OBA ADEWALE OSIBERU @ 70: CELEBRATING AN OUTSTANDING ROYAL FATHER WHO HELPED BUILD NIGERIA'S DIGITAL ECONOMY

From Computer Programming and Systems Analysis to the Palace: The Remarkable Journey of a Modern Nigerian Monarch.

By Charles Segun Adegbite 

Editor, Successful People Magazine

There are monarchs whose authority comes primarily from the antiquity of the throne they occupy. There are others whose personal accomplishments give additional meaning to the crown.

His Royal Highness, Oba Adewale Osiberu, the Elepe of Epe, Sagamu, Ogun State, belongs to the latter category.

At 70, his life presents an unusually fascinating intersection of royalty, technology, corporate leadership, intellectual development, mediation and community service.

Everything about him seems to communicate stature.

From his imposing physical presence and commanding personality to his analytical mind, intellectual curiosity, international exposure and remarkable understanding of technology, 

Oba Osiberu represents a generation of Nigerians who experienced the transition from the era of traditional systems to the age of computers—and, remarkably, participated in that transition as a professional.

Long before digital transformation became fashionable corporate language, he was already working with computers, developing software, designing systems and installing computer networks for organisations in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Then came an unexpected summons from destiny.

In 2001, while successfully running a technology company in Lagos, he was persuaded to return home and occupy the vacant stool of the Elepe of Epe.

He accepted.

That decision transformed the direction of his life.

The computer expert became a king.

The systems analyst became a community leader.

The corporate executive became a royal father.

And the professional who had spent years designing systems for organisations began applying his analytical instincts to the management of people, relationships, conflicts and community affairs.

That is the fascinating story of Oba Adewale Osiberu @ 70.

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THE ROYAL BEGINNING

Born on September 7, 1956, in Sapele, in the old Western Region of Nigeria, now Delta State, Adewale Osiberu was born into the Osiberu Royal Family of the Olasubo Ruling House of Epe, Sagamu, Ogun State.

His early years were shaped by his father's career in government.

Because his father served the then Western Region Government of Nigeria and was deployed to Sapele before being redeployed to Ibadan, young Adewale grew up largely in Ibadan, where his formative years were spent.

The boy who would eventually occupy a royal throne therefore had an upbringing that combined his family's traditional heritage with the educational and cosmopolitan environment of one of Nigeria's major cities.

His intellectual journey soon began to take shape.

EDUCATION: THE MAKING OF A TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONAL

His early education included Mrs Fawole's Nursery School, Molete, Ibadan, after which he completed his primary education at Methodist Primary School, Bodija, Ibadan, in 1968.

He subsequently attended the prestigious Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta, before completing his secondary education at Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

But the young Adewale was not content to stop there.

In 1976, he travelled to the United Kingdom to study at the Institute of Data Processing, London.

He completed Parts I and II of his computer studies in 1977 and proceeded to Parts III and IV, the final stages, which he completed between 1977 and 1978.

At a time when computers were still largely unfamiliar to the ordinary Nigerian, he was deliberately positioning himself at the frontier of an emerging technological revolution.

After returning to Nigeria and working for about a decade, he returned to England for further academic development.

Between 1989 and 1990, he obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Management of Information Systems from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The pattern was becoming clear: learn, return, work, learn again, and continuously expand one's capacity.

It would become one of the defining characteristics of his life.

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THE MAN WHO WORKED WITH COMPUTERS BEFORE COMPUTERS BECAME EVERYWHERE

Oba Osiberu's professional journey is particularly remarkable when viewed against the technological environment of the period.

After completing his studies in England, he returned to Nigeria and joined the then National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) in September 1978.

Between 1979 and February 1982, he worked with Data Masters Limited, Lagos.

In March 1982, he joined Crusader Insurance Company, Lagos, as a Computer Programmer.

His competence earned recognition.

By April 1986, he had risen to the position of Assistant Manager, functioning as the company's Systems Analyst, a position he held until January 1988.

He returned to England that year and worked as a Computer Manager in London before moving into freelance contract work as an Analyst/Programmer.

His professional engagements included organisations such as Pantex Computer Limited, Wembley; Continental Illinois Bank, Blackfriars, London; and Wang UK Limited, including its European Headquarters in Brentford.

These experiences exposed him to sophisticated corporate environments and advanced information-management practices.

He was not merely learning about technology.

He was learning how organisations themselves could be transformed by technology.

RETURNING HOME TO HELP BUILD NIGERIA'S DIGITAL ECONOMY

In 1990, Nigeria called again.

When the founders of Fountain Trust Merchant Bank Limited obtained their banking licence, Oba Osiberu returned from England and became part of the team that established the bank.

He established and managed its Information Systems Department and remained responsible for the function until March 1994.

His next chapter was entrepreneurship.

In April 1994, he became Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Data Solutions Limited, a technology company specialising in the installation of Local Area Networks for organisations.

In 1998, he established DataBoard Limited, a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider, which provided Microsoft support and web-presence services to organisations.

This was the era before today's ubiquitous smartphones, cloud computing and social-media economy.

Yet Oba Osiberu was already working at the intersection of computing, information systems, networking and organisational efficiency.

A QUIET PIONEER OF NIGERIA'S COMPUTER REVOLUTION

One of the most compelling aspects of Oba Osiberu's story is the breadth of his technological contribution.

His professional work included the development of an electricity billing system for NEPA and software systems for marketing companies covering areas such as inventory control, aged-sales analysis, general-ledger accounting, payroll and personnel management.

In the insurance industry, he designed and developed applications supporting life insurance, group life and pensions, general business insurance, insurance investments and accounting.

At Fountain Trust Merchant Bank, he installed and managed Bankmaster banking software, supporting the system for several years.

He also designed and installed computer networks using structured cabling for organisations including International Distillers Limited, Toyota Nigeria Limited, Eko International Bank Plc, Texaco Overseas, Afribank Plc, Tanus Communications Limited, Bello, Bello & Associates and the Centre for Research in Reproductive Health.

For a man who would eventually become a traditional ruler, this technological résumé is extraordinary.

For a Nigerian of his generation, it is even more remarkable.

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THEN DESTINY CAME KNOCKING

In October 2001, while serving as Managing Director/CEO of Data Solutions Limited in Lagos, Oba Osiberu received an invitation of a very different kind.

The vacant stool of the Elepe of Epe had become available.

The Olasubo Ruling House was entitled to produce the next monarch.

And members of the extended royal family believed they knew the person who possessed the intellectual capacity, exposure, experience, temperament and leadership ability required for the throne.

They wanted Adewale Osiberu.

But there was a problem.

He had built a successful professional life.

He had a career, a company and the freedom of corporate life.

Traditional rulership meant something entirely different.

It meant responsibility.

It meant sacrifice.

It meant submitting one's personal preferences to the demands of a community.

It meant living within the customs, traditions and expectations of the throne.

Persuaded by his father and members of his family, he eventually accepted.

A successful corporate executive voluntarily exchanged the boardroom for the palace.

It was one of the most consequential decisions of his life.

THE CROWN

In January 2002, the Epe kingmakers presented him to the government for confirmation.

In February 2002, his recommendation as Elepe-elect was confirmed by the Ogun State Government.

On June 1, 2002, he was installed as the Elepe of Epe, Sagamu.

He subsequently became a permanent member of the Ogun State Council of Obas.

His emergence ushered in a new chapter for the ancient Epe community.

One of the visible transformations associated with his accession was the reconstruction of the palace into a more befitting structure capable of accommodating the monarch, his family and palace staff.

But perhaps the more important transformation was less visible.

It was the introduction of a monarch whose worldview had been shaped not only by tradition, but also by technology, management, international experience and corporate leadership.

FROM SYSTEMS ANALYST TO SYSTEMS BUILDER OF A COMMUNITY

There is an interesting philosophical connection between Oba Osiberu's former profession and his present calling.

A systems analyst studies how different parts of an organisation interact.

He identifies problems.

He examines relationships.

He looks for weaknesses.

He designs better processes.

He seeks solutions.

As a monarch, he has had to apply many of those same qualities to human relationships and community affairs.

As Elepe, he serves as a bridge between his community and government authorities and presides over the palace court, where disputes are mediated.

His leadership responsibilities have also included security and community-policing initiatives.

His reputation for calmness, analytical thinking and problem-solving has therefore found another expression: the management of people and community relationships.

THE KING WHO BECAME A PROFESSIONAL MEDIATOR

Traditional rulers have historically served as custodians of peace.

Oba Osiberu chose to complement that traditional responsibility with professional training.

In March 2018, he underwent Alternative Dispute Resolution training and obtained Special Mediation Skills Accreditation and Certification.

He became an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria in 2018.

He subsequently undertook Professional Mediation Skills Training and was inducted into the Fellowship category of the institute in August 2020.

He became a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators of Nigeria (FICMC).

He also serves as one of the mediators in the Multidoor Courthouse in Sagamu.

In other words, the monarch did not merely inherit the traditional responsibility of settling disputes.

He acquired modern professional tools with which to perform it.

SECURITY: A ROYAL FATHER WHO UNDERSTANDS COLLABORATION

Oba Osiberu has also played roles in community security.

His responsibilities have included chairing community-policing and security structures involving the police and other security agencies.

As Chairman of the Area Command Community Police Advisory Committee, he worked with the Police Area Commander, Divisional Police Officers and other stakeholders within the command.

Such responsibilities require more than royal authority.

They require communication, trust, coordination and the ability to bring different institutions to the same table.

These are qualities that have repeatedly characterised his leadership.

WHEN REMO NEEDED A STEADY HAND

Perhaps one of the most revealing chapters of his royal career came following the death of the late Akarigbo and Paramount Ruler of Remoland, Oba Michael Adeniyi Sonariwo, in August 2016.

The transition created a leadership vacuum within the traditional institution of Remoland.

At that moment, Oba Osiberu demonstrated one of the qualities that had defined his earlier career: the ability to recognise a developing systems problem and respond quickly.

He mobilised the Obas of Remo and helped ensure that the traditional institution continued functioning during the transition.

The other Obas subsequently appointed him Acting Chairman of the Remo Council of Traditional Rulers.

He represented Remo at the Ogun State Council of Obas and coordinated the activities of traditional rulers during the period.

His tenure was characterised by an emphasis on stability and peaceful transition.

Rather than exploiting the temporary position to prolong his tenure, he worked with the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the emergence of a new Akarigbo.

Barely a year after the death of Oba Sonariwo, a new Akarigbo-elect emerged and was installed on December 7, 2017.

Oba Osiberu then vacated the acting chairmanship at the appropriate time.

That episode offers an important lesson in leadership:

Sometimes the greatest evidence of leadership is knowing when to hold responsibility—and when to hand it over.

A ROYAL ICON IN THE EYES OF HIS PEOPLE

When Oba Osiberu marked 15 years on the throne in June 2017, his contributions received recognition from the youth of Sagamu.

The President of Sagamu Youth Congress, Comrade Kayode Segun-Okeowo, described him as a progressive royal father whose reign had contributed to the development of Epe and Remoland.

He was honoured with a Distinguished Royal Icon Award.

The recognition was particularly significant because it came from young people—a constituency whose expectations of traditional leadership are increasingly shaped by modern realities.

His ability to combine traditional authority with modern knowledge was identified as one of his distinguishing qualities.

A FAMILY CONNECTION TO A GLOBAL SPORTING ICON

Royalty, technology and community leadership are not the only fascinating dimensions of Oba Osiberu's story.

On February 19, 2020, the monarch received a very famous family visitor at his Epe palace: his cousin's son, Anthony Joshua, the Nigerian-British heavyweight boxing champion.

Joshua arrived with his mother, Madam Yetunde, and members of the family.

Following the palace visit, Oba Osiberu accompanied Joshua and his family to the palace of the Paramount Ruler of Remoland, where they paid homage.

The visit brought together three very different worlds—traditional royalty, family heritage and international sporting fame.

It was also a reminder that the influence of a royal family can extend far beyond the walls of its palace.

THE FAMILY BEHIND THE MONARCH

Oba Osiberu is married to Olori (Engr.) Olubukonla Osiberu, and their marriage is blessed with children.

Among them is his daughter, Jadesola Osiberu, a filmmaker and producer associated with Jade Osiberu Films.

Her work in Nollywood has added another dimension to the family's public profile, linking the royal household to Nigeria's vibrant creative industry.

It is an interesting family legacy: technology, royalty and entertainment converging within one household.

THE MAN BEHIND THE CROWN

Beyond the palace, Oba Osiberu maintains interests that reveal a man who remains intellectually curious and connected to the modern world.

He enjoys reading, swimming, music, gadgets and travelling.

The interest in gadgets is particularly fitting for a monarch whose professional life began in the early era of computerisation and information technology.

The world around him has changed dramatically since he first trained as a computer professional in London.

The machines became smaller.

The networks became faster.

The internet transformed communication.

Mobile technology became ubiquitous.

Artificial intelligence emerged.

Yet the central principle that guided his professional life remains relevant:

knowledge must continually evolve.

SEVENTY YEARS OF LEARNING, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

At 70, Oba Adewale Osiberu's story cannot be reduced simply to the story of a traditional ruler.

It is the story of a man who moved across several worlds without completely abandoning the lessons of any of them.

He was a student.

A computer programmer.

A systems analyst.

An information-management specialist.

A corporate executive.

An entrepreneur.

A technology pioneer.

A husband and father.

A professional mediator.

A security and community leader.

An acting chairman of a traditional rulers' council.

And, ultimately, a royal father.

Each chapter appears to have prepared him for the next.

The computer programmer learned systems.

The corporate executive learned management.

The entrepreneur learned responsibility.

The mediator learned reconciliation.

The traditional ruler learned the delicate art of combining authority with service.

Perhaps that is why his story is so compelling.

He did not abandon his past when he entered the palace. He brought the best of his past with him.

THE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE MAGAZINE VERDICT

Leadership is often discussed in terms of power.

But enduring leadership is better measured by what a person does with responsibility.

Oba Adewale Osiberu has spent his life acquiring knowledge, applying it professionally, returning home when duty called, embracing traditional responsibility and continually adding modern skills to an ancient institution.

His journey from the computer rooms of the 1970s and 1980s to the palace of Epe is a remarkable Nigerian success story.

It demonstrates that tradition and modernity do not necessarily have to be opposing forces.

A monarch can understand computers.

A royal father can understand systems.

A traditional ruler can become a professional mediator.

A king can embrace modern management while preserving traditional values.

And a successful professional can still answer the call of community service.

As he celebratee his 70th birthday on September 7, 2026, Successful People Magazine celebrates a man whose life represents a compelling blend of royalty, intellect, technology, leadership, enterprise, diplomacy and service.

His Royal Highness,

OBA ADEWALE OSIBERU

Elepe of Epe, Sagamu, Ogun State

is our Successful People Royal Father of the Moment.

Not merely because he wears a crown.

But because behind the crown is a lifetime of learning, achievement, responsibility and service.

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY, YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS.

Seventy years of life.

Twenty-four years on the throne.

A lifetime of knowledge.

A legacy still unfolding.

We wish you a long life and successful reign.

From,

Charles Segun ADEGBITE,

Editor/Publisher, Successful People Magazine.

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