Chief (Dr.) John Agboola Odeyemi, elder statesman, businessman, community leader, philanthropist and current Chairman, Board of Trustees of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be 84 of Tuesday.
Odeyemi, the Obasewa of Ife and Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, was born in Ile-Ife on April 4, 1939.
He had his early education at Ile-Ife and was a student on Sandwich course in Accounting at The College of Commerce & Technology, Wednesbury, Staffordshire England, where he won the Rubbery Owen Prize, for the “Most Distinguished Student of the Year”; and “Outstanding Performance of the Year” respectively.
He is the Executive Chairman of JKN Limited and JAO Investment Company Limited. He also serves currently on the Board of Kinley Securities Ltd.
He served on the board of several other companies and he was the Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Ltd from September 2006 to March 2010; was Chairman Refuge Insurance Company Limited, among other corporate board appointments.
A Past President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and NACCIMA, he played pivotal role in the formative years of Nigerian Accounting Standards Board (now Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria), where he also served as its Chairman.
He was honoured by the Federal Government of Nigeria as Member the Order Of The Federal Republic (MFR) 2005; and bagged several other awards from both public and private organizations for entrepreneurship community development and philanthropy.
An honorary doctorate degree holder from Obafemi Awolowo University, Odeyemi is also a member of The Metropolitan Club, Lagos, Beachland Boat Club, Ife Metropolitan Club and a Rotarian, Paul Harris Fellow.