Olorogun (Barr) Kenneth Omemevwa Gbagi, FNIM, a celebrated barrister at law, solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, entrepreneur, politician, technocrat, one time Federal Minister of Education, criminologist, educationist, philanthropist, community and opinion leader, security consultant, public servant, composite insurer, father, husband and multiple award winning achiever.
Early life
Chief Kenneth Gbagi, born in Sapele on September 22, 1961 to the families of Chief and Mrs. Robinson Gbagi, hails from Oginibu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. He had his early education at the Bishop Johnson Memorial Primary School, Sapele, from where he proceeded to Kosofe Community High School, Lagos for his West African School Certificate and GCE O levels respectively. He was at Emmanuel L. Quezon University in the Philippines for his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in criminology, a Course and program he is so passionate about. In his bid to adequately situate his skills in criminology, Olorogun Gbagi came back to Nigeria to study law at the University of Lagos, and subsequently attended the Nigeria Law School (Lagos Campus), where he was called to the Nigerian Bar on successful completion of the programme.
Not one to be labelled as a slow starter or to wait for peanuts from employers, Gbagi launched into the business arena head-on, starting off Geekos Security Nigeria Limited. This company, where he is the Chairman, is responsible for setting-up and maintaining the entire physical and electrical security infrastructure of most banks and net-worth individuals in Nigeria. It is interesting to note that Geekos Security Nigeria Limited provided the foundation for the entire Gbagi’s conglomerate.
The conglomerate boasts of the following, but not limited to:
(a) GKO Properties Ltd. -a key player in the home/property sector in Nigeria, managing portfolios that include 5-star hotels, shopping malls, housing estates, market lock-up stalls. b) The Robinson Gbagi Shopping Mall 1 &2 which currently engages Over 20,000 youths and tagged the ‘computer village’ of the Niger Delta. (c) The Signatious Hotel and Suites Ltd boast of over 300 rooms, and a major player in the hospitality and tourism industry in Nigeria. The notel employs over one hundred professionals as well as provides recreational facility to help drive the energies of the region’s restive youths to more meaningful ventures. The facility equally serves as an Uitra-modern holiday resort and has branches in Lagos and Abuja. (d) GEEKOS Investment Ltd. which is an active player in the stock market, with shares in several blue chip companies, as well as industrial-scaled importation. (e) GKO Group of Companies Ltd – this establishment provides a Connect and marriage between business and entertainment. This is manifested through the 6. 400 – sitter Fame Dela Hall; the 5-Cinema theatre/mall Light House Arcade and 650-rooms world class Marriott Hotel, situated five minutes’ drive from the Osubi Airport in Delta State. (f) Nayee Group of Companies that houses Nayee Press Limited. Nayee Publishing Company and Nayee Law Publication Limited. The conglomerate has about the largest printing account in sub- Saharan Africa, with a client base that include all major international Oil Companies, banks, judiciary and governments. (a) Falcon Bay Energy Ltd an oil and gas company with core business in renewable and non renewable energy both within and outside Nigeria. (h) Kenneth O. Gbagi & Associates, where he is the Head of Chambers. The firm provides legal consultancy on wide range of issues, serve as Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and Certified Alternative Dispute Resolution Mediator.
- h) High Profile Consultancy to various government agencies,
notably the Federal Ministries of Finance/Housing on the Gwarinpa
II Housing Scheme on its payment/funding processes.
- i) Also on the public-private business phase, he was appointed Chairman, board of directors of the Delta Development and Property Authority: coordinator of Safety Equipment Manufacturing Nig. Ltd major investor in Presidential Insurance Plc., and Director at NEM Insurance Plc.
Philosophical/ Political drive Gbagi’s business philosophy is driven by community development, and people oriented.
His crave for public service and giving back to society pushed him into politics, where he is a founding member of the PDP in Delta State. He was a governorship aspirant for the 1999 and 2007 PDP gubernatorial elections: a dream that would be relieved in the 2029 elections. Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi served as Minister of Education in 2010, where he supervised and midwifed the creation of 13 Universities, including Federal University of Lafia and eight Federal Government Colleges; restructured the workings of agencies such as UBE,WAEC and NTI, and, spear headed the policy of using minimum of 6-credits in WAEC at two-sittings to be eligible for admission as opposed to the infamous one-sitting or nothing.
He was former Chairman of the Governing Council of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, where his primary occupation was the restructuring of the Criminal Justice System, prison reforms and training of lawyers.
Awards/Recognition
Kenneth Omemevwa Gbagi is a registered member of the
International Association of Chiefs-of-Police, USA: Ikoyi Club., Lagos: Rotary Club International (Ikeja South District all: National Executive Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association; American Bar Association; Chartered Institute of Arbitration, and a distinguished Alumnus of the University of Lagos.
His philanthropist gesture of donating over $250,000 to Rotary International for charity is well documented. He is the first living black man to attain the coveted AKS member of Rotary International and recipient of numerous national and international awards.
This detribalised Nigerian who has persons of all ethnicity in his employ is skilled in marksmanship, signature identification and intelligence gathering analysis. He is a great swimmer, tennis play and loves reading.
Family
He was married to the delectable Hon Justice Sybil Gbagi, Justice of the Court of Appeal (JCA) and blessed with successful children.
Death
He died on the 4”of May 2024 after a brief illness.
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