Abiodun Muritala Dabiri means different things to different people and so, is known by several names depending on who is calling. In his days as a bank executive at Magnum Trust and Sterling banks, he was known as “Mr Dabs”. On the golf course, he is called “Chairman” or “Bió” while generally he is referred to as “Oga Sir” and of course ‘Biodun.’
Whatever many who know him call him, you cannot help but attest to the fact that he is a perfect gentleman— quiet, unassuming, firm, tough when the need arises, highly connected and, to a large extent, avoids the limelight even when it is almost impossible to do so.
A chartered accountant, consummate investment banker, capital market operator and industrialist (Woodline Industries Limited) he has gone through the mills and has featured significantly on Nigeria’s financial landscape.
From the acquisition of majority shares and take-over of Magnum Trust Bank with his brother, Tunde, in the mid 90’s to overseeing some of his own firms, Capital Consortium Limited, Security Swaps Limited, Radix Capital Partners to his current role as Chairman of the Lagos Free Trade Zone Lekki, he has excelled. His role at the Free Trade Zone has been significant and impactful with the opening of the Zone to international trade.
Operators at the Zone will testify to the tremendous value Chairman has brought in from infrastructure to services and even to community relations. Interestingly, very few of his friends even know about this Chairmanship position and many only find out when they see him in the media with the president or governors when functions concerning the Zone are held.
One thing that cannot be denied is that Dabiri has built up numerous men from boys. Many of these men are today in very strategic senior executive positions around the country and it is incredible the spread and the reach for those who know. From the manufacturing industries, banking, insurance to government and the public sector, the goodwill he commands is enormous.
He is easily one of those men that, on any given day, if he as much as mentions a need, he would easily have 20 people falling over one another, offering and happily willing to help out purely as an opportunity to give back to him for his assistance in the past.
For our practice, Ubosi Eleh & Co, a firm of Estate Surveyors & Valuers, it is unlikely that our history can be completely written without Biodun Dabiri taking a chunk of the pages.
Our first contact with Dabiri dates back to 1991, when my partner Emeka and I started practice. One of our major channels of advertising was the then growing Guardian newspapers Property section published every Monday.
On this particular Monday, we had advertised, amongst others, a Lekki Phase 1 plot of land belonging to an elderly client of ours. Asking price was N600,000. This was a lot of money then. One of the enquiries was from a banker who identified himself as Biodun Dabiri with the then NAL Merchant Bank Limited. We had never met, never heard of him.
He had also never heard about us or the firm either and was cautious about dealing with us. Nevertheless, after much negotiations and physical meetings, he closed the purchase at N570,000.
The story could have ended there and we all could have gone our separate ways but it was actually only the beginning. We stayed in touch and thereafter grew a friendship and relationship spanning close to three and a half decades today.
From that phone call in our early days and the fact that we maintained that relationship, we had access to his family and so many of his friends in the financial and other sectors.
These friends who were then mainly young managers, senior managers, executive directors etc eventually became bank owners and CEOs, and generally people who controlled and influenced the fortunes of the Nigerian business world.
Till date and with many of these clients well into their 70’s and 80’s, we still maintain those relationships and do business with all of them. All because of one phone call that was answered and followed through 35 years ago. In fact, one of Chairman’s favourite words of wisdom is, “we only know the small from the beginning, we never know how big the end will be.”
Figure that out.
About 2 decades ago as Captain of the Ikeja Golf Club, I convinced him to take up golf and there began his sojourn with one of the most addictive but frustrating games in the world. He is a full convert now. These days, he hardly travels anywhere local or international without the golf clubs in tow. It’s unlikely that you can seat with him for 15 minutes without golf creeping into the conversation.
Biodun and his wife, Fidelimma, are our close family friends even down to our children. They have acted as mentors who my wife and I have, on many occasions, run to when faced with some tough life decisions. The different perspectives they offer are always refreshing.
Chairman, as you celebrate 70, our prayer is that God who has brought you this far will continue to keep, bless, protect and favour you. Not just you, but also your entire family and all that you hold dear. Amen.
Happy Birthday.
.Ubosi, an estate surveyor and valuer, is Principal Partner at Ubosi Eleh & Co
