Ade Ojo Bows Out from Toyota Nigeria

the Nigerian auto industry will soon lose its biggest pillar to retirement. Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, the chairman, Toyota Nigeria Limited, has announced his intention to step down from day-to-day running of the company once he clocks 80 in June.

Mr Toyota, as the Ilara-Mokin, Ondo-born billionaire is popularly known, will retire to his cabin of comfort and leave the piloting of the Toyota ship to his son and current MD Kunle. This will bring to a close more than 4 decades of stellar leadership in which time he has single-handedly made the Toyota brand the most sought after car brand in Nigeria.

The man who sits atop the Elizade Group of Companies made the revelation during the recent Toyota Awards and Customers Night. Not a few in the audience were stupefied by the announcement as they couldn’t imagine an auto industry without the Ondo high chief. He however put their minds at ease and promised that no hiccups would result from the transition.

Michael, Nigeria’s Mr Auto, oversees an expansive conglomerate which consists of Toyota Nigeria, RT Briscoe Nigeria, Classic Motors, Crow Motors Nigeria, Elizade Auto Land, Elizade University. He is also on the board of SMT Nigeria Limited, the official distributors of Mack and Volvo trucks in the country.

All things being equal, the upcoming 80th birthday of Michael Ade-Ojo will be a massive double celebration of a life well spent and a job well done. It is an event already pencilled in as a “must attend” by the crème of high society and the czars of business and industry alike.