Top 10 Prominent People in Oyo State, Nigeria and their Worth

Here are the top 10 prominent people in Oyo State, Nigeria. We have written their brief biographies and their net worth  This ranking is based on their popularity on the region and how they impact lives. The main aim of this list is to serve as a source of inspiration to younger once in the state and Nigeria at large.

1) Governor Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi

Governor Ajimobi is undoubtedly man of the people of Oyo state not because he is the incumbent governor of the state but he is the ‘pegun run first’ (jinx breaker) because he is the first governor to be re- elected since the inception of the state.

He was born on the 16th of December, 1949 in Oja Oba area of Ibadan to the family of Pa Ajimobi who was the Honorable member of the house of assembly in the western region.

He started his primary education in Oke Padre Ibadan but completed his primary school education in city council primary school, Aperin. He started his secondary education at Lagelu grammar school Ibadan.

Due to his brilliance performance he proceeded to the United State of America where he studied Business Administration and Finances at the state university in Buffalo where he bagged his Bachelor of Science degree. He later got his MBA in Operation Research and Marketing with finance as his area of specialization.

He worked with Management and Industrial Consulting firm as Senior Consultant when he came back to Nigeria in 1977. He also worked briefly with Modullar Group as Finance and Admin Controller before joining Nestle Foods PLC as operation controller and thereafter he became marketing controller.

In 1979, he joined oil and gas and worked with National Oil Chemical Marketing Company as the consumer products manager and was promoted to divisional manager. He was also posted for an international assignment in shell international storage company in Togo serving the whole West Africa as chief executive. He voluntarily retired in 2002 after 26 years in oil and gas industry.

After he left National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company in 2003 he ventured into politics and became the senator of the federal republic of Nigerian represented Oyo South Senatorial district under the platform of AD (alliance for Democracy). In 2007, he contested for governorship election of Oyo State under the ANPP but lost to PDP. In 2011 he re-contested again and won the hard fought election to displace the then incumbent governor,
Otunba Alao Akala under the canopy of ACN
Due to his excellent performance in his first time in office, he was re- elected again in April 11, 2015 general election under APC an achievement that made him the first governor to be re-elected in the history of the state.

2) Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja

Senator Ladoja was one time formal senator of federal republic of Nigeria and governor of Oyo State. He was popularly known by his gentle but wise character. He is a billionaire whose concern is to bring smiles to the lips of the poor.

He was born on 25th September, 1944 in Gambari village near Ibadan. He attended Ibadan boys High School for his primary education from 1958-1963 and proceeded to Olivet Baptist High School for secondary education between 1964-1945.

As a result of his brilliant academic performance he went to university of Leige in Belgium for his tertiary education where he obtained bachelor of technology in chemical engineering.

He returned to Nigeria thereafter and obtained a job with Total Nigeria where he worked in various positions of company before venturing into his private business in 1985.

His business made him to venture into; shipping, manufacturing, banking, agriculture, transportation among others. In 2000 he became a director of Standard Trust Bank.

He was elected to the red chamber of the senate in 1993, as result of his commitment to serve his people he contested and won the governorship election of the state in 2003 under PDP. After three years in office, he was impeached by Oyo State legislators in January 2006 as a result of fall out with his political God father Lamidi adedibu on political affairs.

The impact he made such as; civil servant affairs, employment, reform in education, and proper management of state allocation made him different from all.

He is founder of Accord Party in the state and contested for 2015 governorship election under its canopy but lost to APC in the process.

3) Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala

Otunba Adebayo Alao Akala is a notable politician whose contributions to the state especially ogbomoso town would not be forgotten so easily by the populace. He was born on June 3, 1956 in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. He had his primary education at Baptist day School at Ogbomoso and later proceeded to Kamina Barracks middle School 5th battalion of Infantry Tamale Ghana. He attended police school in London. He rose from station officer up to ADC of inspector general of Police before he retired.

He started his political career in early nineties and became the Local Government Chairman of Ogbomoso North under the platform of APP. He later became the vice governor of the state in 2003 and was sworn in as the governor of the state when Ladoja was impeached in 2006. He was elected as the executive governor of the state in 2007 under the platform of PDP. In his quest to serve the populace, he re-contested for the seat in 2011 but lost to APC gubernatorial candidate in the process.

He was among the five gladiators that contested for 2015 governorship election in the state but lost to Ajimobi in the process. Otunba Akala is the founder of TDB globals and has many chieftancy titles in his kitty. He is a polyglot because he can speak English, Yoruba, Hausa ( Twi, Fanti, Dagbari) and Ghanian language fluently

4) Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Samuel Odulanan Odugade 1

He was a civil servant (teacher and administrator) a parliamentarian, a soldier, a philanthropist, an elder statesman who is the 40th Olubadan and the only who live up to 101 years on the throne. He was born on April 14, 1914 and began his primary education at St Andrew School in 1922 but obtained a transfer to St Peter school Aremo in 1929 and completed his middle school education at Mapo central School in December.

He took a teaching job in 1939 at church missionary society elementary school and taught till 1942 where he made remarkable contributions in establishing both primary and secondary school in Old Western region of Nigeria. He retired for politics in 1959 pre-independence federal election as member of House of Representative and was later appointed as the parliamentary secretary to the then prime minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa, he became the country’s minister of labour in 1964.

His hierarchical step by step attainment to the throne began in 1972 when he was appointed as the Mogaji of his Ladunni compound and in 1972, he became jagun Olubadan moved up to twenty two ladder steps to become the Olubadan of Ibadan in August 11, 2007, at the age of 93 years.

5) Alaafin of Oyo Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi iii (CFR)

His royal majesty was born on 15 October, 1938. He started his academic career from a Quranic school in Iseyin and proceeded to Obalende Model School. He later attended Tinubu Methodist School and St Gregory’s College.

He got his first job at the Royal Exchange Assurance, Marina Lagos. Due to his perseverance and handwork he got promoted to the specialist area of obligatory facultative and internal memo drafting and later ventured into business thereby buying wrecked cars to later re sell. His philosophy behind the alaafinate as an institution is service to humanity.

He became the king on November 18, 1970. During the agitation for the creation of state in 1975, he contributed immensely to the course therefore the Old Oyo, Ogun, Ondo were created. In Recognition of his contribution, federal government honored him with the national honor of CFR at the national theater, Iganmu Lagos in 1979.

In 1980, he was appointed the pioneer chancellor of then University of Sokoto now Uthman Dan Fodio University. A feat that took him 12 years which is yet to be matched by any other chancellor in the country.

6) Soun of Ogbomosoland Oba Jimoh Oladunni Oyewumi Ajagungbade iii (CON)

The Royal Majesty was born on May 27, 1926 by his Royal father Oba Bello Oyewumi. He started his primary education in Ibadan at St Patrick School Oke padre, Ibadan and after completing his primary school education he travelled to Jos in 1944and picked up a business career as a textile trader for years. After sometime he ventured into buying and selling of bicycle from Lagos. His zeal for business and skill for entrepreneur made him gloat into bigger deals with PZ, SCOA, CFAO, among other conglomerates.

He later showed interest in estate development and property acquisition a climax that made him to travel to France, Paris, and United Kingdom. In 1973, when then Oyo State governor invited gbagun ruling house to present candidate for the appointment of Soun of Ogbomosoland he was favored most by winning the interest on 90 out of 94 decision makers and emerged as the king of Ogbomosoland.

7) Senator Monsurat Sunmonu

A current serving senator of the federal republic of Nigeria representing Oyo central Senatorial District was born on April 9, 1959 in Oyo town to a Royal decent of Oyo kingship. She started her primary school education at children Boarding Grammar school Illora, Oyo State for the early part of her secondary school before transferring to Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo State. She also attended Kwara state college of technology for her ‘A’ level
She travelled to UK in 1979 and attended Holborn Law tutors for her LL.B. she later went to London School of Accountancy to complete a course to qualify for the Institute of Chartered secretary and administration. She later attended Lawisham College business in Management study.

After her education, she worked in the United Kingdom border Agency (UKBA) as a Detained Case Work Manager for 20 years. In 2011, she contested and won the seat for the Oyo state House of Assembly and became the speaker of the state chamber the first ever female speaker in the history of the state. She also became the deputy speaker of conference of speaker in Federal Republic of Nigeria in2012.

She contested and won the election of Oyo central Senatorial District in March 2015 election and became first ever female senator to represent Oyo State in the red chamber. Monsurat Sunmonu is a well-known philanthropist and has many awards in her kitty.

8) Senator Teslim Folarin

A one-time senate leader in the red chamber of the federal republic of Nigeria was born on October 1963 in Zaria Ibadan Kingship family. He started his primary education in Lagos and completed his Secondary School education at Methodist Boys High School. He is graduate of Political Science from University of Ibadan and a diploma degree in Harvard University USA.

He worked for many years in UK with department of Trade in London before returning to Nigeria in 2002. He contested and won the senatorial seat to represent Oyo Central Senatorial District in2003. He was also re-elected in 2007 under the same platform of PDP and became only legislator from the state to serve for two consecutive years. He rose to the position of senate leader in the process. During his spell in the senate, he led debate on many bills, facilitated, and supervised many projects and was behind the doctrine of necessity that necessitated president Goodluck to become the president after the demise of president Yar’adua.

He facilitated and oversaw project to Oyo central Senatorial district especially the construction of Ibadan –illorin express road. He also contested for Oyo State governorship post in 2015 election under PDP but lost.

9). Barr Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Shittu

Barr shittu is an erudite lawyer who hails from Saki area of Oyo State. He is the current serving minister of communication of federal republic on Nigeria. He was born on March 28, 1953. After completing his secondary school education, he proceeded to university of ife now Obafemi Awolowo University where he obtained his first degree in law (LL.B)

He was one time honorable member of state house of assembly from 1979 to 1983. He was also the Anthony general and commissioner of the state during Ladoja administration. He participated in the writing of policy papers which became the guiding light for UPN government in various states in South West. He had written 13 books within15 years ranging from politics to religion and governance.

He contested for the governorship election of the state in 2011 under CPC but lost in the process. He is an Islamic scholar. When asked about his perspective to Boko Haram menace in the country and how he would tackle them if he became the minister in the last ministerial screening he said ‘’ Boko Haram is a faceless thing that has caused havoc to our dear nation and they have succeeded in killing their scholars who preached again their evil cause. But, only one thing I can say is that Islam is peace and does not preach such barbaric acts.as for what I will do if I am confirmed as the minister to them; they have succeeded in killing people that spoke against them in the public like this therefore I cannot say anything because I have my family to cater for’’ he said.

10) Edmund Obilo

Although Edmund is not a politician, traditional ruler or the indigene on Oyo state but he is a journalist whose dexterity in his profession had made him different among his colleague. He hails from Benin city in Edo State and studied electrical engineering but ventured into journalism because of his passion for literature, reading and writing
He is the presenter of Bull’s Eye, Voices, and economic searchlight in Splash Fm ‘the integrity station’ in Ibadan.

He is a man of golden fish with no hiding place. He has fearlessly interviewed prominent politician, technocrats, and professors among others. He has passing for the betterment of this country sequel to the various articles he had written on numerous issues. May God bless the ‘Radio Man’.

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