BORN on Friday, May 17, 1934, at about 13:00 hour. (1:00pm), at Olupele's Compound, Oke Ada, Ikire, now in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, it was, indeed, a propheti moment when a family friend, one  Madam Asiawu Olaperi (of blessed memory), in the midst of the wide circle of friends and well wishers at his naming ceremony, added the name, Inaolaji, to the array of names which the new arrival had been given.

The family friend, being very much aware of Madam Elizabeth Kehinde's (the baby's maternal grandmother's) predicament of having only a child (Asiawu, the baby's mother) and that the grandmother wanted her daughter to have a male child, believed that the baby boy had come to bring honour, fame and fortune to the family, hence, the name, 'Inaolaji.'

Though, born into a Muslim family, his parents, Pa. Ibrahim Fagbenro Abojede and Madam Asiawu Sangokunle Ibrahim (nee Sodamade of Oke-Odo area, also in Ikire), got converted to Islam shortly before they were joined together as husband and wife.His father was a peasant farmer who was also involved in produce trading, while his mother, Asiawu, was a textile dealer who enjoyed financial support from her mother, Madam Elizabeth Kehinde, a well known successful produce merchant in Ikire then. Despite the fact that his parents did not consult any fortune-teller to predict his future, Madam Olaperi's intuition came to pass as that child, now 76 years old Alhaji Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim, has truly brought 'fame, honour and fortune' to the family.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Inaolaji Group of Companies, was a forest guard for many years before graduating into  a successful building contractor, not only in Ibadan or Ikire, his home town, but nationwide. The man, known as Inaolaji in every nooks and crannies of Nigeria for his contributions to the development of the country, is a relentless philanthropist. Like his parents, he is a devout Muslim and very hardworking, simple and easy going. Seeing through what God deposited in him as a youngster is what has set him apart today among his childhood colleagues. Despite his rosy background, the vestiges of life, at a point, took their toll  but, by dint of hardwork and uncommon resilience, he has been able to keep the flame 0f fortune burning in the family.

Early days
The young Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim started schooling at Baptist Day Primary School, Isale Popo, Ikire, in 1940. During this period, he stayed with his grandmother who dotted on her grandchild. "Whenever I was going to school, my grandma would detail a housemaid to take me to school, with other essentials needed during my break time, while the maid was to hang around the school premises until the school closed. However, his father facilitated his movement to Ibadan, under the tutelage of Reverend Togun, because he wanted his son to have a solid foundation in life. "The reverend re-enrolled me at Idikan Baptist Day School to continue my primary education, while I left Ibadan for Ikire, in Primary Three. In 1948, I left Ikire for Ile-Ife and was admitted into Baptist School, Ilare, Ile-Ife.  However, I completed my primary education at St. Stephen's School, Modakeke, in 1949. In 1950, I had my secondary education at Ibadan Commercial Academy." A very brilliant student, he later enrolled for a foreign examination and was the best student in BookKeeping, Commerce, and Arithmetic at Advanced R.S.A. Stage 1&11. However, he withdrew from this correspondence course in 1952 due to circumstances, which, fortunately, eventually brought him good luck.

The turning point
Alhaji Inaolaji reminisces further: "I did not have the intention of withdrawing from school in 1952 but I was influenced by the sudden appearance of my grandmother's foreign business partner - G.L. Gaiser, who came to look for me at school when the company, G.L. GAISER, returned to Nigeria after the World War 11. Madam Elizabeth Kehinde, my grandmother, who died in November 1943, was a produce agent to the company, which had earlier left Nigeria as a result of the World War 11 but returned in 1952 to resume business. They started contacting their former agents and my mother had also died. On further enquiry, the merchants learnt that I, the only son who had been introduced to produce business, was attending school  in Ibadan. I was approached in school and given a mouth-watering offer to become an agent to G.L.Gaiser. based on the past merit of my late grandmother. This meeting was a turning point in my life as it eventually paved the way for my eventual breakthrough because I was given some amount to continue the business.

The Forest Guard
A hardworking and forward looking young man, Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim, who established himself as one of the produce merchants to reckon with in Nigeria, did not allow his business success to deter him from pursuing other ventures. Despite his entrepreneurship zeal still burning in him, he felt the growing produce business should not prevent him from engaging in other businesses, since it was not something that took his time all day. The shrewed businessman he is, he engaged the services of some interested people as sub-agents to be looking after his store when he took interest in forestry. He reveals: "I therefore applied as a forest guard in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the then Western Region and I was employed as a Forest Guard on May 1, 1954. I was 20 years old then. In the forestry world, people knew me as 'Jimoh Ayigbo'('Jimoh the Forest Patrol')  and I had the opportunity to serve as forest guard at Ikire, Apomu, Ikoyi, Orile-Owu and Ogbomoso Forest Reserves, for about  10 years.

Before I got employed, I was convinced that the peopleassisting me in looking after my produce business were capable of holding forth for me during the working hours. What I did was to come back after the close of the day's work to supervise their operations for the day. By this, my produce business did not suffer even during office hours."

He resigned as a forest guard on May 30, 1965 and devoted more time to his produce business. In a shortwhile, he became a Licenced Produce Buying Agent for the then Western Nigeria Marketing Board, under the trade name of Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim and Sons.

The tough gets going
Things were not rosy throughout as the business also had its share of misfortune. The astute businessman recounts: "On February 21, 1966, my produce business suffered a setback during the then political crisis. My produce store, house and other property were set ablaze in Ikire. I left Ikire for Ibadan with one apparel and a pair of shoes and continued my business in Ibadan. I was fortunate to be favoured by Allah as the business prospered again, despite my trials.

Reward for hardwork
A resilient businessman, he later took to transport business, along with his cocoa business and he was a dealer for a number of reputable motor companies such as CFAO (Motors); J.Allen (Motors), Mandillas (Nigeria) Limited; A.G. Leventis Limited and UAC, under the trade name of Inaolaji Trading and Transport Services, which was later changed to Inaolaji Enterprises. In 1968, he exhibited his ingenuity by converting a Kombi delivery van into a passenger bus and that eventually boosted the sales of the vehicle. Mandillas (Nig) Limited was so delighted by this feat that they gave him two vans as Christmas bonus, while A.G.Leventis sponsored his business. Also, during the war period, he was the first man to embark on transportation business within Ibadan township, plying Dugbe/UI, etc. He bought about four VolksWagon buses from the CFAO, because at that time, the government did not allow importation of vehicles into the country. Having noticed his ingenuity  BEWAC Motors Ltd also gave him 10 Leyland buses for transportation in Lagos, while the Lagos State Government gave him the route to ply. That was how the businessman turned forest guard later became a motor dealer and was into buying and selling, even on hire purchase.He dealt in Moris Minor cars, Leyland buses and Volkswagon products, amongothers, and fully got the reward of hardwork and creativeness as he was presented with three Vehicles, by Mandilas, as Christmas bonus.

Always on the move
Between 1970 and 1980, Alhaji Jimoh Oyedele Ibrahim floated insurance, manufacturing and construction companies. The Piccadilly Insurance Company Limited  was set up in 1970; Inaolaji Builders Limited, building contractors, Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Asphalt and Quarry Services was set up in 1975; Unique Aluminium Products Limited, which manufactures aluminium windows and doors, partitioning, curtain walling and so on, was also set up in 1980. while he, with some Romanian business partners,  set up Arcom Nigeria Limited (a construction company), in 1978. His vast business acumen was brought to bear in the  early 70s. His Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Construction Company, Inaolaji Builders, with its headquarters in Ibadan, has undertaken so many government and private projects which were handled diligently. His first project was the 12 units of Army Barracks quarters, at Odogbo, Ibadan, in 1974, while he won another 12 units on completion of the first project, among others.

Happiest day
"The day I turned 70 was my most memorable day  which I can never  forget in my life, moreso because Almighty Allah gave me the opportunity to build and commission an ultra-modern mosque for the use of the people in Ikire, my home town," he reveals.

Advice for the up-comming generationThey should fear God, because, according to him, "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."

Philosophy
A respected Muslim leader, he believes so much in intuition and he belongs to the 'Be Your Sister's Keeper School.'