What Mike Adenuga and Femi Otedola have in common..

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Would it? Really? Forget the wisdom of Juliet, tragic heroine in late Williams Shakespeare literary classic, “Romeo and Juliet,” the worth in a name far outweighs her romantic insight. However, billionaire businessmen and two of Nigeria’s most influential men, Dr. Mike Ishola Adenuga Jnr.  and Femi Otedola share a lot in common as you are well aware. Both have been listed in Forbes as some of the richest men in Africa. They are both into the oil business, while Adenuga owns Conoil, Otedola owns Forte Oil. Both men are of the Ijebu stock of the Yoruba State, while Adenuga is from Oke-Sopen in Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State, Otedola is from Odoragunsen, in Epe Lagos. But one striking similarity between both men which a lot of people do not know is the fact that both their fathers share the same first and middle names. Adenuga’s dad who transited sometime in the late 70’s is Pa Micheal Agbolade Adenuga; He was a teacher and inspector of education and was reputed to have lived a Spartan life of discipline while Femi’s dad, the former governor of Lagos State in the third republic is Sir Micheal Agbolade Otedola who passed  on last year. He began his career as a teacher before working as a reporter at the St. Pancras Chronicle, then as a reporter and later sub-editor at The Guardian and The Times in England. The two great namesakes were the fathers of two great Nigerians. An amazing coincidence you’ll say but also goes to buttress the saying that there is indeed something in a name