By Wale Ojo-Lanre
*Culled from his Facebook page
A detailed account by lawyer and journalist Wale Ojo-Lanre has highlighted the extensive philanthropic work of Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, CON, revealing how the Senior Advocate of Nigeria has deliberately channelled billions of naira into education, empowerment and community development over nearly three decades.
Ojo-Lanre, who has observed Olanipekun’s activities for 29 years, describes the Asiwaju of Ikere Kingdom as a legal luminary whose generosity has consistently prioritized human development over personal accumulation. According to the account, Olanipekun has employed his wealth to build the capacity of ordinary citizens, transforming thousands of lives across Ekiti State and beyond.
At the centre of his interventions is the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme, which has operated uninterrupted for 29 years. The programme has supported more than 3,274 students from secondary school through university and law school, funding 255 beneficiaries annually. Over N600 million has been disbursed to support law students alone, enabling access to education in fields such as law, engineering, medicine and other professional disciplines. Beneficiaries credit the initiative with providing opportunities that would otherwise have been beyond their reach.
Complementing the scholarship scheme is the Wole Olanipekun Foundation, which provides youth entrepreneurship grants, welfare for widows and the elderly, and palliatives for vulnerable families. The foundation supports 250 youth entrepreneurs annually, each receiving N150,000, while more than 800 youths and 1,500 vulnerable individuals benefit from various empowerment initiatives each year. These interventions, Ojo-Lanre notes, have become vital lifelines for communities in Ikere Ekiti and neighbouring areas.
The most recent editions of these programmes were held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Iyaniwura House, Ikere. The event attracted Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye, about twenty traditional rulers, and thousands of past and present beneficiaries. Testimonies from students, widows and entrepreneurs highlighted the life-changing impact of the schemes, with many acknowledging how the interventions lifted families from hardship, enabled education, and provided pathways to livelihood and dignity.
Ojo-Lanre further highlighted Chief Olanipekun’s contributions to infrastructure and institutional development, including the construction and equipping of court complexes, donations to hospitals, support for Anglican churches, and assistance to universities such as the University of Ibadan, Ajayi Crowther University, and Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere.
Reflecting on his long relationship with the Senior Advocate, Ojo-Lanre recalled meeting Olanipekun in 1979 through Taiye Shola Falegan at Akanbi Oniyangi Chambers in Ilorin, describing the encounter as the start of decades of mentorship and close observation of a man whose philanthropy has become central to his legacy.
Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, CON, remains one of Nigeria’s foremost legal personalities, widely respected not only for his professional achievements but also for a sustained record of community upliftment. Through his scholarship and empowerment initiatives, he has ensured that wealth is transformed into opportunity, education and human development, leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.
