ENGINEER JAIYEOLA ABEFE AKINOLA

Born on 15th July 1947, Engineer Jaiyeola Abefe Akinola embarked on his educational journey in 1956, starting primary school in Kano. He completed his primary education at African Primary School in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, in 1962. In 1963, he began his secondary education at Offa Grammar School, where he completed both his Secondary and Higher School Certificates (H.S.C), earning a WAEC certificate Grade One in 1967 and an H.S.C certificate in 1969.

Engineer Akinola was admitted to the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in 1970, where he pursued a Bachelor of Engineering in Agricultural Engineering. He graduated in June 1974 with a Second Class Upper degree. Following his graduation, he participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) from 1974 to 1975 in the East Central State.

In August 1975, he began his career with the Federal Government of Nigeria as a pupil engineer in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. He served diligently until his retirement on 31st July 2007, marking a commendable 33-year tenure.

During his service, Engineer Akinola pursued further education, obtaining a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis, in December 1978. He also participated in various in-service training programs, acquiring additional qualifications in Water Resources Engineering from institutions in Sweden, the USA, and Britain.

Throughout his career, Engineer Akinola held several key positions. From 1975 to 1976, he worked on the Kano River Project at Hadeja Jamaare River Basin Development Authority (HJRBDA), involved in planning, designing, constructing, and managing water resources infrastructure. After earning his master's degree, he was posted to the Federal Department of Water Resources in Kaduna, where he supervised and monitored federal water resources projects from 1979 to 1984. He also served as the Director of the National Water Resources Institute, overseeing the training of middle-level manpower in water resources.

In 1985, he was transferred to Lagos to lead the Division of Planning, Research, and Statistics in the Department of Water Resources. In 1988, when the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources moved to Abuja, Engineer Akinola played a crucial role in the department's transition. He subsequently served in the Department of Dams and Reservoir Operations, overseeing the planning, designing, and supervision of small dam constructions across Nigeria’s 774 local governments until 1992. By 1992, he had risen to the Directorate level, a position he maintained until his retirement in 2007.

After retiring, Engineer Akinola founded TAKIT Company Limited, which specializes in property development, small water resources projects, and hospitality business management. He served primarily as chairman of these ventures.

At the age of seventy in 2017, he scaled back his involvement in the company, focusing on ad-hoc duties. In 2020, he was appointed Chairman of the “Caretaker Committee” of Offa Engineers, where he played a pivotal role in drafting and approving the Offa Engineers Constitution, leading to the election of the organization's first executive council.

Additionally, he was appointed a member of the Governing Council of Thomas Adewumi University at its inception.