Journey of impactful leadership and service redefined

By Tunde Adeleke, Osogbo
08107219743

Leadership is often defined not by the offices one occupies but by the lives one transforms. It is a product of vision, competence, integrity and an unwavering commitment to public good. While many pursue success as a personal ambition, only a few dedicate their accomplishments to the service of humanity.

Among this select group is Aare (Engr.) Benjamin Kayode Adereti, an accomplished engineer, administrator, community leader and politician whose journey from the classroom to the boardroom, and now to the political arena, reflects decades of preparation, excellence and selfless service.

Today, Engr. Adereti occupies a strategic place in Osun politics as the Deputy Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and running mate to the party’s governorship flag bearer, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election. His selection has been widely viewed as a recognition of his professional competence, grassroots appeal and leadership credentials.

Born into the family of the late Primate Joshua Adereti Adesiyan of the Okoro and Agbedegbede Royal Compound, Ile-Ife, and Lady Apostle Florence Abeke Adereti Adesiyan, Benjamin Adereti’s life has been shaped by discipline, hard work and an enduring commitment to excellence.

His educational journey began at Olua Primary School, Uselu, Benin City, before continuing at St. Gabriel Primary School, Moore, Ile-Ife. Even at an early age, leadership came naturally. At the prestigious Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife, he repeatedly served as class captain before emerging as the school’s Senior Prefect.
Those qualities blossomed further at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he became one of the institution’s most celebrated student leaders. He served as Financial Secretary of the National Ife Descendants Students Association and later emerged President of the National Association of Science and Technology Students (NASTES), OAU Chapter.

His leadership journey reached a national milestone in 1999 when he won a keenly contested election in Bauchi to become the National President of NASTES.

Under his leadership, Nigeria witnessed the maiden edition of the Techno-Scientific Exhibition organised at the Raw Materials Research and Development Council in Abuja. Sixty-six higher institutions participated, with Obafemi Awolowo University emerging overall winner.

The feat earned him national commendations from the then Chairman of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola; the then Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun; and the then Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mrs. Pauline Tallen, among other distinguished personalities.

Academically, Engr. Adereti built a formidable foundation. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Physics/Electronics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Physics, a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, a Master of Technology in Communication Physics and a Master of Business Administration from Obafemi Awolowo University.

His appetite for knowledge extended beyond Nigeria. Through continuous professional development, he trained at the Ericsson Telecommunications Centre in Chicago, Alcatel University in Marcoussis, France, Cisco Technology Centres in London and Ghana, before earning the globally recognised Project Management Professional (PMP) certification in Washington, D.C.

With over two decades of experience in telecommunications, Engr. Adereti has become one of Nigeria’s respected telecommunications management experts, specialising in transmission systems, network planning and operations management.

His expertise has taken him across the globe. He represented MTN Nigeria at the Intelsat Conference in Germany, participated in several World Satellite Conferences in Washington, D.C., and in 2025 joined the MTN leadership delegation to China for bilateral engagements on emerging technologies and fibre broadband deployment.

Currently serving as the Head of Network Operations Centre for Enterprise Business and Fibre Broadband Technical Faults at MTN Nigeria, he has led several strategic teams responsible for managed data services, ICT infrastructure, satellite operations and fibre broadband technology.

His professional accomplishments have earned him Fellowships of both the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) and the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (FNISLT), while he is also a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

Beyond engineering, Engr. Adereti has demonstrated exceptional administrative capacity. He served as Employee Representative at MTN before being elected National General Secretary of the MTN Multipurpose Cooperative Society in 2012. In 2018, members overwhelmingly elected him National President, where he supervised investments in housing, agriculture, mining, road infrastructure and cooperative development.
Earlier in his career, he worked as Personal Assistant to the late Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology, contributing to legislative efforts that culminated in the establishment of the Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology.

Yet, for many residents of Ifeland, his greatest achievements lie outside the corporate world.
For years, Adereti has quietly invested in people. Hundreds of young people have secured employment opportunities through his interventions. Many have benefited from ICT training programmes designed to prepare them for the digital economy.

His educational support programmes have continued to open doors for indigent students through sponsorship of JAMB and WAEC examinations, scholarships, donation of school uniforms, school bags and writing materials.

His interventions also include sponsorship of free healthcare during the annual Olojo Festival, provision of boreholes across communities, rehabilitation of existing water facilities, support for transformer installation and repairs, distribution of food and relief materials to widows and elderly citizens, environmental sanitation projects and sponsorship of community development initiatives throughout Ife Federal Constituency.
To many beneficiaries, these interventions represent more than philanthropy—they symbolise a lifelong commitment to community development.

Politically, Engr. Adereti has remained active within the All Progressives Congress, where he contested for the House of Representatives seat for Ife Federal Constituency during the 2023 general election. Though unsuccessful, he retained his relevance within the party through sustained grassroots engagement, policy advocacy and youth development initiatives.

His emergence as the running mate to Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji marked another defining moment in his public life, bringing decades of professional excellence, leadership and community service into the centre of Osun’s political landscape.

Indeed, the story of Aare (Engr.) Benjamin Kayode Adereti is one of preparation meeting opportunity. From a student leader in Ile-Ife to an internationally trained telecommunications executive, from cooperative administrator to community builder, and now a frontline political figure in Osun State, his journey reflects a life built on excellence, service and purposeful leadership.

For a better society

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