Foluseke Abidemi Somolu, a former president of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and one-time senior special assistant to former President Olusegun Obasanjo is dead. He was 69.
With a career in the Niger Dams Authority (NDA) and NEPA, spanning 27 years, Somolu was involved in the design, building and operation of most power generating stations in Nigeria, including the Kainji Dam Extension, Egbin Power Plant in Lagos, Shiroro and Jebba Hydroelectric Dams, as well as Afam power station in Rivers State. He later headed the Transmission Division. He retired from NEPA in 1997.
The late Somolu was an avid sportsman in his school days, competing in athletics, boxing and basketball. He published electrical engineering journals and presented over 30 conference and workshop papers. He was a Fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigeria Society of Engineers, the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Academy of Engineering and the Institution of Engineering & Technology in the United Kingdom.
He is survived by wife, Dr. Olatokunbo Somolu, children, grand-children and siblings.