In a year when national conversations about justice, governance, and institutional trust are reaching fever pitch, the 18th SPA Ajibade & Co. Annual Business Luncheon (ABL) is convening voices that matter, leaders who understand the architecture of systems and the psychology of trust. Among them stands Hakeem Belo-Osagie, one of Africa’s most influential entrepreneurs and a private-sector statesman whose career has continuously intersected with nation-building.
Belo-Osagie brings to the 2025 ABL panel a panoramic view of Nigeria’s institutional landscape, shaped by decades in finance, telecommunications, energy, real estate, and education. Educated at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard Business School, he is a figure whose intellectual depth is matched by practical experience across the engines of Nigeria’s economy. From founding the First Securities Discount House (now the FSDH Group), to steering Etisalat Nigeria through industry-defining moments, to shaping Abuja’s urban evolution through Duval Properties, his impact is undeniable.
He currently chairs Metis Capital Partners and the Chocolate City Group, reflecting both his commitment to enterprise and his belief in the transformative power of Africa’s creative industries. His board-level influence extends internationally, with advisory roles at the Council on Foreign Relations, the Brookings Institution, and top global universities including Harvard, Yale, and NYU. His philanthropic work, supporting the African Leadership Academy, global scholarship schemes, and youth leadership initiatives, has touched lives far beyond boardrooms.
Yet it is his governance philosophy that makes his presence on this year’s ABL panel particularly compelling. The 2025 theme, “Rebuilding Public Trust in the Nigerian Justice System: Responsibilities of the Bar, the Bench, and the Society,” calls for a rare blend of candor, strategy, and moral imagination. Belo-Osagie embodies these values. His career has been a testament to the power of ethical leadership and institutional stewardship—two ingredients Nigeria urgently needs as it works to rebuild public confidence in its justice ecosystem.
Nigeria’s justice system stands at a crossroads. Public trust has been eroded not only by systemic delays and gaps in accountability, but also by a broader crisis of confidence affecting national institutions. Against this backdrop, voices like Belo-Osagie’s help expand the conversation beyond the courtroom, reminding stakeholders that trust is a shared project requiring responsibility from the Bar, the Bench, policymakers, the private sector, and citizens alike.
As a panelist at the 2025 ABL, his insights will bridge the worlds of business and governance, offering clarity on why justice reform is not merely a legal imperative but an economic and civic one. His presence signals that rebuilding trust cannot be the exclusive domain of legal actors alone, it must involve leaders who understand systems, markets, and the public psyche.
Registration for the 2025 Annual Business Luncheon is now open, and participants can secure their place at luncheon.spaajibade.com
Venue is Metropolitan Club, Victoria Island and Time is 11am.
With Hakeem Belo-Osagie joining this year’s conversation, the dialogue promises to be richer, bolder, and more forward-looking.
Nigeria’s justice system needs renewal. It needs candor. It needs courage. And at this year’s ABL, it will have one of Africa’s most trusted voices helping to chart the path forward.
