One very silent African billionaire people hardly get to hear much about is Dr. Tunji Olowolafe. The business magnate is one of those top Nigerian figures whose charm and connections enable them to cautiously command both political and economic power. He is the chairman of GZ Industries (GZI) —West Africa’s leading aluminum can manufacturer. The well-trained medical doctor decided to stop practising medicine in 1988 and ventured into private equity out of interest. And he has remained a huge success ever with him being listed among Nigeria’s richest. For the Are Ekiti-born mogul, there is no gainsaying that he’s dedicated to addressing Nigeria’s infrastructural gaps. In 2008, Olowolafe, as Chairman of the Lekki Concession Company, spearheaded the upgrade and expansion of the Lekki-Epe Expressway and coastal road. In the area of Nigeria’s critical power supply issues, Olowolafe also commits substantial part of his wealth into Eko Electricity Distribution Company as a major stakeholder. The business magnate is also a non-executive Director of Infracorp Nigeria —a $15bn infrastructure investment entity. Asides his entrepreneurial interest, one critical area Olowolafe has also been hammered on is how best Nigeria and the entire continent can realise her full potential. To him, the only antidote to true freedom and prosperity is to ensure a stable democracy, rule of law and quality education. Olowolafe has quietly been working towards achieving this. He has combined his strategic contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructure and promoted a promising future for the country under visionary leaders like him. Just recently, he was appointed the Chancellor of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti by the Visitor to the University, Governor Abiodun Oyebanji.
Spotlight gathered that Olowolafe was selected by the State Governor given his devotion to improving his homeland and contributions across various sectors of the economy. A World Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh, Olowolafe has previously served as a member of Ekiti State COVID-19 Resource Mobilization Committee.