Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, one of Nigeria’s most accomplished food industry moguls and a towering figure in Nigerian philanthropy, has donated a fully equipped trauma centre valued at N1.5 billion ($1 million) to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Completed in under a year, the facility is a lifesaving milestone for the region’s emergency medical care, adding much-needed capacity and critical infrastructure to a system often stretched beyond its limits.
A Legacy Gift at 80: The Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre
Unveiled as part of celebrations to mark Adegunwa’s 80th birthday, the 50-bed trauma centre is designed to serve as a regional referral hub for trauma patients across Ogun State and neighbouring regions.
The facility features cutting-edge diagnostic technology, including MRI and CT scanners, as well as dedicated operating theatres for neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and orthopaedic trauma cases.
“This trauma center is a dream come true,” said Dr. Oluwabunmi Fatungase, Chief Medical Director of OOUTH. “We currently handle over 2,000 trauma cases monthly. This intervention couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The donation is not just a brick-and-mortar project—it’s a timely intervention in a region grappling with preventable trauma deaths and insufficient emergency infrastructure.
Business Titan, Community Champion
Adegunwa is best known as the Founder and Chairman of Essay Holdings Limited, the parent company of Rite Foods Limited—makers of Bigi soft drinks, Fearless energy drink, and the iconic Bigi sausage roll. Through bold investments in food processing and manufacturing, Adegunwa built one of Nigeria’s most successful consumer brands from the ground up.
Beyond business, he has consistently used his personal wealth to fund projects that directly benefit his home state and the wider public.
In 1995, he donated an Audio-Visual Centre to the same OOUTH. And in education, he founded the Sulaimon College of Education in Ososa, Ogun State—contributing to capacity building and access to teacher training in the region.
He is also a director at Thai Farm International Limited, a leading cassava processing company, and former Chairman of Sterling Bank Plc, where he played a key role in guiding the bank’s corporate transformation.
60 Years in Business, Still Giving Back
In 2024, Adegunwa celebrated 60 years in business, transitioning from daily operations to focus more intently on philanthropy and legacy-building. The trauma centre, according to him, is his way of giving back to a people and place that helped shape him.
“It gives me immense joy to contribute meaningfully to the health of our people,” he said. “Healthcare is fundamental, and this is my way of giving back to a community that has shaped me.”
A Governor’s Commendation: “More Than Philanthropy — It’s Legacy Building”
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who attended the commissioning ceremony, praised Adegunwa’s donation as a transformational gesture with ripple effects across the entire healthcare system.
“This is more than philanthropy—it’s legacy building,” he said, describing the trauma centre as a critical upgrade to Ogun’s medical infrastructure.
Richlist Nigeria Commentary
Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa is not just a billionaire businessman; he is an architect of impact-driven capitalism—the kind that fuses wealth with purpose. His businesses have touched millions of consumers. Now, his philanthropy is helping to save lives.
At 80, Adegunwa’s story is one of entrepreneurship, service, and legacy—a powerful blueprint for Nigeria’s next generation of wealthy industrialists.
