Chartered accountant and politician, Biodun Coker, FCCA, AFA, has donated 10,000 Dangote Refinery shares to selected members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as part of an initiative aimed at promoting economic empowerment and investment among grassroots party members.
Coker, who was an aspirant for the Lagos Island Local Government chairmanship in the last local government election in Lagos State, made the donation at a financial literacy and investment programme held on Saturday at the Lagos State Drivers’ Institute, Lagos Island Chapter, Oja Oba, Lagos Island.
The programme, titled “From APC Membership to Dangote Refinery Share Ownership,” focused on financial literacy, investment education and the importance of encouraging party members to build long-term economic assets.
The event was attended by leaders of the APC, the LGA Chairman and executives, Ward Chairmen and executives, distinguished party leaders and other stakeholders, while CFG Africa facilitated the financial literacy and investment education session.
Speaking at the event, Coker said the initiative was designed to broaden the meaning of party membership beyond political mobilisation and elections by connecting members with economic opportunities and encouraging them to become investors.
He said the idea was influenced by concerns raised by former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, on the need for political parties to better understand their members and connect them to opportunities.
Coker also cited Aliko Dangote’s vision of enabling ordinary Nigerians to own shares in Dangote Refinery as another inspiration for the initiative.
Under the programme, selected beneficiaries received a minimum of 10 shares each.
Coker said the initiative was not merely about distributing shares but about creating a culture of ownership and investment among party members.
“Empowerment should not always mean giving somebody something that will be spent today. Sometimes empowerment should mean helping somebody own something that can have value tomorrow,” he said.
He stressed the importance of financial literacy, urging the beneficiaries to understand and take responsibility for the investments they had received.
Coker encouraged them to continue learning about investment, keep their records safely, build their portfolios when they could and share their knowledge with others.
He also called for greater emphasis on economic empowerment alongside political mobilisation, encouraging party members to become investors, business owners, employers and shareholders.
He commended the party leadership for its support and thanked CFG Africa for providing the financial literacy and investment education that accompanied the share-ownership initiative.
Congratulating the beneficiaries, Coker described the shares as the beginning of a long-term investment journey.
“Today, you are not simply receiving a certificate. Today, you can call yourself a shareholder. Now, take ownership of that opportunity and build on it,” he said.
In his goodwill message, a chieftain of the party in Lagos Island, Chief Babajide Damazio, who applauded the ingenuity of the initiative, said that he was glad to be part of the event.
He pointed out that Biodun Coker was a role model and inspiration to the youths in the area and thanked him for committing huge resources to financing the project.
Also speaking, one of the apex leaders in the council, Alhaji A.G. Sadiq, described the initiative as a lifetime investment for the beneficiaries, while urging them to return to their polling wards and deliver their votes to all the candidates of the party, from President Tinubu to Dr. Kadri Hamzat, during the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, the Director of the Biodun Coker Foundation, Mr. Lekan Adeleke, noted that the initiative was a rethinking of empowerment advocacy to ensure that every family member was significantly rewarded for supporting the party as it mobilises at the grassroots.
He further explained that the bold and courageous move represented a symbol of the party and shared prosperity for their contributions to the party, adding that they had become shareholders in one of the largest refineries in the world.
The Director of the Biodun Coker Foundation noted that the idea was the beginning of financial freedom for residents of Lagos Island.
According to him, Mr. Biodun Coker had in the past impacted positively on the lives of residents through a Computer/ICT Literacy Programme that empowered over 1,000 residents, a Public School Initiative through which equipment was donated to Holy Trinity Primary School, an HMO policy for over 1,000 residents, and capacity-building programmes for political leaders and security personnel to improve the safety of lives and property of residents.
While highlighting the benefits of the shares, financial experts, Akindele Ogundepo and Ifeoluwa Akinmade, advised people to invest in their future rather than spend all their earnings unnecessarily.
They also cautioned them against waiting until they became wealthy before investing in or subscribing to shares.
Some of the beneficiaries, who expressed their joy, said they looked forward to the shares yielding dividends in the coming years.
