Category: Social Circuit

The GMD/CEO of RevolutionPlus Property, Bamidele Onalaja has been awarded a honourary Doctoral Degree by Prowess University, Delaware USA.

The event was held over the weekend at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) campus, Akoka, and had other top professionals including Mike Ozekhome in attendance.

Onalaja was also inducted as Fellow Institute of Arts Management and Professional Studies.

In his acceptance speech, the top real estate entrepreneur said he had rejected many honourary awards but he accepted this one from Prowess University because the institution did due diligence.

While conferring the honour on Onalaja, the African Representative, Prowess University & Founder/Registrar IAMPS, Eze Nwauba said, “The University has conferred upon Bamidele Chris Onalaja the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, Honoris Causa, I hereby authorise that he henceforth be addressed as Doctor Bamidele Chris Onalaja.”

THE style and benevolence of distinguished Olori Sekinat Aramide Elegushi have been documented in a book.

The book, written by the publisher of The ELITES Magazine, Kemi Akinyemi, is to celebrate what the elegant queen Elegushi has done to put smiles on the faces of the needy in society, most especially in her immediate environment.

The book, according to Akinyemi, is a 240-page coffee table masterpiece comprising pictures showcasing the fashion and philanthropic escapades of Olori Elegushi, who is the wife of Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, the Elegushi of Ikateland in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Akinyemi further said, “The inspiration for this work came from the queen herself whom I have been watching from when she got married into the kingdom close to two decades ago. Her poise, carriage, and fashion sense cannot go unnoticed especially when you discover that it is combined with a heart of gold which she possesses.”

She said Olori Elegushi has become a role model for the womenfolk in Africa as a whole and those who read the book have a lot to learn from her unique qualities and milk of human kindness.

In the foreword to the book, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the Head of Service of the Lagos State government observes that “Olori Elegushi’s style and fashion escapades and her footprints in the sands of philanthropism have inspired this book about her.”

He writes: “The book is a captivating record of an accomplished female royale whose life will surely ginger more women to action to transform others’ lives through words and actions.”

THE name Steve Babaeko rings a resounding bell across advertising, brand, and Public Relations practitioners in Nigeria and beyond. Aside from making his mark on the Nigerian scene, Babaeko went on to emerge as the President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and his influence has continued to know no boundaries.

Recently, the founder of X3M Ideas Group joined Black Panther’s Danai Gurira, and others, in advocacy for women in advertising and media.

At the event, Babaeko shared the African perspective on the evolution of global body positivity highlighting the need to eliminate negative stereotypes of women in television commercials and advertising generally.

In the same vein, Babaeko led X3M Ideas and bagged over 20 awards for campaigns following the announcement of the organisation’s global expansion earlier in 2022. The awards were rewards for projects executed for the Lagos State Parks & Gardens Agency, Globacom, Flour Mills of Nigeria, JOTNA Group, Evan Baroque, and Pernod Ricard. The company also won The Luum Awards, The Loeries Awards, and the Lisbon Awards to name a few.

SENATE Chief Whip, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu is undoubtedly a happy father. This is not unconnected with the current achievement of one of his daughters, Ezinne Kalu, who is fondly referred to as Zina.

Ezinne bagged a first-class honours degree in law from the University of Buckingham in the early days of January 2020.

Two years later, the adorable daughter of Kalu was inducted into the legal profession at the 2022 call to Bar ceremony held for graduating students from the Nigerian Law School.

Zina joined over 1,000 others to be inducted into the prestigious law profession at the Body of Benchers complex in the company of her dad, mum, and other dignitaries.

Kalu couldn’t hide his joy as he celebrated the latest achievement of his daughter with her mum and other friends.

Other dignitaries spotted at the event include the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola; Chairman of the Body of Benchers (BoB), Wole Olanipekun; former Justice of the Supreme Court and Vice-Chairman of BoB, Justice Mary Odili; and the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Professor Isa Chiroma, among others.

It is worth noting that Kalu’s daughters are taking giant steps to the delight of their father and family at large – including their grandmother, Eunice Uzor Kalu.

HADJIA Gumsu Abacha Mai Mala-Buni, the wife of the executive governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, is always a beauty to behold.

It’s no longer news that the First Lady of Yobe State has been experiencing the seventh heaven since her wedding to the Governor. It is believed that the unconditional love which her husband has continued to shower on her is something she will never take for granted. At every slight opportunity, she displays her man on social media. Some of the people close to the daughter of the late ex-Head of State revealed that the governor remains the source of her happiness. For Gumsu, giving love a chance to reign again in her life was a hard decision but it took a man who is caring, loving, selfless, soft, and supportive man like Buni to make her forget the pains of her past and unlock the code to her heart.

Despite Governor Buni’s busy schedules and travel itinerary, the duo spends quality time together so much that they make those around them jealous while they confess undying love for each other at every given opportunity.

Another quality that has continued to trail Hadjia Gumsu is her humane and kind acts. She’s so in tune with the people of Yobe State and her immediate environment that children’s and women’s rights always take priority in her mind. Her recent statement on a woman, Sadiya, who passed away after ill treatment from her husband, has continued to draw accolades and thumbs up.

What do you expect when a notable dance expert/trainer holds a party? Dance, very good dance, of course.

That was what happened when the administrator and artistic director of the Lagos Theatre, Igando, David Obafunwa, turned 40 recently.

The hall, aptly named The Dance Place, where he celebrated his birthday in Surulere was a beehive of ‘who’s-who’ in the entertainment industry.

Guests at the 40th birthday included mainly former students of Obafunwa, who came to honour their own. The ‘students’ danced their hearts out as their teacher, who, perhaps, was watching for ‘slips’. Obafunwa didn’t see any as he praised the dancers for doing well what they were taught.

One wouldn’t have been surprised if he had seen any, for he has come a long way in the industry, topping his journey with a rich CV, Obafunwa is the Founder/Director, Dancerapy, Director, Corporate Dance World, Dance Deal Training Foundation, which has trained over 400 dance pros in 11 years.

A graduate of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Obafunwa sees dance as depth, truth, and a tool for social integration. He believes that everyone can dance.

Obafunwa, who was full of smiles, thanked all – his mother, wife, and children and those who helped him to organise the event. More importantly, he used the opportunity provided by the event to unveil his baby, an empowerment project, enjoining all to join the train to grow the economy.

Julius Dediare Rone, CEO and Chairman of UTM Offshore, has hit in faraway United Kingdom, where he recently signed a mega deal.

Those who should know confirmed that Rone has sealed a multibillion-dollar partnership with KBR, JGC Corporation, and Technip Energies to design Nigeria’s First Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) facility.

Sources close to the emerging Rone dynasty affirmed that the recently awarded businessman signed the deal in the presence of his beautiful wife, Yutee Rone, in London, United Kingdom.

With the story of his success, Rone’s big day also attracted top Nigerian dignitaries that include Timipre Sylva, Sharafa Isola, and others.

The deal was signed for the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) of UTM’s natural gas project, which when completed will be Nigeria’s first FLNG plant. The latest effort comes nearly a year after UTM inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Afreximbank to finance $2 billion in order to create an opportunity to support a future final investment decision on the FLNG project.

With the recent FEED contract, UTM will move the FLNG project from the fundraising stage to the implementation phase and will continue working with NNPC Limited and ExxonMobil to expedite the development, exploitation, and monetization of stranded gas resources. The project’s completion will ensure energy security, access to energy, and clean cooking gas in Nigeria, the region, and beyond, as Europe seeks alternative gas suppliers as the bloc diversifies energy sources away from Russia due to the Ukraine conflict.  With the first production from the $1.8 billion FLNG facility expected before 2027, UTM Offshore’s FLNG project will usher in a new age of LNG sector expansion in Nigeria and around the region as energy demand rises.

Adaoha Njemanze’s love for humanity and giving back to society is known by many, who have come in contact with her.

Hence, it was no surprise when her PR firm NOVVA Media launched its corporate social responsibility arm, NOVVA Initiative.

According to Njemanze, the initiative’s primary goals are to provide the necessary educational materials to children in primary education, create a comfortable environment for effective learning, and assist widows in employment opportunities.

Njemanze said her firm, which offers communications and branding services, is committed to ensuring that having access to education should not be a privilege, giving back, and highlighting the discrimination and intimidation of widows in society.

“One of the challenges plaguing our country is the number of children who are not in school, as well as those who are in school but cannot afford the necessary tools to learn successfully. Every child should have access to school; how can we progress as a nation if education is not one of the primary challenges we must address as a society,” she said.

According to her, one of the purposes of the initiative is to provide educational materials to schools in rural areas where these resources may be expensive for families and even school administration.

To kick off the initiative, the firm donated to a Safe House in Abuja, where children of victims of domestic and sexual abuse are assisted alongside their families and given school and home tutoring. The donation is to procure educational materials and equipment for these children.

Njemanze also said the initiative’s second purpose is to create employment opportunities for widows noting that many societies in Nigeria encourage families to be completely or nearly dependent on their fathers.

KOLAWOLE Dada is a man who has achieved so much in South Africa and Nigeria in over two decades. Though not one that courts public attention, Dada has continued to achieve great feats not only in the world of facility and risk management, he has also done well in sports, tourism, hospitality, information technology, customer relations, and human resource development across Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

With over 20 years of professional experience, Dada would rather focus on the next business challenge than entertain frivolities or lose focus of his aim at global success. One of his international clients hinted that Dada is a highly intelligent, diligent, and focused professional, who possesses strong leadership qualities and has remained a goal-getter. Those close to Dada also hinted that he is constantly innovating and thinking of smarter ways of resolving complex scenarios. His professional experience has seen him working at The Palms in different capacities as well as in the South African sporting world where he held sway at the Kings Park Stadium, Durban, South Africa before joining Opel services and maintenance and later kicking off his own firm, Solid Rock Facility Management Company Limited, where he sits as a Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer.

His influential network has also seen him enjoying a good relationship with the South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa amongst other African leaders. A passionate supporter of the Manchester United Football Club, Dada is reputed for being full of initiative and knows how to influence a team to deliver on target. A sociable and likable character, KD, as he is fondly referred to, operates at a high level of integrity and is of excellent upstanding character.