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Jimoh Ibrahim, lawyer. group managing director of Global Fleet and publisher of Newswatch magazine, turns 45

He is a businessman who has carved a niche for himself in buying and turning around troubled companies to profitable ventures. Jimoh Ibrahim, lawyer and business mogul who turned 45 on February 24, is indeed an octopus in the business sphere locally and internationally. He has within a short period acquired many dying companies and breathed life into them.

Today, Ibrahim is the group managing director, GMD, and chief executive officer of Global Fleet Group, a diversified conglomerate with business tentacles in Nigeria, neighbouring West African countries, Sao Tome and Principe, United Arab Emirate, Europe and America. 

His investments cut across oil & gas, hotels, resorts, airlines, banking, real estate, insurance, publishing. Some of his companies are  Air Nigeria, which was formerly Virgin Nigeria, NICON Insurance,  Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, NICON Luxury Hotel, Global Fleet Oil & Gas - a chain of gasoline stations (estimated at about 200 in 2011), across Nigeria, The NICON Group which holdings include investment companies, schools, real estate holdings, transport companies and others. Others include Global Fleet Building, formerly Allied Bank Building, Global Fleet Industries, formerly HFP Industries Limited, Energy Bank - Accra, Ghana, Oceanic Bank São Tomé in São Tomé and Príncipe - a commercial bank purchased from Oceanic Bank in May 2011, National Mirror newspapers and Newswatch Communications Limited.

His achievements in the socio-economic and political spheres have earned him recognition both from the Nigerian and foreign governments. Just recently, the government of Sao Tome and Principe appointed him its honorary ambassador in Nigeria because of his invaluable contribution to the economy of that country.

Ibrahim was born in Igbotako, Okitipupa area of Ondo State. He studied law at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, where he earned the degree of Bachelor of Laws, LLB. Subsequently, he obtained the degree of Master of Public Administration, MPA, also from Obafemi Awolowo University. Later, he attended Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, graduating with a combined Master of Laws, LLM, and Masters in International Taxation degree. Ibrahim is an Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, OFR.

He had in his early days worked as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, on tax reforms in Croatia and Estonia. He was also part of the Harvard team that went to Bangladesh to enlighten them on tax reforms. He had practiced law for six years appearing in various courts from the Magistrate to the Supreme Court. He later left legal practice and ventured into business.

He is married to Modupe, and they are blessed with children.