Olujimi Adekanle a Human Rights Activist, humanitarian and Public Affairs Commentator is the CEO of Savannah News TV and President of JAF Care Foundation. He was born into the family of the Late Pa. Elkanah Adekanle Lijoka and Mrs. Ige Adekanle Lijoka of Gboroye quarter Ode-Irele. He started his elementary school in Lagos, He proceed to Comprehensive High School Ode-Irele, Ondo state where he obtain his W.A.E.C. later, He got admission into Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi in 1987 where he bag his OND and HND respectively in Accounting. In 2013, he bagged his master's degree in Business Administration at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso Oyo state. In his pursuit for more knowledge, he holds a certificate degree as a Business Analyst from Topron Consulting in Toronto Ontario and also a Project Management Certificate course sponsored by the Royal Bank of Canada, University of Toronto and poly-cultural of Toronto.
HIS CAREER
He started his career as a banker with African International Bank Jos in 1990. He later moved to Peak Merchant Bank Limited Abuja, before crossing into the Insurance industry, where he worked with Trust and Guarantee, he later moves to Regency Insurance Plc as the branch manager in Abuja respectively before moving to Standard Alliance Jos as the branch manager. He later joined Fin Insurance Limited of FCMB Bank in 2010 as the head of Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states before joining politics fully in 2014 when he contested for the state Assembly to represent the Irele constituency.
HIS FOUNDATION
In terms of humanitarian services, he is known for his kind-hearted gesture. He had been reaching out to people and home years before he floated his NGO. In 2009, he founded the Jimi Adekanle Foundation (JAF) a Non-governmental organization to give back to society. In the last 13th years, the foundation had touched lives and made an impact on the less privileged, widows, and youths and also empowers women. As part of his giving back to society JAF started the construction of a modern E-library in his Alma Mata which is 90% completed, free medical treatment for old people across the 18 local governments of Ondo state, registration of over 100 students for WAEC and JAMB in Ondo states, donated relief materials to the motherless baby home in Ondo state and given out wheelchairs to the disables, helping some youth securing employment. The foundation gives out food items and other stuff to the less privileged in Canada every week and also gave a wheel to the physical challenge person in Canada. He has been volunteering with the Salvation Agincourt of Scarborough Toronto food Bank and community since 2018. Jimi as fondly called runs the NGO with his pretty wife, Mrs Magaret Adekemi Daramola Adekanle, the Vice President of JAF Care Foundation among other executives.
HIS POLITICAL SOJOURN
He joined politics in 2013 and contested for the Ondo state House of Assembly to represent his state constituency (Irele constituency) but lost. Before he venture into politics, he was an activist.
His activism started far back at Federal Polytechnic Bauchi where he led protests against the Director, of the studies school of business and the head of the department of accounting over the victimization of students in the faculty which led to the sacking of both lecturers from the institution.
His style of politics is Ideological and this made him have friends across political parties. He is a promoter of good governance and his leadership style stands him out. He was a member of the Presidential campaign committee for Buhari's election which was the highest campaign body in APC that brought in Buhari though he regretted his role as a member of that committee.
Aside from being a politician, he is a Human Rights Activist and a Public Affairs Commentator, recently he championed a peaceful protest at the Canadian House of Commons demanding the immediate release of Soworè, and Sambo Dasuki less than a week after they were released before the Christmas celebration of 2019, also in 2020, he led the group of Concerned Nigerians in Canada to a peaceful protest at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa Canada where he delivered a communique on behalf of the Group to Nigerian Government on the issue of insecurity in Nigeria that attracted media houses across the world. Presently he is the Convener of Concerned Nigerians in Diaspora (CNID) a social-cultural movement that fights for good governance in Nigeria. He was part of the organizers of Black Lives Matter in Toronto after the George Floyd saga in the US where he delivered a touching speech about black discrimination in North and South America and Europe in general.
For his contributions to humanitarian services, he bagged several awards, which include the Hero Magazine Oluomo of Irele Kingdom award in 2014, the Ambassador for peace of the United Nations Award in 2013 and the youngest Achievers Award of Irele local government in 2015. In his leisure time, he plays Golf, Lawn Tennis and Hockey.
Presently, Jimi is the dealership Ambassador with Scarborough Toyota in Toronto, CEO of Savannah News TV and President of JAF CARE FOUNDATION, A registered non-profit organization with the Government of Canada in 2021.
Aside from his politics and activism, the CEO of JAF Care Foundation is a fashion icon, who likes to look good as an ex-banker. He is a promoter of Nigeria's culture and heritage mostly Yoruba culture. According to him, he loves to make a statement and look good as part of his business of image brand.
He is happily married to Magaret Adekemi Daramola Adekanle fondly called Chief of Staff and their marriage is blessed with four boys.