Fasuyi, management guru, is new Asiwaju of Ijeshaland

Lington Olayinka Fasuyi surely has the acumen for innovation and exploration, including a knack for superlative performance. Since he resigned his appointment from a major oil company in 1992, barely seven years post-graduation, Fasuyi has kept his kite flying high in the sky.

A hard-nosed businessman and a workaholic, Yinka has effectively combined the grace of God with hard work, diligence and hard bargaining; the hallmark of a truly Ijesha man.

And today, in Ilesa, Osun State, the management guru will truly join the elders club as the Owa Obokun Adimula, and paramount ruler of Ijesaland, as Oba Adekunle Aromolaran confers the title of Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju of Ijeshaland on him and his wife Olubisi.

Friends, family and associates are elated that the never-say-die President, Ibadan Business School, truly deserves to be honoured in
Ilesa where growing up as a school boy some four decades ago he earned the appellation ‘the young millionaire’. Looking back, Yinka had,
early in life blazed the trail as a high flyer. While his mates trekked to school, Yinka played the big boy, riding a bicycle to the admiration of his colleagues.

Yinka was born October 25, 1955 to Chief Jacob Olowookere Fasuyi and Mrs. Felicia Sijuwola Fasuyi, both renowned natives of Ilesha who left
indelible marks in the social and economic profiles of Ijeshaland. His late father was an accomplished community leader whose life, teachings and businesses had a lot of positive influence on Yinka till date.

Lington attended Otapete Methodist Primary School, Ilesha, between 1962 and 1968; proceeded to Ilesa Grammar School in 1969 and completed his secondary education in 1973. At his 60th anniversary last October, he reminisced: “It may surprise many that during my secondary education days, my dream was to stop schooling at the WASC level with an ambition to go into general merchandising like my father because I was well brought up and trained in it.”

He was later admitted to read Economics at the University of Ibadan, graduated in 1982 and had his national service in old Gongola State.

He subsequently attended several management courses including the executive Global Partnership for Leadership Development at Manchester Business School, executive education in Creativity and Innovation at the University of California Business School. He is also an alumnus of Queens University Business School, Canada and Georgetown Business School, Washington DC, Unites States.

Reflecting on his life’s journey recently, Yinka said: “I saw the opportunity when others thought I was unreasonable. Immediately I left the service of Total Nigeria Plc, I established Supreme Management Training and Consultancy Services Limited. To the glory of God, and being modest, the firm has not only become the biggest Private Management Development Institution in West Africa and beyond, but it remained the only organization that has trained in all the 36 states of the federation.

“In addition to this, under my leadership, we have been able to take the services of the firm beyond the shores of Nigeria to other African
countries- Europe, Asia, America, to mention but a few. Today, we enjoy tremendous patronage because of the quality of training and
human capital development services that the company has been rendering.”

Fasuyi is widely travelled and has visited about 60 countries doing the job of training and management consulting. On the social plane, he
belongs to several social clubs and organizations across the country.

He was a former president of Ibadan Recreation Club, a member of Ibadan Golf Club, Ibadan Polo Club and University of Ibadan Staff
Club. Back home, he belongs to Ilesha Felates Club, Ilesha Roots Club and Ilesha Sports Club.

Despite his silver spoon upbringing, Yinka appreciates the essence of giving back to the society. He has been committed to helping the needy and downtrodden in his own little way. He is a silent philanthropist who quietly established a non-governmental organization named Yinka Fasuyi Foundation through which platform he has been rendering community support to the needy and less privileged in the society.

As Ilesha hosts friends and well wishers of the new Asiwaju and Yeye Asiwaju today, many will agree that the indefatigable honoree and his wife truly deserve the award as role models and catalysts for greater advancement of Ijeshaland and its people.