Adanla’s 54th Birthday Adds Glitz To Business Times CEO Excellence Awards As Afia Chairman Takes Top Real Estate Honour

It was an evening of recognition, celebration and corporate glamour at the Lagos Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday, October 2, 2026, as the Business Times CEO Excellence Awards honoured leading Nigerian business figures, with Afia Group Chairman and CEO, Engr. Abduljelyl Adekunle Karheem, MCIArb, MCIOB, MCABE, emerging as one of the major stars of the ceremony.

Karheem, the Mogaji of the Adanla family of Ibadan, was formally recognised as the Real Estate Development & Building Engineering CEO of the Year 2026, in recognition of his contributions to real estate development, construction and the wider built environment.

The colourful ceremony, which brought together captains of industry, business leaders, professionals and other distinguished guests, was chaired by Chief Dada Ajayi, Chairman of the Editorial Board of Business Times, adding further prestige to an event designed by its organisers as a platform for honouring visionary leaders shaping the future of business.

For Adanla, however, the occasion carried a deeply personal dimension. The award presentation coincided with his 54th birthday, transforming what was initially a corporate recognition ceremony into a memorable double celebration of professional accomplishment and a new personal milestone.

In a touching gesture, the organisers specially celebrated the Afia Group chief executive during the ceremony, with a birthday song rendered in his honour as guests joined in celebrating a businessman whose career has straddled construction, real estate, entrepreneurship and community development.

Adanla’s moment at the podium was characteristically brief but insightful as he offered guests a glimpse into the philosophy behind Afia Group’s growth and diversification.

Rather than attempting to speak extensively about the numerous interests of the conglomerate, he narrowed his presentation to two major areas — real estate and the automotive business, the latter being pursued through the group’s partnership with Great Wall Motors (GWM).

He explained that Afia Group’s business strategy over the years had been driven by a three-pronged philosophy: “selling what the rich want, selling what the poor want and selling what government will force people to buy.”

According to him, the strategy has enabled the group to identify opportunities across different segments of the market while building businesses capable of responding to changing consumer needs and broader economic realities.

Adanla noted that the achievements recorded by Afia Group over the years were central to the honour bestowed on him by Business Times, describing the recognition as a reflection of the organisation’s sustained efforts and accomplishments.

As is customary with many of his major honours and achievements, Adanla dedicated the award to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, CFR, ARUSA I.

The revered monarch, who was represented at the event by his son, Prince Shola Ladoja, received the gesture with appreciation as Adanla acknowledged the traditional ruler’s fatherly support, guidance and enduring encouragement over the years.

While he spoke extensively on the real estate arm of the business, Adanla deliberately handed the automotive segment of his presentation to Mr. Alex Wang, Chairman of Sino Trust Group, who provided guests with a closer look at the group’s partnership with Great Wall Motors.

Wang took the audience through the story of GWM, presenting the Chinese automotive brand as a major global player that has continued to compete favourably within the international automobile market.

He highlighted the brand’s product quality, expanding market presence and customer-oriented approach, while also speaking on after-sales support, warranty arrangements and the importance of providing customers with dependable service beyond the initial purchase.

He further discussed flexible purchase arrangements available to customers and the growing network through which the brand is positioning itself to serve its Nigerian market.

Wang also disclosed plans connected with the expansion of GWM’s presence in Ibadan, reinforcing the significance of the Afia-GWM partnership to the group’s broader strategy of bringing new business opportunities and international brands closer to consumers in Oyo State.

Beyond the business presentation, Wang used the occasion to speak warmly about Adanla, commending the Afia Group chief executive for the vision, commitment and partnership that have helped drive the automotive venture.

He also joined other guests in paying tribute to Adanla on his 54th birthday, further blending the business-focused atmosphere of the evening with the celebratory mood surrounding the Afia Group chairman.

Adanla’s recognition at the Business Times ceremony adds to a growing list of honours associated with his professional journey in 2026. Earlier in the year, Afia Homes and Properties was recognised by City People as the Biggest Indigenous Real Estate Developer of the Year, while Adanla himself has also been featured among leading Nigerian engineers and received recognition for humanitarian contributions.

His professional background includes more than two decades of experience in the United Kingdom’s housing and construction sector before returning to Nigeria, where he channelled his international experience into the development of Afia Group.

His academic qualifications include Building Surveying, Building Engineering and Construction Project Management, while he holds memberships of professional bodies including CIOB, RICS, CIArb and CABE. 

Under his leadership, Afia’s property portfolio has expanded through developments including Afia Court, Afia Apartments, Mandamis Luxury by Afia, Magdalen’s Court and The Crest, among others, while the group has increasingly diversified beyond its traditional construction and real estate base.

The automotive partnership with GWM represents another significant dimension of that diversification, with the group seeking to establish a stronger foothold in Nigeria’s automobile market alongside its established interests in property and construction.

Beyond his business accomplishments, Adanla has successfully established himself not only as a community leader in his capacity as a Mogaji but also as an Islamic leader. He is the Turaki Adinni of Oyo State, Wakil Faido Tijaniyyah of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, and Giwa Adinni of Offa Land, Kwara State. These positions reflect his involvement in Islamic affairs, philanthropy and community development.

Adanla was not alone at the glamorous ceremony. He was accompanied by his wife, Alhaja Balkiz Karheem, and their daughter, Princess Rashidat Olatanwa Karheem, whose presence added a warm family dimension to the occasion.

Also in attendance were Prince Shola Ladoja; Chief Adeniyi Lawal; Mrs. Oluwafunmilayo Fatundase Lawal; Engr. Babalola Salau; Mr. Alex Wang, Chairman of Sino Trust Group; Mr. Keys Wang, General Manager of GWM; Mr. Hasky LZ, CEO of GWM; and Chief Hamzat Mariam Omotunde, CEO of HMO Concepts, alongside other friends, associates, business partners and distinguished guests.

Following the award presentation and business proceedings, the celebration continued with a special dinner at the same venue, where guests relaxed, exchanged pleasantries and savoured the celebratory atmosphere created around Adanla’s birthday and professional achievement.

What began as an evening dedicated to celebrating excellence in business ultimately became a memorable convergence of corporate recognition, strategic partnership, family celebration and birthday goodwill, with Adanla’s latest honour providing a fitting spotlight on the journey of an engineer who has steadily transformed professional expertise into an expanding business enterprise.

For the Afia Group chairman, the night at Lagos Oriental Hotel was therefore more than another award ceremony. It was a celebration of a 54-year journey, a recognition of years of enterprise and a public acknowledgement of the expanding footprint of a business organisation built around construction, real estate and emerging ventures.