Olusoji George, a Professor in the Faculty of Management Sciences, University of Lagos, will be celebrating his 70th birthday today by feasting with 1,800 poor people in Lagos.

The initiative, on the part of the erudite scholar, would cover inmates of some orphanages and old people’s homes. The gesture will also be extended to some indigent students in the University of Lagos.

George explained that the gesture was informed by his appreciation of the hardship being experienced by some Nigerians and his desire to support the Federal Government, in his own little way, to assuage the feelings of the underprivileged.

According to him, the initiative was supported by his children, friends, and well-wishers, who encouraged him through donations of funds and materials.

“After spending the proverbial three score and ten on earth, marked by several tribulations and triumphs, I feel grateful and appreciative of God’s kindness to me all along.

“Right from birth, I was confronted with several health challenges. The peak of it was when I underwent surgery on my head in England, after my graduate and postgraduate programmes at the University of Ibadan. The surgery, which was occasioned by blood leakage from a major artery in my head, informed my having to stay back longer than I planned in the United Kingdom (UK). Fortunately, this gave me the opportunity to further my studies there, earning master’s and doctoral degrees, which opened the doors for my exploits in the academic world.

“With such background, I feel obliged to celebrate my 70th birthday and retirement from the University of Lagos by felicitating with my less privileged fellow citizens,” George explained.

The Professor was born on Friday, August 12, 1955, and holds a B.Sc. degree in Sociology from the University of Ibadan in 1979 and an M.Sc. in Industrial Sociology in 1981, from the same university.

He also holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management and a Ph.D. from the University of Bradford, United Kingdom.

He started his teaching career in the University of Lagos in 2011 as a Lecturer I in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2021.

He has served the University and others within and outside the country in many capacities.

Outside the walls of the university, he was on the Sales and Marketing team of Sona Breweries in the 1980s.

Besides, George is the Chief Executive Officer/Senior Partner of J. Soji-George and Co., a Business and Management Consulting firm.

The erudite scholar holds memberships and fellowships in several prestigious professional bodies, including the American Academy of Management, Africa Academy of Management, Nigerian Academy of Management, International Society of Development & Sustainability, and Chartered Institute of Loan & Risk Management of Nigeria.

He has published over 80 local and international academic journal papers as at 2024. One of his books, ‘Impact of Culture on the Transfer of Management Practices,’ has won several awards and is currently being translated into Chinese and Japanese.