OMOLAYOLE, Dr. Michael Olawale

Dr. Michael Olawale Omolayole was born in 1928 in Ijebu-Imusin. He attended St. Mary’s Anglican School, Ijebu-Imusin, from 1935 to 1941, then moved to St. Augustine’s Catholic School, Ijebu Ode, from January to December 1942. He had his secondary school education at St. Gregory’s College, Lagos, from 1943 to 1947.  He had his tertiary education at University College, Ibadan (now The University of Ibadan), where he graduated with a BSc. (Hons) in Mathematics/Physics (London) in 1952.  He attended Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, UK, for a Postgraduate Diploma in Education between 1953 and 1954, after which he attended Harvard Business School in 1973 for the Advanced Management Programme (AMP).

Dr. Omolayole has attended several local and international courses as follows:

• TWI Trainers Course of the Federal Ministry  of Labour (1959)
• Unilever Management Development Course, UK (1960)
• Ford Foundation Course for Senior Management (1961)
• Unilever General Management Course, Holland (1967).

He was a Science Master at St. Gregory’s College Lagos from 1952 to 1953 and Senior Science Master from 1954 to 1958.  As the Senior Science Master, he assisted the Principal of the school to introduce the HSC Science subjects in 1957. He left teaching to join Lever Brothers Nig. Ltd, where he worked as Training Manager from 1958 to 1959. During this period, he introduced the City & Guild London Course for Operatives and Technical Assistants. Later, he served in the company as Deputy Personnel Manager from 1959 to 1961 and as Manager/Head of Department from 1961 to 1964. During this time he succeeded in transforming the climate of the organisation from one of turbulence to that of harmony. He was the driving force behind the refusal of the company’s staff to take part in the general strike of 1964.

He was appointed Personnel Director from 1964 to 1971, and Vice Chairman of the company from 1971 to 1975.  It was during his reign as Vice Chairman that the company introduced International Management Exchange through which system Nigerian managers could travel abroad to work as expatriates.  Lever brothers Nig. Limited would later become a public liability company and was renamed Unilever Nigeria Plc. Dr. Omolayole became Chairman/Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria Plc. in 1975 and held the post until 1984. These years saw the company’s manufacturing capacity expand almost three times, including a Green Field site at Agbara, Ogun State.  

He has also held several extra-curricular appointments, such as being the Chairman of the National Bank of Nigeria Ltd. from 1973 to 1975; Visiting Professor to the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos (for only a semester) in 1976; and Non-Executive Director of UAC Nigeria Ltd. from 1969 to 1974.  Dr. Omolayole was involved in organising the company’s first public offer.  He later served as Chairman of CAPL (formerly ICI Nig. Ltd.) from 1984 to 1997; AIICO Nig. Plc. from 1993 to 2003; and BOC Gas Nig. Plc. from 1994 to 2002.  He served as Director of Nestle Nig. Plc. and Van Leer Nig. Plc. from 1994 to 2000 and 1984 to 2004 respectively.

Dr. Omolayole has also held the following appointments:

• President, U.I Alumni Association Lagos Branch (the first of its kind in Nigeria) 1958-88
• Employers’ Delegate to the ILO Conference in Geneva (1966-67)
• Member, National Labour Advisory Committee (1966-1975)
• Member, National Wages Advisory Committee (1968-72)
• Member, Board of NISER (1968-1972)
• Vice- Chairman, Centre for Management Development (1972-1978)
• Delegate to the World Management Congress (CIOS), Munich 1972, Caracas 1975, New Delas 1978 and Lima 1981
• Participant, World Council of Churches Seminar, Accra 1972
• Chairman, University of Ibadan Endowment Fund (1973-2005)
• Chair, Board of Trustees, U.I Alumni Association 1973 to date
• Doyen, Rotary Club of Apapa from 1973 to date
• Member, AEISEC International Board of Advisers, Brussels (1978-1982)
• Chairman, Federal Government Commission on Housing & Rent (1976)
• Chairman, AEISEC Advisory Board of Nigeria (1976-2012)
• Member, Governing Council, Ogun State University (1982-1991)
• Chairman, Federal Government Negotiating Team (1988)
• President, Harvard Business School Association of Nigeria (1988-1990)
• Director, Nigeria-French Insurance Co. Ltd. (1988-2000)
• Member of Senate, University of Lagos (1990-1992)
• Director, AFN Insurance Brokers Ltd. (1990 till date)

He was Adviser (Member PAC), Federal Government of Nigeria from 1985 to 1993; Member of the National Manpower Board from 1962 to 1974; Pro-Chancellor, Ogun State University from 1966 to 1975; Chairman of Council of Ahmadu Bello University Institute of Administration from 1972 to 1982; as well as Adviser to World Bank, Washington DC, from 1991 to 1994. 

Dr. Omolayole was one of the founding members of the Nigerian Institute of Management and served as its president from 1971 to 1976, and is now the Chairman of the Committee of Past Presidents. He was the pioneer President of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management and has been one of its founding members since 1968.  He served as President of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) from 1980 to 1986 (the longest serving President) and has been a member of its Governing Council since 1960.  He served for eight years (1986-1994) as President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce (LCC) and is now its Honorary Vice President. He was the Pioneer Vice President of Chemical Employers’ Federation from 1978 to 1980. Dr. Omolayole holds membership of clubs such as the Rotary Club of Nigeria District 9110, the Metropolitan Club of Lagos, the Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria and the Oriental Club of London.

Dr. Omolayole has awarded Honorary Fellowships of several institutions, including the Nigerian Dental Association (1985), Yaba College of Technology and Michael Imoudu Institute of Labour (2012).  He was honoured with the Ijebu-Imusin Community Merit Award in 1990.  He was the recipient of the Life-Time Achievement Award by This Day Newspaper, and was presented with the AEISEC International Award in Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2011. He was ILO Consultant to East and Central Africa for about 10 years.  

In his days as a student, Dr. Omolayole was the captain of the football team of the University College, Ibadan. From 1963 to 1977, he was the moderator of several NBC and NTA programmes. At present, he is a freelance broadcaster with NTA and NBC. He loves playing lawn tennis, football, cricket, and chess in his free time.  Sometimes he passes the time leisurely by listening to classical music or reading. He has authored several books including Managerial Revolution and its Impact on Nigeria (1969), The Business of Business – The Adventures of an Alumnus in the Corridors of Commerce (1963) and The Story Shoka Tree in Nigeria (2012). He was married to Mrs. Theresa Omolayole (now of blessed memory) and they had five children.