By joshua Hard Work Rewarded: Prince Olatunji Olusoji To Be Installed Ene-Umola Ata-igala For Decades of Humanitarian Services
By Abu Micheal
Sunday, 21st June 2026, All roads will lead to Idah, the ancient headquarters of the Igala Kingdom, as Prince Olatunji Olusoji is installed as Ene-Umola Ata-Igala by His Majesty, Matthew Alaji Opaluwa Oguche Akpa, Attah Igala and President, Kogi State Council of Chiefs. The title, which means “Pillar of the Ata-Igala Throne,” has already drawn commentaries and commendations across the state, described by all and sundry as well deserved for a man whose entry into Kogi’s socio-economic firmament has left the state forever changed.
Prince Olatunji Olusoji, the Asiwaju of Ayere and Bashorun Akinjagula of Ogidi Kingdom, is an Ayere-born business mogul with deep interests in oil and gas. He sits as Chairman of several reputable boards and serves as Group Chairman/CEO of Grosvenor Global Services Ltd. Yet it is not the boardrooms that define him. It is the bridges he has built with his quiet, consistent impact that many say speak loudest for him. As Prince Mathew Kolawole put it, hard work may be quiet, but it always finds its voice, and Prince Olatunji’s life proves that service, not noise, is what crowns a man.
What makes Prince Olatunji a crowd-puller is that his impact knows no ethnic colouration or religious divide. His philosophy has always been simple and humane: no child, man, or woman should go to bed hungry, be unable to go to school, or lack portable water. Since 2013, he has made it a priority to pay school fees and support indigent students with scholarships, while clothing and equipping students across Kogi West at the start of every academic session. Through the Prince Olatunji Olusoji Foundation, PROOF, he has sunk several solar-powered boreholes in communities across Kogi West, Central, and East, ending decades of water scarcity for thousands of families. His interventions extend to healthcare, agriculture, security, rural markets, and infrastructure support for tertiary institutions and community centres, including the recent ₦10 million pledge towards the Ogidi Ela Community Centre.
The honour from the Attah Igala has triggered an outpouring of testimonials. Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto, OON, Project Coordinator of Kogi State ACRESAL, described the title as a fitting recognition of Olatunji’s outstanding humanitarian services, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to community development. She noted that through PROOF, his work in water provision, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and rural infrastructure has uplifted thousands of lives. From boreholes and scholarships to farmer empowerment and security infrastructure, she said his legacy speaks of compassion in action. This prestigious title, she added, affirms what Kogites already know: that true leadership is service to humanity. ACRESAL Kogi celebrates him, she said, and prays that the honour brings greater wisdom, strength, and impact as he continues to serve.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has consistently commended Prince Olatunji’s interventions, describing him as a true son of Kogi whose private efforts continue to complement government’s drive for inclusive development and poverty reduction. The Governor notes that leaders like Olatunji prove that development is a shared responsibility between government and well-meaning citizens.
Prince Olatunji is a recipient of several awards, chieftaincy titles, and honorary doctorate degrees from reputable institutions. From Asiwaju of Ayere to Bashorun Akinjagula of Ogidi Kingdom, each title reflects the trust and love of the people he serves. Yet those close to him say the honours do not change him. Colleagues, drivers, students, market women, and traditional rulers all describe him as humble, accessible, and focused on results over rhetoric. He listens, he delivers, they say.
As Idah prepares for Sunday’s ceremony, the conferment of Ene-Umola Ata-Igala is not seen as a finish line but as a milestone in what Kogites call a work in progress in the political evolution of Kogi State beyond the next term. From Idah to Ogidi, from Ayere to Lokoja, his story is being told as a case study in impact-driven leadership, a life where business success funds community survival, where philanthropy meets strategy, and where titles are earned, not chased.
In the words of elders in Idah, this is not just a chieftaincy title, it is history being written. A man who fed the hungry, schooled the poor, and gave water to the thirsty is now being crowned a pillar of his people. Hard work is always noticed by the people, and it will always be rewarded. Prince Olatunji Olusoji, Ene-Umola Ata-Igala, is living proof.
Abu Micheal, Journalist, Publisher, Member ANIPR, MNIM, Editorial Board Member, Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria, MCIA