Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi (born April 29, 1962),

MON Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to: Places * Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar * Mon, India, a town in Nagaland * Mon district, Nagaland * Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India * Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons * A ...

, is a Nigerian business magnate and lawyer. He is the founder and current C.E.O of SIFAX Group, a conglomerate that deals in Maritime, Aviation, Haulage, Hospitality, Financial Services and Oil and Gas.

Early life and education

Afolabi was born as the first child of a set of twins in

Ondo State Ondo () is a States of Nigeria, state in Points of the compass, southwestern Nigeria. It was created on 3 February 1976 from the former Western State (Nigeria), Western State. Ondo borders Ekiti State to the north, Kogi State to the northeast fo ...

, but he is a native of Idokunusi Ijebu in

Ijebu East Ijebu East is a Local Government Area in Ogun State, Nigeria bordering Lagos State and Lagos Lagoon in the south. Its headquarters are in the town of Ogbere on the A121 highwayat. Ijebu East is the largest LGA by area in Ogun State, with an area ...

local government area of

Ogun State Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. It is bordered to the south by Lagos State and the Bight of Benin, to the east by Ondo State, and to the north by Oyo and Osun states while its western border forms part of the national borde ...

, Nigeria. He completed his primary and secondary school education at Ansar Ud Deen Primary School, Ondo State, and Baptist Grammar School, Ibadan respectively. He later proceeded to the

University of Lagos The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is a Public university, public research university located in Lagos, Nigeria, which was founded in 1962. UNILAG is one of the education in Nigeria#First generation universities, first generation universities in ...

where he graduated with an LL.B. certificate in

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

Career

In 1981, he began his professional career with Nigerian Express Agencies Limited until 1988 when he left to establish SIFAX Group. Upon its establishment, the company has since risen to become one of Nigeria's leading companies with investments in oil and gas, haulage, logistics and maritime and aviation. He is a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Financial Management, and the Institute of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria.

Recognitions

Afolabi is a

Member of the Order of the Niger The Order of the Niger (OON) is the second highest national award in Nigeria. It was instituted in 1963 and is junior to the Order of the Federal Republic, the highest order of merit in the country. Award The two highest honours, the Grand Com ...

since 2010. In recognition of his contribution to the Nigerian industrial sector, he was awarded the 2014 "Businessman of the Year" by '' The Sun Awards''. The Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime Conference (TAAM Conference) is organized in honor of Taiwo Afolabi by students of the University of Lagos and sponsored by SIFAX Group.

Personal life

He is married to Folashade Afolabi and he is the father of Olayinka Afolabi and L.A.X. He is a member of the Institute of Directors Nigeria; Ikoyi Club 1938; IBB Golf Club, Abuja; the Building Committee of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among many others. Taiwo Afolabi is a sports lover, who enjoys watching and playing football.

Philanthropy life

His company SIFAX donated a one thousand seater (1,000) lecture hall to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH). A total of 184 persons have enjoyed free dental and medical care at the Taiwo Afolabi Free Rural Dental Outreach which was held at the popular Dugbe market in Ibadan recently. The beneficiaries included market men and women.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afolabi, Taiwo 1962 births Living people People from Ogun State Yoruba businesspeople University of Lagos alumni Nigerian twins 20th-century Nigerian businesspeople 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople