ICONS: Hakeem Belo-Osagie

• He is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist, born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1955.

• Belo-Osagie holds a law degree from the University of Cambridge, MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.

• He started his career as a petroleum economist and lawyer, following his graduation from Harvard Business School. For more than three decades, he has been a key player in the Nigerian economy through his participation in several private sector businesses; particularly in the fields of energy, finance and telecommunications. Up Until 2017, Belo-Osagie was the chairman of Etisalat’s Nigerian arm, in which he controlled a significant stake. He also has a range of other business interests in Nigeria.

• Belo-Osagie and his wife, Dr Myma Belo-Osagie, also a lawyer, are noted philanthropists, who believe strongly in the power of education. They are among the largest donors to the African Leadership Academy (ALA), a residential secondary school in Johannesburg that works to educate Africa’s brightest students. They are also supporters of Harvard University’s Centre for African Studies.

• Belo-Osagie was listed by Forbes Magazine as the forty-first richest man in Africa in 2014.

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