Yoruba Business People

Tunji Owoeye

 Managing Director of Elephant Group

We are a large indigenous Nigerian Group in the business of Imports, Exports, Production, Processing, Marketing & distribution of Agro Commodities throughout the 36 states of the nation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Our products, particularly Elephant Fertilizer and Elephant Gold Rice have become popular household brands across the country and the trend is fast growing across the sub region of West Africa.

Our reputation as experts in these products speak for us in the market. In dealing with customers, clients and business associates, the company is absolutely guided by the need to attain excellence as the basis for current success and future growth.

We have created a global company which is a leader in many of its businesses, with a breadth of knowledge and experience unparalleled in our chosen industries. This has been made possible by keen business acumen and the many talents of our people. International quality standards are maintained by our highly qualified staff and through creative synergies and partnership with world acclaimed producers and marketers. Adding value through processing is fundamental to our strategies and enables us to provide the required values to our customers.

_@shymmex At 23, Imoleayo Adebule is one of Nigeria’s youngest female pilots. Intelligent, daring, and confident are three words that best describe the tenacity with which she passed through one of the most complex schools in the world – Flying School, to obtain her license as a Commercial Pilot. She graduated at the top of her class at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Kaduna, she now works with Aero Contractors where she is making giant strides.







Born on 25th September, 1988 in Kaduna, she sailed through Primary and Secondary Schools faster than most of her peers. At 15, she was already through with her Secondary education at Royal College, Kaduna. Then came her search for an admission into the University where she wanted to study Mechanical Engineering. This was a very frustrating period for her. It was during her search for admission that she heard about an Engineering course being offered at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Kaduna.



To Imoleayo, becoming a pilot was “fate”. After crossing the hurdle of getting admitted for the course, Imoleayo was faced with another challenge, raising money to pay for the course. At that time, it cost a whooping =N=7.25 million naira to attend the Flying School and till date, she is still awed at the way God provided the funds for her.











Eventually, Aero Contractors’ investment in her paid off, as she was the best graduating student, in her class. She was the second person to fly solo in her class, which means, flying the plane without an instructor. Since then, Imoleayo has flown hundreds of times to various parts of the country and beyond its shores. She holds a Commercial Pilot’s License and was recently promoted to the rank of First Officer. She has been well exposed as she goes to different parts of the world every six months, for training and occasionally, when she wants to learn the grips of a new aircraft.

Molade Okoya-Thomas

Molade Alexandria Okoya-Thomas MFR was born in Lagos on June 8, 1935 to Late Hussam Okoya-Thomas (the first Baba Adinni of Furabay Mosque, Olowogbowo, Lagos and the first local staff of CFAO, who served the company for 52 years) and Late Alhaja Suwebat Okoya-Thomas (née Gbajabiamila, Otun Iya Adinni of Idita Mosque.

Molade Okoya-Thomas had his elementary education at princess school, Lagos, between 1942 and 1946. He subsequently proceeded to Baptist Academy for his high school education and left Baptist Academic in 1956 as the best graduating student, hence earning the honor of his name been listed on the school’s DUX BOARD (Honors Board).

Immediately after his education at Baptist Academy, he studied accountancy at Balham and Tooting College of Commerce between 1956 and 1959 and a further training in Accountancyat Columbia University, New York in 1981. He returned to Nigeria the very year he completed his studies at Balham and Tooting College of Commerce 1959 and was instantly employed as an accountant by CFAO.

He was appointed Director, Transcap Nigeria Limited; Director, Niger Motors Industries Limited; Chairman, Studio Press Nigeria Limited and as been the Chairman of CFAO Nigeria Limited since 1987.

He currently serves as Chairman of many organizations including CICA (Nigeria) Ltd., Transcap Nigeria Ltd., Oktom Investment Ltd., Itochu Nigeria Ltd., Chiyoda Nigeria Ltd. and Anchoria Investment & Securities Ltd. He also serves as Director of NFI Insurance Company Plc and Gateway Bank Plc.

He has been recognized as the Asoju Oba of Lagos, Babasuwa of Ijebu-Remo, Odofin of Ife. He is currently the Chancellor of Lagos State University.

He has also contributed to the development of Lagos state by serving in numerous committees including; member, Lagos City Council between 1971 and1975, member Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, Chairman Board of Trustees Glover Memorial Hall and Tom Jones Hall.

He is a recipient of the Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur, the highest national honour given by the French to a foreigner

Molade Okoya-Thomas was an active sportsman in his youth, he was a Joint All Nigeria Record Holder of 4 X 220 yards relay race while at Baptist Academy Lagos. He has been the sole sponsor of the annual Asoju Oba Table Tennis Championships for over four decades setting a record as the only Nigerian to have single-handedly and consistently sponsored a competition spanning over four decades.

As a philanthropist he has similarly served as Vice-Chairman, Lagos State Sports Council, President Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Chairman 3rd All-Africa Games Appeal Fund Committee, Chairman National Appeal Fund for Sports Development and Chairman Sports Trust Fund. Molade Alexandria Okoya-Thomas built and donated a Modern Sports Hall for students and staff of the Lagos State University (LASU) in 2009.

He was also a prominent member of the fund raising committee for the construction of Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

Dr. Oba Otudeko

Dr. Oba Otudeko, CFR born in August 18, 1944 is an astute and highly successful Nigerian investor and entrepreneur whose domestic and foreign interests cut across diverse sectors of the economy. Professionally, he is a Chartered Banker, Chartered Corporate Secretary and a Chartered Accountant.

Over the years, he has also attended management courses at several prestigious institutions, amongst which are the Harvard Business School, the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Arthur D. Little School of Management and the London Business School.

He is the current Chairman of Honeywell Group, Airtel Nigeria and Fan Milk Nigeria Plc.

Dr. Otudeko retired as the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Plc after 12 meritorious years on the Board of the Bank. He also served on several Boards including the Boards of Central Bank of Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI). Between September 2006 and August 2009, he was the 16th President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

He was formerly Chairman of the National Maritime Authority; Member, Constituent Assembly responsible for drafting a new Constitution, 1988 to 1989, and Council Member, Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria. He was the Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State from 2001 to 2010 and has also served on the Africa Regional Advisory Board of the London Business School, where he is now a member of the Office of Distinguished Friends.

In further recognition of his many contributions to the economic and social development of Nigeria and his consistent commitment to good causes and the Nigerian nation, his National Honour was upgraded to Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR) in November 2011, from the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in November 2002 and the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in December 2000.

He is currently rated 24th richest man in Africa by forbes magazine.

PRINCE SAMUEL ADEDOYIN

Adedoyin's group today encompasses Doyin Investments Limited, a traveling bag and leather products firm, Starco Motors Limited, Doyin Motors, Met Manufacturing Industries, Star Mills, Starco Limited, Jekoyemikele Oluwa & Bros, Global Soap and Detergent, Doyin Pharmaceuticals, Doyin Industries, First City Property Limited, Consolidated Foods and Beverages Limited, Stafford Chemicals and Industries, and Doyin Shipping International Limited.

Adedoyin is known as a successful businessman who rose in the business community from a background of petty trading to an indigenous industrial giant. He got his start in the business world at the early age engaging in petty trading in Ghana and at the age of 14, he was trading in nails, he later divested into trading such products such as pens, umbrellas and some popular goods of the time. In 1968, he established Doyin Investments, a direct labour intensive leather and traveling bag producing firm. Prior to establishing the firm, he was involved in a failed venture with an expatriate. He followed Doyin Investments with interest in motor trading with Starco Motors dealing in Peugeots and Doyin Motors dealing in Volvos. He also established an electronics assembling factory and a fishing net firm.

During the 1980s, the firm chose an industrial path to reduce risks affiliated with changes in government's policy and in areas where Nigerians could easily be trained. He also consolidated his from under Doyin Group largely for coordination and accounting purposes. The group then invested in grits for beer making, mats, detergents, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

The firm also has a sizable real estate portfolio in Lagos which has earned it stable income over the years.

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