The man who owns Gatwick Aiport: Nigerian, Adebayo Ogunlesi.
Most British people who have never been to Africa nor studied about Africa I suppose when they hear Nigeria the perception is mostly negative, mostly focused on fraud and corruption. I mention British because my article will focus on two Nigerians among many who have excelled well, and have at some time studied in the UK. The two are Adebayo Ogunlesi and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, most of you probably have never heard about them.
To understand their importance lets, take a different approach. Most of us are familiar with Trade, most of the global trade arrives through our airports in the UK on a daily basis. More goods than people arrive daily through Gatwick airport
· Gatwick served more destinations than any other UK airport in 2019 (source OAG)
· Annually £7.5 billion in goods trade through Gatwick, with local businesses 50 per cent more likely to export than the UK average.
Adebayo Ogunlesi a Nigerian man is the owner of Gatwick Airport with majority shareholding since 2009. Adebayo’s private equity firm, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP, where he serves as Chairman and Managing Partner also own 2 other major airports in the UK.
Adebayo Ogunlesi own London City Airport which he acquired in 2006, and the famous Edinburgh Airport which was acquired in 2012. Edinburgh Airport was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2019, handling over 14.7 million passengers and was the sixth-busiest airport in the UK by total passengers in 2019.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the only international organization dealing with the global rules of trade. Its main function is to ensure that trade flows as smoothly, predictably and freely as possible. From the 1stof March 2021, its President will be a Nigerian woman, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and economist and global development expert. She was Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance. With over 25 years’ experience working for the World Bank.
The next time you travel through Gatwick Airport, Endinburgh Airport and London Airport, know it’s an African who owns the airport a Nigerian by the name Adebayo Ogunlesi. Don’t just stop there, next time your company imports and export goods know that Nigerians are handling all your imports and exports, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the one WTO President and Adebayo Ogunlesi as the owner of airports of where your goods arrive and depart including you yourself if you are travelling.
Welcome to Africa, welcome to Nigeria.
Article by
Blessmore Dube.
Code Manager at nDreams
8moI offer some bullet points about Mr Ongunlesi: * An investment banker, what is not to love? * Someone who has worked with Credit Suisse AND Goldman Sachs? * Served alongside Blackstone’s Schwarzman on Trump’s business advisory council, which was abandoned after the former president described white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville as “very fine people”.
AWS Certified Developer Associate || Cloud Enthusiast
10mowow, that nice. A proud ijebu
President Graduate Women International, Switzerland
2yPrivileged to have been at Oxford with Bayo - a brilliant and forceful undergraduate, we were both active in the Africa society. Proud of his immense achievements in business. Well deserved- what an example and beacon for entrepreneurs.
Interesting story indeed that many people don't know. Mr. Adebayo Ogunlesi is a Graduate of Oxford University, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. His private equity company, GIP, in 2018 acquired Italo, the high-speed train private company, which is the major competitor of the public train in Italy. 🌹
Director at Reuben's Spectrum inc. (Private Business Outfit)
2yThanks for this Interesting info. Not aware till now.👍