- Farooq Oreagba was the cynosure of all eyes during the 2024 Ojude Oba Festival because of his elegant style
- Though he maintains a low personal profile, Oreagba has a towering career in the financial services sector
- He got a tattoo on both arms in 2017 after he battled and survived bone marrow and skin cancer
Farooq Oreagba caught the attention of many, especially on social media, following his elegant display of class and style at the colourful 2024 Ojude Oba Festival in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Oreagba became the attraction for many lenses at the festival as he was seen maintaining maximum composure and steeze as he donned a stylish lemon and green-coloured agbada and shokoto, matching fila, red coral beads, a Cuban cigar caught between his index and middle left fingers, sunglasses and tattoos on both arms! Drips on drips!
He was also seen riding a horse, holding the cigar between his lips and a gold crossbody chain.
Save for the rich display of elegance, charisma and style at the Ojude Oba Festival, Oreagba has maintained a low profile in his personal life but has an illustrious career and expertise in the financial services sector.
He is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NG Clearing Limited, having been appointed in September 2023 after the three-year tenure of former MD/CEO, Tapas Das, elapsed.
NG Clearing, incorporated in May 2016, is West Africa’s premier Central Counterparty (CCP), providing market-wide financial market infrastructure in Nigeria to serve as the “gateway to African markets.”
Oreagba is a big player in investment banking, capital market
Oreagba is a towering figure in the capital markets, deal origination, business development and strategy, and investment banking sectors in Nigeria.
The 58-year-old holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Coventry University and a BTec Diploma in Business Finance from the University of East London.
He was an Executive Director and Managing Partner at Karaho Capital Partners, Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was in charge of business development across Africa, including trading, private equity and advisory. He was also instrumental in facilitating the Karaho’s origination drive, connecting investment funds and corporations looking for opportunities in Africa.
As the Country Director for African Alliance, Oreagba was responsible for facilitating the organisation’s business and product development in West Africa.
During his stint at the Nigerian Stock Exchange (now Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), Oreagba served as a member of the Derivatives Product Advisory Committee (PAC) and Head of the Strategy and Business Development Directorate. While at the NGX, he spearheaded the introduction of new products such as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), shaping the NGX’s strategy, creating new indices that presently serve as a basis for derivative products like writing rules for Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and organising roadshows for listed and non-listed companies.
Oreagba also worked as Head of Dutch Equity (Products) with FIMAT (Societe Generale, UK), covering trading in Dutch Equity Stock Index derivatives, Dutch single stocks (cash and options) and index baskets, which involved OTC broking and execution using New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Euronex trading platform.
The Ijebu Ode-born financial guru was also the Director, Equity Derivatives at GNI Limited in charge of OTC Equity Derivatives trading.
Tats for cancer
Oreagba is reported to have battled bone marrow and skin cancer after he was diagnosed with the disease in February 2014. He is also said to have gotten the tattoos on his arms in 2017 to celebrate surviving the disease.
13 things to know about the Ojude Oba festival
TheRadar earlier reported that Ojude Oba is an annual festival among the Ijebu-Ode people held three days after the Eid al-Kabir or Ileya, outside the king’s court. It is done to pay homage and respect to the Awujale of Ijebuland.
The Ojude Oba festival sees different cultural age groups, indigenes, friends and associates, in different colourful traditional attires, usually adire and aso oke, parade the king’s court.
This year’s celebration took place at the Oba Sikiru Adetona pavilion, Ijebu-Ode, amidst a rich display of pomp and pageantry from participants.
