Olufemi O. Okenla
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| Olufemi O. Okenla | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 April 1965 Ogun State, Nigeria |
| 🏳️ Nationality | Nigerian |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | Nigerian/British |
| 💼 Occupation | Businessman Real Estate Financier Lawyer/Solicitor |
| 📆 Years active | 1990 - present |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Otunba Modupe Irmgard Okenla |
| 👶 Children | Temitope, Omobolaji, Abidemi & Olufunbi. |
Olufemi Olanreleola Okenla (Femi Okenla) (born April 7, 1965) is the Group Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of HDV Group, a Nigerian businessman and real estate entrepreneur. His company HDV Group ((consisting of Homes Deal Ventures Nigeria Limited, and HDV (Hotel Development Ventures) Nigeria Limited)) has interests in real estate and hospitality.[1] He is a dual jurisdiction lawyer licensed to practice in Nigeria and the United Kingdom and he began his law career in 1989 when he passed the bar exams in Nigeria and qualified as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He moved to the United Kingdom in year 2000 requalifying as a solicitor and specialized in criminal, asylum, litigation, and property law. By 2010 Okenla and his firm Mountain Partnership Solicitors[2] had evolved into a successful partnership handling high profile asylum and immigrant cases.[3] He owns an Accor Hotels franchise to a business economy hotel – Ibis Hotel[4] and other real estate development properties.
Early Life and Education[edit]
Otunba Olufemi Okenla was born in Ijebu Ode, a populous town in the southwestern part of Ogun State which is in the western part of Nigeria. The Western region of Nigeria is home to the Yorubas – one of the three major tribes in Nigeria. Ijebu kingdom comprises several Ijebu towns united under the leadership of the oba, the Awujale of Ijebu land. His father Chief Olanrewaju Adesina Okenla was a notable lawyer, hotelier, and politician, his mother is Chief Mrs. Florence Moronkeji Okenla (Nee Olufowobi). He attended Emmanuel Primary School Ijebu Ode and Baptist Day School (a primary school located in Ereko Ijebu Ode) for his primary education, and Adeola Odutola College a comprehensive high school in Ijebu Ode for his secondary education – graduating in 1981. He proceeded to Ogun State Polytechnic (Moshood Abiola Polytechnic) and Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University); he studied law at the university and graduated in 1988 with LL.B (Hons).
Business and Career[edit]
In England[edit]
After his studies at the university and his National Youth Service Corps, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1989. As an immigrant he took up various menial jobs to support his family including dishwashing.[5] Before re-qualifying to practice law in England, he formed a company Mountain and Associates which provided legal assistance for immigrants needing legal advice or were in the process of emigrating. He provided services as an immigration accredited caseworker at supervisor level for the Legal Services Commission (now Legal Aid Authority) of England and Wales. After re-qualifying as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2000 he changed his firm to a full law partnership called Mountain Partnership Solicitors which is a law firm and an estate management firm;[6] he is the managing partner till date. While working as an immigration lawyer he is on record as having represented an Italian immigrant who along with his friend was sentenced to life at the Old Bailey for the murder of two other immigrants of various nationalities.[3] He also handled the case of the seeking for asylum of the replacement trial judge who sentenced Saddam Hussein to death – Rauf Rashid Abd al-Rahman – in December 2006. He studied asylum law under renowned Canadian refugee lawyer Professor James C. Hathaway. He is listed in the United Kingdom as an accredited criminal litigator and defense lawyer.[2] He made his foray into real estate in England in the mid-nineties when he began to acquire properties for development.
In Nigeria[edit]
While in the university in Nigeria he became a young entrepreneur, engaging in multiple business ventures which included a private cinema and water treatment supplies.[7] While still living in England, in 1994, he started a trading company during his business travels to Nigeria. The company Tophill Investments, is an import-export, haulage and trading company which gained major sub-contracts with PZ Cussons Nigeria and Lever Brothers (now Unilever Nigeria Plc) for haulage and logistics. Recognizing an opportunity in Lagos State government's vision to turn Lagos to a modern mega-city of world-class, Okenla formed a real estate group of companies in 2009 – HDV Nigeria Limited and tapped into the expanding structural development of Lagos State. He began making forays into property development in Lagos through several real estate projects including a hotel franchise, government-funded budget housing, as well as privately owned residential estates through his companies Homes Deal Ventures and Hotel Development Ventures (HDV Nigeria Limited). His primary businesses in Nigeria are real estate and hoteling which culminated in the Ibis Hotel franchise with Accor Hotels.[8] His company brokered a deal with the government of Lagos State to build low-cost housing estates in Lagos innovatively using an impressively different model to build the homes;[9] through a scheme introduced by the government.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Okenla is married to Modupe Irmgard Okenla (nee Jones) and is a citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He authored his own biography when he turned fifty to inspire the youths of Nigeria to achieve their dreams.[11] An advocate for national development, he is a member of the United Action for Change.[12] His son Temi Okenla is a third-generation lawyer and played Rugby for the University of Kent, then played professionally in England.[13] Temi is also a member of the Nigerian National Rugby Union Team.
Honours & Awards[edit]
He was conferred a chieftaincy title – Otunba Bamofin of Oke Ako – in Ijebu land by His Royal Highness, Oba Joshua A. Osunsami the Aladeken of Oke Ako in Ijebu land for his contribution to the advancement of Ijebu people.
He was conferred another chieftaincy title – Baba Egbe Bobamaiyegun Okunrin Akile Ijebu – by His Royal Highness Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona.
Ogun State University Law Association – Distinguished Alumnus award 2017.
City People Property and Real Estate – Special Recognition Award 2015.
Ogun State University Law Alumni Association – Award for recognition of contribution to the faculty of law.
Lions International Recognition – Award for outstanding commitment and valuable contribution to the development of Lagos State.
References[edit]
- ↑ Adepoju, Dami. "ei Profile: Olufemi Okenla – HDV Nigeria Limited (Owner of the Hotel Ibis Lagos Ikeja)". Estate Intelligence. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "olufemi-olanreleola-okenla". www.solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-07.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Killers jailed for murders of London chef and flatmate". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2010-07-15.[not in citation given]
- ↑ Reporter, Our. "/ibis-hotel-berths-in-lagos/". The Nation Online. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
- ↑ japsyvic, By. "/london-dish-washer-entrepreneur-otunba/". Nairaland. Retrieved 2015-04-10.[unreliable source?]
- ↑ "olufemi-okenla". www.goodlawyersguide.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-07.[not in citation given]
- ↑ Okenla, Olufemi (2015). The Power of Thought (First ed.). Olufemi O. Okenla. pp. 66–69. Retrieved 2018-09-27. Search this book on
[dead link]
- ↑ "Private-investors-in-over-2-billion-naira-hotel-project". www.propertydealzone.com. Retrieved 2018-11-07.[dead link]
- ↑ Azuh, Maureen (2013-02-04). "Fashola Commends Contractor for Quality Job". The Punch Newspapers. Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 2018-11-07.[not in citation given]
- ↑ Olufowobi, Sesan (2013-01-18). "Our Projects Show We Are Working". The Punch Newspapers. Punch Newspaper. Retrieved 2018-11-07.[not in citation given]
- ↑ Rovers, City. "/I Wrote A Book To Inspire The Younger Generation -Otunba Femi Okenla, Ibis Hotel Boss/". CityRovers. Retrieved 2016-11-18.
- ↑ Media, NPA. "/United Action for Change: NPA MD keys into President Buhari's vision of making Nigerian Youth best in Africa, world/". NPA Media. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
- ↑ Jones, Russell. "/Young outside centre come winger Temi Okenla joins the Old Mids for next season from Canterbury RFC/". Pitchero. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
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