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Key Points
- Sulaiman Adegunwa donated a $1 million trauma center to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, improving emergency care in Ogun State.
- The 50-bed facility, featuring MRI and CT scanners, aims to reduce preventable deaths and alleviate pressure on the hospital’s emergency services.
- Adegunwa’s donation celebrates his 80th birthday and continues his legacy of philanthropy, including past contributions like an Audio-Visual Centre to the hospital.
Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, one of Nigeria’s leading food industry moguls and philanthropists, has donated a state-of-the-art trauma center worth N1.5 billion ($1 million) to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The center, which was completed in less than a year, marks a major step forward in the region’s emergency healthcare capabilities.
A lifesaving gift for his 80th birthday
In celebration of his 80th birthday, Adegunwa officially opened the Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre, designed to become a regional referral hub for trauma care in Ogun and neighboring states.
The 50-bed center is equipped with advanced diagnostic tools, including MRI and CT scanners, and specialized operating theatres for neurosurgery, cardiothoracic, and orthopedic treatments. Its goal is to reduce preventable deaths and alleviate pressure on the hospital’s overwhelmed emergency services.
“This trauma center is a dream come true,” said Oluwabunmi Fatungase, Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, during the commissioning ceremony. “We currently handle over 2,000 trauma cases monthly. This intervention couldn’t have come at a better time.”
The teaching hospital, affiliated with Olabisi Onabanjo University and primarily funded by the Ogun State Government, has long struggled with overwhelming patient volumes and limited trauma infrastructure.
Food tycoon’s gift uplifts healthcare
Adegunwa, the founder and chairman of Essay Holdings Limited—the parent company of Rite Foods Limited—has been a long-time supporter of OOUTH. In 1995, he donated an Audio-Visual Centre to the hospital, and this new gift further underscores his commitment to improving healthcare in the region.
“It gives me immense joy to contribute meaningfully to the health of our people,” he remarked. “Healthcare is fundamental, and this is my way of giving back to a community that has shaped me.” Governor Dapo Abiodun praised the donation as a pivotal step toward strengthening Ogun State’s healthcare framework. “This is more than philanthropy—it’s legacy building,” he said.
Decades of business, giving back to the community
Beyond his business empire, which includes investments in food processing and agribusiness, Adegunwa also founded Sulaimon College of Education in Ososa, Ogun State, and serves as a director at Thai Farm International Limited, a cassava processing company. He was also the former chairman of Sterling Bank Plc.
In 2024, Adegunwa celebrated 60 years in business, stepping away from the daily operations of his companies while continuing to focus on philanthropy. The trauma center stands as a powerful reminder of his decades-long commitment to entrepreneurship, community development, and giving back to the people who helped shape his success.
