A Man of the People. A Builder of Systems. A Leader of a Generation.

Today, we celebrate more than a birthday. We celebrate a life lived with intention, courage, and uncommon responsibility. On this day, we honor Honourable Wale Kuku—known to many as Dodondawa—a man whose impact continues to shape lives, institutions, and the future of Ogun State, especially across Ijebu land.

In a country where leadership is too often defined by promises, Wale Kuku has distinguished himself by work. By systems. By people. And by results.

This is the essence of his lifelong commitment to Transform Ogun.

Rooted in Heritage, Driven by Duty

Wale Kuku’s commitment to service is not accidental. He is a proud son of the historic Balogun Kuku Dynasty of Ijebu-Ode, descending from Chief Balogun Kuku—the 19th-century merchant prince and war general who used personal wealth and influence to protect the Ijebu Kingdom and lay enduring foundations for commerce, stability, and culture.

That same sense of duty—to protect, uplift, and prepare a people for the future—runs clearly

through Wale Kuku’s life. For over 15 years, he has invested deliberately in people, leadership capacity, and institution-building, guided by a simple belief: true leadership is responsibility, not privilege.

A Mind Trained for Excellence

Professionally, Wale Kuku is a seasoned leader in banking, technology, and the digital economy, with strong academic grounding and extensive work experience across companies and financial institutions within and outside Nigeria. As CEO of F1 Interactive, he has operated at the highest levels of strategy, systems design, and execution.

Yet, despite global exposure and elite experience, his heart has remained firmly with the grassroots—the artisans, students, farmers, traders, youths, elders, and everyday people of Ogun State whose realities define the true measure of leadership.

He is the leader you will see sitting with corn sellers, shopping in local markets, eating in

bukas from Eyin-Osun to the deepest villages, coaching children in football, and living among the people he seeks to serve. This closeness is not optics; it is conviction. It is how he lives the vision to Transform Ogun from the ground up.

New Generation (NG): A Living Legacy

Perhaps the most enduring expression of Wale Kuku’s life’s work is the New Generation (NG) Foundation, convened in 2018. NG is not a conventional NGO. It is a **living ecosystem—an Economy—**where education, enterprise, agriculture, youth leadership, technology, and social welfare are intentionally interconnected.

Today, over 600,000 people across Ijebu land actively participate in the NG ecosystem, making it one of the most impactful development platforms in the region.

Through NG, Wale Kuku has demonstrated something rare: the ability to think like a government, execute like an institution, and care like a community leader—all in service of a single objective: Transform Ogun.

Key Initiatives Include:

· NG Learn: it strengthens education delivery through digital training workshops for teachers and school administrators, targeted school upgrades such as marker boards and classroom lighting, and a shared content platform connecting students, teachers, schools, and tertiary institutions—building a practical, technology-enabled learning ecosystem.

· BusinessFirst: the program builds entrepreneurs and supports SMEs through incubation, access to funding, mentorship, and growth tools. The program includes the first Business Hub in Ijebu-Ode with is incubating several startups providing value driven digital services and the Next Level Program, a competitive growth and investment-readiness initiative that identifies and funds businesses prepared to scale.  

· NG Grow: Through Dídákọ̀ Idán and Modern Farmer, the program has supported numerous farmers and drawn many youths into agriculture. By introducing digital tools into farming, it has made agriculture attractive and viable for young people.

Alongside the AgroCity project in Ijebu-Igbo—a full value-chain initiative—NG is raising a new generation of modern, commercially viable farmers and strengthening food security.

· Ìpele Tókan and BizLife: Grants and structured support for artisans—mechanics, tailors, carpenters, and local producers—ensuring dignity, resilience, and economic continuity.

· Iyániwúrà: Direct support for market women and widows, reinforcing household stability and the social fabric of communities.

· TecHandwork: A youth-focused initiative that trains young people in digital skills while providing pathways to income generation. Rooted in the Ijebu tradition of handwork, TecHandwork introduces a new form of handwork—technology.

Together, these initiatives create a living economic and social ecosystem—designed for scale and sustainability, not isolated acts of charity.

Service Beyond Structures

Beyond NG, Wale Kuku has also given deeply at a personal level through Wale Kuku Cares and his own resources. His interventions include: Installation of solar street lights, Execution of road palliatives, Provision of food palliatives for the most vulnerable, Educational sponsorships for thousands of students, Scholarships across secondary schools and universities, Health checks and treatment for the elderly, Construction of a prison cell for Amotekun strengthening local security infrastructure, and many other quietly delivered community projects

These are acts of service done consistently and without fanfare, because for Wale Kuku, impact has always mattered more than applause.

Politics with Integrity

During his Senate campaign for the 2023 general elections, Wale Kuku once again chose a different path. His engagements were not rallies, but Town halls and civic seminars. In every ward he visited, hundreds of people sat in rapt attention—listening, learning, and envisioning a greater Ogun State.

During that campaign, he made a promise that set him apart:that win or lose, the work would continue.

After the election, he kept that promise—and went even further. Rather than retreat, he doubled the scale and intensity of execution, expanding programs and deepening impact.

In a political culture where commitment often ends with elections, this integrity has become one of his strongest credentials.

Beyond politics, as Chairman of APFAN, Wale Kuku has also demonstrated exceptional leadership in sports administration. Under his stewardship, the football league has achieved standards, quality, organization, and packaging that surpass even the NPFL, once again proving that excellence follows wherever he leads.

The Ijebu Vision

Wale Kuku often speaks of a bold but grounded belief:

that Ijebu can be built into a prosperous, 21st-century, rapidly developing economy, deliberately insulated from many of Nigeria’s systemic challenges.

With its enterprise culture, human capital, strategic location, and strong diaspora, he believes Ijebu possesses the comparative advantages to become one of the largest sub-regional economies in Africa—if governed intentionally and systematically. This vision is central to his mission to Transform Ogun.

A Leader of a Generation

There has been no one so intentional about people, so grounded in ideas, supported by clear plans, and driven by precise, relentless execution, since Chief Obafemi Awolowo. These are the kinds of leaders we pray for—leaders fit to govern not just states, but nations.

If Ijebu ever misses Wale Kuku, it will not simply miss a man—it will miss a generation-defining opportunity to Transform Ogun.

Happy Birthday

As he marks another year, we celebrate a life of service, courage, intellect, and compassion. We celebrate a man who has shown that leadership is not a title, but a daily practice.

On behalf of all Wale Kuku aides, associates and well wishers worldwide, we wish you a Happy Birthday, our MAN OF THE PEOPLE!!!

- BY Aides and Associates of Wale Kuku Worldwide.