Ayoola Kehinde; Engineer and veteran of the Nigerian telecommunication sector. In 1985, when the Nigeria External Telecommunications Limited, NET and the technical arm of the Posts and Telegraph, P&T Departments were to be merged, Ayooola and his colleague were those who coined the prominent designation: Nigeria Telecommunications Limited, NITEL.
Origin
Ayoola is one half of a set of twin boys of his parents, Belio Adeboye Fadehunsi and Adedoyin Abeje Fadahunsi. His father was a grandson of the legendary Chief Awogbemi Arowopatira, the Faodi I of llesa and renowned Ifa priest to the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland. His grandfather was a skilled warrior who settled at Oke-Saje, Abeokuta after the Yoruba wars.
Places of Growth
Born 1938 in Kajola, Ogun State, Ayoola went to St. John’s School, Aroloya, Lagos, 1948-1954. Western education at this time was unpopular and he had gone to school because his mother insisted. At St. John’s, Ayoola won for three consecutive times the Bible Quiz Competitions organised by the Scripture Union for the whole of the then Lagos colony. From 1955-59, Ayoola was in llesa Grammar School where he had his secondary school education.
Childhood
Young Ayoola showed brilliance in the academics as well as in athletics, hence he was made both a school prefect and athletics captain. After his secondary education, Ayoola worked briefly at Barclays
Bank in Benin City.
Family
Ayoola is married and has five children and many grandchildren whom he raised in the Cherubim and Seraphim Church Movement in Surulere.
Travels
In the United Kingdom where he sailed to shortly after his secondary education, Ayoola’s career build-up was final moulded. Also, is interest changed to Technology. While in NITEL, about three decades later, Ayoola represented Nigeria at telecommunications fora like the International Telecommunications Union, ITU, the Global Traffic Meeting of Intelsat and was operational representative at meetings of Intelsat. In 1992, AT&T the largest telecommunications company in the United States of America contracted him as a consultant in Nigeria.
Education
Ayoola enrolled for an Electrical Engineering course at Enfield Technical College, now University of Middlesex. Also, he attended University of North London, Hendon College of Technology as well as University of South Bank. At the end of the academic adventure, he graduated with a degree in electrical and electronics engineering, with bias for telecommunication and control.
Contemporaries
Gabriel Fakeye, leader of the C&S Church Surulere was a colleague to Ayoola at NET and he had joined the praying church through the prophet.
Affiliates
Ayoola was Vice President of llesa Social Elite Club, one of the leading social clubs in Ijesaland. He also took active part in proceedings of the C&S church which he joined in 1973 rising through the church ranks, from an Aladura, to an Apostle.
Telecoms
In 1970, Ayoola became one of the engineers and technical staff recruited by the NET to operate and maintain the first satellite communication earth station in Africa, located in Lanlate, near Eruwa in Oyo State. Shortly he was made a supervisor in the Earth Station and subsequently, climbed the ladder to become the Assistant Director of the Technical Operations department of NET in 1983. In the 1990s he established his own telecommunication consultancy and contracting company. Shortly after, was appointed as technical contractor to maintain the building of Mobil Oil Nigeria Limited and City Securities Limited.
The News November 23, 2009
