“Raise your hand if you know Omolara Adebiyi. No one? What about Lekan Adebiyi? All of you?” This is how a typical introduction of Omolara Adebiyi would go. Because the woman flies under the radar, folks don’t know that she isn’t only the madam of the Adebiyi household but also a peerless contributor to the entrepreneurial spirit in Nigeria. Even among Nigerian quiet achievers, Omolara Adebiyi is quiet.
A philanthropist in Nigeria faces many difficulties. The most obvious of this is the perpetual lens of the paparazzi trained on their lives. Regardless, for someone like Omolara Adebiyi, it takes divination to know what she is doing at any one time, despite the knowledge that she is doing something camera-worthy. This is how Mrs Adebiyi has hidden under cover of MD/CEO of ADDAS Mall Ikeja and wife of one of the biggest indigenous contractors in Nigeria to change people’s lives.
Not too long ago, it was reported that Lekan Adebiyi had helped his wife, Omolara, open a mall in Ikeja, the now-famous Addas Mall. Because the cost of erecting the monster of an establishment ran into the billions of Naira corridor, folks assumed that Omolara was building a legacy of wealth to challenge other Nigerian women who are topping lists of wealthiest women in the world. However, it is obvious now that the good lady planned nothing of the kind.
According to reports, Omolara Adebiyi has used the proceeds of her Addas Mall to improve the welfare of the common people, especially those around the Ikeja area of Lagos. Almost ’200 people’ have directly benefited from her largesse in the form of active and well-paying employment. All these from her own pockets.
It is not strange that a person of Mrs Adebiyi’s status would want to change lives. What is strange is how she goes about it—without any fanfare. Instead, folks sing her praises, noting that she has renovated more schools in Lagos in the last three years than some politicians have done in their entire political career. Regardless, a visionary like her only sees potential everywhere, and so her focus remains on building an entrepreneurial base that will become the pillars of the Nigerian peoples and economy.
So, in a few years, even after Omolara Adebiyi has become a paragon of entrepreneurship with thousands of successful business people as evidence of her efforts and goal, only a few people will still raise their hands when asked about her. This is who she is, a quiet revolutionary making loud impacts.
Adesola Adeduntan: The Sleepless Achiever
Popular culture says there is no saviour in this world, therefore fight your battles and distinguish yourself. Traditional wisdom says that the best of things comes to those who are patient and wait for Truth to show its supremacy. Dr Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, the MD of First Bank of Nigeria Limited, could have adopted the perspective of popular culture, but he did not. Now, there are awards after awards lining his desktop.
Global Banking and Finance Magazine was the first after recent happenings to recognise the efforts and accomplishments of Sola Adeduntan, the shining example of a corporate leader that is First Bank MD, Sola Adeduntan. The award of Retail Banking CEO of the Year symbolised the many contributions of Adeduntan over the years, specifically in how he has popularised First Bank by having cubicle-sized branches (Firstmonie networks) in every corner of every Nigerian city.
To be sure, Adeduntan’s work at First Bank has not gone unnoticed. The man essentially revolutionised the idea of smart banking by carving out Firstmonie banking networks and having them offer banking services for First Bank customers (and those of other banks) within a walk of their homes. Moreover, it is to Adeduntan’s credit that most mobile banking developers have sleepless nights in their efforts to catch up with the First Bank’s mobile app. Godspeed, says Adeduntan.
Meanwhile, Adeduntan has shown himself to be more than a corporate thug with eyes pinned on the funds of First Bank customers. Under his regime, First Bank has launched many projects purposely built around helping micro-and small and medium-scale businesses. Also, the idea of inclusiveness and integration is gradually picking up.
To think that Adeduntan would have retired now. Had the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) not intervened, First Bank—and the Nigerian banking industry—would have lost a treasure. And this is just the kind of treasure that Sola Adeduntan has proved himself to be: a relentless, über-driven MD.
