Over two decades ago, Adeyemi Soladoye, an Ibadan chief and the Ekerin Baameto of Ibadanland, and some other founding members, saw a vacuum in the development of the city and decided to fill it.
The result of that effort, one that many now describe as a visionary one, is the Jericho Businessmen Club.
Today, the club stands tall in its endless commitment to the growth of the city in multiple ways — the first being that it is now home to some of the finest and upwardly mobile Indigenes of Ibadan and these fine man have one thing in common: their commitment to their motherland.
“We are a club of upwardly mobile Ibadan Indigenes committed to leveraging on the depth of our network towards transforming the economic and industrial landscape of our motherland (Ibadan land) and impacting public policy discourse for the benefit of our people, city, and state,” one of the club’s statement reads.
Members of the club — which has grown significantly over the years with seasoned professionals, technocrats, accomplished businessmen and administrators — have leveraged their mutual commitment to Ibadan and the depth of their social pockets to drive selfless developmental projects in the city.
Some of these include:
- Establishment of a scholarship Trust Fund and award of scholarships for the educational development of brilliant but indigent Ibadan sons and daughters.
- Sinking of water boreholes at various locations within the city.
- Establishment of empowerment program for Artisans and small-scale business owners.
- Rehabilitation of healthcare and maternity centers within Ibadan metropolis.
- Donation of computers to various secondary schools in Ibadan.
- Establishment of the JBC Computer Centre.
A more detailed documentation of the club’s contributions to the city’s growth, across various sectors, is highlighted as follows:
Scholarship Scheme: The club awards annual scholarship grants to indigent Ibadan scholars in various higher institutions in the country. Our scholars are our Club’s commitment to strong and virile human development of Ibadan indigenes who are equally committed to passing it forward not only to the motherland but humanity at large. This scheme has an average of ten(10) beneficiaries per annum. This scheme has produced graduates in Medicine, Sciences, Engineering, Education and the humanities.
Empowerment of artisans and small-scale business owners: We have over the years through our Micro-credit scheme given financial assistance through our partnering microfinance institution(Seedvest Microfinance Bank Limited) to over 3,156 beneficiaries worth over N263.4million. The support has been to small scale business owners, especially women in trading, fashion design, farming, food vendors amongst others.
Healthcare Intervention: Our intervention projects have benefited local primary healthcare by providing water supply (motorised boreholes), power supply (Generators), renovation of dilapidated structures, beddings and medical supplies to the following hospitals:
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- Oke-Aremo Hospital, Ibadan (2017)
- Oniyanrin Comprehensive Health Centre (2019)
- Primary Health Centre, Isale Osi (2019)
- Primary Health Centre, Iyana Court, Ile-Tuntun (2020)
Water for Life Project: This is our signature project for the year 2023. We have installed and commissioned water boreholes in five(5) secondary schools in Ibadan. The beneficiary schools are:
- LEO Community High School, Lagudu, Akala Expressway, Apata.
- Liberty Academy, Odo- Ona, Elewe.
- Orogun Grammar School, Orogun.
- Community Secondary School, Olaogun, Old Ife Road.
- Community High School, Sawia, Ogbere Road.
The same gesture was extended to the under listed schools during the tenure of past club executives:
- Ibadan Christ Apostolic Grammar School 2, Aperin.
- IMG Grammar school, Oje Igosun.
- Oke-Bola Comprehensive High School, Oke-Bola
- Olopomewa Community Grammar School, Olopomewa.
“We have also been responsible since inception for organising, funding and anchoring the Annual Town Hall, the intellectual content of the yearly Ibadan Week, under the purview of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII).
“As a club, we are committed to doing more with the strong support of our members, friends, partners, NGOs and government institutions,” a statement from the club’s leadership indicated.
