty as her family name, Bella dropped, and picked up completely her husband’s name, signifying undying love and loyalty. That’s still the name she bears till date. Both are blessed with three wonderful children.

In 2019, the French Government awarded Disu the Chevalier dans ‘l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in recognition of her efforts in promoting French culture.

In January, 2021, Abumet Nigeria Limited announced her appointment as Chairman of its Board of Directors. Abumet Nigeria Limited maintains worldwide partnerships with reputable manufactures and maintains a state-of-the-art production facility, located in FCT Abuja, fully equipped with cutting-edge machinery and technology.

Abumet is a subsidiary of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, and a leading solutions provider for the planning, processing and installation of aluminium and glass products, from single standard windows to sophisticated facades and large-scale design masterpieces. She replaced Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, upon his resignation from the board. Bella is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Management of Nigeria (MNIM) and the Institute of Directors of Nigeria (MIOD).

In addition to her French National Honour of Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (“CAL”), and currently the Executive Vice- Chairman of Globacom Limited, she is also the Chief Executive Officer of Cobblestone Properties & Estates Limited, and a Director on the Board of Mike Adenuga Centre.

In less than four years of her leadership, Abumet’s profits, according to Billionaire Africa, surged to 307% in 2024, marking a major turnaround from losses in 2021.

The paper reported of her exploits as follows: “As a Non-Executive Director, she helped boost Julius Berger’s revenue to N566.2 billion, pushing it into Nigeria’s top 50 listed firms.

“At Abumet, Disu is driving innovation in façade technology, deploying unitized curtain walls for improved insulation and energy efficiency in Nigeria’s construction sector.

“Nigerian business executive Bella Disu has led Abumet Nigeria Limited, an innovative glass and aluminum manufacturing company, to record-breaking earnings, with profits quadrupling at the end of the 2024 fiscal year. Her leadership has not only steered the company back to profitability but has also reinforced the business acumen that runs deep in the Adenuga family.

“In a LinkedIn post, Disu, who has served as chairman of Abumet since 2021, shared the company’s turnaround: “Abumet is reaching new heights, and I’m excited to share our latest achievements. I am especially proud of the remarkable turnaround we’ve achieved—transforming from a loss in 2021 to delivering a 307 percent increase in profit in 2024.

“At just 38, Disu has earned her place among Africa’s top executives under 40, proving her ability to drive business success while steadily stepping into the legacy of her father, billionaire Mike Adenuga, who ranks among the continent’s wealthiest individuals with a fortune of $6.8 billion. She took over as chairman of Abumet’s Board of Directors in January 2021, succeeding Bamanga Tukur at a time when the company was struggling with steep losses.

“Since then, Disu has orchestrated one of the most impressive corporate recoveries in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector. Under her leadership, Abumet returned to profitability by the end of the 2022 fiscal year, bouncing back from the impact of COVID-19 and the financial challenges of 2021. The company sustained its profit in 2023 before posting a fourfold increase in 2024.

“Reflecting on this achievement, Disu credited the success to strong leadership and teamwork: “This success is the result of strategic leadership at the Board level, the dedication of our management team, and the collective effort of every Abumet employee.”

“Bella Disu expands Abumet’s market reach
As a 90-percent subsidiary of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Abumet plays a key role in the construction giant’s success. Bella Disu, who also serves as a Non-Executive Director at Julius Berger, has played a ‘much more’ active role in driving growth in the building solutions sector. By the end of the 2024 fiscal year, Julius Berger’s revenue rose from N446.1 billion ($296.4 million) in 2023 to N566.2 billion ($376.2 million) in 2024.

“Profit after tax also increased from N12.74 billion ($8.5 million) to N14.97 billion ($10 million), boosting the company’s market capitalization on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) to N202.1 billion ($134.3 million). This has placed Julius Berger among Nigeria’s top 50 publicly listed firms, ranking 35th on the NGX.

“Under Disu’s leadership, Abumet has strengthened its market position by expanding its sales and marketing efforts. The launch of its Lagos sales office has helped grow its market share for made-in-Nigeria window and door solutions, while its EVONIGGLASS insulated glass brand has gained wider recognition. Despite market challenges, the company has posted record-high revenue and profits, exceeding expectations.

Abumet deploys energy-efficient curtain walls

Looking ahead, Disu is focused on pushing innovation in advanced façade solutions, leading Abumet’s efforts in glass and aluminum manufacturing.

“Abumet is deploying unitized curtain walls that will completely envelop the façade, ensuring not just aesthetic excellence but also enhanced energy efficiency through modern insulation technologies,” she said.

With a strong record of turning businesses around and driving growth, Disu is cementing her leadership in Nigeria’s business world. Her influence now extends beyond construction, telecommunications, and real estate into the country’s broader manufacturing sector, where she continues to make a lasting impact.”

Bella’s trajectory in the world of enterprise is a clear case of the demystification of the proverbial a tree cannot make a forest’, as she has conscientiously turned tables around wherever she found herself, bring in new ideas, new innovations and structural discipline that completely overhauls a system for all the positive outcomes.

Hers, is a case of continuous rise in the business world, and the home front. She is a better definition of a virtuous woman, and at less than 40 in age, the sky holds no barrier to how much more Belinda Ajoke Olubunmi Disu nee Adenuga could achieve in the coming months.

In November 2025, at a Techx Ikoyi event, Bella made a strong case for positivism, using herself as a veritable content and well researched material. Her speech titled, Say Yes Now! Why Readiness is a Myth, is still much talked about as presented in full below:

I was 38 when I finally met my whole self. Bella Disu — the change maker, the creative, the lifelong learner, the woman unafraid to keep evolving.

It’s interesting though, I didn’t meet her in a moment of perfect readiness. I met her after I got tired of constantly walking within the same walls. Today, I’d like to share the story of how I stopped waiting, what it taught me about why we hesitate, and what happens when we finally say yes.

A while ago, I decided to try something new. Not in business, but in my years-long fitness journey. At one point, I weighed 110 kilos. At another, 64. By my mid-30s, I had found a rhythm: 160 grams of protein a day, strength training four times a week, 10,000 steps daily. Slight work, right? I had three walking pads — one in my bedroom, one in my study, one in the office. Don’t ask. I’ve never been one for small measures.

But it worked. Of course it did. Until one day, I realized this is my life — walking in place and staring at the same walls. So, I thought maybe it’s time to move differently. Maybe I should learn tennis.

Yet, as soon as the thought came into my mind, I hesitated. I asked myself, “Should I do it? Should I wait? Wasn’t it too technical, too hard, too late?” After all, who starts tennis at 38?

Despite not feeling quite ready, I found a coach, showed up on the court, and soon I was playing tennis three, sometimes four times a week. And then, to my horror, I discovered that tennis doesn’t even give you that many steps. All those side-to-side moves don’t count. But by then, it wasn’t about steps anymore. I was hooked. And now I am often amazed at the physical and mental growth that has since happened all because of one small decision. I’d asked myself, “Should I do it? Should I wait?” And something in me answered, “Say yes now.”
But I’ve thought about why I hesitated in the first place. And it’s that for years I thought I had to wait for the right moment, for more qualifications, for a different version of myself. Psychologists call it destination addiction — the belief that happiness lives at the next milestone. So, a certain weight, title, or degree.

And I know I’m not alone. How many of you have asked yourselves: “Should I do it? Should I wait? What if I fail?” We all know that familiar voice that whispers, “Not yet.” So, if the antidote is that simple — say yes now — why don’t we all do it?

We don’t because hesitation is a conundrum. It wears the mask of readiness. And I used to mistake readiness for a finish line. Then in 2014, I met a coach I had invited to facilitate an HR session. And after the session, he said, “So tell me about Bella.”

I froze. I really did. I could talk about my work, my father’s mentorship, even my wedding — which is probably my biggest claim to fame at the time. But about me, I… I really didn’t have much to say. So, I was thankful when he offered me a complimentary session and said, “Let’s talk to Bella from 10 years ago. What would you tell her? And 10 years ahead — who is she?”

To be honest, that future Bella was hazy. But his questions drew out interests and passions I once buried. So he then said, “What’s stopping you from going after them? You can be many things at once.”

So I said a mental yes to his words — and it opened doors to pursuing diverse interests: a first master’s, later an MBA, writing and publishing my first children’s book, impacting lives through the Bella Disu Foundation, and gaining the courage to walk into rooms that once intimidated me.
You see, each step reinforced something critical: readiness is not a destination — it’s a posture. And we become ready by doing.

Today, I’m no longer a woman hesitating in life or business. And that transformation has seeped into organizations I lead. I’ve led through discomfort many times. I’ve restructured a board and redesigned corporate strategies. And I’ve dealt with the late nights, the doubts, and that familiar restlessness that keeps leaders awake thinking, “We have to make this change.”
Yet conviction, grounded in facts, gives me a sense of urgency. And that to me is leadership — seeing what could be and moving towards it. Viewing urgency as a journey toward clarity and not chaos.

And this is particularly important because organizations wrestle with hesitation just like individuals do. Some companies choose to wait for perfect timing — and lose their moment. Others say yes now — and change industries.

I’m sure you all are familiar with these three companies that sat at the same intersection in the 1990s. Remember Kodak?
Kodak saw digital images coming and froze. Blockbuster saw Netflix and laughed. Why? Organizational loss aversion. The fear of letting go of a successful past to pursue an uncertain future.

In contrast, Apple saw the same digital future and accelerated it. The difference? Two companies chose to protect their past and failed. One chose to create its future and thrived.

And that story isn’t foreign. It’s happened right here at home, too. Just think of how we went from seeing the glory days of a popular quick-service restaurant that defined our childhoods to the success and triumph of newer ones like Chicken Republic and Kilimanjaro.

We’ve also seen the rise and agility of fintechs pushing banks to challenge their long-held ways of doing business — and in doing so, unlocking entirely new markets and customer segments.

The companies that say yes now prove that courage and speed matter more than size and comfort. Therefore, the companies that thrive, the leaders who excel, the people who grow — they all share one thing: they’ve come to recognize the mask of hesitation and take it off.

When hesitation says “not yet,” they know that doing creates readiness. And when comfort offers its gentle cage, they choose the discomfort that leads to growth.

Indeed, when I look back at every important shift in my life, it began with a small yes — often inconvenient, sometimes uncomfortable, occasionally irrational.

Saying yes to tennis at 38. Saying yes to learning again. Saying yes to growth when it would have been easier to just stay still.
But here’s what I didn’t expect: saying yes never ends with you. My teams learn to challenge comfort because I did. The women I mentor raise their hands because they saw me raise mine. And my daughter Paris picked up a racket because I picked up courage.

Every yes we give ourselves becomes a light that tells someone else it is safe to begin.

So, right now in this room, someone is sitting on an idea — starting a new business, changing roles, writing that first page, booking that class. Maybe you’re waiting for perfect timing, asking yourself, “Should I do it? Should I wait?”

You already have your answer. The traffic light — it’s already green. So move. Say yes. But most of all… say yes now.

Thank you.

Bella is sure a force to reckon with; in all ramifications!

Boss Picks

The Incredible World of Capt. Segun Sotomi @45

Published

1 month ago

December 6, 2025

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

If there is a limit to paying dues as regards affecting humanity, Captain Emmanuel Adesegun Sotomi, has done absolutely divine, excellently well and incredibly outstanding. And he is only 45 years. Yes, December 5, 2025 was his birthday.

A typical all-rounder, Sotomi is a blend of academic, field and the unthinkable. He is a generalissimo in every field he has found himself; enterprise, camaraderie, business of 9-5 or flying for commercial purposes or pleasure. Sotomi is the future.

A brief of his adapted career trend reveals that Sotomi has seen it all, achieved it all, and can be defined as human technology transfer in the way he has mentored a great number of youths and competitors and contemporaries alike.

Philanthropism; yes, a lot of folks, who know him are full of testimonies of his open handedness, his love to rescue the needy and lift the downtrodden are phenomenal. He is a lover of humanity, a true legend in discipline.

Soft spoken and well read, Sotomi is a dream of every growing youth, who planned to be thoroughly established before the golden age. He is a role model.

Below is a derived biodata of the fast rising pilot-cum-entrepreneur…

Captain Segun Sotomi is a skilled commercial pilot, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He attended the University of Lagos before going to top-tier aviation schools in South Africa, Canada, and the United States to obtain his pilot licenses. He is currently a captain with Gulf Helicopters Qatar, a subsidiary of Qatar Petroleum.

Capt. Sotomi is licensed to operate both airplanes and helicopters [Licenses include SACAA PL (Airplane); CPL / FAA ATPL (Helicopter)]. His previous work experience includes Nest Oil, where he flew offshore.

He is also the founder and CEO of Southern Shore Integrated Services LTD, an offshore aviation logistics support company, and has a passion for working with, and empowering youths.

Captain Sotomi has served in several management positions in his flying career, and also sits on the board of different top-tier companies.

He is an avid polo player, and is happily married with children.

Happy 45th birthday!