Success Is Not Inherited, You Work For It— Dr Abiodun Omotade-Odumosu

Dr Abiodun Folashade Omotade isn’t your regular Lagos society woman. No. She would readily introduce herself as a full time businesswoman who unwinds when it’s needful. A woman of substance, running a conglomerate of businesses isn’t an easy feat.

Determined, focused and not one to be pushed aside in the crowd, her business sense as an Egba woman is a lesson for young entrepreneurs. She doesn’t joke with whatever she lays her hands on and her business tentacles spread as far as shipping, oil & gas, real estates, manufacturing and consultancy. A close relative of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, she is also a princess. The beautiful mum of three is an inspiring story of endurance, staying focused and a heart that desires success without fear or favour.

A woman of style, she is a stickler for beautiful fabrics and exquisite jewellery especially precious stones. Indeed, diamonds are her best friend.

“My mum sold fabrics and I have a penchant for beautiful fabrics. I hate fabrics that are commonplace, maybe that is why I don’t do ‘aso ebi’. I am not against the aso ebi tradition because I still bought for myself and many others when Iyabo Ojo had her mum’s burial. Then I remember buying aso ebi, which is HoH, for Jumoke Oyeneyin’s 50th birthday. I try to shift grounds sometimes but I really love everyone dressing in what they have for my parties. That way, everywhere is colourful,” she enthused.

The Yeye Ajagun Fiwajoye of lbadanland, she also bagged an honorary doctorate degree of Business Administration by the Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State during its 9th convocation ceremonies in 2021. Omotade-Odumosu, according to the letter by the private university established in 2009, is being honoured for her leadership in business, outstanding and exceptional successes, resilience and excellence. The letter reads in part, “It is doubtful if anyone can fault the decision of the authorities of the university, considering the fact that the Ogun State-born entrepreneur had made no mean contributions to the development of education at various levels in the country.”

Over the years, the Yeye Ajagun Fiwajoye of Ibadanland has done great things that have caught the fancy of her compatriots in many areas of life. In other words, she has always been in the warm embrace of fame and recognition all for her worthy and inspiring deeds in the society. In spite of her wealth and influence she commands in the society, the successful businesswoman does not have airs around her; she is ever willing to give her shoulders to anyone to lean on in a moment of need. She would always tell who cares to listen that she achieved all she has through God’s grace and mercy, so she is willing to spend it all on humanitarian work.

However, she loathes people singing her praise over such acts of humaneness. She is not your kind of billionaire that calls for publicity over little donations.

Indeed, those whose paths have crossed hers always affirm that the Ogun State-born entrepreneur sure understands the true meaning of friendship and has made huge sacrifices, at different times, to keep the sanctity of friendship as humanly possible.

For those that don’t know, she has in the past, dedicated decades to proffering succour to avalanche of problems at various levels of our educational institutions with huge donations.

She said, Wealth without impact is a waste. Any wealthy person whose immediate environment doesn’t feel or have a taste of what he/she has shouldn’t bother to be termed a wealthy person. Within my capacity I try to affect my environment positively. We won’t live forever and it’s what we have done while alive that will speak when we are dead.”

Wondering about her meteoric rise in life? Well, one of the things working for her is that she always sees opportunities, where others are bogged down by morbid fear of failure. Besides, she likes to pursue her dreams with unbent resolve to succeed, irrespective of the challenges that may come her way. A princess by birth, she was raised by a wonderful mum.

Dr Omotade-Odumosu recalled her background from her maternal side, “My mum, Mary Gbadesere Adebola Adeoti was a princess but her mum (my grandmother) was a Fulani woman, she was born in the north. She was the daughter of Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Olatunji Elepo Aran. She was a very beautiful woman, hardworking and could speak over 13 Nigerian languages and other African languages. I grew up in Ibadan but I was born in Gold Coast now called Ghana. That was what informed the facial mark.

We came back to Nigeria in 1970 when Kwame Nkrumah sent Nigerians out of Ghana. It was not a funny experience returning to Nigeria because we could not speak the Yoruba language. We were accosted by some military men who requested that we call ‘Toro’ to know if we were Yorubas. My brother and I couldn’t. The saving grace was my mum who could speak many languages including Yoruba,” she said.