Personality in Focus
Nigerians Eulogise Life and Times of Major General Adefope
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Nigerians from all walks of life, including friends and family members, gathered to celebrate the life and times of Major-General Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope.
The event, which witnessed the gathering of eminent citizens, was put together by his family members and also saw the coming of his children and grand-children to Nigeria.
Eminent Nigerians present at the event include Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, Otunba JK Randle, Pastor Wale Adefarasin and Prof Anthony Kila.
Leading the eulogy during the memorial event and unveiling of the book, titled: “Major-General Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope: A Legacy of Honour,” in Lagos on Thursday, was his first daughter and second child, Justice Olubola Adefope, who spoke on the topic: “A Legacy of Honor.” She described Maj-Gen Adefope as “A cherished child among his siblings.”
Saying that her father was “a man who was at peace with his life,” she added that the major general “Loved Nigeria with a passion and hated the endless pursuit of money.”
She said that her father had so much love for his family that “he decided to change his carrier to suit his family.”
The Judge described her father as a man who loved nature.
Corroborating Maj-Gen Adefope’s daughter was a retired Deputy Director of Sports, Usman Mamman Gora, who in his speech, described Maj.-Gen. Adefope as “A man who was committed to sports development.”
Describing Maj.-Gen. Adefope as a family friend, Gora said: “He picked me from nowhere in 1972 and made me who I am today. The late general was a mentor and a friend.”
He described Adefope as “One of those Nigerians that we have every reason to celebrate today.
“He was a man of integrity, a personality that can be reckoned with anywhere any day.”
Gora noted that Maj.-Gen. Adefope vowed to develop sports in Nigeria, while completing the stadium in record time.
Describing the late major general as being “Very approachable, fully committed to achieving testimonies,” Gora said that “Adefope provided purposeful leadership in national sports. He saved the face of Nigeria during the Olympics.”
Also, Nigeria’s renowned chartered accountant, JK Randle, who reviewed the book, titled: “Major-General Henry Edmund Olufemi Adefope: A Legacy of Honour,” described Maj.-Gen. Adefope as “An officer of the Nigerian Army and a gentleman to the core.
“He was a man of many parts. He was a combatant. He lived a fruitful life. He labored steadfastly and endlessly to lead a Christian life of service and worship, remaining transparent in the work of the lord. He was a jack of many trade and master of the trade.”
In his tribute to the major general, Dr. Issa Aremu, General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NVTGTWN) and vice president of the Industrial All Global Union, described Maj.-Gen. Adefope as “A mentor and a statesman in the true sense of the word. He was the most sustainable and constructive minister in Nigeria.
“He was the first number-one labour man and the labour administration, under the late major general, was the most remarkable.”
Noting that Maj.-Gen. Adefope made a great impact in labour matters, Aremu said: “His legacies are the most impactive and most constructive that I have ever known.”
Aremu noted that events, which took place under the major general were very remarkable.
“The first one is that before he became a minister, the first generation of unionists tried to have one labour centre. The four major unions including UFC, and others, were trying to form a second one and General Adefope put his feet on ground and brought these four centres together, which produced the NLC that we have today,” Aremu remarked.”
The second legacy that Maj.-Gen. Adefope left in NLC, according to Aremu, was to build a financially independent trade union movement.
According to Aremu: “It was during his tenure that we had an automatic check-off in which workers paid their union dues, which built financial independence for the union. This also made trade unions not to be dependent on foreigners who used to influence them.”
Third legacy, the labour unionist said, was that Maj.-Gen. Adefope brought restructuring, which led to the consolidation of industrial unions. “He brought trade unions together during his time. He believed that trade unions must be well equipped, well informed and that led to the creation of Michael Imoudu Labour Institute in Ilorin, Kwara State. It has built capacity over the years for the working people,” Aremu remarked.
He remarked that Adefope facilitated the independence of the trade unions, adding: “He was well educated, well informed and this led to the creation of Michael Imodu.”
Also, at the event, the Director, Centre for International Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS), Lagos, Professor Anthony Kila, while answering questions on what the intervention of the late major general would have been as regards the Russia-Ukraine Crisis, noted that the two warring parties would “Need Like Of Adefope To Refrain From Going Trigger”.
Prof. Kila said that if Major-General Adefope were to be alive, “At a time like this war, Adefope would have advised the two warring countries to embrace dialogue, as nobody needs to carry a trigger.”
Commending the major general for possessing the qualities that make a man, Prof. Kila said: “Adefope had education, exposure, experience, and the environment. Those are the four things that make a man overall. Adefope brought in the Man Adefope.”
Saying that Adefope never fought or rushed for any recognition, Kila added: “Adefope was a man who did his job and went home.”
Managing Director, Business Travels, Funlola Adefope, who is also Maj.-Gen. Adefope’s grand-daughter, described him as a meek man, whose character should be emulated by all. “He wasn’t arrogant,” Funlola added.
A U.S.-based medical doctor, Dr. John Mabayoje, described Maj-.Gen. Adefope as “A man who was gifted with wisdom and steady common sense”, adding that Adefope has good public comportment, as well as a man who knew how to handle crisis.”
Dr. Mabayoje said that with Adefope’s love for public service, the major general “incorporated rural service for medical doctors.”
Gunmen who kidnapped the chairman of Jezco Group, Chief Joseph Ezeokafor, have reportedly increased their ransom demand from N700 million to N1.5 billion for his release.
Ezeokafor, a septuagenarian businessman, was reportedly abducted in Anambra State about a week ago.
The kidnappers initially demanded N700 million from the businessman’s family.
Unofficial reports quoting an anonymous source said the kidnappers had established contact with the family after the abduction.
The source said the family accepted the initial N700 million demand as part of efforts to secure Ezeokafor’s release.
However, the kidnappers later increased the ransom to N1.5 billion.
The source said the family remains willing to negotiate with the abductors, but the kidnappers have allegedly stopped further communication.
The development has reportedly left the family in a difficult situation, as attempts to restore contact with the abductors have not yielded results.
Ezeokafor was kidnapped on Tuesday at about 2am after he reportedly left his home for a prayer ground as part of his annual spiritual rejuvenation.
He was said to have left his security details behind when he stepped out of his residence, which the kidnappers capitalized on, to abduct him.
One week after the incident, the police and the State government authorities have yet to make any official statement on the businessman’s abduction.
The Anambra State Police Command has also not publicly commented on the incident.
Personality in Focus
Lessons from Dickem Farms: Two Decades of Pioneering Innovation in Nigeria’s Aquaculture Industry
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Our philosophy has always been simple: innovation should solve real problems, create opportunities and improve livelihoods.”
Introduction
For over two decades, Dickem Farms has remained committed to transforming Nigeria’s aquaculture industry through innovation, technology, enterprise development and human capacity building. What began in 1999 as a vision to improve fish production has evolved into one of the country’s respected aquaculture enterprises, recognized for pioneering practical solutions that have strengthened fish farming and empowered the next generation of agripreneurs.
Dickem Farms was the first to introduce mobile fish ponds into the Nigerian market, making fish farming more flexible, affordable and accessible to investors and smallholder farmers. The company also pioneered the local production of a floating fish feed extruder that uses locally available materials, reducing dependence on imported technology while lowering production costs for fish farmers. In addition, Dickem Farms has invested in modern hatchery systems that produce healthy, high-quality fingerlings to support commercial fish production.
Our philosophy has always been simple: innovation should solve real problems, create opportunities and improve livelihoods.
Recent experiences and initiatives
To get more important information about the farm there were questions on the different aspects, starting with the experiences in the past five years. Let us glean from the horse’s mouth. According to the Managing Director, Godwin Emaketenemi, “Over the last five years, we have continued to strengthen our production systems for both catfish and tilapia. Our focus has been on improving fingerling quality, enhancing pond management practices and maintaining strict water-quality monitoring to maximise fish survival and productivity.
“We also introduced better feeding programmes and comprehensive record-keeping systems that enable us to monitor growth performance, feed conversion efficiency and mortality rates.
Rather than pursuing rapid expansion, we have adopted a disciplined strategy of scaling only after achieving consistent operational results.
“This measured approach has enabled Dickem Farms to build a resilient business capable of supplying quality fish and aquaculture services to customers in Lagos and across Nigeria.”
Overcoming challenges:
On the challenges faced and how they were overcome, he stated that: “Like every agricultural enterprise, we have encountered significant challenges. Rising feed costs, unreliable electricity supply and disease management remain major concerns within the aquaculture industry. Instead of allowing these obstacles to limit our growth, we viewed them as opportunities for innovation.
Producing our own quality fish feed has significantly reduced production costs while giving us greater control over feed quality and formulation. We have also improved water-management systems and operational planning to minimize the effects of power instability.
“At the farm level, stronger biosecurity measures, improved hygiene and proactive fish-health monitoring have substantially reduced disease outbreaks and production losses.”
Marketing strategies
With regards to marketing he explained that; “Production alone does not guarantee success; a reliable market is equally important. Dickem Farms has therefore, built long-term relationships with wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and institutional buyers. We grade our fish according to customer specifications and schedule harvesting to coincide with periods of stronger market demand.”
Training programs
Furthermore, with the focus on training he explained that: “Our reputation has been built on dependable supply, consistent quality and customer trust.
One of our proudest achievements is our investment in people. We believe that sustainable agriculture depends not only on technology but also on developing competent professionals and entrepreneurs.
Over the years, Dickem Farms has trained hundreds of staff, industrial attachment (IT) students, graduates and aspiring fish farmers in practical aquaculture.
“Our training covers hatchery management, pond construction and management, fish nutrition, water-quality management, fish-health monitoring, biosecurity and business record-keeping.
More importantly, we do not stop at training. We mentor young graduates and entrepreneurs, providing technical guidance and business support until they are confident enough to establish and successfully manage their own enterprises. Seeing former trainees become successful employers and business owners remains one of our greatest rewards.
“Continuous learning has also shaped our growth. Through partnerships with foreign organisations and technical visits to leading aquaculture companies, we have gained valuable knowledge in modern hatchery technology, fish-health management, production efficiency and operational excellence.”
Government ‘s support
Coming to the need for government’s support he beamed light on it this way:
“These experiences have strengthened our technical capacity and enabled us to transfer global best practices to Nigerian farmers.
Nigeria possesses enormous potential to become a leading aquaculture producer in Africa. However, unlocking that potential requires stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
We recommend tax exemptions or significant tax incentives for fish farming and aquaculture value-chain businesses to encourage investment.
“Farmers also need affordable financing with realistic repayment terms, reliable access to quality fingerlings, improved energy support and stronger extension services that provide timely technical guidance on fish health and disease prevention. Organized marketing systems that connect producers directly with institutional buyers will further strengthen the industry’s competitiveness.”
Piece of advice to the younger generation:
His piece of advice to young people who might be interested to go into fish farming:
“To young people considering aquaculture as a career or business, my advice is straightforward: seek proper training and find a credible mentor. Fish farming is a science and a business that rewards discipline, knowledge and patience. Begin with manageable investments, keep accurate records, master water-quality management and learn from experienced practitioners before expanding.
“A good mentor can save years of costly mistakes and accelerate the journey to success.”
As the future beckons:
As for plans for the future he highlighted that: “Looking ahead, Dickem Farms will continue to invest in innovation, local technology development, commercial hatchery expansion, fish-feed production, modern aquaculture equipment and practical capacity building. Our ambition is not only to grow our business but also to contribute meaningfully to food security, employment creation and economic development.
Our long-term vision extends beyond Nigeria.
“We believe Africa possesses the resources, talent and entrepreneurial spirit to feed itself and compete globally. Through innovation, strategic partnerships and investment in people, Dickem Farms will continue to play its part in building a modern aquaculture industry that delivers prosperity for farmers, affordable nutrition for families and sustainable growth for the continent.
Our mission remains unwavering: to inspire a future where Africans feed Africa through innovation, enterprise and excellence in agriculture.”
These indeed, are brilliant submissions for us all to learn from now and always.
The Chairman of First HoldCo, Femi Otedola, has strengthened his stake in the financial institution after acquiring an additional 1.77 billion shares valued at N222.20 billion.
Details contained in a disclosure filed with the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that the shares were purchased on Thursday through his investment company, Calvados Global Services Limited.
The latest transaction raised Otedola’s shareholding in First HoldCo from 9.99 billion shares to 11.77 billion shares, with his ownership increasing from 21.96 per cent to 25.88 per cent.
The purchase marks Otedola’s second major investment in the company this July, following his acquisition of 706.13 million shares worth N77.58 billion on July 22.
With the fresh acquisition, Otedola’s total investment in First HoldCo has climbed to N1.47 trillion, making him the institution’s largest shareholder.
