Category: Society

Mrs. Omolara Adebiyi is no doubt one of the few women striving to reconstruct the narrative built around successful women. She continues to distinguish herself as an industrious woman of substance, accomplished industrialist, and entrepreneur par excellence.

On Thursday, February 3, Adebiyi would be hosting all sundry to celebrate her latest achievement with the official launch of her new state-of-the-art wonderment, High point Event Center, located Alausa in Ikeja. The edifice is sitting on a stretch of land that is estimated at 10,000 square meters. Inside this superb piece of real estate are features that can send the mind into a trance. These include two fitly framed floors that can accommodate a total of 3,000 individuals, For the capacity, Banquet style is 1000, while theatre style is 2000. It also boasts of a VIP lounge, 18 single-bed rooms that can only be described as Dubai-level luxurious, 2-bedroom suites for lodging and accommodation, the 500-vehicle car park with its air-tight security.

Source averred that her attention to detail on both the interior and exterior decor gives the edifice a more serene look laced with grand opulence. With the introduction of HighPoint, it is now clear that Omolara’s ceiling of vision and achievements is farther than the azure sky.

Oando Group Chief Executive, Jubril Adewale Tinubu, is no doubt one of the champions of gender equality in Nigeria. While the African continent comes third after the United States and Europe, and first amongst other emerging regions in terms of women’s representation on boardrooms of top listed companies, some sectors are doing better than others.

It was gathered that the billionaire businessman in the past had spoken in defense of women as well as the grudging refusal to empower women with leadership responsibilities and he is definitely walking the talking and leading the pack.

In what many observers have described as a paradigm shift, Tinubu’s leadership at Oando is currently seeing a surge in the number of women at its top echelon. As of today, 43 percent of the company’s workforce is female, compared to 22 percent across the industry. Of this, 33% of executive-level employees are female with the hope that its female representation on its board continues to grow.

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A few weeks ago, Oando appointed two seasoned professionals, who are females, to its board of Directors. One of the new appointees is Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, an Alumni of Oando, who has over 35 years of work experience. In 2002, she moved to the Oando Group, where within a few years she rose to the position of Chief Legal Officer. During this period, she also sat on the Board of the telecom’s giant – Celtel/Zain (now Airtel) as an alternate Director. She served in this position until 2011 when she was called to public service in Ogun State and proceeded to serve as a 2-term Commissioner – holding diverse portfolios – under Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s two-term administration as Ogun State Governor. Also appointed is Mrs. Nana Fatima Mede, who has served as a Federal Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment where she coordinated the formulation of the Nigerian Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).

The trained lawyer is a shining star in the nation’s business climate.

No doubt,  Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Chairman, Capital Oil, is generous to a fault. This top player in the nation’s oil and gas sector and politician also has a large heart.

Besides, the senator representing Anambra South at the red chambers is unapologetically committed to uplifting his community, while also helping the course of humanity.

It will be recalled that he suffered a defeat during the November 2021 Anambra State governorship election, as he lost to the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Prof. Charles Soludo.

Despite this distasteful experience at the polls,  Ubah has shown that the milk of kindness still runs in his veins.

Society Rendezvous gathered that the billionaire businessman, rather than being deterred,  has shown an uncommon spirit of sportsmanship by not turning his back against his people. Interestingly, unlike many others, the well-loved businessman is back doing what he knows how to do best: service to humanity.

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As proof of his fellow feeling, he donated food items as well as money worth several million to the people of his constituency and beyond during the last yuletide. He is also set to complete the construction of the new Altar of God at the popular Our Lady Of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi Anambra State with a suspended roof. Sources said; “Senator insisted that previous engineers put down the roof on two occasions despite the huge expenditure on him, personally, running into millions of Naira, because they couldn’t resolve the then nagging jigsaw on using the present suspended roof as opposed to fixing pillars inside the building hall which the Senator strongly objected to.”

The Multi-Million Naira edifice would be launched before March alongside all other mouth watery projects he has embarked on fulfilling all campaign promises made during his campaign.

Chairman of BUA Groups Abdulsamad Rabiu is in a league of his own. More reason his doggedness, resilient and hardworking have made him move the mountain in the very competitive Nigerian business space. The generous billionaire, who has touched many lives in and outside the country is not relenting in his oars until he actualizes his dream to put Nigeria on the world map as an investment destination with an increase in his business conglomerate.

Read Also: How Dangote, Adenuga, Rabiu’s $24.9b wealth can uplift 63 million Nigerians

Days ago, he was listed as the second richest Nigerian man and 5th richest in Africa with a fortune worth $7 Billion by popular financial magazine Forbes. While still celebrating his fortune that rose across the board despite Covid-19, on Thursday, January 27, Samad commissioned his 3 million Metric tonnes per annum Sokoto Line 4 cement and 48 megawatts power plant and also set in motion the commencement of his 3 million Metric tonnes line 5 at Kalambiana, Sokoto. The official commissioning was headed by President Muhammadu Buhari in the presence of major stakeholders, royal fathers, business owners, captain of industry, and other top businessmen in the country.

Media mogul, Chief Kayode Odunaro did not leave any stone unrolled in celebrating his 60th birthday recently. He also had a public presentation of his autobiography entitled “Colours of Perception.” The book details the life of Chief Odunaro, the Baaroyin of Imala-Yewa, Ogun State, with emphasis on his professional career in journalism and public service as Chief Press Secretary to Captain Sam Ewang, (Rtd) Navy Commodore Kayode Olofinmoyin, (Rtd), Chief Olusegun Osoba in Ogun State, and as Special Adviser to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Dimeji Bankole at the National Assembly.

Also in attendance were the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday  Dare, Governor of Ogun State Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Olu Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Dr. Kehinde Olugbenle and Senator Solomon Adeola, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Dr, Festus Adedayo, who is the reviewer, also graced the public presentation that held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, OOPL in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

For real estate mogul and consummate businessman, Chief Abiodun Moshood with the moniker Turaki Dangote, sauntering into the age of 45 is indeed a big deal. More reason he sang praises to his God in celebration mood. In celebration of his big day, he spared no cost to ensure a grand shindig with the support of his wife Aisha, a popular fabric merchant in Lagos.

For his 45th, he had a double celebration. He had one at his palatial Omole mansion in Lagos last December where he hosted family and friends to a compound soiree with Sir Shina Peters serenading invited guests. He also hosted a talk-of-the-town birthday soiree at the Grandeur event center in Lagos on January 15, 2022, as Fuji Maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, serenaded guests.

It was indeed a mega birthday soiree with an array of sumptuous local and continental meals and high-cost drinks in circulation. The Olowolagba of Egbaland, in an elated mood, didn’t fail to show his dancing prowess as he also publicly appreciated his wife.

With tears flowing like a river, birds kept mellowing dirge in a sober mood when the news of the shocking demise of Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, the head honcho of Ocean Marine Solutions and Wells and Carlton hotel, broke. His death affected many tied to him as they found it hard to believe their benefactor had embarked on a sojourn to the afterlife at just 63.

During his lifetime, he was a generous personality, who exemplified the teachings of the bible. He had so many dreams and aspirations one of which was to witness the coronation of his in-law Atuwatshe III as Olu of Warri but death didn’t allow his wish to come to pass. In celebration of his 64th posthumous birthday, his children converged at his Benin city home in Edo State to celebrate him. In the presence of a mammoth crowd gathered at his house, his children went to the burial cenotaph and offered prayers. The posthumous birthday soon turned into an emotional atmosphere as those who benefited from his milk of kindness wept profusely knowing. In continuation of their late father’s legacies, the children headed by Queen Ivie Emiko Atunwatshe III announced a fully-funded scholarship for 100 indigent public primary school children. This, according to the queen, is in a bid to uphold the legacies of the late Okunbo, who values education and invested heavily in it while alive.

Defining the persona of Dr. Zainab Gobir with the sobriquet ‘ZEE’ comes with different compelling adjectives as she fits into any description related to excellence. Her success story, if well-scripted, will make a box office sellout.

She has dedicated her years to hard work serving Nigeria diligently and passionately with her repertoire of knowledge as a trained ICT expert in innovative technology from Oxford University, CITN, INEN, management consultant, banker, finance, and program manager.

Despite her numerous achievements and intimidating resume, she loathes media attention. She loves when her good works speak volumes for her. Like the goldfish that has no hiding place in the water, her excellent antecedent in the corporate world marked with jaw-dropping performance keeps throwing her into the public consciousness as a woman who has redefined the stereotype narratives built around successful women in the country. Despite her tight travel itinerary and workload, she has remained a doting mother to her children and a loving wife to her husband.

With years of experience as a financial expert serving as the e-Services and Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council Coordinator at the Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS, she was called to Head the Initiative and Integration support desk and also serve as Coordinator for PEBEC at FIRS in 2020. Within a short while, she carved pragmatic ways to further deepen the income of FIRS by using her knowledge in finance and economics to rake in billions of Naira in terms of tax revenue generated from corporate and private individuals. For this feat, she was specially recognized by the chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Mamman Nami in March 2021, with a letter of commendation in appreciation for the upliftment of the federal agency.

In reward for hard work, consistency, resilience, and fervent prayers, the Ph.D. holder in Forensic Accounting and Audit from Charisma University was recently appointed and inaugurated a member of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority as Executive Director; Economic Regulations and Strategic Planning, by President Muhammadu Buhari.

She joins Francis Ogaree, Mustapha Lamorde, Mansur Kuliya, and Bashir Sadiq on the agency.