Segun Odegbami: A Life Committed to Others

Since learning from Bishop David Oyedepo that the Holy Bible serves as God’s constitution for humanity’s well-being, I have made it a guiding reference for this column.

It is in that spirit that I turn once more to Scripture this time, Galatians 6:2 which urges us to “carry each other’s burdens.” That message resonates deeply with the life and legacy of my namesake, Chief (Dr) Patrick Olusegun Odegbami (MON), a man known for wearing many hats but most notably, for living in service of others.

I first encountered Odegbami in the mid-1990s, through his visionary talent discovery initiative the Shell Cup sponsored by the Shell Petroleum Development Company. From that moment on, it became clear that he was driven by more than personal success; he was committed to uplifting others.

Back then, his office on Oweh Street in Fadeyi, Lagos, where he ran the Shell Cup under his first known business outfit, World Wide Sports (WWS), became a hub for his former teammates from the IICC Shooting Stars and the Green Eagles. He brought them on board as coaches, match assessors, and in other supporting roles essentially offering them renewed purpose and sustainable livelihoods.

Beyond the Shell Cup, Odegbami initiated other projects like the President’s Cup, again involving his former teammates and giving them a chance to remain active in the sport they loved.

Today, that legacy continues in Wasimi, Ogun State, where he runs the Segun Odegbami International College and Sports Academy (SOCA). Many of those same colleagues remain integral to the institution’s operations.

Yet his impact extends far beyond job creation. Odegbami has been a steadfast advocate for the welfare of sportsmen and women across Nigeria. One remarkable example is his role in the historic success of Chioma Ajunwa. Written off after a doping ban, Ajunwa found a lifeline in Odegbami’s support. That belief paid off when she soared to gold in the long jump at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Nigeria’s first Olympic gold medal. For his role in that triumph, he was honored with a chieftaincy title from her hometown in Mbaise, Imo State.

Odegbami has also worked quietly behind the scenes to secure recognition for forgotten heroes of Nigerian sports. He leveraged his relationship with Air Peace Chairman Allen Onyema to pay tribute to the athletes affected by Nigeria’s boycott of the 1976 Montreal Olympics a move made in protest against apartheid in South Africa.

Thanks to his efforts, members of that sidelined Olympic team are now enshrined in the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Hall of Fame and have been made Ambassadors of Air Peace. This status grants them complimentary air travel on domestic routes and an annual international flight small but meaningful tokens of gratitude long overdue.

In all these acts, Segun Odegbami exemplifies a life lived for others, echoing biblical values in action not just in word.