Opinion: Dr. Osahon Okunbo, Young Entrepreneur Of The Year, Stewarding The Legacy

All successful entrepreneurs are trailblazers. They prioritise their vision, break down barriers, and take calculated risks that shapes the economic landscape in sectors where they operate. Their high-impact achievements are what distinguish them from the underling and the small-timer. They always have a legacy of impact.
Whether it’s Evan Spiegel, who co-founded Snapchat, or Patrick and John Collison who founded Stripe that revolutionized online payments or Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder of Airbnb, they’re all young entrepreneurs who transformed their business sectors and made indelible marks in the business world.
In Nigeria, one of the youngest business moguls reshaping the country’s economic sectors is Dr. Osahon Okunbo, the Executive Director of Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL). Dr. Okunbo was on April 24 awarded the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 by Vanguard Newspapers in recognition of his contributions across multiple sectors.
According to the Vanguard, the recognition highlights Okunbo’s investments and leadership in sectors such as hospitality, oil and gas, agriculture, the arts, and the built environment.
At just 38, Dr Okunbo has etched his name in the golden plaque of transformative business leaders. As the ED of PINL, the company responsible for the maintenance of the Trans Niger Pipeline,Okunbo has been part of the President Bola Tinubu administration’s effort to increase oil production through intensified action against oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and other acts of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta.
Through sustained stakeholders’ engagements with host communities, including women empowerment, scholarship schemes, medical outreach, skills acquisition programmes, and environmental awareness initiatives, PINL is helping the country increase its oil production.
Nigeria’s crude oil production has increased by about 40.5 per cent to 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd) from 1.31 million bpd recorded in February this year. And thanks to the initiatives of organisations like PINL, oil production is set to resume in Ogoni land after 33 years of stoppage.
As Chairman of Vetrinox Capital, his business interests’ straddles Engineering, Oil & Gas Investments, Technology & Innovation, Security Solutions, Project Financing, Real Estate & Hospitality Development, Investment Management, Business Development, and Sustainable Growth.
Vetrinox Capital is a holding company committed to driving sustainable economic progress across Nigeria and Africa. Through the diverse portfolio of the company, he provides the vision, resources and strategic oversight that enable businesses to thrive, communities to grow and industries to evolve.
An entrepreneur who prioritises excellence, people, integrity and passion as core business values, Dr Okunbo is a chip off the old block. His late father, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, was a Nigerian billionaire business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and trained commercial pilot who thought him to always put the people first in whatever he does.
That advice has been his guiding philosophy since he broke on the business scene years ago. He acknowledged this much while receiving the Vanguard award. He recalled that his late father was also honoured by Vanguard as Industrialist of the Year before he died in 2021.
“One of the greatest values my father taught me was that the best investment you can make is in people,” Osahon stated with pride during his acceptance speech.
Dr. Okunbo is gracefully stepping into his late father’s shoes as he holds the baton of resilience, integrity and love for humanity. Besides the Okunbo blood flowing in his veins, he seemed to have studied his legendary father’s success recipe and made it his regular full course meal.
While paying tribute to the late Okunbo, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu described him as a “one of the true icons to have walked our ground, he had a special knack and the visionary brilliance to recognize opportunities long before others could see them, and the discipline and talent to build efficient systems and organizations out of bold ideas. He was a man of many dreams and ambitions who was able to defeat the limitations of the circumstances surrounding his birth and claim a prominent spot in our national memory. He was a solution provider.”
Those who know Dr. Okunbo very well will no doubt agree that the young man also exemplifies these qualities. He is a young leader who continues to inspire others through his compassion and generosity. He carries on the tradition of a family where compassion and love for others are the essence of life and the purpose of wealth.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that he set up businesses in the service industry, especially in the hospitality industry where the customer is treated as a king! His hotel, Wells Carlton Hotel & Apartments, located in the upscale district of Asokoro area of Abuja, is a trailblazer that has redefined the city’s hospitality features.
The hotel offers a beautiful and glamorous world of luxury that focuses on providing comfort, security and leisure.
Besides his service to the country, Dr Okunbi is also a philanthropist serving humanity with the same dedicated passion. Through The Osahon Okunbo Foundation, he is demonstrating commitment to human capital development and social empowerment. He has sponsored students and provided support for underserved communities.
A lover of arts and creativity, Dr. Okunbo is a major supporter of the creative industry, supporting platforms like the +234 Art Fair and providing mentorship grants for emerging screenwriters. He pioneered the creative space in Lagos by founding Live Lounge, the city’s first purpose-built comedy club.
During his birthday last year, a celebrity business leader and foremost promoter of Benin culture, Chief Owen Chamberlain Obaseki, penned a goodwill message which captured the essence of Dr. Okunbo. In the message titled “38 Garlands to a Young Prodigy: A Tapestry of Grace, Purpose, and Eternity,” Chief Obaseki praised his trailblazing achievements and commitment to humanity, noting that his life exemplifies passion, discipline, and a heart for service.
He wrote: “Through his foundation, Dr. Okunbo’s transformative generosity shines as a city on a hill. He is not merely a philanthropist but a steward of hope whose work continues to bridge the gap between potential and destiny.
“At 38, his life reminds us that time is a canvas, and his story is painted with fiery passion and unrelenting resolve.”
It is not fortuitous that after a 12-week rigorous selection exercise, the Vanguard Board of Editors picked Dr.Okunbo for an award as the young entrepreneurship of the year 2025 for cross-sector impact among an array of impactful entrepreneurs in the country. It is a well-deserved award for a young achiever who has unlimited potential.
For the Okunbos, there are no boundaries or restrictions on what is achievable. Success is a boundless target. At 38, Dr. Okunbo is just starting to fly.

Tajudeen Suleiman is an Abuja based journalists