Oluwatobi is a creative and astute entrepreneur, he is the founder of Nord Automobiles Limited, one of the first Nigerian automobile brands and Africa’s premier automobile corporation.
Ajayi Joshua Oluwatobi is the first child in his family. He was born in 1988. Ajayi Joshua Oluwatobi is a native of Ogun State (Abeokuta) He attended Nigeria Navy School for his Primary and Secondary education. He studied Soil sciences and Farm Mechanisation from 2004 – 2010 at the Olabisi Onabanjo University. He completed his Masters of Business Administration, MBA at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Nigeria.
After Tobi finished his WAEC exams and was waiting for NECO, he had free time, so him and his friends decided to play Monopoly. They played the game practically every day and according to Tobi, the game changed his perception about life. He realized that just saving money cannot provide financial freedom and comfort. The game taught him that money is a very important tool but it is useless if not properly invested. He learnt that money should be invested to earn more money because if you just save, those that invest will return to take all the money you have been saving, and you will continue to live for the next game round, which is like the next payday in reality.
In 2012, Tobi served in the National Youth Service Corp at Mercedes-Benz Nigeria where he was retained after his service. He was given the responsibility to manage the Mercedes-Benz van division in Nigeria. From 2013 – 2015, he was able to grow the market share of Mercedes-Benz vans from less than 1% to 7%. In 2013, he won the Mercedes-Benz Best Sales Performance for Africa. He grew very fast to become the head of division (vans).
Tobi who is a respected figure in the automobile industry in Nigeria resigned from his position in 2015 at Mercedes-Benz to start a new Nigerian auto brand because he wants the world to know that Africans can do things efficiently and at world-class level. This decision was after his trip to Mercedes-Benz factories in Europe and Asia. He realised that with hard work and focus, we can build our own Nigerian global and reliable auto brand.
In April 2015, together with some investors, Tobi started Jetvan Automobiles Limited to take the Mercedes-Benz vans sales and after-sales to the next level. He was at Jetvan as CEO until April 2018 when he left the company to enable him focus on building his own brand and company “Nord Automobile Limited”. He now assembles his own elegant, reliable, durable, and cost-efficient vehicles that are as good as any vehicle in the world. According to the last valuation, Nord Automobile is worth a little over N4.2 billion.
Oluwatobi is among the most influential people in the Nigerian Auto Industry, winning so many local and international awards and recognitions for his contributions to the automotive industry in Nigeria and Africa. He was listed by Forbes as one of the most promising young entrepreneurs in Africa for 2018.
With the likes of Ade Ogundeyin the CEO of Proforce Armoured Vehicle, Innocent Chukwuma Nwala the owner and CEO of Innoson Vehicle and also Allen Ifechukwu Onyema the CEO of Air Peace Nigeria and also Ajayi Oluwatobi Joshua CEO of Nord Automobiles Nigerians are beginning to get things right. We have those that are proud of their country and ready to put in their best so as to be an employer of labor and at the same time contributing to the economy of Nigeria, these positive-minded people should be encouraged and should be given accolades.
Tobi’s principles in life and how he runs his business are from the motivations he got from his mentors. He believes Alhaji Aliko Dangote showed him that anyone can start a new Nigerian brand and become a universal player with hard work and integrity. He also believes that he thinks the same way as Mr. Tony Elumelu. “I realized I can do most of the things he does and in the manner he does them. He is strategic and invests his time and resources in networking and being impactful to the society. These are some of the things I also do.”
He is an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School (Pan Atlantic University) where he bagged his MBA, he has a certificate from the IESE Business School Spain after concluding his Pan African EMBA Module. He holds a B.Agric in Soil Science and Farm Mechanization, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun state.
He is the AMBA&BGA MBA Entrepreneur of the Year, 2021, the first Nigerian to win this highly contested award. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administrators.
Nord Automobiles Limited Registered in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. RC No.1456826
Plot 14, Adebisi Ogunniyi Crescent, Lekki, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ikate, Lagos
[email protected]