Segun Oni is a top Ekiti politician who was born in Ifaki on the 5th of September 1954 at Ifaki Ekiti and is currently running for the seat of Governor.
Chief Olusegun Oni is married to Olukemi Adetola and they have two children, a girl, and a boy. It is also important to note that he was elected governor of Ekiti State in 2007 and took office on May 29, 2007.
Segun Oni Profile and biography
- Name: Chief Olusegun Oni
- Date of Birth: 5 September 1954
- Age: 67 Years Old
- Wife: Olukemi Adetola
- Hometown: Ifaki Ekiti
- Occupation: Politician
- Political party: Social Democratic Party (SDP)
- University attended: Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
Olusegun Oni was born at Ifaki Ekiti between 05.00 and 06.00hrs on Sunday, 5 September 1954. Both parents, Hezekiah Adebomi Oni, late Baba Ijo Methodist Church Cathedral, Ilogbe, Ifaki- Ekiti, and Comfort Ajayi Oni, have their roots firmly in Ifaki Ekiti. Hezekiah (died Jan. 28,1981) was a John Holt Factor in the thirties, fourties and fifties. He owned two John Holt outlets in Ifaki Ekiti and Ilesa.
He started schooling at Methodist School, Ilogbe, Ifaki by happenstance, having been declared too young but accepted on a non-formal status in January, 1959. He was not admitted formally into the school register until after the first half-year examinations, having proven by his results in the examinations that he could cope with school life despite his age. He completed his Primary School education in the same school in December 1964.
He attended the Obafemi Awolowo University where he read Chemical Engineering but was actively involved in student journalism as a member of the defunct Spit-Fire News Agency, and politics.
Olusegun left Ife with a Second Class Upper division degree in Chemical Engineering in June 1979. He was thereafter at National Steel Development Authority (NSDA) Ajaokuta, later Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCO) for the National Youth Service Corps scheme (1979 -1980). During the National Youth Service Corps in Ajaokuta, Segun worked at the Metallurgical Coal Research Laboratory.
After NYSC, he was offered immediate employment by Ajaokuta Steel Company where he worked briefly as Chemical Engineer II in the Planning Division.
He attained the status of a corporate member, of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (MNSE) in 1987. In addition, he became a full Member of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria (MIMC) the same year, and in 1988, Engr. Oni became a COREN registered Engineer.
Segun Oni life history and career
After the MBA degree, Segun was offered employment at Delta Steel Company Ltd, Aladja (1982-1984). He worked in the Marketing and Sales Sector of the Commercial Division as a Commercial Officer I, later Senior Commercial Officer where he was at various times in charge of steel billet allocation to the Inland Rolling Mills (Katsina,Jos and Oshogbo) and Market Analysis and Product Development, where he pioneered the marketing of lime, oxygen/ nitrogen/ argon and foundry products. He worked closely with the external Management Advisors to Aladja, Booz Allen and Hamiton Associates, a USA based International firm of Management Consultants, where he assisted mostly with corporate strategy development.
He left Aladja in January 1985 to join Leventis Staff Development Centre of AG Leventis & Co. Ebute Metta, where he was a Consultant and Management Trainer. He was a member of the pioneer team that designed, delivered, and executed the Leventis Group Foundation Course for Managers, a very successful Management Development package, targeted to develop high-flying management resources for the Leventis Group. After Leventis, Segun worked briefly at Public Finance and Management Consultants Ltd as Director of Projects. Here, he anchored the first National Workshop on Investment Opportunities in Downstream Oil and Gas Industries in Nigeria, and another for the Steel and Metallurgy industries.
Engr. Segun Oni joined Rank Xerox Nigeria Ltd as Technical Support Manager in May, 1987. Here, he was responsible for operational and strategic planning for the Customer Services and Logistics Division.
His performance on this job was recognized with a move to the position of Regional Sales Manager for the Western Region covering present-day Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta States in January 1992, a position he held briefly, leading the Western Region from the last position (out of seven) to first position in six months. In July 1992, Segun was posted out to Kenya by Rank Xerox Headquarters (in UK) as an expatriate, the first time an African was being so treated. In Kenya, he held the position of Customer Service Operations Manager responsible totally for service and logistics, including imports and exports. In addition, he was also responsible for Service Support to the Xerox Dealership Operations in all countries of the entire East and Central Africa sub-region. He returned to Nigeria in 1995 to take over the position of General Manager, Customer Service Operations at Rank Xerox Nigeria from the expatriate General Manager, thereby becoming the first Nigerian to manage the Xerox service force in Nigeria.
The position of General Manager, Systems Business was added to Segun’s portfolio in early 1997. When Xerox Nigeria was reorganized in October 1997 and the functional structure was replaced with a regional structure, Segun became the Director responsible for the Northern Regional Operations based in Abuja. He led the Northern Region from 15% of total company revenue in 1997 to 36% in 2000 when he retired voluntarily from the services of Xerox.
Segun Oni Political Career
In Ekiti State politics, Segun Oni was a foundation member of United Nigeria, Congress Party / (UNCP) where he played a largely supportive role as a party loyalist. He is also a foundation member of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in Ekiti.
He was elected governor of Ekiti State in 2007 and took office on May 29, 2007 under the political party, but will be running the 2022 governorship election under the SDP after losing a primary election.
Segun Oni was conferred with the prestigious title of Asiwaju of Ifaki-Ekiti on Friday, October 29, 2010, exactly 15 days after he left office as governor of Ekiti State.
His hobbies include Tennis (Table and Lawn), Music (Jazz and Classical), Community Service and Politics.
