Founder and CEO of Axxess, the leading global home healthcare technology company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, John Olajide, is an entrepreneur, home innovator, civic leader and global community builder who advocates for a better world. In this encounter with

Raheem Akingbolu, he speaks on improving healthcare access and creating  jobs in

 various sectors in the US, Nigeria, Botswana, India and the Philippines 

when John Olajide began his earthly journey, there were no comets, prophecies, or predictions heralding his future. However, there were certain dramatic moments early in life hinting that an icon had been born.

Today, his name is synonymous with innovation, entrepreneurship, and vision. Yet, Olajide does not take the glory. He is swift in attributing his success to God and his elder brother, Ron Olajide as well as his friend from secondary school days at Navy Secondary School, Abeokuta, Andrew Olowu. Currently, the senior Olajide is the Chief Financial Officer at Axxess while Olowu is the Chief Technology Officer.

As the founder of Cavista Holdings, a global investment and holding company, Olajide has made a significant impact across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, hospitality, and agriculture. His journey, marked by determination and strategic risk-taking, has taken him across continents, with investments in Nigeria, Botswana, the Philippines, and India.

His entrepreneurial spirit was ignited at a young age. Born in Nigeria, he moved to the United States to pursue his education, earning a degree in telecommunications engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. It was during this time that he spotted an opportunity to provide cloud-based technology services to home healthcare companies, which eventually led to the establishment of a company named Axxess in 2007.

Axxess is now a global company with over 1,000 employees and serving more than three million patients. The company’s success is a testament to Olajide’s leadership and vision. Under his guidance, Axxess has become a unicorn, valued at over $1 billion, without taking on venture capital funding.

Axxess now offers a suite of enterprise software solutions for home healthcare, helping companies streamline operations and scale their impact.

Speaking to THISDAY on what informed his decision to venture into entrepreneurship, he said “Growing up, I always knew I wanted to build a company. I always knew that I had the ability to do so. I imagined that if I had gotten into the corporate world, maybe all my talents wouldn’t have been recognised as I wanted them to be.”

His passion, he said, has always centred around creating his space and solving problems.

“From the word go, I had clarity about wanting to be a successful businessman and philanthropist. I have always wanted to create my own space and solve a problem that was big enough to be worth my while.”

Outside the US, Olajide has been meeting world leaders, including President Bola Tinubu on how to further enhance technology as a platform to engage the youth population and boost the economy. 

To this end, his enterprises in Nigeria, have offered more than 2,000 jobs to young Nigerian professionals covering hospitality, technology, engineering, agriculture, and financial services. For fintech, Olajide’s Cavista Holdings has Payzeep and for the technology company, it has Cavista Technologies, while Agbeyewa and Ikogosi Warm and Cold Resort play in the Agriculture and hospitality sectors.

According to him, his purpose in life is to serve others. “I get up every day thinking about how I can leverage my platform, my talent, my resources—all that I am—to make the world a better place.”

One notable investment is Agbeyewa Farms in Ekiti State, Nigeria, which focuses on cassava cultivation and processing. The farm has not only created jobs but also opened up the area it occupies to new economic opportunities, transforming it from a previously economically dead zone to an agro-tourism area.

The farm’s impact extends beyond economic benefits. Olajide has established the Agbeyewa Farms Community Development Foundation (AFCDF) to implement Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in education, economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, health, and sports. This commitment to community development reflects his belief that business can be a force for good.

For this enigmatic investor, what gives him joy these days is the fact that his team thought of establishing Agbeyewa Farm and the farm is serving multiple purposes.

He said, “Perhaps at the beginning, our reason to establish Agbeyewa Farms was to impact the economy through job creation and making raw materials available for companies, but today the farm is turning the northern part of Ekiti State from being a kidnappers’ den to an agro tourism area.”

Olajide, who expressed his gratitude to the Ekiti State government for giving his team the needed support to actualise the dream, noted that the northern part of the state was economically dead for many years until the farm opened up the zone. He also commended the Tinubu administration for its commitment to revolutionising the agricultural sector through various schemes and empowerment.

“Agbeyewa Farms is a large-scale agricultural enterprise in Ekiti State, Nigeria, and we focus on cassava cultivation and processing. Through the farm, we have succeeded in opening up the area to opportunities and making it economically viable. Our aim is to revolutionise cassava farming in Africa and drive food security and economic development.”

In the hospitality sector, Olajide’s Glocient Hospitality has made a significant impact through its management of the Ikogosi Warm and Cold Resort in Ekiti. Once a neglected asset, the resort has been transformed into a world-class destination under Glocient’s management. His approach to business, which he defines as SLAM – Sell, Leadership, Alignment of Strategy, and Management of Cost- has been instrumental in the resort’s success.

Call Olajide and his team business adventurists and you won’t be wrong because oftentimes, they run against the tide. This best explains his investment in the hospital sector through Glocient Hospitality.

“Let me give you a little bit of background on how Glocient came into Ikogosi. At Glocient Hospitality, we have assembled, and I’m saying this with all humility, the best hospitality team in this country,” he said. “We have a vision of what we wanted and we pursued it. Today, I can say with all confidence that there is no better resort in Nigeria than Ikogosi Resort and Hotels.

“When we got the concession to run it in 2022, we made up our mind to do things differently and without hiring any expatriate. We sourced the best locally, and the team has done us proud, attracting tourists, earning stakeholders’ trust and winning laurels locally and internationally. To some people, it wasn’t doable. But when we came here and I saw the passion, zeal and business understanding of members of the team, I knew the future was bright,” Olajide stated.

As a leader in the business community, this icon has been recognised for his contributions to the community and his ability to inspire others. In 2020, he became the chairman of the Dallas Regional Chamber, a position that reflects his reputation as a respected business leader. He has also been instrumental in promoting U.S.-Africa trade and investment through his role as chair of the Corporate Council on Africa.

Olajide’s leadership style is centred around servant leadership, where he looks for opportunities for everyone to connect and grow. He believes that by humanising efforts and allowing everyone to communicate openly and honestly, teams can perform at an excellent level.

This approach has been instrumental in driving Axxess’ success and creating a positive work culture.

As all work and no play takes the shine off man, when Olajide is not working, he enjoys spending time with friends over a meal, playing golf, and reading. One of his favourite books is “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” by Alice Schroeder, which he finds inspiring and informative.

As he continues to expand his investments and pursue new opportunities, Olajide remains committed to his vision of creating value and transforming lives through strategic investments.

And with his eyes firmly on the future, he is poised to make an even greater impact in the years to come. His story serves as an inspiration to entrepreneurs and business leaders around the world, demonstrating that with the right mindset and determination, anything is possible.

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