Power, Pen and Ph.D: Ikeja Electric, Others Hail Platforms Africa Adeola Yusuf’s Highest Academic Milestone at LASU
…’A Win For Town And Gown,’ Details in the congratulatory letter the utility firm addressed to the Team Lead of Platforms Africa on feat
…”Studious and humble.” What Dean Faculty of Communications and Media Studies, LASU, Professor Jide Jimoh; ACSPN President, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, said about Adeola Yusuf
The power distribution company described the milestone as a win for both “town and gown.”
In a formal congratulatory letter signed by Kingsley Okotie, Head of Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric praised Yusuf for attaining the highest academic honor. “We& warmly congratulate you as you receive the highest academic award, a doctorate degree, from the prestigious Lagos State University,” the letter stated.
This came as The Dean, Faculty of Communications and Media Studies, Professor Jide Jimoh, who doubled as the supervisor for thesis, in a congratulatory message described Adeola Yusuf as “studious and humble.”
He wrote; “It’s God’s doing and you were studious and humble. I congratulate you deeply. Continue to excel.”
The co-supervisor, Professor Rotimi Williams Olatunji, who is the National President of The Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), also congratulated Adeola Yusuf for his steadfastness.
“We thank God for everything. God enabled you to start and complete the program, because He has His plans and purpose for you. The same God has positioned His vessels on your way to make it a reality. We’re all grateful to God as His vessels. Congratulations and more wins in life.”
Meanwhile, Okotie noted that the achievement was a direct reflection of Yusuf’s “unparalleled dedication, consistent professionalism, extensive research and excellent defence.”
He added that those same qualities have defined Yusuf’s work as a media partner to Ikeja Electric over the years.
Yusuf, who leads Platforms Africa, has built a reputation at the intersection of journalism, policy, and data. Under his leadership, the platform has become known for in-depth reporting on energy, governance, and development — areas that directly align with Ikeja Electric’s mandate to serve over 1 million customers in Lagos.
The convocation by Lagos State University, one of Nigeria’s foremost state universities, further cements Yusuf’s profile as a scholar-practitioner. LASU has increasingly produced graduates who go on to shape public institutions, private companies, and the media landscape.
For Ikeja Electric, the recognition goes beyond personal celebration. Corporate communications teams across Nigeria’s power sector have leaned on Platforms Africa for credible storytelling and analysis, especially on issues of metering, tariff reforms, and customer service. Yusuf’s academic depth is now seen as an added asset to that partnership.
“With this latest accomplishment, we believe that you will exceed your previous records and industry standards,” Okotie wrote. The statement signals expectations that Yusuf will bring more research-driven insights to media practice at a time when misinformation and complex policy issues dominate public discourse.
The “Town Meets Gown” theme resonated strongly because it reflects a growing trend: professionals in critical sectors returning to the classroom to sharpen their expertise, then bringing that knowledge back to industry. Energy, media, and technology leaders say such cross-pollination is key to solving Nigeria’s development challenges.
Colleagues at Platforms Africa also applauded the feat, describing Yusuf as a leader who balances editorial deadlines with academic rigor. Many noted that his ability to translate research into accessible stories has helped demystify technical sectors like power for everyday Nigerians.
As Yusuf begins his next chapter with a doctorate to his name, both Ikeja Electric and LASU say the future looks promising. The message from Lagos is clear: when town meets gown, the result is stronger institutions, better-informed citizens, and leadership equipped to meet 21st-century demands.
Adeola Yusuf, Ph.D; Profile a Prolific Pen-Pusher
Adeola Yusuf, Team Lead of Platforms Africa – a leading media group in the continent – is a highly cerebral development journalist with local, continental and global laurels and recognition to show for it.
Arguably one of the most decorated energy journalists in the world, Adeola Yusuf, a fellow of Thomson Reuters Foundation Scheme on illicit Finance Reporting in Africa, has won over seven nominations as the Energy Reporter of the Year by the Nigerian Media Merit Award (NMMA), going home with the gongs for the Year 2016; 2017 and 2019.
The first and only winner of the Nigeria Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) award for the most consistent journalist (2012), Adeola Yusuf, a fellow of Media for Oil Reforms (MFOR), is also the winner of the Chevron/Pan-Atlantic University’s Best Report on Energy award (2018).
Adeola Yusuf, a Ph.D. graduate at the School of Postgraduate studies, Lagos State University (LASU) – having gone through a successful educational sojourn across The Pan-Atlantic University, The University of Lagos, The Crescent University and THE Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), among others – lectures students of Mass Communication in both the Eko City Polytechnic and the Lagos State Polytechnic (now the Lagos State University of Science and Technology – LASUSTECH) both in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
An investigative journalist of repute, Adeola Yusuf has, at the global stage and within Nigeria, won many journalism awards, fellowships, bursaries and recognitions.
He is a winner of the African Investigative Journalism Conference (AIJC) Bursary Award, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2016. He was in Nairobi, Kenya in 2017 as a winner of the Tax Justice Network Africa (TJN-A’s) Bursary on Tax evasion and illicit finance reporting in Africa.
Yusuf is also a two-time winner of slots in the Thomson Reuters Foundation Scheme on Illicit Trade and Finance Reporting in Africa held in Kampala, Uganda, 2015 and 2016.
He bagged the Directorate of Entrepreneurship, MAPOLY, award as the Mediapreneur of the year 2025 while the Platforms Africa he leads emerged the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) runner-up as the Nigerian Content Media of The Year, 2025.
He has, in line of duty as a journalist, travelled to some of the major cities of the World for conferences, seminars and Workshop. He was in London, United Kingdom (UK) for Gulf of Guinea (GoG) conference (2011). He has, on many occasions travelled to Houston, Texas, the acclaimed oil and gas capital of the World for Offshore Technology Conference (OTC). He also attended a conference of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, among others.
The pioneer Energy EDITOR of the New Telegraph Newspapers, Adeola Yusuf, has worked as the Energy Editor of Daily Independent newspapers.
His media career experience spanned the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the Ogun State Television (OGTV), Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (Ogun Radio), The Monitor Newspaper, TheWEEK magazine, DAILYSUN Newspaper, Daily Independent, New Telegraph among others.
He is a sought-after financial and energy (oil, gas, power, renewables) policy analyst who is a regular face on News Central TV, Television Continental (TVC), Channels Television, Arise TV, Lagos Television, Ogun State TV, Radio One, Women Radio, as well as Radio Lagos.
As a Faculty with the Caritas Communications and NNPC Academy, Adeola Yusuf has trained top managment staff of major energy firms like the NNPC Limited, First E & P, Siemens, among others on areas like Communication Crisis Management. Making Press Release Unputdownable for Journalists: Drafting And Writing; Endoscopy of A Journalist’s Mind During Crisis, and others. He is a sought-after mentor and career adviser/Speaker for many student-journalists at Mass Communication offering Universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria and across the world.
Adeola Yusuf is a member of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), The Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), Education Writers Association of Nigeria (EWAN), and the Nigerian Association of Energy Correspondents (NAEC).
Adeola Yusuf with prominent social media presence operates the following social media accounts/ handles; X (Twitter): @deolaYUSUF; Facebook: @adeolayusuf; Istagram: @adeolaomoyusuf; LinkedIn: Adeola Yusuf.
He is the founder and one of the admins of Platforms Africa forum, a WhatsApp group with over 50 Professors and scholars of communication, editors of prominent newspapers across Africa, development sector experts in health, safety, agriculture, ICT and energy, among other resource persons, opinion leaders, and policies moulders from Africa and across the world.
Dangote Refinery Secures $1 Billion Backing Ahead of Planned IPO
The planned Initial Public Offering of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has taken a significant step forward with the successful completion of a US$1 billion underwriting programme, strengthening the capital markets foundation for what could become Africa’s most consequential industrial listing.
The programme, structured by Marob Strategies and Consulting DIFC Ltd and Lilium Capital Group, comprises a completed and funded US$600 million private placement and a further US$400 million underwriting commitment in support of the refinery’s planned IPO. The US$600 million private placement has been underwritten and funded by Pan-African Refinery Investment SPV, a subsidiary of Lilium Capital Group. Marob Strategies and Lilium Capital are now coordinating the distribution of the underwriting participation across Global Africa, engaging sovereign wealth funds, governments, institutional investors and other eligible investors. The response, according to the advisers, has been strong, reflecting growing institutional appetite for large-scale African assets capable of generating long-term economic value. The programme is also expected to catalyse significant intra-African capital flows and help pave the way towards a more integrated African capital market under the auspices of the African Continental Free Trade Area (“AfCFTA”).
The US$1 billion underwriting programme is designed to be more than a capital-raising exercise. It is expected to help deepen African capital markets, broaden ownership of a strategic African enterprise and demonstrate how African institutions can mobilise long-term capital for industrialisation, energy security, import substitution and trade integration.
Aliko Dangote, President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, described the transaction as an important milestone for both the refinery and African capital markets. “This is an important milestone for DPRP and for African capital markets,” Dangote said, adding that the transaction reflects confidence in the refinery’s strategic role and creates a platform for broader participation by African and Caribbean sovereign wealth funds, governments and institutional investors across Global Africa. “The successful completion of the private placement, together with the US$400 million underwriting commitment provided by Pan-African Refinery Investment SPV in support of the planned IPO, reflects confidence in the refinery’s strategic role. The work undertaken by Marob Strategies and Lilium Capital has also created a platform for broader participation by African and Caribbean sovereign wealth funds, governments and institutional investors across Global Africa,” he said.
Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, Chairman of Marob Strategies, said the transaction demonstrated the appetite for African-led capital markets transactions providing access to transformative assets on the continent. “As Chairman, I am very proud of the work undertaken by the management team at Marob Strategies to bring this transaction to fruition. Marob Strategies is now focused on disciplined distribution across Global Africa and is engaging sovereign wealth funds, governments, institutional investors and other eligible investors. The level of interest confirms the appetite for African-led capital markets transactions that provide investors with access to transformative assets on the continent. The success of this transaction paves the way for many more such transactions in the future,” he said.
Simon Tiemtoré, Chairman of Lilium Capital Group, similarly described the mandate as part of the firm’s effort to connect major African opportunities with institutional investors across Global Africa and international markets. “This mandate reflects Lilium Capital’s commitment to connecting world-class African opportunities with institutional investors across Global Africa and international markets. By mobilising long-term capital for strategic assets such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, we are supporting industrialisation, strengthening capital markets and contributing to sustainable economic growth across the continent. We are proud to support DPRP on this landmark transaction and look forward to mobilising capital for more transformative projects that create lasting value for Africa.”
