The Chairman/CEO of The Address Homes, Dr Olabisi Onasanya has been conferred with an Honourary Doctorate Degree (Honaris Causas) in Finance at the 7th Convocation ceremony of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) held at the Main Campus, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State on Saturday, 11 February, 2023.
The conferment was approved by the University Senate in recognition of Onasanya’s professional excellence, illustrious persona as an excellent banker and brilliant Chartered Accountant, as well as his exemplary leadership in contemporary Nigeria with positive impacts on the lives of the vast majority of people.
Onasanya, a former Group Managing Director/CEO of First Bank Plc, was decorated during a well-attended ceremony, by the Vice Chancellor of FUOYE, Professor Abayomi Fasina; Chancellor, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Matthew Opaluwa; and members of the University Senate alongside two other prominent Nigerians; football legend, Segun Odegbami, aka ‘mathematical Odegbami’, and legal luminary, Wole Olanipekun.
A quintessential Nigerian banker, economist, suave gentleman, and intellectually fertile colossus who phenomenally transited from the pinnacle of the banking industry to redefine excellence in the burgeoning real estate sector, Onasanya is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and an Associate Member of the Nigerian Institute of Taxation. He also served as a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers’ Sub-Committee on Fiscal & Monetary Policies, and of the Presidential Committee on Reduction of Interest Rates.
In his acceptance speech, Onasanya expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor, the Governing Council, the Senate, staff and students of the University for finding him deserving of such an exalted honour as he promised not to relent on his efforts.
An elated Onasanya, who was accompanied to the event by his wife, Mrs Helen Onasanya and some of his close friends and associates, announced the donation of one million naira to the FUOYE’s best-graduating student in Accounting, a 24-year-old lady, Oyedele Abibat Adejoke, who bagged first class in Accounting.
The Address Homes chairman also promised to give yearly scholarships to the best students of Accounting and Real Estate Management as a means of giving back to society and encouraging the young ones.
“I thank God that after seven years of my retirement as the Group Managing Director of First Bank, I am still relevant”, he declared.
“We should be able to give back to Society and perform our duty wherever we find ourselves so as to encourage the young ones”.
Giving a piece of advice to the young graduates, Onasanya said; “Take everything you have learnt in the course of your time here as a tool to help with solving people’s problems. Education is not an end in itself. It is a means to an end. The end is to create solutions for people you meet throughout your life.
“Secondly, and please see this as vital, integrity is key! I usually say, “If money is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. However, if integrity is lost, everything is lost.”
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina said that the institution within the shortest time of creation has carved a niche for itself on an international grid of academic excellence.
While congratulating the graduands on their academic feats, Fasina admonished them to positively project the image of the institution.
Having spent about 21 years with First Bank until his retirement on December 31, Onasanya had plunged into his long-time passion -the real estate industry, where he established The Address Homes Limited, a real estate company with business interests in the acquisition, development, and management of luxurious residential buildings across Nigeria.
Since The Address Homes came on board through his efforts, the firm has taken over the leadership of the real estate industry in determining the best types of luxurious homes and what they ought to be priced at.
With highly diversified homes with respect to design and styles, from inception, The Address Homes has made it its policy to build the best homes at the most economical prices throughout Nigeria, thus delivering optimum value for money.
