Engr. Ashimi Adebowale Oyekan, FNSE
Ashim Oyekan was born on the 23rd March 1945 to the Oyekan Royal Family of Lagos. He had his primary school education in Lagos and later proceeded to Government College Ibadan where he passed out with a Grade One in 1964. He later moved back to Lagos where he obtained his Higher School Certificate at the famous Kings College in 1966. He graduated from the Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA with a B.Sc in Civil Engineering in 1970 and obtained an M.Sc in Structural Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, California, USA in 1971. He also obtained an MBA from the University Of Chicago Graduate School of Business, Chicago, Illinois, USA with a major in Finance and Management Science.
Between 1968 and 1973, he worked at various places in the USA; first, as an undergraduate student at Fay Spofford and Thorndike, Boston, Massachusetts and later as a Research Assistant at the University of California Berkeley, California, USA. He also worked at Edwards and Kelcey, Boston Massachusetts in the areas of Bridge Design, Highways and Roads Costing. In 1974, he had a one year stint at the Harris Trust and Savings Bank, Chicago, Illinois, USA after which he worked as an Executive Trainee at GTE International, Stamford, Connecticut, USA where he conducted market survey for Lighting Products in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. He also performed the supervision of civil works of Lanlate 2nd Earth Satellite Station for the then Nigeria External Telecommunication (N.E.T.) Company.
On his return to Nigeria in 1975, he spent the next 11 years working at GTE Nigeria Limited, Lagos as Operations Manager where he supervised the installation and maintenance of Microwave Radio systems, PABX, etc. Between 1986 and 1994, he worked with Kabelmetal Nigeria Plc, Lagos, Nigeria as Sales and Marketing Manager. He had his first experience as a public servant with the Lagos State Government between 1994 and 1997; when he served as Commissioner for Environment and Physical Planning and later Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
Engr. Ashim Oyekan has been the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Debs Foundation Ltd, a company that designs and supervises civil engineering works highway structures, water supply treatment and distribution systems, drainages etc. He has sat on several Boards and still serves on several others including the Nigerian Cement Company, Nkalagu (1984-6); Sokoto Rima-River Basing Authority (1986-88); LASACO Assurance Nig. PLC and Libra Insurance Brokers Ltd (1998-date) and Afribank Nig PLC (2002-11). He served as Chairman of the Board of Afribank Nig. PLC between 2010 and 2011, Chairman, Afribank Estate Company between 2002 and 2011 and has been Chairman of the Board of LASACO Properties from 2003 till date.
Engr. Ashim Oyekan is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and Council member of the Association for Consulting Engineering in Nigeria (ACEN). He is registered by the Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
He is a life member of the Ikoyi Club 1938, member of the Ikeja Golf Club, Eko Club and the Antelope Joggers Club. His hobbies include Golf and swimming. He is married with children.