Yes! That’s his face. An enemy of Ekiti State’s progress and advancement? I’m just asking a question!
And you’re looking at me as if I’ve committed a blue murder? You might draw your lifeline from him; I don’t.
So, I have the liberty to ask a question, or many questions. Lanre Balogun, Dauda Lawal, Raheem Akingbolu, Chief Ayo Ademiluwa, and others, including OSKAR, those of you who are drawing your survival bonus from the face above, keep your melancholic looks off me.
I know you’d be greatly angry with me because of this simple question, and I couldn’t care less.
The truth must be told, whether you like it or not.
Tongues are wagging from some people about this phenomenon called John Niyi Olajide, whom they thought had just come from the blues and started working against Ekiti’s development.
And you’re perplexed that some of us could think like this—anticlockwise?
But let us take a deep sigh and ask ourselves this question
Is John Niyi Olajide an anti-Ekiti progress and advancement?
Let us cool our temper and think!
In an era where many seek opportunities abroad and rarely look back, the story of John Niyi Olajide stands as a testament to an unwavering commitment to his roots and a relentless drive to transform his homeland.
Far from being an enemy of development, Mr. Olajide is a true visionary and an undeniable force for progress in Ekiti State.
He’s a son who has not only achieved global recognition but has also passionately repatriated his success to uplift his people.
Born in the humble village of Erinmope Ekiti (though he spent parts of his early life in Ajegunle, Lagos), John Niyi Olajide’s journey wasn’t one paved with silver spoons. He emerged from a modest background, a proactive and resourceful spirit who, through sheer determination, overcame the constraints of his early life. His path led him from the bustling streets of Mushin to the international stage, where he became an acclaimed brewer of digital ideas and a formidable figure in the tech world.
His exploits in the United States are genuinely remarkable. After moving to the US for his tertiary education, he self-financed his studies, attending the University of Texas at Dallas, where he earned a degree in telecommunications engineering. It was there, even as a broke college student, that his entrepreneurial spirit truly blossomed. He identified a critical need in the home healthcare sector and, with minimal resources, founded Axxess in 2007. Under his leadership, Axxess grew from a two-person operation in a rented apartment into the leading global home healthcare technology company, shaping a multi-billion-dollar industry and processing claims for millions of patients served by thousands of organisations worldwide.
Olajide’s impact extended beyond his company. He became a significant figure in the Dallas business community, notably serving as the youngest-ever Chair of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors and executive committee in 2020. He successfully led the Dallas business community through the challenging COVID-19 pandemic and has been instrumental in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has received numerous accolades, including being recognised as an Outstanding Healthcare Executive of the Year and a Leader in Diversity. Axxess has won multiple “Best Place to Work” awards itself. He has also been honoured as a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Texas at Dallas. He actively supports educational initiatives, including the establishment of the largest scholarship fund for computer science students in the School of Engineering.
Bringing Prosperity Home: Ekiti’s Game Changer
However, the accurate measure of John Niyi Olajide’s character lies not just in his global accomplishments but in his profound and passionate love for Ekiti State. This love is tangible, manifested in significant investments designed to unlock the state’s immense potential, particularly in the burgeoning sectors of Ecotourism and Agro-tourism.
If Mr. Olajide were indeed anti-development, he wouldn’t have invested his hard-earned funds, painstakingly accumulated in the US, back into Ekiti. He certainly wouldn’t have dared to place his resources on the once rickety and ruined Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort. Yet, he did. Through his Glocient Hospitality Company, he has meticulously transformed this neglected gem into an Eldorado, now widely recognised as arguably the best tourism resort in Nigeria.
This monumental undertaking has not only revitalised a key state asset but has also directly engaged and removed over 250 Ekiti residents from the concrete jungle of unemployment, providing them with meaningful livelihoods.
His commitment extends beyond the physical infrastructure; he has consistently networked with tourism ministers, drawing crucial attention and investment to the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort and Conference Centre.
Not content with revolutionising the tourism landscape, Mr. Olajide has spearheaded an aggressive agro-tourism revolution in Ekiti State through his Cavista company. This initiative has given rise to Agbayewa Farms, reputed to be one of the largest cassava planters in Nigeria. These sprawling farms, strategically located across various parts of Ekiti, have a remarkable record of employing and engaging over 2,500 residents, providing vital economic empowerment at the grassroots level.
Beyond these monumental projects, both Cavista and Glocient consistently demonstrate their commitment to the community’s well-being through robust Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
John Niyi Olajide’s story is a powerful narrative of a young, globally recognised individual born in a village who has returned to contribute immensely to his homeland. His actions speak volumes: significant investments, job creation on an unprecedented scale, and a clear vision for a prosperous Ekiti through sustainable tourism and agriculture.
He is not merely an investor; he is a beacon of hope, an inspiration, and a true architect of development for Ekiti State. His life’s work stands as irrefutable proof that he is, in every sense of the word, a profound asset and an invaluable son of Ekiti.
If his acts of planting solid investments in Ekiti; if his deeds of pulling out employable indigenes from the concrete jungle of unemployment; if his ways of paying good salaries to his workers; if his passion for marketing Ekiti to the world; if his humble behaviour of recognising that everyone he comes in contact with is important; if his love for adding value to Ekiti are all considered anti-Ekiti development and advancement… then, my brother, I too would urge you to join him in this stride. I, too, don’t want to be pro-development.
God bless John Niyi Olajide! The Enigma! Akanda ponbele!
Omo won ni Erinmope Ekiti, where Oba Sunday Aikuirawo Aniyi, PhD, reigns.
May he live long and continue to make strides in his anti-development efforts in Ekiti State.
Okun ooo, John, the renovator, repairer and the Messiah of the best ecotourism resort and hospitality enclave in Nigeria – Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort and Conference Centre.
*Barrister Ojo-Lanre, the Director General, Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, sent this piece.
