Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo’s footprints in the country’s economic, political and religious landscape will be celebrated today as he clocks 80.

Born in Latoyo’s compound, Oritamerin, Ibadan, Oladejo, the President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), has left an indelible mark in humanity.

He began his primary education at Islamic Mission School, Odoye, Ibadan in 1953 and completed it in 1958. After his secondary modern school course in Oke-Ado, Ibadan in 1961, he was admitted to the Muslim Teachers’ Training College, Surulere, Lagos in 1962 for his Teachers’ Grade Three Certificate course and later completed Grade Two Teachers’ Course at the same school in 1968.

Oladejo was Senior Prefect at the College in 1968. He taught for a few years in Fazi-Omar Ahmadiyya Primary School in Lagos Island before his admission to the University of Lagos in 1971 for an undergraduate programme in Economics under Federal Government scholarship. He graduated in June 1975 with B.Sc. (Hons) Economics, Second Class, Upper Division.

His exceptional performance at the first-degree level and a promising career in the Nigerian civil service prompted the Federal Government of Nigeria to sponsor him in July 1979 for a special master’s degree course in Development Economics at the Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He graduated in September 1980 and returned to Nigeria the following month.

As an officer in the Ministry of National Planning, his duties included, amongst others, forecasting of government revenue, government expenditure, exports, imports and Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He rose through the ranks to become Principal Planning Officer and Head of Research Unit in the Macro-Economic Department of the Ministry by 1982.

Apart from his daily duties in the department, Oladejo also represented the ministry in special projects including the construction of econometric models for the Nigerian economy, which were undertaken jointly with the University of Ibadan;

Forecasting Unit, The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) and the World Bank. In 1982 and 1983, he represented the ministry as a member of the Nigerian Delegation to the Annual Meetings of the World Bank, the IMF and the Commonwealth Finance Ministers conferences.

By December 31, 1983, Oladejo resigned his appointment with the Federal Government of Nigeria and moved to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry as Head of Research and Business Advisory Services Department.

He distinguished himself in the Chamber, in the area of preparation of well-researched memoranda to government on various economic issues on behalf of The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and indeed the Nigeria’s Organised Private Sector.

He was the Liaison Officer for the Chamber when the organisation commissioned Prof. Olukunle Iyanda who was then the Dean, Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos to produce a book on the activities and contributions of The Chamber during its hundred years existence – 1886 to 1986. The published book was well received in Nigeria and abroad.

At the beginning of September 1989, Oladejo assumed duties at the Nigerian Stock Exchange after resigning his appointment with The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in August 1989.

He joined The Exchange on the eve of a revolution that transformed the institution into a modern stock exchange and effectively putting it in the vanguard of Nigeria’s current development initiatives.

In particular, he contributed in the modernisation process and was the Project Director for the Automated Trading System (ATS) that replaced the manual Call-Over Trading System.

The automation of the clearing, depository and settlement system and the transition to Automated Trading System (ATS) have enhanced the opportunity for price discovery in The Nigerian Stock market and raised the overall market

In the same vein, automation has made the stock market a truly international and emerging market, giving the nation a strong and dynamic stock market, which can be relied upon by local and foreign investors for efficient portfolio management.

Indeed, it has been a glorious era for Rasaki at The Exchange during which he rose from Assistant General Manager/ Head of Research and Information System in 1989 to Deputy Director-General / Chief Operating Officer of the dynamic emergent stock market by December, 2000.

Alhaji Oladejo retired in June 2003 after 14 years of meritorious services to the institution.

A thoroughbred professional, he was sought after in retirement to deliver lectures especially on capital market issues and to serve as Non-Executive Director of companies.

He was a director of African Alliance Plc, one of the foremost insurance companies in Nigeria.

Since 2005, he has been the Chairman of Sigma Pensions Limited, one of the leading pensions managers in Nigeria. During the 13 years that Oladejo served meritoriously as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company, the organisation grew from a mere startup to its enviable position in 2018 as one of the leading lights in the Nigerian pensions industry.

Oladejo is also a director of GraceCo Limited, a dynamic food manufacturing company in Lagos.

He is the Founder and Chairman, Mountain Investment and Securities Limited, a member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Oladejo is also the Chairman of Bishop & Knight Insurance Brokers Limited.

A member of the Commonwealth Study Conferences Association (1986 set), a Life Member of the Nigerian Economic Society and a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, FCS, Alhaji Oladejo was honoured with the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Lagos Alumni Association in recognition of his leadership qualities and contributions to National Development.

He has also been honoured by the Nigerian Association of Securities Dealers in recognition of his noble role in the introduction of Technology in the Nigerian Capital Market.

A philantropist who supports individuals and organisations, Oladejo is a deeply religious person and a pride to the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria. He was past President and currently the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni; the pioneer Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muslim Welfare Fund and the past National President of Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, an Islamic association founded in 1939. Oladejo is currently a trustee of the society.

Oladejo was a member of MUSWEN Central Working Committee while he was President of Nawair-Ud-Deen society between 2013 and 2019. He was the Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Assets, Finances and Operations Improvement and Sustainability inaugurated by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Dr. Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni to review the assets, organisation structure, operations, staffing, finances and accounts of the NSCIA from 2010 to June 2013.

The committee of 12 eminent Muslim professionals and academicians completed its assignment and presented its report to His Eminence in October 2014. It is gratifying to note that many of its recommendations have been implemented by the organisation.

Oladejo is also the pioneer Chairman of Nudivest Hajj and Umrah Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nawair-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria. NUDIVEST provides quality Hajj and Umrah services to the Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.

In November 2020, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo was confirmed as the 4th President of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN) at the well-attended General Assembly of the association held at the University of Ibadan Mosque Auditorium, Ibadan.

During the following month in December 2020, he was also appointed as the Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) by His Eminence, Dr Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of NSCIA.

Owing to his leadership positions in these regional and national Islamic organisations, Oladejo is today a member of The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), a voluntary association of religious leaders of Christianity and Islam in Nigeria established to promote peace and harmony between the two major religions.

Oladejo is also a member of the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), an organisation that works for the promotion of interreligious dialogue for peace in the country.

Oladejo is a member of Ikoyi Club 1938 and immediate past President of Oluyole Club, Lagos established in 1968 as a socio-cultural association of eminent Ibadan indigenes in Lagos. He is married and has children.