By Wale Adetunji
When a political contest becomes competitive, competency and fairness become necessity. Should the three “M”s of politics be factored, competitors should be able to trade. The political atmosphere of Osun as the 2026 governorship poll approaches is a favourable market for the Osun West Senatorial District. The intra scheming in the West necessitated this article to avoid a repetitive mistake of putting the cart before the horse.
Iwoland land is the Senatorial headquarters of Osun West and the largest local government in Osun State. The land is one of the highest producers of Professors and Academic Doctors in Nigeria and one of the commanders of the highest numbers of successful business and administrators.
Ede, being a part of the district under the political headship of Iwo, has produced Governor twice. The Yoruba parlance has been upturned “Oye tokan ara Iwo, nbo wa kan Ara Ede” meaning “A chieftaincy title given to Iwo will soon come to Ede”. The reverse is the case politically. Ede has benefited hugely than Iwo. Meanwhile, we have the advantage and the human resources with sound academic knowledge, administrative prowess and excellence to constructively manage people and their affairs. The political space is ripe to the advantage of the progressive family to position Iwo born as the standard bearer of the APC. If we miss it, we may not catch up till the next 24 years. Iwo, by past and present political leaders has been described as the baston of progressive governance and the second home of Presidents, Governors, leader of leaders etc.
Ogunbiyi is a pride of Iwoland, a thorough –bred professional, an astute business man and entrepreneur per excellence, Akin Ogunbiyi who is also a well trained Economist and management consultant, is an alumnus of University of Ile- Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U). He also attended the Institute of Graduate Management Studies (IESE), University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain where he took an Executive Masters in Business Administration (EMBA), as well as Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A; Said Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom and Lagos Business School (LBS), Nigeria. He has also attended many management and leadership courses in his quest for excellence.
Ogunbiyi is an Associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute United Kingdom, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute Insurance of Nigeria, Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria. Mr. Ogunbiyi had the rare honour of securing the highest number of distinctions in the professional examinations in two sittings. He attained the honour of the Commander of Great Ife (CGI); the greatest honour of the renowned University of Ife.
His career development in Insurance started during his undergraduate studies when he ventured into agricultural Insurance as his choice of specialization. Soon after graduation, Akin Ogunbiyi was employed in 1988 by the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (NICON PLC) where, as the Research and Planning Officer; he worked in various strategic capacities within the Corporation, including the training of Chief Executive of Insurance Companies from sister African countries. It is always said that getting to the top of one`s career and other business endeavours, is not a “flight by night”. A lot of midnight candles must have been burnt.
In his entrepreneurial pursuits, he has taken quite some risks. He gave up an impressive and promising career at NICON to go into INSURANCE CONSULTANCY- a business hitherto unexplored and without a precedent of success in Nigeria. Mr. Akin Ogunbiyi was the pioneer Chief Executive of FINANCE & INSURANCE EXPERT LIMITED, A firm of Finance, Insurance, Environmental and Management Consultants as Managing Partner/Chief Executive Officer in 1992. Dr. Ogunbiyi is also the Chief Executive Officer of Akoosa Publishers, Ibadan.
A resilient business manager, he has continued to create wealth for the Nation through the establishment of many viable and well managed businesses. He is currently the Group Managing Director of Mutual Benefit Group- a conglomerate with nine subsidiaries and over 7,000 employees, who are gainfully employed in various value-adding sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Dr. Ogunbiyi has contributed morally and financially towards the development of the town (Ileogbo). He donated ten (10) boreholes to the community with over 100 students benefitting from his annual scholarship. To his credits are Professors, Doctors, insurance magnates, business moguls sponsored who have equally attained greatness.
A philanthropist and God-fearing technocrat, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi is presently promoting the establishment of a private University under the Arubiewe Educational Foundation.
This is a Clarion call to the political dog handlers in Osun State, that Iwoland has the unmatched human and material resources who can make them proud. We need a prudent manager like President Ahmed Tinubu who rose from nothing to something, who brought gold out of the waste. To get the prayer granted, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi is the answer, the founder and promoter of the Idera De Political Movement.
