From the bustling lanes of Oke-Ado in Ibadan, where he once worked as a bus conductor, to the boardrooms of multinational oil firms and the council chambers of Ibadan chieftaincy titles, the story of Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke is one of grit, transformation and destiny.
Today, he is the Aare Egbe-Omo Balogun of Ibadanland, a respected businessman, philanthropist, cultural advocate and political stakeholder in Oyo state.
His humble Beginnings in the Oke-Ado area of Ibadan is more than just a location for Chief Adegoke, it is the crucible of his life story.
As a young man, he worked as a sales boy in a Car Paints shop at a building that used to be at a location beside Solutions FM now and at the old National oil (later re-christened Conoil ) as a labourer and bus conductor at Oke Ado-Ita Maya, all within the princints of the same Ibadan, where he is now a strong force to be reckoned with, before he was able to save up for his secondary school education at Baptist Grammar School (later re-christened Koso Community Grammar School) Iseyin in the Oke-Ogun area of Oyo state.
Those years of labor, defined by resilience and determination, shaped his outlook and work ethics.
Today, destiny has returned him back to Oke-Ado in a different light and shape. His imposing Aweni House, the headquarters of his business empire, which is the next building to that same shop where he worked as a sales boy in his early days of struggles, stands as a reminder of how far he has come.
A few blocks away is his sprawling and imposing Aweni Arena Events Centre, a hub for celebrations and community gatherings. His political base and even his Fishing and Coldroom business are anchored in the same neighborhood, where he also owns choice real estate that feeds into his growing property portfolio.
Gboyee’s story is not only about entrepreneurial flair but also academic grounding. He bagged a Bachelor degree in Agricultural Economics from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 1992 and later pursued several executive courses at Heriot-Watt University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge Judge Business School.
He became a Chartered Accountant (ACA) in year 2000 and was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) in 2012.
His professional career traversed the Nigerian Agricultural and Cooperative Bank, Deloitte & Touché and First City Group, before he took up a defining role at Schlumberger Oilfield Services, where he rose to become Group Finance Center Manager for the Gulf of Guinea Africa, overseeing operations across 16 Gulf of Guinea countries after his stint in the Middle East as the Financial Controller in charge of some Schlumberger Oilfield Services business segments in Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; Kuwait and Pakistan.
He later joined Oando Energy Services as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, while also serving on the board of several energy and drilling services companies.
Beyond corporate leadership, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke has built a robust business portfolio.
He is the Chairman of:
- Premium Channel 8 Hospitality & Tours Limited (Hospitality)
- Aweni Homes and Properties (Real Estate)
- Aweni Communication Services (Solutions 93.9 FM) (Broadcasting)
- Fiki Foods Limited
Together with his thriving oil and gas interests, these ventures place him among the most diversified businessmen in Ibadan.
A core, traditional Ibadan man with a deep respect for culture and civic development of Ibadanland, ‘Gboyee is the Aare Egbe-Omo Balogun of Ibadanland and he embodies the blend of modern professionalism and traditional leadership.
He has consistently used his platform to call for constitutional roles for traditional rulers, arguing that their closeness to the grassroots makes them vital to governance and security.
He also champions cultural preservation and has through initiatives like Abose Day highlighted the importance of Yoruba heritage and family traditions and Values.
His contributions to Ibadan’s growth and development earned him recognition as Most Distinguished Ibadan Indigene (MDII) during Ibadan Day celebration in 2024.
Chief Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke’s humanitarian side finds expression in the Adegboyega Adegoke Resource Centre (AARC), an NGO dedicated to empowering underprivileged individuals, especially youth. He also uses his radio station, Solutions FM, as a platform for community engagement and public enlightenment.
At festive seasons or national milestones, his voice rings out urging Nigerians to embrace unity, prayer, peace, equity, justice and values he considers essential to national rebirth.
A man of many part, his growth from the oil sector to real estate, from Oke-Ado streets to the palace of the Olubadan, Adegoke’s trajectory illustrates what vision, discipline and resilience can achieve.
His life represents an uncommon fusion of corporate excellence, cultural stewardship, philanthropy and political consciousness.
Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke is the current President of the Cronies Club of Ibadan and the Jericho Businessmen Club (JBC), a foremost Ibadan club that makes input into the economic and social policies of the government.
So, who is Oloye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke?
He is the man who conquered Oke-Ado, transformed his humble beginnings into a thriving empire and today stands tall as a bridge between tradition and modernity in Ibadanland.
