Super rich lawyer and businessman, Dr Bolanle Olawale Babalakin, SAN, OFR, is planning a superlative long-winded five day bash to commemorate his 50th birthday In Lagos starting July 1st 2010.
An insider told The National Weekender Online.
‘It’s like nothing Lagos has ever seen”.
We were also informed reliably that the Bar association is giving him a party, his companies are giving another, there’s yet another planned by his immediate family.
Our source said,
“All of this will come before the main mother- of- all- parties; where ex presidents and who is who in the social, political and economic firmament of our great country will converge in an extraordinary assemblage to honour a man of distinction and hard work”.
Dr Wale Babalakin, popularly known as BOB, though stupefying wealthy is not known for giving parties. Sources say he is therefore giving himself a land mark 50th that will set tongues wagging.
An inside source revealed,
“BOB does not do things in small measures. His projects show he is a man who thinks big and acts big. He is a long range planner; every step of the way must be perfect. He does not cut corners “.
Party planners and event managers in Lagos we spoke to revealed that with the escalating costs of catering, floral arrangements, hall decorations, audio visual and lightning rentals, party venues, and liquor a budget of N30 Million will be more like it for the five parties.
Our source revealed,
“They will all be crème de la crème parties. The smaller parties will have at least 1000 guests in attendance and the main party about 5000 guests “.

Said another source,

“These days, typical big society party costs between N3m to N5m, all of which will come with quality cuisine, small chops, Chinese, Asun, grilled fish, bubbly, first class wines and cognac. And you are looking at 500 guests”.

We were informed that though invites are yet to go out and the party venues announced officially, all those who will perform tasks have been contracted.

An insider said,

“That is typical BOB. No half measures. Every t crossed every comma in place”.

BOB was born on July 1, 1960; he attended sacred heart primary school, Ibadan from where at age ten he was admitted into the Government College, GCI, Ibadan. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the Ibadan Polytechnic for his A’ Levels, from where he moved on to the University of Lagos to read law.

He got his LLB in 1981 and was called to the bar in 1982. He was just 22 years old. At age 26, he had a masters and a PhD in law from the University Of Cambridge, England, courtesy of a commonwealth scholarship.

Son of retired Supreme Court justice Bolarinwa Babalakin, BOB has distinguished himself as a lawyer; he is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, which is the highest honour any Nigerian lawyer can seek to attain. His law firm BABALAKIN &CO remains one of the most esteemed in the country. He has also fashioned a niche for himself as an astute business man. He sits on the board of numerous companies. BOB won the contract to build and manage the old Lagos domestic airport; an undertaking that gulped over $200 million dollars- the result is a world class domestic terminal that has no equal in the sub region.

He is scheduled to move to site any time now to commence the rebuilding and management of one of Nigeria’s busiest highways, the Lagos /Ibadan expressway.
Insiders who have seen the model revealed the amenities BOB has earmarked for the road when completed, will make the over 100 kilometer stretch the best in Africa.

Silent about his wealth and know to downplay his achievements, BOB told an interviewer three years ago,

“I am underachieved in my chosen area. Let me put more efforts, maybe, one day, i will become successful. What i mean by underachieved, as far as i am concerned, is in comparison with opportunity. If a man has 20 opportunities and is able to actualize four, he has not achieved.”


As days tick into nights and weeks, and D day draws closer, a society source told National Weekender Online,

“The challenge he will have is a big enough venue that will accommodate everybody without some feeling slighted.”
That if you ask me is BOB’s cup of tea.




-Al Humphrey Onyanabo
Email; alhumphreyo@yahoo.com,
Tel 234 80 2320 1073