It all started in Owina Street, Ogbelaka Quarters, Benin City, when Late Pa Roland Obaseki gave, one more time, an offshoot who in no time began to manifest deep signs of a prodigy. Yes, on the 1 July 1957, the child Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki was born. *Hurray!!!!!!, today, he is 64.*
The young Obaseki early in life impressed what nature has endowered him and made an incursion to pursue western education.
This became achievable when he attended St. Matthew’s Primary School and thereafter proceeded to Eghosa Grammar School, in Benin City.
Young Obaseki on rounding up his programme at post primary where he had besieged the academic assessors and the school environment with overflow of outstanding academic accolades, achievements and titles, was beckoned by both strengths of providence and astute recommendations to reach out and acquire further studies.
Young Obaseki was a brilliant boy.
Obaseki, proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Classics, this culminated in his mandatory one-year National Youth Service. Obaseki served in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. This early acquaintance to other parts of Nigeria accounts for his unblemished love for the Nigerian youth irrespective of one’s state and social affiliation.
The need for Obaseki to edify and insure himself against the unforeseen challenges and eccentricities of tomorrow led to his temporary relocation to the United States to attend Columbia University and Pace University in New York, where he obtained an MBA in Finance and International Business.
Mr. Obaseki on acquiring an international exposure became the founding Secretary, (1992), of a US-based Africa Chamber of Commerce. He was also a Director of Junior Achievement of Nigeria – the local affiliate of international Non-Profit Organization (NGO).
Mr. Obaseki finally became a renowned investment banker and began his career as a stockbroker in 1983 with Capital Trust Brokers Limited, Lagos. He later transferred his services to the International Merchant Bank. He moved to AVC Funds Limited, Lagos, in 1988, where he served as a Project Manager. He moved back to New York and worked as a Principal of Equatorial Finance Company, a Financial Advisory firm. He focused on Africa and provided Structured Trade Finance for African-related transactions.
Mr Obaseki midwifed the birth of many of the present generation banks. Obaseki is an avid project manager, and as such, nobody would be a better governor.
In 1995, Godwin Obaseki founded Afrinvest West Africa Limited (formerly Securities Transactions and Trust Company Limited, which has grown to become one of the most reputable investment banking and management firms in Nigeria. Obaseki later stepped down from his position as chairman of the board of directors of Afrinvest in September 2016, to contest the gubernatorial election in Edo State.
Before becoming the Edo State Governor, Obaseki served as the Chairman of the Economic and Strategy Team (EST). In that capacity, he pioneered a number of policy reforms that saw the state restructure its public finance, secure funding for infrastructure and improve the business environment to attract investment in power, agriculture and other critical sectors.
Obaseki was also instrumental in attracting the Edo-Azura power project, with support from World Bank to the state.
On assuming office as the Executive Governor of Edo State on the 12th of November 2016, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki has initiated projects with the aim of making the state an investment hub. Such projects, includes: The Benin River Port Project (Gelegele Seaport), The Benin Industrial Park, Modular Refinery Project, Technology hubs, Edojobs.
Therefore, on behalf of my family and the entire Edo state youth, I say happy birthday to the most performing governor in Nigeria, my governor, Governor Godwin Obaseki. May you live long to continue to be our mentor. Happy Birthday SIR !!!!!!
Hon. Johnson Adamu, SA to PDP National Youth Leader on South-South Matters.