Personality in Focus
Food for Living: Tribute: Celebrating My Mentors
By Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman
Waiters believe the right time will come for them to start working on their dreams; but achievers believe in the opportunities every time – positive or negative – posed to them to actualize their dreams” – Abdulakeem Sodeeq Sulyman
Today is one of the most important days of my life because in a few hours, I will be officially admitted into the league of the recipients of the Presidential Lifetime Award. Being a recipient of the prestigious award is, to me, as a devoted Christian, is nothing short of the grace of the Most High God, who has been my ultimate guardian and pillar of support and encouragement. I will alway glorify His holy name!
But beyond that, I wouldn’t have attained this peak of greatness without the influence of my parents, family members, friends, mentors, acquaintances and most importantly, my doubters. Your respective roles in nurturing me for the greatness I was destined to achieve really shaped my life’s trajectory by instilling the right values in me and energizing me in pursuing my aspirations and dreams.
To start with the order of the people I mentioned earlier, I owe everything I become in life to my parents because they were the embodiments of my standards. I cannot thank my parents enough for their sacrifices for me and my brothers and sisters. My parents’ guidance and support were indelible! Comparing my humble backgrounds with where I am today deepens my affections and admiration for my parents. Their teachings and conduct affirmed the old-time principle that “In the race of life, you need to start from somewhere in order to get to where you want to be.”
I think I would be an ingrate if I failed to acknowledge the roles of family members on my upbringing because these are people who went outside their comfort zones to make life bearable for us – my brothers, sisters and me – when the time was tough. Our family members stood by us during the time life posed the daunting challenges of coping with our father’s and mother’s demises. Today is one of the days yourDear Destiny Friends, respective deeds will affirm to you that the greatest investment in life is the one made on humanity.
Also significant to my greatness are the roles of my friends. Overtime, I have lost direction in life and made damning mistakes – like all other humans. However, I also have the rare opportunity of getting my life back on track because I am surrounded by friends who know that I have purposes to accomplish, believe in me and support me to birth my purposes. During the course of my life, I have been privileged to meet and connect with wonderful people, who all proven to me that I am bound to change the course of humanity if I don’t give up on myself.
At every point in our life, we are bound to come across people who will make us better and prepare us for the nitty-gritty of the possibilities we are meant to create with our lives. These people, without being equivocal, are our mentors. In my own life, I owe these people more than the world because of the roles they played in grooming me for the world that mirrors the purposes God wants to fulfill. My mentors, at every corner of the world, gave birth to the Henry Ukazu you all know today.
Since I was mentored by some people to become the version of myself, what would be my contributions towards sustaining the chain of mentorship? Answering this question birthed in me the necessity of being a guiding light to the people our paths crossed. Consciously or unconsciously, I have gained more from the people who believed they have much to learn from me. You may be tempted to ask how I gained from my prospective learners. I gained from them because I know that their commitment to learn from me places more responsibility on me to learn more, so that I will not disappoint them.
No man ever attained the peak of his aspirations by compliments alone. To do great things, you must be talked out of the way by doubters or challengers. But if you don’t let their words or deeds deter you, you will eventually prove them wrong! It is normal for people to write you off; it is normal for people to take advantage of you and it is normal to feel you don’t have anything to offer. I don’t know what your story is, but all I can say is appreciate the trials, challenges and disappointments that come with achieving greatness.
This was exactly my storyline. I cannot count the number of times I was discouraged from doing what I believed. But because I know I am working on purpose, my energy is always refilled anytime I am told something cannot be done by me. This principle is highly working for my turnarounds. If you want me to break boundaries, tell me I can’t. Your doubts will challenge me to see possibilities and make them happen.
That has been the secret of my leadership as I learned from Peter Drucker, the famous management expert, that “Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” I am here today because I saw beyond the place of my birth and didn’t allow any obstacle to limit me.
Thank you all for being parts of my success!
Henry Ukazu writes from New York. He works with the New York City Department of Correction as the Legal Coordinator. He’s the founder of Gloemi. He’s a Transformative Human Capacity and Mindset coach. He is also a public speaker, youth advocate, creative writer and author of Design Your Destiny Design Your and Unleash Your Destiny . He can be reached via info@gloemi.com
By NOMA
The Nigerian Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has celebrated Mr. Olakunle Aderinokun on his 55th birthday, describing him as a distinguished strategic communications expert and media professional whose nearly three-decade career continues to shape Nigeria’s communications and business landscape.
In a statement by Theresa Moses, Chairperson, NOMA highlighted Aderinokun’s current role as Head, Media and Public Relations at Access Holdings Plc, where he leads group-wide media strategy, executive communications, crisis management, and corporate reputation positioning across local and international markets.
The Alliance noted that his ability to align corporate narratives with business strategy, stakeholder expectations, and regulatory realities has strengthened institutional credibility and public trust.
Aderinokun’s career reflects a unique blend of journalism, financial services, and corporate leadership. He spent 24 years at THISDAY Newspapers, rising to the position of Group Business Editor and Associate Editor, where he played a significant role in shaping Nigeria’s business journalism ecosystem. He later served as Editor, Business at ARISE News Channel, further consolidating his reputation for editorial excellence and impactful storytelling.
Throughout his journalism career, he covered critical sectors including banking, capital markets, energy, aviation, and macroeconomics, engaging directly with top policymakers, regulators, and corporate leaders. His extensive international exposure includes participation in global platforms such as the IMF-World Bank Meetings, African Development Bank Meetings, TICAD in Japan, the Nigeria-China Business Forum, Africa Oil Week in Cape Town, and Vaasa Energy Week in Finland.
Beyond journalism, Aderinokun brings strong financial and investment expertise, having worked with United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Wall Street Trust Company (now WSTC Financial Services), where he handled equity analysis, market research, and investment advisory. This foundation, NOMA noted, has enabled him to effectively bridge financial performance with strategic communication outcomes.
An entrepreneur, he founded Pure Synergy Ltd in 2013, a firm focused on reputation management and strategic communications, and later served as CEO of Excite Enterprise Ltd, an online business solutions platform.
In the public sector space, Aderinokun served as Media Adviser to Senator Tokunbo Abiru in 2020, where he led media strategy and publicity for the Lagos East Senatorial campaign, contributing to its successful outcome.
Academically, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Pure and Applied) from the University of Ilorin and an MBA from the University of Lagos, complemented by executive education at Lagos Business School and professional training with the World Bank Institute, NIPR, and Standard Bank Group, South Africa. He also holds multiple professional certifications across public relations, banking, marketing, and digital communications.
NOMA described him as a quintessential, multifaceted professional whose career embodies excellence, innovation, and leadership.
“Olakunle Aderinokun represents the very best of strategic communication and media practice in Nigeria. His journey is not only inspiring but also instructive for the next generation of professionals navigating the evolving media and corporate landscape,” the statement read.
As he marks his 55th birthday, NOMA commended his enduring contributions and wished him continued success, good health, and greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has congratulated the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, on the occasion of his birthday, commending his visionary leadership and reform-driven approach to policing in Nigeria.
In his birthday remarks, Dr. Ogunsan described the IGP as a “distinguished officer whose career has consistently reflected professionalism, courage, and a deep commitment to public safety.”
He noted that since assuming office as the 23rd Inspector-General of Police early this Year 2026, Disu has demonstrated a clear resolve to reposition the Nigeria Police Force towards greater efficiency and public trust.
Dr. Ogunsan particularly praised the IGP’s emphasis on intelligence-led policing, a strategy aimed at enhancing proactive crime detection and prevention, as well as his push for the integration of digital tools and forensic capabilities into police operations. These reforms, he said, signal a shift towards modern, accountable, and citizen-focused policing.
He further highlighted Disu’s decisive steps to strengthen the state policing agenda and officers’ welfare. He praised him for the effective policing model through the restructuring and reduction of tactical units, a move designed to address concerns over excesses while redeploying personnel to police divisions for improved community-level security.
The LSSTF boss also acknowledged the IGP’s consistent advocacy for discipline, integrity, and professionalism within the Force, noting that such values are critical to restoring public confidence and enhancing institutional credibility.
Reflecting on his track record, Dr. Ogunsan recalled Disu’s impactful leadership roles across key commands, including the Rivers State and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, where he contributed significantly to crime control and intelligence-driven operations.
His tenure as the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad in Lagos is a testament to his operational excellence and urban crime management.
Ogunsan wished the IGP good health, wisdom, and continued success in his efforts to build a more secure Nigeria. “On this special occasion, we celebrate not only a remarkable leader but a reformer whose vision continues to inspire confidence in the security architecture of our nation,” Ogunsan said.
Terrorists in northeast Nigeria killed a brigadier general in an assault on a military base, a local government chairman told AFP on Thursday, the second killing of a high-ranking officer in five months.
Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a terrorist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups, including Islamic State West Africa Province.
In an overnight attack, unidentified terrorists killed at least 18 soldiers and torched vehicles at a base in Benisheikh, about 75 kilometres from Borno state capital Maiduguri, an intelligence source told AFP.
“Unfortunately, the brigade commander, Brigadier General O.O. Braimah, lost his life,” Kaga Local Government Chairman Zannah Lawan Ajimi told AFP in a phone interview.
Two intelligence sources confirmed Braimah’s death to AFP.
His death follows the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by ISWAP in November. He was the highest-ranking military official to die in the long-running conflict since 2021.
“They overran the brigade,” one of the intelligence sources said, giving the death toll as “at least” 18.
The second intelligence source said that “the terrorists killed several troops” and “burnt vehicles and buildings before they withdrew,” without giving a toll.
The army and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– Rising terrorist violence –
Researchers have warned of an uptick of violence since 2025.
Borno capital Maiduguri has seen two suicide bombings since December — the type of bloody, urban attacks reminiscent of the insurgency’s peak a decade ago.
On Wednesday, the US State Department said in a notice it was authorising “non-emergency US government employees” to leave Abuja “due to the deteriorating security situation”.
While the insurgency is concentrated in the northeastern countryside, terrorists from Nigeria and the neighbouring Sahel have made inroads western Nigeria, where organised crime gangs known as “bandits” have been raiding villages and extorting farmers and artisanal miners for years.
Gunmen killed at least 90 people across several remote villages in northwest Nigeria this week, according to an AFP tally of tolls given by local and humanitarian sources.
Among the attacks was an assault in Kebbi state that police blamed a local terrorist group known as Mahmuda, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
Kebbi sits on Nigeria’s border with Benin and Niger and since 2025 has been targeted by a rising number of terrorist attacks.
Conflict monitor ACLED says there has been a surge in violence in the area carried out by militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In nearby Kwara state, in October, fighters from the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM claimed an attack after years of researchers warning that the terrorist conflict ravaging the Sahel risked spreading south towards coastal West African states.
In December, the United States, with Nigerian assistance, bombed northwest Sokoto state, targeting Islamic State Sahel Province fighters usually found in neighbouring Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso.
AFP
