It is pretty much easy! It is all about establishing in your mind where you are, where you were and where you want to be, and working towards it and also surrounding yourself with people carrying the same the same vision, whether young or old. You have to constantly learn and keep engaging with your immediate environment to understand its needs and understand how you can be a solution provider to the challenges of your environment. As a student, I always wanted to do a business of my own and also be a voice of the people, not of the voiceless because everybody has a voice.
When I was at IBBUL, I was not qualified to run for the Students’ Union president, but my closest friend was and I supported him to run. I was always in touch with the leadership of the Students’ Union. I only will say what I have done, if I want to be honest.
Nonetheless, I have impactful initiatives that we have run, currently running and want to run. Among them is climate action and mental health. The climate action initiative include tree-planting; I made a commitment to the United Nations that we are going to plant five billion trees by 2030, and we have commenced as a means of climate action that we have undertaken across Africa.
I personally supervised the planting of trees in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, and we are planting in Nigeria this August in Delta state. In Nigeria, we have so far planted more than 50, 000 trees. One of the initiatives we are working with is from IFRC’s Limitless Academy which brings innovators together to take climate action innovatively and they get the seed funding of 500 Swizz Franc.
In the area of mental health, we collaborated with the African Union to bring about mental health toolkit that is being popularised and socialised and adopted to be used by the Heads of Government. I have also created a policy document that addressed Africa’s Ministers of Education to consider curricular reform to switch from the status quo to what the world has advanced to like artificial intelligence, robotics, etc. It is to be contained in our curriculum for kids to start learning from the scratch.
I got the idea to start the aviation component of the business after I noticed that Nigeria did not have enough airlines as well as airports, and the private aviation business in Nigeria was also unclear. That was why we created Soar Private Flights to solve challenges that had to with private aviation. We offer people the opportunity to fly private jets without breaking the bank, yet in luxury and style.
However, the financial aspect of the business emanated from the need for inclusive financing, as I am of the opinion that Nigeria currently lacks proper finance systems that empower individuals and businesses. I also saw the need to create more banked communities, and provide better financial advice to individuals and businesses. With agriculture, we understand that there is poverty and hunger in the country, and the problem is not what to cultivate, but how to cultivate and distribute it.
We work with only female farmers in rural communities by leveraging on technology through our sister financial technology company, Slash Finances, to provide facilities to these women to help them cultivate more lands and produce more. By that arrangement, we share profits and losses with these women. We also build and develop their capacities through seminars and workshops that we organise to sensitise them on current technological trends.
This was actually inspired by the African setting, where women provide food for the homes, while the men engage in sales of produce and other commercial activities. We are trying to bring that back, because women are the real agriculture champions. In terms of technology, we also leverage artificial intelligence to help organisations improve their performance and cut overhead cost of services.
I am a globally-oriented business executive with robust track records in international affiliations and philanthropy. I combine a deep understanding of global markets with a commitment to social responsibility and business excellence. With business and diplomatic presence in Eswatini, Kenya, South Africa, Botswana, Niger Republic, Geneva and Addis Ababa, my expertise lies in identifying and leveraging market opportunities, driving organisational growth, and fostering sustainable business practices that benefit both the company and the community.
Also, I employ a strategic approach to manage cross-border operations, overseeing financial performance, and devising innovative strategies to capture new market segments. My international experience has equipped me with a unique perspective on consumer behavior, cultural nuances, and global business dynamics, enabling me to navigate complex market environments effectively. Throughout my career, I have successfully developed and implemented comprehensive business plans, launched impactful global marketing campaigns, and forged strong international partnerships.
My efforts are consistently aimed at optimising operational efficiency, enhancing productivity, and maximising return on investment, all while upholding the highest standards of corporate social responsibility. I thrive on building and nurturing relationships with diverse stakeholders, from clients and partners to community leaders and philanthropic organisations. My ability to communicate effectively, negotiate strategically, and lead teams across different cultures has been instrumental in achieving corporate objectives and driving business success on a global scale.
I am also committed to fostering a collaborative, innovative, and results-driven work environment, because I believe in the power of business to create positive change in society. By integrating philanthropy with my business acumen, I strive to contribute to a more equitable and prosperous world, while ensuring the sustained growth and profitability of the organisation. I had been in the industry for many years, even before I started the company and its affiliates about six years ago.
As a company with diverse interests in finance, aviation, agriculture, and technology, we face a wide range of obstacles and challenges, including regulatory challenges, which entails navigating different regulatory environments and compliance requirements in each industry; industry-specific risks, as regards managing risks unique to each sector, such as market volatility in finance, safety concerns in aviation, crop failures in agriculture and cybersecurity threats in technology. Other challenges include diversification, balancing resources and attention across multiple industries, avoiding conflicts of interest, and ensuring synergies between divisions. Technological advancement is another issue.
It is important to stay up-to-date with rapid technological changes in each field by investing in research and development, and integrating new technologies across industries. We also cannot overlook talent acquisition and retention. Attracting and retaining experts with specialised skills in each industry, and fostering a culture that accommodates diverse expertise is critical to success.
Other challenges include reputation management, capital allocation, data management, supply chain complexities, and stakeholder expectations. By acknowledging and addressing these challenges, we can easily leverage our diversified portfolio to drive innovation, growth, and success, understanding that we work in different countries with different requirements. We support many organisations with human and material resources, including the Nigerian Red Cross Society, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Kesem California in the USA, Christo Cancer Foundation, Abuja; Do Good Detroit Michigan USA; Saka Eletu Foundation Kwara State; Valiant Football Club Lagos Nigeria, and Think Of Us Washington DC USA, among others.
The only advice I have for young people is that they should be fearless and embrace challenges and failures as prerequisites for success. For now, I am not married, but I have such an interesting experience, because business does not give me enough time to engage with my parents and siblings as I would have loved to. But we talk from time to time, and I try as much as possible to spend time with them.
I see myself as a well-established industry expert that is recognised as a thought leader and authority in my field, as well as someone who has made significant contributions to social causes with a legacy project that will leave a lasting impact in Nigeria, an on my community, Oke Apomu, in Ilorin, Kwara state..
