Gbenga Omotoso at 65: A rare gift of generosity and mentorship

By ROBERT UWEMEDIMO When Debbi Fields observed that “there is no such thing as coincidence; people come into our lives for a reason,” she captured a truth I have come to know profoundly through my relationship with Mr. Gbenga Omotoso. As he turned 65 on November 11, 2026, I pause to reflect on the extraordinary journey of more than two decades I have been privileged to share with the man I call boss – one who has been to me a father, mentor, benefactor, teacher, and, above all, a blessing from God Almighty.

April 21, 2004, marked the beginning of a journey that would forever alter the course of my life. As I approached the wine-coloured plywood door on the second floor of a six-storey building at Ijora Causeway, Lagos – then the headquarters of The Comet newspaper – I opened it and found myself face to face with Mr. Omotoso, the Daily Editor, who needed someone to run errands for his office.

He asked my name. “Robert,” I replied. “When will you resume work?” he asked. I was stunned. Here stood a man offering me a job before I had even applied; no interview, no credentials to present, no long queue outside a human resources office. Just one simple question that would rewrite the course of my life. “Tomorrow, sir,” I answered. That brief exchange marked the beginning of a relationship that shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined.

I was a young boy who had lost his father at twelve. Little did I know that God was preparing another father figure for me in the person of Mr. Omotoso. When The Comet closed in 2006, a deep and overwhelming sense of uncertainty settled over us. Yet Mr. Omotoso looked me in the eye and assured me that wherever his career took him next, I would not be left behind.

True to his word, when The Nation newspaper launched on July 31, 2006, I continued working with him as a 16-year-old boy. One quality that set him apart from the very beginning was his uncommon, almost instinctive generosity. I remember one particular week when he repeatedly asked whether I had eaten. Each time, he would give me some money for food.

As time passed and his instinctive generosity continued, I grew uncomfortable and began answering, “Yes, sir, I have eaten,” not because I had suddenly become rich, but because I did not want him to think I was turning hunger into a business strategy. That is Mr. Omotoso. His kindness is never calculated; it flows naturally. His generosity was never limited to me.

I recall a difficult period when the newspaper’s salaries were delayed for months. The newsroom was dampened, heavy with frustration. Sensing and discerning the quiet despair of his colleagues, he reached into his own pocket and gave everyone money to ease the hardship. That single gesture taught me a lesson I have never forgotten: true leadership is not about occupying an office; it is about lifting others when life weighs them down.

Beyond feeding my body, Mr. Omotoso fed my dreams. He encouraged me to keep studying while working and never once treated my academic ambitions as an inconvenience. During one management meeting, when questions were raised about my qualifications, he defended my potential and appealed for patience while I worked toward becoming a graduate. I was determined not to disappoint him.

In 2014, I graduated from the then Lagos State Polytechnic with a Distinction. He celebrated the achievement, then immediately urged me to aim higher. With his continued support, I went on to Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science in 2019, graduating with Second Class Upper honours and a CGPA of 4.36.

For someone who had started as an errand boy, this was more than academic progress. It was living proof that when someone believes in your potential, your circumstances need not determine your destination. Mr. Omotoso’s fatherly role extended far beyond the professional and academic. When I married in 2018, he provided a Honda Pilot and a personal driver to take me around all day, ensuring the occasion was memorable.

On August 20, 2019, he was appointed Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy. Before leaving The Nation, he ensured my contributions were recognised with a promotion to Web Officer. A month into his new assignment, he invited me to join him at the Ministry of Information and Strategy. That invitation opened yet another significant chapter in my career.

Since then, I have had the privilege of serving closely with him as his Personal Assistant and Programme Analyst within the Lagos State Government. His commitment to my progress did not end there. He played an instrumental role in my appointment to the Lagos State Civil Service on December 31, 2024, personally presenting my credentials to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for consideration and approval.

How does one adequately thank a man who has consistently opened doors, sometimes long before one even knew those doors existed? Yet my story is only one among countless testimonies o