Kola Adesina: Honour to Whom It’s Due!
Board Chairman, Ikeja Electric, Mr. Kola Adesina’s honourary doctorate bestowed on him recently by the UNILAG leadership was just as earned. Olawale Olaleye writes
“This accolade serves as a fitting acknowledgement of your outstanding achievements and your continued efforts to elevate the standards of engineering and innovation in Nigeria.”
The quote above was contained in a letter by President Bola Tinubu to Dr. Kola Adesina, the Board Chairman, Ikeja Electric, congratulating him on the conferment of an honourary doctoral degree by the Governing Council and Management of the University of Lagos, UNILAG.
Dr. Adesina, a businessman and serial entrepreneur, is one of the few persons, who truly embodies the Nigerian story and her scenic dreams. His “I can do” spirit and unceasing push for the good of humanity, in spite of the inherent challenges, are some of the things that make him a peculiar cast.
His recognition for a doctorate by the UNILAG authorities during her 55th convocation ceremony, although an honour, was undisputedly earned by this hard working Nigerian, whose rise to prominence has been steady, yet organic.
Many miles away from the category of persons often tagged by the Nigerian masses as the “federal government pikins”, Adesina functions largely on the principles of self-worth, honour, personal preservation and respect.
These, perhaps, also explain why he has maintained and kept his clean sheet a distance away from any form of blemishes. He’s never claimed to be infallible or boasted as savouring some preternatural privileges. He’s minded his steps and choices very carefully, and at each given time.
Honoured alongside some other equally distinguished Nigerians like Mr. Fola Adeola, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Professor Olukayode Amund, Professor Babajide Ibitayo and Professor Victor Chiagozie Ariole, the inclusion of Adesina, however, cuts and hits differently, even though UNILAG recognises that they’ve all made exceptional contributions to the social unit called Nigeria.
In his letter of congratulations, dated January 15th, President Tinubu situated the justification for the honour better, when he wrote: “Your visionary leadership at Sahara power Group and your unwavering dedication to ensuring sustainable power solutions have not only strengthened Nigeria’s energy sector but also inspired countless professionals to pursue excellence.”
The president added: “The conferment of this honourary degree is a celebration of your tireless work ethic, professional accomplishments and commitment to social impact. It underscores the pivotal role you play in driving transformative change within the nation and beyond.”
Concluding, Tinubu, who urged to Adesina to “…know that your contributions remain deeply valued by the government and people of Nigeria,” however, encouraged him to continue to serve as a beacon of hope, innovation and inspiration for the future generation.
Taken together, his last line, “inspiration for the future generation,” summarises why the honour on Adesina cuts differently. With a lifestyle that is pleasing to God and enviable to man, there could not have been a better role model for the burgeoning impressionable generation.
Self-effacing and naturally unassuming, Adesina is a man, who treads cautiously in all he does, including carefully choosing his words in any engagement – formal or not. His habitual disposition to building safety into his assumptions further justifies his successes across the business stretch.
Born August 12, 1964, Adesina, the Managing Director of Sahara Group, and former chairman of Egbin Power Plc, isat the moment the board chairman of Ikeja Electric.
With a B.sc in Insurance and M.Sc in Business from UNILAG, including several executive programmes atHarvard Business School and The Wharton School Advanced Management Programme, Adesina, has through his streak of successes in business, merited his place in Nigeria’s political economy.
Adesina started his career in the insurance industry, beforejoining Sahara Group, where his skills set helped to move him rapidly up the ladder, including leading various projects like the nationwide strategic management of the supply chain of fuel to the emergency power plant of the defunct National Electricity Power Authority, NEPA.
He also led the Majestic Oil delegation on the acquisition of the Sierra Leone Refinery and managed the crude oil contract of the group in Côte d’Ivoire, where he was the director of infrastructure, in charge of the acquisition of strategic assets in Africa.
A member of the Presidential Committee on the Accelerated Expansion of the Electricity Infrastructure in Nigeria under former President Goodluck Jonathan, which led to the unbundling of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Adesina is evidently not done yet.
Beyond and above all contemplations, Adesina’s true honour is not ensconced in titles or public display of affluence and influence, but in the dignity he embodies as his own person at all times.
Whether at work or social gatherings, there’s a glittering self-esteem, decency and happy-to-die-for personality that constantly encircles his carriage. He does not feign this or tinker with the optics thereof. It is just in him as a modest man of class.
QUOTE
Beyond and above all contemplations, Adesina’s true honour is not ensconced in titles or public display of affluence and influence, but in the dignity he embodies as his own person at all times
