Over the span of 15 years, Olajide Abiola, a former military officer turned entrepreneur, has effectively etched his name into the record of Nigerian billionaires.
Abiola amassed his wealth through the simple principle of “Multiple streams of Income” and most importantly, through the newest global oil money, Technology, thereby making him a a purposeful, ethical giant at the forefront of transforming the Nigerian business environment.
First off, he is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and co-founder of KiaKia.
NB: ‘Kaika is an AI powered financial market that provides direct personal loans at flexible rates, and also match borrowers with individual or corporate lenders at mutually agreed rates. KiaKia offers loans from N10,000 and N200,000 for a minimum duration of seven days and a maximum of 30 days.’
Kaika was founded in 2006. It was birthed out of passion to change the narrative for Nigerians who always find it difficult to take loans from banks and solve their basic needs.
The primary goal of Kiakia, is to serve the underserved and the underbanked, regardless of their physical location and social status. Thus, it was made an online banking platform.
As a peer-to-peer platform, KiaKia has recorded over 50 active customers in four states and over 5,700 customers in 17 states for consumer loans.
To bring this vision to fruition, Olajide took the step of resigning from the military of his own accord, carefully considering the implications. He found his way into the Industrial Technology (IT) sector and garnered as much experience as he could bag.
He not only completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Olajide further got several certifications from the Nigeria Military School, Microsoft, University of Michigan and UC Irvine. He is currently a distinguished fellow of the Institute of Strategic Management.
In real estate, Abiola is the CEO of Gidanka and HomeAway brands; ‘the best collection of residential apartments with exquisite hospitality as their trump card.’
In Agriculture, Abiola is the CEO of Jendo premium groundnut oil, a manufacturing industry that also processes secondary raw materials for big industries.
In the realm of politics, Senator Abiola’s presence was felt during his tenure in the 7th Senate. He played a crucial role as a knowledgeable resource in several Senate Standing Committees, including Banking, Insurance, Appropriation, and Capital Markets.
Mr. Abiola, in his young age, has left himself a track record of remarkable ability to drive productivity and success. His areas of business coverage spans from technology, to finance, production, sales, business administration, retail, project management, and legislation.
His invaluable experience has earned him a prominent role in shaping the Nigerian business landscape.
It may interest you to know that the family he was born into had a big role to play in the excellency of character Abiola has.
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Born as the second son among three siblings, he originates from a family with a strong tradition of intellectual pursuits. Both of Abiola’s parents are educators, with his mother holding the position of a university professor in Business Education. His father, having retired from the financial sector, now also works as an educator. He proudly hails from Oyo State in the western region of Nigeria.
Through his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr Abiola has spearheaded groundbreaking projects running into tens of millions of dollars.
Olajide in his entrepreneurial journey, has spearheaded lots of State and Federal IT projects that ran into tens of millions; the Osun State Identity Management Solution and Software Development and Bio-Data Capture for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) Plc Staff in 40 locations across 18 states of the country.
He has also spearheaded lots of hospitality and residential projects, particularly in FCT Abuja, completely redefining hospitality management in Africa.
One of Abiola’s notable achievement in Gidanka, is hosting META CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, who also owns Facebook, Instagram, Thread and WhatsApp.
This marked the beginning of a series of influential collaborations and further solidified Gidanka’s position as a “Category King” in the residential hospitality sector, not only in Nigeria but throughout the continent.
Mr Abiola’s unwavering vision and dedication to excellence continue to shape the future of entrepreneurship while driving economic growth and creating jobs in Nigeria and beyond.
The young CEO’s remarkable achievements serve as an inspiration to growing entrepreneurs and business leaders, demonstrating the transformative power of visionary leadership and strategic thinking.
‘Abiola provides invaluable strategic mentorship that sets his companies apart.
‘With his introspective acumen, operational expertise, and unwavering commitment to excellence, he has propelled the companies under his guidance to new levels of success – positioning them as formidable players in Nigeria’s business space.
‘His keen understanding of market trends, coupled with his deep industry knowledge, allows him to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and deliver exceptional results.
‘His extraordinary networking skills and ability to forge strong relationships have been instrumental in replicating his footprints in diverse sectors of the economy.’
Did you know that Abiola Olajide is a prolific and motivational speaker and writer?
On his Facebook page, he hosts and shares a time-tested life-changing wisdom nuggets which he named “Healing Doses”, for personal and entrepreneurial growth”.
His page is quite an Educational Platform for Aspiring Business Leaders. He has established himself as a prominent figure in the entrepreneurial landscape, sharing valuable insights, and giving his whole through his engaging masterpieces which confirms that applied learning brings success.
He has become a mentor to thousands of his followers who have shown evidence of their growth through his teachings.
His writings offer a treasure trove of guidance, patriotism, healthy living, friendship, business leadership, creativity, followership and inspiration.
Olajide currently volunteers as an IT trainer at Joint Initiative for Development, and has published a paper on African Enterprise.