Dr.
Ayoola Oba Otudeko, Executive Chairman of Honeywell Group, has been
voted Leadership Business Person of the Year 2015 by the Board of
Leadership Newspapers, headed by the Chairman, Sam Nda-Isaiah, “For his
relentless appetite for risk, his zeal to impact lives by creating jobs
and transforming the business landscape with legacy projects and his
philanthropy”.
Commenting on the award, the Chairman Leadership Newspaper noted that the Business Person of the Year Award was conferred on Oba Otudeko for being a pacesetter, his larger-than-life image as a shrewd businessman and a risk-taker of no mean stature. Otudeko’s conglomerate operations stretch across oil and gas, flour milling, real estate and marine transportation and a piece of fortune in the oceanfront, Radisson Blu, Lagos, Nigeria.
Oba Otudeko has
expressed happiness at the recognition for his contributions toward a
better society for all. “This award is coming at a time we are expanding
both business and philanthropic footprints. We are optimistic about
creating value that transcends borders while improving the quality of
lives of people”, he said.
Oba Otudeko is a trained
chartered banker, chartered corporate secretary and chartered
accountant, a highly successful Nigerian investor and entrepreneur,
whose domestic and foreign interests cut across diverse sectors of the
economy. He was at various times, chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, FBN
Bank (UK) Limited, Airtel Nigeria and Fan Milk of Nigeria Plc.
He has also served on
the boards of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Guinness Nigeria Plc,
British American Tobacco Limited and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated
headquartered in Lome, Togo.
He was the president and
chairman of council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. The ever-blunt
philanthropist promotes his ideals of philanthropy and giving back to
the society through the Footprints Occupational Training Centres
initiative of the Oba Otudeko Foundation.
It was In 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 again upgraded to Commander of the Order
of the Federal Republic (CFR) in November 2011, having previously been
awarded Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in November
2002 and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in December
2000.
Oba Otudeko’s giant
strides towards enthroning sustainable development in the Nigerian
economy are being nationally and globally acknowledged.
