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BY ABU-SATAR HAMED
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The Bobagunwa of Ilaro-Yewa, Ogun State, Alhaji (Chief) Waidi Haruna, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, took a reflective walk through the long and eventful road that has shaped his life, recounting the struggles, the sacrifices, and the grace that carried him to greatness.
Fondly called Wadoye, the seasoned businessman opened up in an interview with Abu-Satar Hamed of StarTrend Int’l Magazine and Online Platform, revealing how life’s storms and sunshine have defined his 65-year journey.
With deep gratitude, he acknowledged the hand of God in his life, saying that reaching 65 is nothing short of divine mercy.
According to him, though the road was filled with hardship and uncertainty, survival itself remains his greatest testimony.
He praised Allah for keeping him alive, guiding his businesses, and preserving his family, stressing that everything he has achieved rests solely on God’s grace.
Looking back to his childhood, Wadoye painted a touching picture of extreme poverty. He recalled that his family lacked basic necessities, and survival often depended on going into the forest in search of food.
He narrated how, at about 10 years old, he followed his father into the bush around Itolu, in Ilaro-Yewa, searching desperately for snails to cook soup. After several exhausting hours without success, they found mushrooms instead, which his mother later prepared into a meal eaten with cassava flour. That single meal sustained the family for the entire day.
Despite the limitations, his hunger for education could not be quenched. When his parents could no longer afford to sponsor his studies beyond secondary school, he took responsibility for his own education, a decision he described as one of the most defining moments of his life, for which he remains eternally grateful to Allah.
After completing his WAEC examinations, Alhaji Haruna left Ilaro for Lagos, where he stayed with a friend in Agege. That friend, a commercial driver, introduced him to the harsh realities of survival in the city as he worked as a bus conductor – collecting fares, facing constant harassment from law enforcement agents, and learning patience through daily humiliation.
His perseverance paid off in 1983 when he secured a job as a Patrol Officer with Global Security Company. Riding a motorcycle, he monitored security posts at Union Bank, First Bank, and other sensitive locations.
In 1985, he moved to IMNL Cargo, then led by Chief Alani Bankole, father of the former speaker of the Nigeria’s House of representatives – Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, where his diligence distinguished him among his peers.
While at IMNL, he served first as a Dispatch Rider before rising to the position of Cargo Supervisor.
In the midst of his demanding career, he pursued and obtained a degree in Shipping Management – a move that formally equipped him with the knowledge that would later define his destiny.
With years of experience in logistics behind him, Wadoye took the bold step of establishing his own business – Wadoye Enterprises, which later transformed into Wadoye Nigeria Ltd., in 1992. The journey was far from smooth. He battled unstable government policies, economic downturns, and institutional bottlenecks, yet he refused to surrender.
Today, that small dream has grown into Wadoye Express Ltd., a logistics and cargo brand with over 62 branches across the world, including operational offices in the United States, England, Dubai, and Singapore – a milestone he humbly attributed not to his own strength, but to divine favour.
Speaking on the cargo and logistics industry, Wadoye noted that in the 1980s, the sector was highly profitable with wide margins, but rising competition and tougher regulations have considerably reduced profit levels over time.
He openly criticised Nigeria’s shipping and logistics policies, describing them as some of the most unfriendly in the world.
According to him, excessive bureaucracy and cumbersome processes have continued to cripple business growth, unlike countries such as the United Kingdom, China, and the United States, where policies are structured to encourage enterprise and innovation.
Wadoye also expressed concern that many Nigerian policymakers are detached from the realities of ordinary citizens.
He argued that many government decisions tend to favour the wealthy few while deliberately blocking opportunities for the poor, a situation he believes continues to deepen economic inequality in the country.
As the founder of AbdulWaidi Islamic Foundation of Nigeria (AWIFON), he further criticised the prolonged closure of Nigerian borders, maintaining that such policies hurt the poor the most while benefiting the elite.
However, he expressed cautious optimism about the present federal administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that efforts seem to be underway to correct long-standing structural imbalances.
Drawing from his own poor background, he stressed the importance of governance with empathy, insisting that leaders must not ignore the pain of the masses.
Offering fatherly advice to young couples, Wadoye emphasised that a successful marriage is built on patience, endurance, forgiveness, and mutual understanding.
He urged married youths to accept each other’s imperfections, noting that no marriage is perfect, but tolerance and love are the pillars that keep a home standing.
In his final reflections on his 65th birthday, Alhaji (Chief) Waidi Haruna described his life as clear evidence of God’s guiding hand. From hunger and hardship to global business success, he said his story is proof that resilience, faith, and gratitude remain the true foundations of lasting achievement.
With a thankful heart, he simply said: Alhamdulillah.
