The Organized Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) has mourned the passing of Olusegun Awolowo, describing him as a visionary leader whose life exemplified unwavering dedication to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
Jani Ibrahim, Chairman of OPSN, in a statement on Saturday in Abuja said Awolowo’s legacy would forever remain etched in the annals of our nation’s journey toward prosperity.
”In Segun Awolowo, we lost more than a public servant; we lost a true partner in progress, a bridge-builder between government and private enterprise, and a champion of the economic diversification that our nation so desperately needed.
”His remarkable career, spanning prestigious law firms including Abayomi Sogbesan & Co. and G.O.K. Ajayi & Co., laid the foundation for a life of service that would touch every sector of our economy.”
He said that Segun’s legacy started from his early days as Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Traditional Institutions, Legal Due Diligence, and Legal Matters.
Ibrahim added that it continued through his tenure with the Federal Capital Territory Administration under President Umaru Yar’Adua.
He said that the deceased demonstrated an extraordinary ability to navigate complex challenges while maintaining the highest standards of integrity—values that resonated deeply with the private sector community.
He added that Awolowo’s transformative leadership as Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council from 2013 cemented his place in Nigeria’s economic history.
”When President Goodluck Jonathan first appointed him, and later when President Muhammadu Buhari recognized his exceptional performance with a reappointment in 2018, making him the longest-serving Executive Director in the organization’s history, the private sector knew we had found a true ally.
”The revolutionary “Zero Oil Plan” launched in 2016 was not merely a policy document—it was a declaration of partnership with the private sector, a roadmap that recognized our collective potential to transform Nigeria from an oil-dependent economy to one driven by diversified exports and value-added products.
”This visionary blueprint, targeting $30 billion in foreign-exchange earnings through non-oil exports, spoke directly to our aspirations as manufacturers, exporters, and entrepreneurs who had long sought government support for economic diversification.”
He said the groundbreaking collaboration with Shoprite in 2019 to distribute Nigerian products across Africa and beyond exemplified Segun’s understanding that government’s role was not to compete with private enterprise, but to create enabling environments for its success.
‘’The $1 billion Memorandum of Understanding he signed with AFREXIM Bank and NEXIM in 2018 at the inaugural Intra-African Trade Fair in Cairo demonstrated his commitment to creating the financial infrastructure necessary for private sector growth.
‘’As we reflect on his legacy, we remember a leader who understood that sustainable economic development could only be achieved through genuine partnership between public and private sectors.
‘’He created platforms for dialogue, removed bureaucratic bottlenecks that had long frustrated our operations, and consistently championed policies that recognized the private sector as the engine of economic growth.
‘’As we bid farewell to this exemplary Nigerian, the Organized Private Sector commits to honouring his memory by continuing the work he began. The partnerships he forged, the policies he championed, and the vision he articulated for a diversified, prosperous Nigeria remain our collective responsibility to fulfil.(NAN)
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
