By joshua 
No Political Ambition, Just Impact: Prince Olatunji Olusoji’s Rising Star
By Abu Micheal.
… Reshapes Kogi Politics with Grassroots Philanthropy, Transformation in Education, Health, Agriculture
It is no longer news that philanthropist Asiwaju Prince Olatunji Olusoji has stormed the Kogi political space. Unassuming yet deliberate, he is making lasting impact across the state without chasing the spotlight.
From his humble beginnings in Ayere, Ijumu LGA, Olusoji has become a rising star for Kogi’s future. With an intimidating profile and the financial capacity to influence any political arrangement in a clime where money sways opinion, he has chosen to go low profile and let his work speak.
Through the Prince Olatunji Olusoji Foundation (PROOF), he has sunk boreholes across Kogi West, Central and East to provide portable water and reduce waterborne diseases in rural communities.
Since 2013, even with no political ambition at the time, he began distributing school bags and writing materials to students statewide. At the College of Education, Ankpa, and College of Technical, Mopa, 100 students each are studying free for their entire academic career. He also donated ₦15m to sponsor 100 students at the College of Education for three years, another ₦15m to the College of Agriculture, and ₦30m to the Anglican College of Nursing and Health Technology, Ogidi-Ijumu.
His infrastructure projects include buildings at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, and upcoming public toilets and motorized boreholes at Federal University Lokoja. He has also employed 32 new teachers for government schools in Ayere to strengthen grassroots education.
Olusoji’s agricultural interventions are measurable. His foundation is organizing agricultural insecticide support for over 450 farmers in Kogi West across five centers: Ijumu-Oke, Ijumu Arin, Gbede, Kabba, and Bunu, kicking off on Saturday 28th June 2025. He has also set up a ₦15m agricultural fund for farmers and small business owners, and built six rural markets in Ayere to boost local commerce.
In health, he provides free medical care for pregnant women, funds eye surgeries for vulnerable patients, and supports rehabilitation for mentally ill persons.
At the Kogi State Security Summit and Fundraising in April 2026, he donated ₦90m to support security infrastructure and operations, calling security a shared responsibility. He has also donated seven patrol vehicles to Kogi West LGAs and supported the reconstruction of police stations.
Olusoji’s approach is personal and low-key. “Education has helped me to be where I am today, and I am passionate about the educational development of our people,” he said.
“Education to me is the best gift you can give to any nation, any child, any community,” he added while receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Vine University, America.
“The true measure of leadership is not how high one rises, but how many others one lifts along the way”.
According to Juwon Demas Olorunnipa Jumabee, International Singer, said in a recent chat that “in all of his meetings with indigenes of the State, Prince Olatunji stands out in passion for the good of the people”.
A staunch believer in the administrations of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo, Olusoji officially joined the APC in 2025, saying the party has positively shaped governance at federal and state levels. He praised Governor Ododo as a leader working selflessly to make life better for Kogites.
For his service, he has received over 145 awards and holds titles including Asiwaju of Ayere Kingdom, Turaki Gamji of Arewa Kingdom, and Basorun Akinjagunla of Ogidi Kingdom. He was honored with the Kogi State Humanitarian Service Award at The Nigerian Post Newspaper’s Kogi @ 34 Public Lecture and Awards program.
A man whose humble beginning made him understand poverty, Olusoji says he is disturbed seeing tears he can wipe away. In a society where some prefer to arm youths, he prefers to empower them. He insists the challenge of insecurity is a fallout of neglect and the failure of the haves to reach out to the have-nots.
With over 1,000 free JAMB forms annually, 50,000 school books, monthly stipends to 600 beneficiaries, and medical outreaches during Ramadan and Easter, PROOF has become a model of impact-driven philanthropy in Nigeria.
Without mincing words, a star is rising. If his track record is anything to go by, Prince Olatunji Olusoji may yet berth in Kogi’s future for the good of humanity.