His Imperial Majesty, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, h Saturday, 5 September 2026, for the installation of distinguished corporate leader, investor, institution builder and philanthropist, Oloye (Dr) Adesola Kazeem Adeduntan, as the Balogun of Oyo.
The ceremony, originally scheduled for July, was postponed following the tragic abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The victims have since been reunited with their families, though two lives were lost. With the affected communities gradually recovering, preparations have resumed for what is expected to be one of the most significant traditional events in Oyo State this year.
The installation will take place at the Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo, where guests have been requested to appear in wine and gold.
The Balogun occupies one of the foremost traditional offices of the ancient Oyo Empire, a position historically associated with leadership, courage, integrity and public service. Dr. Adeduntan succeeds the late Dr. Victor Omololu Olunloyo, the renowned mathematician, statesman and former Governor of old Oyo State, who held the revered title with exceptional distinction.
His appointment brings into the traditional institution of the Oyo Kingdom a leader whose career has evolved from banking and development finance into institution building across strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy, including mining, professional services, education, healthcare and philanthropy.
Born in Ibadan, Dr. Adeduntan graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1992 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree before making a remarkable transition into finance. He subsequently earned an MBA from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom as a British Chevening Scholar and built an outstanding professional career across Arthur Andersen, KPMG, Citibank, the Africa Finance Corporation and FirstBank.
At the Africa Finance Corporation, where he served as pioneer Director, Chief Financial Officer and Business Manager, he played a central role in establishing one of Africa’s foremost development finance institutions. He led the design and execution of the Corporation’s international credit rating strategy, culminating in the award of an investment-grade A3 rating by Moody’s in 2014, a milestone that significantly enhanced AFC’s access to global capital markets.
He later joined FirstBank as Group Chief Financial Officer before being appointed Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer in January 2016. Under his leadership, the Bank accelerated its digital transformation, strengthened governance and risk management, deepened financial inclusion, and consolidated its operations across West Africa, Central Africa and the United Kingdom, strengthening FirstBank’s position as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.
Following his retirement in April 2024, Dr. Adeduntan began what many regard as an equally consequential chapter of national service—one focused on building enduring institutions that will contribute to Nigeria’s long-term economic development.
Today, he is the Founder and Chairman of Sequoia Holdings Limited, the parent company of a growing portfolio of businesses spanning strategic minerals, professional services, energy and long-term investment platforms. The Group reflects his conviction that Africa’s future competitiveness will depend not merely on access to capital, but on the quality of the institutions that deploy it.
Within the Group, Sequoia Minerals & Metals Limited has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most ambitious private strategic minerals companies, with interests spanning critical, precious and industrial minerals and a district-scale exploration portfolio assembled across multiple states. The company is pursuing a long-term strategy anchored on the critical minerals required for the global energy transition, while applying international standards of technical excellence, governance and environmental stewardship from inception. Its broader objective is to help position Nigeria as a significant participant in the rapidly evolving global strategic minerals value chain through responsible exploration, value addition and sustainable resource development.
Dr. Adeduntan also founded Sequoia Professional Services Limited, through which he advises boards, governments, investors and corporate institutions on governance, institutional transformation, strategy, leadership and capital allocation. Drawing on decades of executive and boardroom experience, the firm supports organisations seeking to build resilient institutions capable of delivering sustainable long-term value.
Beyond business, he has increasingly devoted his time and resources to philanthropy through the Adesola Adeduntan Foundation, whose principal focus is expanding access to quality healthcare and education.
Working in partnership with traditional institutions, the Foundation is currently spearheading the construction of modern Grade A Primary Healthcare Centres within both the Olubadan of Ibadanland Palace Complex and the Palace of the Alaafin of Oyo. Conceived as fully equipped community healthcare facilities, the projects seek to demonstrate how strategic private philanthropy can strengthen primary healthcare delivery where it is most needed.
The Foundation is equally committed to expanding educational opportunity through scholarships, institutional partnerships, leadership development initiatives and programmes designed to widen access for talented young Nigerians.
That commitment extends naturally into public service. In 2025, Governor Seyi Makinde appointed Dr. Adeduntan Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan, where he is providing strategic leadership to strengthen governance, deepen industry partnerships, enhance institutional sustainability and position the University among Nigeria’s leading technology and innovation-driven universities.
His contributions to business, education, governance and national development have earned widespread recognition across Africa and internationally. He is among the very few Nigerians to have been awarded honorary Doctor of Science (DSc) degrees by both Cranfield University in the United Kingdom and the University of Ibadan, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to commerce, institutional leadership and economic development.
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Adeduntan has also completed executive leadership programmes at Harvard Business School, Oxford, Cambridge, Wharton, London Business School, CEIBS and INSEAD.
The Balogun title will complement his existing traditional title of Apesinola of Ibadanland, further strengthening his longstanding ties with two of Yorubaland’s most historic cities.
For many observers, the installation represents far more than the conferment of another traditional honour. It reflects the recognition of a lifetime devoted to building institutions, developing people and advancing national progress through principled leadership.
On 5 September 2026, the ancient Palace of the Alaafin will welcome home one of Oyo’s accomplished sons—not merely to celebrate a distinguished career, but to entrust him with an office whose enduring purpose is leadership in service of the Oyo Kingdom and its people. For Dr. Adeduntan, it marks the beginning of a new chapter that unites modern institutional excellence with the timeless values and rich heritage
