Taoreed Lawal

CEO & Founder

In southwest Nigeria lies Oyo State, the centre of the Yoruba people and a land that has seen empires rise and fall over the centuries. It is home to some of the most memorable legends of Africa, which have been lost in the ever-blowing wind of time. In the practical world of today, one of the people who have transcended the model of a compassionate and wise modern leader and reminded his people of the legends of old is Olalekan Taoreed Lawal.

A descendent of the first Olubadan of Ibadanland – His Royal Majest,Late Abass Okunola Aleshinloye, Taoreed is a man of wisdom, kindness, and culture. He received his earliest education at the Ise-Oluwa Montessori School in his hometown of Ibadan and went on a journey of self-discovery into Europe as a young man. He was ambitious about his education, knowing from the early years that it was one of the greatest weapons he could ever wield.

He completed his BSc in Information Systems from the University of Bedfordshire in Luton, UK, and went on to earn an MSc in Project Management from Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford, UK. He also completed a number of certifications from reputed institutions, including the Certification in Sustainable Business Strategy from Harvard University (USA) and the Certificate in Business, International Relations, & Political Economy from the London School of Economics & Political Sciences (UK).

He toiled in the UK to develop technical abilities and a social work skillset. His professional experiences includes a spell at Just It, where he worked as a Senior Support Worker, a Project Engineer at Network Rail, and as a Director at Burgeon Allied Limited before turning back home to give back to his people. Proud of his heritage and blessed with the lineage of exceptional leaders, Taoreed had a clear vision for Ibadan and the Yoruba. 

Andrew Bernstein once said, “A hero is the man who lets no obstacle prevent him from pursuing the values he has chosen,” and Taoreed never compromised on his noble and ambitious values. He knew his people needed facilitators and social workers who could ease the discomfort they were going through, and he took that responsibility. The Taoreed Lawal Foundation is known as one of the most effective and expansive charitable organisations operating within Nigeria. The organisation oversees several humanitarian and social development programmes, including a food bank, a widows and less-privileged empowerment programme, a back-to-school initiative, and a market women intervention programme.

Alongside, Taoreed founded and expanded Tao Group of Companies. He is now the Group Chairman and shapes the strategy for the many enterprises running under the Group operating in a diverse range of verticals, including real estate, agriculture, marketing, import and export, and more. Some of the multi-million dollar Group’s subsidiary companies are (a) Tao Integrated Farms, which is a regionally popular brand specialising in frozen foods; (b) Burgeon Agro Industries, an export company promoting Nigerian agriculture; (c) Tao Global Construction & Projects, which is a construction contracts management company; and (d) Tao Communications, which is a fast growing advertisement services agency.

In recognition of his exceptional service to the people and as a business conglomerate owner, Taoreed has been chosen for several awards regionally and internationally. Additionally, the companies he runs under Tao Group have received numerous performance and bottom line related awards and accolades. To Taoreed, however, all these exceptional achievements are a fraction of the work he wants to do and only a little portion of the legacy he wants to build in the years to come.

Taoreed is active on social media and loves talking to people with productive ideas. He can be reached on his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.