OED | Olusegun Enitan Dada

Early Life

From small beginnings to bold dreams

Olusegun Enitan Dada, fondly called OED, was born on August 18, 1986, in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up in the heart of Mushin and Surulere, places that taught him resilience, community, and the beauty of humble beginnings. His early years were marked by lessons in discipline, creativity, and faith, values that have become the foundation of his leadership today.

He attended Marjos International Nursery and Primary School, Lawanson, where his love for learning began. By 1996, he had completed primary school, and his journey took him through several secondary schools, from Eko Boys High School to Ansar-ud-Deen Grammar School, and finally Ajumoni Secondary School, Iyana Isolo, where he graduated in 2004.

During his school days, he lived with his father's brother and sister at Ojuelegba and Lawanson, respectively. As the youngest in the house, he learned early how to observe, listen, and adapt. Those years shaped his humility and instilled in him a strong sense of responsibility, a quiet awareness that true growth often begins with service.

After secondary school, he did not go straight to university. Instead, life handed him what he now calls “the classrooms of reality.” He worked as a barber and a game house attendant, two jobs that might seem ordinary but became pivotal. Cutting hair taught him patience, customer service, and the importance of precision. The game house opened his eyes to how technology connects people, sparking a curiosity that never left.

2006

OED gained admission into the University of Lagos to study Technology Education. He did not just attend school; he built within it. His time at the Centre for Information Technology and Systems (CITS) during industrial training exposed him to the real world of IT.

He began teaching fellow students computer skills and running small IT classes for Polytechnic and University students. That same year, he registered IT Horizons as a business name, not knowing it would one day become one of West Africa's most trusted enterprise technology companies.

2009

His career had quietly begun. He was already training students, building systems, and shaping ideas that would soon grow into something much bigger. After graduation in 2010, he went on to earn a Master's degree in Information Technology from the University of Lagos (2012-2014).

His first major career breakthrough came when Union Nation, in collaboration with CISCO Systems, visited the university to train young IT professionals. He applied like everyone else, but when the evaluators saw his skill level, they offered him a role, not as a trainee, but as an instructor. That moment confirmed what he already knew deep down: his passion had become his purpose.

Present

Over the next decade, OED's story became one of building with patience, faith, and vision. He founded IT Horizons, which now partners with top organizations across finance, telecoms, oil and gas, insurance, and the public sector. To scale innovation even further, he established ITH Holdings, an investment company that builds and funds ventures across Africa's digital economy. Through ITH, he launched Zojatech and Zojapay, two rising tech companies shaping how Africans connect, transact, and thrive in the digital age.

Beyond technology and leadership, OED is married to his beautiful wife, Ojuolape Dada, and they are blessed with two lovely children. He enjoys good music, nature walks, football, golf, Netflix nights, online games, and moments by the beach. He finds joy in travelling, reading, and helping others grow. He believes leadership is not about titles; it is about creating systems that empower people and outlive the one who built them. For OED, real success is not in what you build for yourself but in what continues to grow long after you are gone.