Fela Durotoye facts for kids

Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye (born on May 12, 1971, in Ibadan, Oyo State) is a well-known business consultant, expert in leadership, and a motivational speaker. He is also involved in politics. Fela Durotoye leads the GEMSTONE Nation Builders Foundation. This is a non-profit group that helps young people learn about transformational leadership and how to make positive changes in society. He was a candidate for president of Nigeria in the 2019 elections, representing the Alliance for New Nigeria party.

In 2023, Mr. Durotoye was chosen to be a Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu. His role focuses on national values and social justice.

Early Life and Education

Fela Durotoye was born to Layiwola and Adeline Durotoye. Both of his parents were professors at the University of Ibadan. When his parents moved to Obafemi Awolowo University, Fela attended the OAU Staff Children's School from 1974 to 1981. He then went to Moremi High School from 1981 to 1986.

Mr. Durotoye studied at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife. He earned a bachelor's degree in computer science with Economics. He also received a master's degree in Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the same university. Later, he attended an executive program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also completed a leadership program at Yale University. Fela Durotoye is a certified leadership coach with the John Maxwell team.

Career Highlights

Fela Durotoye started his career as a financial analyst in 1992 at Ventures & Trusts Limited. By 1998, he was the head of the customer service department at Phillips Consulting Limited. In 2000, Fela started his own company, V.I.P Consulting Limited. This company became very well-known for its work in customer and human management in Nigeria. Later, the company changed its name and focus to become Visible Impact Limited, a social enterprise.

Mr. Durotoye often gives talks and leads workshops on management and leadership. He does this both in Nigeria and in other countries. In 2018, he spoke to many business owners at the first Nigerian American Business Forum in Tampa, Florida.

Mushin Makeover Project

In December 2009, Fela Durotoye led a big project called "Mushin Makeover." This project aimed to improve an urban area. Many famous people, like Banky W., Alibaba, Kate Henshaw, and Omoni Oboli, helped with the project. They encouraged people to donate paint and volunteer.

Fela gathered over 2,000 volunteers for this project. They painted 296 houses on 7 streets in the Mushin area of Lagos. The house owners did not have to pay anything. During the project, more than 100 young people who did not have jobs were trained by Berger Paints PLC. They learned how to paint. Because of the Mushin Makeover project, these young people were able to find work as painters.

Political Journey

On February 22, 2018, Fela Durotoye announced that he wanted to run for president in the 2019 Nigerian general election. He planned to run under the Alliance for New Nigeria party. A group of 11 presidential hopefuls, called Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT), chose Fela Durotoye as their main candidate. On September 29, 2018, he officially became the presidential candidate for the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN) party for the 2019 elections.

While running for president, Fela Durotoye said that serving his country from the highest office was the best way to help. He chose Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya, a successful social entrepreneur, as his running mate for vice-president.

On January 24, 2019, Fela Durotoye praised Oby Ezekwesili on Twitter. She had worked to create a strong group and find a single candidate for the 2019 Presidential elections. He said he was willing to support a chosen candidate from other top candidates, including himself, Omoyele Sowore, and Kingsley Moghalu. This would happen if he was not chosen as the main candidate through a fair process.

On October 9, 2023, he was appointed as the Senior Special Assistant to the President. His role is focused on national values and social justice. He shared that he worked in this role without receiving a salary from the government from October 2023 until March 2024.

Family Life

Fela Durotoye is married to Tara Fela-Durotoye. She is a famous Nigerian make-up artist, lawyer, and the CEO of House of Tara. They have three sons named Mobolurin, Demilade, and Morolaoluwa. Fela Durotoye is a Christian.