Bola Adeboye: Nigeria’s New Business Emperor
Speaks on His Passion, Business and Family Life
interview With Tunji Egberongbe
I have heard it said that success is made! Made through hardwork, diligence, patience, ideas and an unrelenting spirit to follow up on your instincts even when the going seems tough and no one best typifies this trait than Bola Adeboye. Like the title of one of his Books, Be the Emperor, Bola can be aptly described as the new business Emperor of Nigeria with vast conquest in various sectors of the Nigerian economy. Coming from a humble background of an accountant father and a trader mother, his philosophy can aptly be described as one who is hungry for success and goes for it even at the risk of being labelled unwise by his colleagues. Only men who are goal driven can take the risk of bowing out as a Group Head, Public Sector of a thriving banking institution, Peak Merchant Bank and not look back. Years down the line, Bola says ‘the risk was one that launched him into every area of human endeavours’, as testified to by his versatility in diverse business fields, life and living. ‘You can be whatever you want to be if you know that facing challenges and solving problems are ingredients you need to be a success and ‘if only you are determined and believe in the cause you are fighting’. He has successfully though quietly bestrode the banking, property, oil and gas and several other sectors of the nation’s economy like the giant that he is.
Born over fifty years ago in the rock city of Abeokuta. Bola attended African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta where he had imbibed the daring and daunting attitude while remaining focused on his set goals and aspirations for the future. He obtained his Bachelors, Business Administration from University of Lagos (1981); a period he recollects with nostalgia as he was the speaker of the Students’s body at age 19. An Advocate of fairness and justice, Bola recounts his experience as the speaker vis-à-vis the crisis of confidence with the then university authorities and how he as speaker led the students in a protest that culminated in the removal of the then Vice Chancellor of the University. Bola has an MBA from the Lagos State University.
Bola is a world bank trained financial and management analyst, entrepreneur of no mean repute, an erudite scholar, a consummate banker of local and international repute with over thirty three years of cognate finance and banking experience across major banking divisions which include retail banking, business banking, corporate, asset finance, mortgage banking, institutional and investment banking and risk management. He rose to top management position in various banks in Nigeria among which are UBA Plc, Oceanic Bank (now Ecobank Plc), Bank of Industry and Peak Merchant bank from where he quit paid employment at the topmost position to build his own business empire.
According to Bola, ‘I have always wanted to be on my own, helping to contribute to the economy of the nation by being an employer of labour and bridging the employment gap existing between the private and public sectors’. To date, Bola sits on top of Seven Companies as Chief Executive with interests in consultancy, property management, mortgage banking, oil and gas, entrepreneurial training and lots more. Bola is an accomplished author with titles in various fields.
full interview in GENESIS INTERNATIONAL Magazine Issue 8
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