MINDSCOPE: Dayo Adetunmbi

THE ENTREPRENEUR AND PHILANTHROPIST OF A KIND

Seye Adetunmbi, first written in 2007

Not very many people discovered in good time the best self employment or vocation that suits their character or style and stick to it through thick and thin to drive such initiative to a success story. Starting an enterprise from more or less a zero equity capital base and growing it within 16 years to a going concern business with an asset base now in billions of naira, would make a good case study in the modern day business schools. This is one business venture that had seen it all; the day of plenty and time of an extreme scarce means! The man behind this rare enterprise and the remarkable chronicle is Adedayo Opeyemi Adetunmbi a.k.a. Apa, the Executive Chairman of August Group of Companies.

When Dayo Adetunmbi set out to embark on a self employment journey in the early 1990s, he knew that was the best for him. By nature, Dayo is a hard worker who labours round the clock. His diligence dated back to his teenage days when he was practically the foreman of his contemporary fellow secondary school students who lived with his parents and worked on the family’s subsistence farm on weekends in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His most beloved career teacher and diligent worker father had so much confidence in him and appreciated a son who shared his passion for farming unequivocally. Perhaps Baba (http://doadetunmbi.memory-of.com/), as his father was popularly called had premonition of his son’s disposition and named him after himself, Opeyemi. Those who knew Dayo in his teenage days may not be surprised at the accomplishments in his business today if the only criterion is hard work for measuring the success recorded so far.

Dayo in a Family picture, with parents and siblings (1964)

The 3rd child and second son of Chief & Chief (Mrs) David Opeyemi Adetunmbi was born on August 9, 1957 and was the first child to be delivered at Ifaki-Ekiti Maternity Clinic. He started his primary education at St Michael’s Anglican Primary School, Ifaki. He was the only child among his siblings who ever stepped out while growing-up when he joined his maternal late aunt, Mrs Omolola Bamigboye (then a Grade II Teacher) at Aiyede-Ekiti where he concluded his Primary School in 1968. He attended Ifaki Grammar School between 1969 and 1974 and Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti 1974/1975 where he got his nick-name, Apa-o-ka-igi. Because of his then slim frame, one of his co-hockey enthusiasts remarked if his hand would be long enough to go round the hockey stick! He later worked for one year at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University before gaining admission to study Agricultural Engineering in 1976.

Dayo through the years with his family, parents and siblings

It was during his National Youth Service year at Ilorin that he met Labake Fafowora and they got married in December 1986. To God be the glory the marriage is blessed with lovely children, Omolade, Adetutu, Jokotola and Wura. Expectedly, nothing is too much for him to ensure that his family is comfortable at all times. A pragmatic caring person who is very passionate about his family.

His entrepreneurial disposition was first noticed during his NYSC days when he saw to the take-off of Rake & Klean Environmental Agency, the first private waste disposal company in Ilorin a business initiative of his older brother Bunmi who was then working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, Ilorin branch. Metalloplastical Nigeria Limited, Apapa, Lagos offered him job in 1987 which lasted until he was caught up in a punitive retrenchment along with others who called for an attainable better working condition. He later got job with another plastic company, Black Horse at Ibadan where he worked until he decided to explore working in England for few years. His exposure at an automobile engineering company and inner drive made him to realize early enough that it is in Nigeria that there would never be limitations to what any Nigerian citizen could achieve.

With the little he saved while in England, he started August Ventures Limited in early 1990s specializing in the sale of fairly used vehicles popularly called Tokunbo imported from Europe. The business commenced from his residential flat in Akoka until he was able to secure an office space opposite Yaba Bus Stop as contact point as well as providing an integrated business center outlet. It had been a bumpy ride before August Ventures could give birth to Van Vliet Trucks Nigeria (sale of trucks and allied equipment), NICRE (heavy duty equipment hiring company), August Engineering Limited (fabrication of flat beds, tankers, sided bodies etc), DAF Nigeria etc. An incurable optimist and diligent worker ever prepared to weather any situation trusting that it shall be well in the end. This must have endeared him to his Dutch business partners over the years. He would never give up in the face of challenges, different forms of self deprivations notwithstanding.

Dayo flanked by his friends on his 60th birthday anniversary

His entrepreneurial journey was characterized with various form of exploitation from his wide range of business associates who took advantage of his laissez-faire disposition. For a very long time he was practically working for his financiers. When his loyal and shrewd employees called his attention to trapping clauses, he would go ahead to sign any document presented to him since he meant well. He was often satisfied that an institution considered his business venture worthy of a credit facility or partnering with him and hardly looked at costs or the selfishness of the other party. This is also reflected in his attitude to his second passion, the “giving spirit”. He is a realist to the core who will overwork himself 24 x 7 to put every challenging situation behind him. He does not chase government contracts, but concentrates on his steel fabrication, one-stop heavy-duty automobile workshop and sale of trucks.

One unique consummate side of Dayo Adetunmbi is philanthropy, while devotion to work is his forte. This is one generous donor who has redefined the “act and spirit of giving”! Of course everybody gives out; certainly not very many people overstretch themselves to give beyond the imagination of a beneficiary while expecting nothing in returns. His next passion after work and taking care of his family is benevolence to people around him irrespective of race and colour. The faculty where he passed out at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has a story to tell, likewise Ifaki community, churches, mosques, NAS, Cricket sports community in Nigeria and a host of others too numerous to mention. Those who donate buildings when they are yet to build one for their personal use and yet there are competing needs in their private business concern are certainly very scarce in our society. It definitely takes a special grace of God and a lot of guts to give the way this unconventional entrepreneur and uncommon humanitarian reaches out to people. Yet he is neither a politician nor interested in any shade of partisan politics. His attitude to charity is indeed a study. He is in a world of his own. His personal needs are minimal as evident in his trademark, choice shorts. Apparently, he works harder so that he can give out more and extend assistance to whoever needs helping hand. This is not about eulogizing an entrepreneur and philanthropist of a kind, of Ekiti extraction; it is about sharing the experience of perseverance that has turned out well and a brand of determination and persistence worthy of emulation.

Dayo, always at home with his people

A critical analysis of his person depicts a typical enigma. Depending on the standpoint one looks at it, most of his admirers are thrilled by his unique style and in some quarters they see this as his strength; while others may see this perceived strength from a different perspective. It is a matter of choice and perception which underscores the truism that no mortal is perfect after all. Thus, one may not agree with all his ways, yet one just have to give the credits that stand him out to him. Unequivocally, the radical in him reflected in the way he managed all his affairs from undergraduate school days till date. He is a fundamentalist who believes that his country is capable of achieving more than what it has to offer and the people deserve better than the deal on the table. He is always willing to support any initiative that would put decadence of the society on the spot and check. Perhaps this made him to subscribe to the credo of socio-political revolutionary associations or any eminent deep-seated group that would advocate good governance in Nigeria.

Dayo is a man of huge intellect, an ardent reader always in search of knowledge and ever ready to learn from the experiences of others. Looking back at where he was coming from, where he is now and the ultimate destination the universe has in stock for him; there is every reason to celebrate this man of honour at the age of 50 and give God all the glory. Certainly, through God’s grace, the best is yet to come from this man of destiny. One man who hardly marked birthdays! Don’t be surprised if he tells you that he has forgotten the anniversary of his birthday a number of times. If not for Kome Agodo his long standing friend and colleague in his group of companies who initiated a surprise birthday for him on 9/8/07, he would have been in his steel orchard seeing to welding and fabrication where you may not differentiate him from his co-workers. Left to him the 50th birthday anniversary would have been like any other typical working day. Perhaps one of the reasons why the event to mark the golden jubilee was fixed in his factory premises coupled with the fact that it fell on working day!

Like the true meaning of his baptismal name, “Opeyemi” (one must give thanks to due quarters). Surely, he has reasons to give thanks to God. Happy birthday and many more fruitful returns in good health to the indiscriminate Apatiroko, Baba o and Eleniyan; an icon of his generation.

The man with a distinct passion collections of arts and artefacts