New sports policy rhythm n play driven by pop culture yemi idowu
Yemi Idowu, or Oluyemi Idowu, (born 3 December 1968) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist with business interest in various sectors of the economy, including energy, sports, automobile, real estate as well as oil and gas.
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Early life and education
Yemi was born in Ibadan, Nigeria to the Late Chief (Dr) Nathaniel Olabiyi Idowu (OFR), the Mayeloye and the Okanlomo of Ibadan land. Yemi spent his early years schooling in the United Kingdom and participated actively in sports at the youth level.
An alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program, Idowu holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounts and Financial Analysis from the Newcastle upon Tyne University, England and a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.
He is a member of the Institute of Personnel Management, United Kingdom. After his university education, he worked as a Business Development Manager for Africa and the Middle East at Anglo European Equipment, London.
Business career and sports
Idowu is an accomplished businessman having served on the board of various companies. He founded Aircom Nigeria Limited one of Nigeria’s leading infrastructure development companies in 1992 and serves as the Managing Director till date.
Until July 2014, Idowu served as a non-executive Director with Sterling Bank (Nigeria) PLC from its inception in 2005 and was a onetime Chairman of Sterling Capital as well as being the Vice Chairman of NBM Bank between 1999 and 2005.
Idowu also sat on the governing council of the Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN) as its General Secretary between 2009 and 2014. Yemi also serves as Chairman Leyland Nigeria (Nigeria’s largest indigenous automobile assembly plant) and is a Director of the Lagos Junior League and the current Chairman of Nathaniel Boys Football Club where the likes of Wilfred Ndidi who now plays for Genk in the Belgian Pro League started their careers from.
Idowu is very passionate about sports and has been involved in sports philanthropy and grassroots sports development for many years. As a result of his dedication and commitment to sports development he was appointed Board Chairman of the Nigerian Academicals Sports Committee (NASCOM) - a presidential committee in November 2012. In his capacity as Chairman of the board of NASCOM, Yemi Idowu was instrumental in initiating the Rhythm N' Play campaign - a grassroot sports mobilization campaign targeted at bringing an additional 2 million Nigeria school children into sports within a two-year period. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan launched the campaign in Abuja on 6 June 2013.
Idowu is very passionate about infrastructure sustainability and security as tools to developing and sustaining Mega cities in Africa and on 10 November 2015 he was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund alongside Herbert Wigwe, Opeyemi Agbaje, Gbolahan Lawal and Phillip Oduozua by his Excellency Akinwunmi Ambode the Lagos State Governor.