Adekunle Ojora
Adekunle Ojora: Consumate Investor
Adekunle Ojora is an outstanding entrepreneur, industrialist and businessman. The 66-year-old business tycoon has investments in many segments of the Nigerian economy from oil to food, insurance, to office equipment and the finance industry Ojora started out with solid educational training in London Polytechnic, London, and Christ College, Cambridge University, England. Thereafter, he became assistant editor, BBC London in 1954 and later returned to Nigeria where he joined the federal civil service between 1955 and 1961.
He left for UAC in 1961 as public relations manager and rose to become group public relations adviser. Ojora was appointed executive director and later chief executive of Wemabod Estates between 1967 and 1973. He was also chairman of Nigerian National Shipping Line between 1967 and 1972. Ojora holds the leading single shareholding of many blue chip companies in Nigeria. This has enabled him to hold their directorships for long periods. These include Agip where he was director between 1967 and 1970 and later its chairman since 1970. He has been director of UTC, a Nigerian conglomerate since 1971, and was its chairman until recently. He is also a leading shareholder and director of Seven-Up Bottling Company. Similarly Ojora has been a director of Phoenix Assurance Nigeria Plc since 1973 and director of NCR Nigeria Plc for many year up to date.
Other companies where he has interests include Ecobank Nigeria Plc, where he is the vice-chairman; and Sun-Insurance Plc where he is a director. He is chairman of Sadelmi Nigeria Limited, Gearheart West Africa Limited and Dresser Manufacturing Company Limited. He also holds directorship of Flopetrol Nigeria Limited, Associated Pharmaceutical Products Limited; Avon Products Nigeria Limited, Nigeria Hardwares Industries and Lagos Investment Limited. He is also a director of Ivory Products Limited, Ikoyis Estates Development Limited, Niger Link Industries, Capital Trust Brokers and Evans Brothers Nigeria Limited.
Ojora holds numerous positions of honour in local, bilateral and national business associations. He is vice-president Lagos Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture; Member of council, Manufactures Association of Nigeria, MAN, vice president of both Nigerian Association of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Nigeria-British Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, British Institute of Management and British Institute of Public Relations. He holds the fellowship of British Institute of Directors and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. He has also earned many traditional titles and honorary award. He was made Otunba of Lagos in 1979 and Lisa of Ile-Ife in 1981. He got the national award of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1982. His foreign honours are Commandatore Republican in 1972; Freeman of the City of London, 1989 and Grande Ufficale Al Merito Della Republic. He was awarded an honorary doctorate of Law, Hon LLD. by the Central State University of Ohio, Wilberforce, USA.
Newswatch June 29, 1998
" Newswatch 1998