By Sunday Adedokun Harshasha
Ambassador Engr. (Dr.) David Olusegun Okanlawon stands tall as a voice for the voiceless, a leader whose humility, compassion, and vision ripple through Ibarapa and beyond like sunlight breaking through dawn’s mist.
Where many see leadership as a stage for self-display, he stands apart, a man whose quiet strength commands more respect than applause, and whose devotion to humanity rises far above personal ambition.
An indigene of Idere in Ibarapa Central, Oyo State, his roots run deep in the soil of that historic town, his life story unfolds as a rich mosaic of perseverance, compassion, and purpose. Guided early by his grandfather’s wisdom, he embraced the timeless truth that to live for others is to live truly, a creed that has since become the guiding light of his journey
Through the Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation (OOF), established in 2018, he has become a living emblem of hope and transformation. His initiatives bloom across communities like seeds of kindness taking root scholarships that open doors for underprivileged students, grants that breathe life into struggling businesses, provision of water that quench the thirst of forgotten villages and abandoned communities, and sports programs that ignite the dreams of young people. Each project bears his personal touch, a reflection of his belief that service must be heartfelt to be meaningful.
It is not the sheer weight of his charity that distinguishes him, but the unadulterated current of his intent. He stands apart from those who court the public stage, working instead in the sanctuary of the quiet, trusting his efforts to resonate like a tuning fork where hollow words go mute. For him, service is never a brandished manifesto, it is the sacred, unbreakable covenant he keeps with his own soul.
Academically, he is a formidable architect of intellect and innovation. His foundation is built upon a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, fortified by an MBA, and tentatively crowned with the strategic height of a Doctor of Business Administration in Leadership and Strategic Management from Maverick Business Academy, London.
At the helm of Luli Construction Company and O4 Multipurpose Unique Concept Ltd, he has actively sculpted Nigeria’s infrastructural landscape. His work extends far beyond laying asphalt and connecting banks with steel, he is in the business of forging pathways to progress and erecting the very skeletal structure of the nation’s future.
This professional excellence is stamped with the gold standard of accreditation, certifying him as a member of COREN, the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), and the Nigerian Institution of Highway and Transportation Engineers (NIHTE). His elevation to an Ambassador of the African Union Assembly for the Agenda 2063 is the capstone, affirming his position as a key visionary for the continent’s collective renaissance, a testament to his unwavering commitment to Africa’s prospect.
In the volatile circuit of politics, he stands as the calm, unwavering anchor in the storm, a progressive member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) whose platform is built on the pillars of transparency, accountability, and equitable development. These values resonate like a tuning fork with the heartbeat of the people. His passion for the advancement of the Ibarapa and Oyo State is a steady, internal fire, illuminating a brand of politics rooted in sincerity rather than spectacle.
To him, the mantle of power is not a throne to be seized, but a sacred trust to be held aloft and a vessel dedicated to the people’s deliverance. His philosophy cuts through the complexity of governance with profound simplicity, true leadership must dwell among the people, not stand aloof above them. This deeply etched conviction has earned him support, unreserved affection and respect of the multitude.
Beyond the glare of public accolades and professional achievements lies a man of endearing simplicity. He is a devoted family man whose innate warmth and steady patience have the power to soften the hardest edges of any conversation. Those who cross his path frequently depart with a palpable sense of peace, having been touched by the rare humility that serves as the quiet, defining essence of his character.
David Olusegun Okanlawon now concludes his narrative, emerging as both a revered son of Ibarapa and a committed steward of the global village. His story serves as an inviolable manifesto, proving that stature is not quantified by the accrued gravity of honors or the visible summit of fortune, but by the geometric expansion of souls enriched and the organic renewal of communal strength. He transcends the passive role of a name inscribed on inert monuments or a figure briefly caught in the media’s flash. Ambassador David Olusegun Okanlawon is a powerful current of enduring hope, a relentless architect of human potential, a faithful vassal to a higher purpose, and the brilliant embodiment of what authentic leadership should eternally be.