GBENGA EYIOLAWI

A Nigerian serial entrepreneur, marketing professional and political strategist focused and determined to bring about food stability and agricultural expansion in Nigeria
My Profile
Profile

Gbenga grew up knowing that life is not a bed of roses. Presently the Chairman of Titan Group, a group of companies with interest in Food, Agriculture and Real Estate. He started off as a herbal hawker in the streets of Ile Ife where he helped his mum (a single mother of 3 boys) with sales by hawking herbal products across the city. Of course, at such a young age, he had another motivation, money. He added his own profit to each sale he made and was quite good at it. This, he did during weekend and holidays till he left secondary school in 2004. The stint as a street hawker earned him the name baba-leku (the herbal man) across all region in the town.

This is not a grass to Grace story. It is the story of a man who failed consistently and saw failure as a stepping stone and a part of the learning curve. While he failed consistently, he was also consistent with rising again and learning from each mistake.

Nothing was a miracle.

From a boy who walked the streets of Ile Ife for hours every week with a tray on his head to a young man who stands before first class Kings, Ministers and Governors, it is definitely a story to watch out for. These came with a lot of personal sacrifice and resilience.

Gbenga grew to become a philanthropist in education, social welfare and environment.

For his role in changing the face of agriculture , local food production and employing several youth in Oyo state, he was honoured with the title “AARE KEBIMAPALU OF IBADAN LAND” by the then Olubadan of Ibadan ,Oba Saliu Akanmu Adetunji.

He was also appointed as an ECOWAS Youth Ambassador and awarded a Nelson Mandela Leadership Award by the ECOWAS Youth Council which he is now a member of.

He was also recently honoured with D.SC Entrepreneurship and Agricultural Development, (honoris causa) by the European American University, Commonwealth of Dominica.

He has a Diploma in Business and Management from University of Liverpool, England and Diploma in sustainable Real Estate from University of Cambridge, England after his time in Obafemi Awolowo University where he was a student member of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) while studying Chemical Engineering in the prestigious citadel of learning.

Gbenga is the founder of Aare Gbenga Eyiolawi Foundation (Formerly Titan Foundation founded in 2018). The foundation has in the past 4 years given short and long term scholarships to 457 Primary school students, 125 secondary school students and presently has over 100 students in tertiary institutions across the country. This foundation organizes annual scholarship completion in Ibadan,Nigeria.

About

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATION

  • Fellow, Institute of Personality Development and Customer Relationship Management
  • Fellow, Institute of Leadership, Manpower and Management Development
  • Fellow, Institute of Arts and Management Professional
  • Fellow, Institute of Brand Management
  • Fellow, Non-Academic Staff Union Hall of Fame
  • Member, Ife chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines, and Agriculture (IFECCIMA)
  • Member, Oodua Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mines and Agriculture (ODUACCIMA)
  • Member, Ibadan Chamber of Commerce
  • Member, ECOWAS Youth Council
  • Member, Institute of Strategic Management of Nigeria
  • Member, Royal court of Ife Kingdom
  • Member, Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN)
  • Member, Global Socio-Economic and Financial Evolution

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

  • Royal African Youth Leadership Award by the OONI OF IFE
  • Agro-food business of the year, Grand Nigerian Business Awards
  • ECOWAS youth Ambassador
  • Man of the year, PERA Awards
  • Corporate Charisma Award (Institute of Personality Development and Customer Relationship Management)
  • Outstanding young Entrepreneur of the year (Southwest Advancement Awards)
  • Outstanding CEO of the year (Poise – Lead city university)
  • Nelson Mandela Leadership Award of Excellence and Integrity (ECOWAS Youth Council)
  • Aare Kebimapalu (Honorary Chieftaincy by Olubadan of Ibadan land)
  • NOMINEE, Man of The Year – Scream Awards
  • National Peace and Humanitarian Award (National association of Nigerian Students-South West)
  • Blingz Awards – Event Industry supporter of the year
  • MAYA AWARDS Young Person of the year
  • Oyo state Prominent Peoples Award
  • Man of Distinction Award, NASU Fellowship
  • Icon of Socio-Economic Development and Empowerment (Nigerian Youth Parliament Award)
  • Icon of Humanity Award, Southern Youth Assembly of Nigeria
  • Honouree, WESTERNERS Enterprise and Governance Honors
  • Entrepreneurship Distinction Award, Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria
  • NAPS Leadership Award(Icon of Humanity) – National Association of Polytechnic Students
  • Young Entrepreneurship Leadership Award(Epitome of Societal Development) – National Association of Nigerian Students
  • Award of recognition – National Association of Agricultural Students, University of Ibadan
  • City people Top 20 under 40 CEOs making waves in Ibadan, Oyo
  • UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR FOR Peace by UN-POLAC
  • Delegate and Speaker, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA 2021)
  • Patron, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ibadan – Women Wing
  • Patron, Junior Chambers International Nigeria –UCH
  • Patron, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Oyo state
  • Patron, Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria, Oyo state
  • Recipient, City People Ibadan Young Entrepreneurs Awards
EXPERIENCE
  • Negotiated acquisition of lands and did due diligence
  • In charge of documentation and compliance
  • Developed business model for the real estate business
  • Developed marketing models and strategies and supervised the implementation of same
  • Managed clientele and their asset till hand over stage
  • Handled the sales closure and supervision
  • Responsible for sales proposal draft and training of sales reps
  • Sold 1314 plots of land within this period with a team of 3 people
  • Production/ procurement of Agro products
  • Liaise with foreign and local investors
  • Leading the development of the company’s short- and long-term strategy
  • Creating and implementing the company or organization’s vision and mission
  • Plan, develop, implement and direct the organization’s operational and fiscal function and performance
  • Act as a strategic partner by developing and implementing the company’s plans and programs
  • Work with finance team to develop a solid cash flow projection and reporting mechanism, which includes setting a minimum cash threshold to meet operating needs.
  • Act as a strategic advisor and consultant offering expert advice on contracts, negotiations or business deals that the corporation may enter into.
  • Evaluate company’s financial, operational, and sales and marketing structures to plan for continual improvements and a continual increase of operating efficiencies
  • Provide expert financial guidance and advice to others within executive leadership
  • Made the company a national brand in One year with partners in all 36 states of the federation.
  • Managed the financial crisis of the company and turned it around by creating an opportunity through a risk management portfolio I created earlier in the business
  • Balanced to stability in 6 months when the business was re-launched without external funding
  • Directly managed over 100 marketers, 2000 retailers and over 5000 financial partners.
  • Devising and implementing new design strategies
  • Researching new trends in the fashion industry
  • Maintaining awareness of the competitive market
  • Incorporating new trends to update products
  • Resigned after securing over 400 resellers across South West Nigerian in 6 months
  • Handled budgeting and forecasting of business models
  • In charge of public relations
  • In charge of product launch and Market entry strategies in the popular Computer Village, Lagos
  • Tracking company performance
  • Responsible for the marketing of Knack Tablet PC across the market
  • Sold 152,480 Knack branded Tablet PCs in 12 the first 12 months
  • Supervised the sales of the company as exit after 2 years
  • Gathered client information concerning their desired real estate investment and financial ability
  • Developed marketing prospective plan for clients designed to attract and address the needs of buyers
  • Worked as a consultant for Real Estate companies and served as the link between the clients and the companies
  • Exited to move into the Technology arm of the company
  • Developed strategic objectives and direction for the production of Clothing for Faculties and Departments on the campus
  • Procurement of raw materials
  • Budgeting and forecasting
  • Public relations and proposal defense
  • Tracked company financial growth and performance
  • Grew the company to one of the most influential and most populous on campus
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A Nigerian serial entrepreneur, marketing professional and political strategist focused and determined to bring about food stability and agricultural expansion in Nigeria