By Dairo Johnson Daniel
6 September, 2025
BoldNEWS Africa | September
📞 08032229630
At 70, Mr. Joshua Daramola Oke, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jomola Insurance Broker limited (JIB), reflects on a remarkable journey marked by resilience, sacrifice, and faith. From humble beginnings in Aiyede-Ekiti to the pinnacle of Nigeria’s insurance industry, Oke’s life is a testament to determination and the unbreakable bond with the woman who shaped his destiny: his late mother, Madam Felicia Dada Oke.
In a heartfelt conversation with BoldNEWS Africa at his residence, Mr. Oke described how his mother’s unwavering love and strength laid the foundation for everything he would become.
Oke Daramola, a graduate of West Africa Insurance Institute of Liberia (WAII). A solicitor and advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and a fellow of the chartered insurance institute, UK (with specialization in Reinsurance). He obtained a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from University of Ife.
A fellow of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB), a member of Nigeria Bar Association and also a member of the Technical Committee of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers.
Born seven decades ago into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Oke of Aiyede Ekiti, Daramola lost his father at a very tender age. The tragic loss left his mother, Madam Felicia, a young widow with five children to raise alone. But far from being broken by grief, she became a beacon of strength.
“She was both mother and father, provider and protector,” Oke recounted. “She didn’t ask for sympathy; she rolled up her sleeves and got to work.” Daramola explained.
Against the odds, Madam Felicia built a thriving business empire, at a time when female entrepreneurs were rare. She setup shops selling goods in bustling markets in Ayede Isan, Oye all in Ekiti, to ensure her children lacked nothing, especially education.
Even in the face of economic hardship, Madam Felicia built a house from scratch just to shelter her children—a feat many men of her time could not achieve. Her focus was not just survival but legacy, and her discipline, though tough, was always guided by love and vision.
Oke’s path to the insurance industry wasn’t part of his original plan.
“I wanted to study Economics, get a Ph.D., and become a lecturer,” he said. But while awaiting university admission, a twist of fate altered that course.
While he was waiting for the university admission, his uncle suggested that he takes up a temporary employment pending his admission. His Uncle gave him a note to one of his friends who owned a company in Apapa. On getting to the company in Apapa, he was offered a job, and was asked to come and pick up his employment letter the following week but never went back to pick up the employment letter.
As he stepped out of the office in Apapa, he met another friend of his uncle, who enquired about his mission in Apapa. He replied him that his uncle said he should get a temporary job that would keep him busy before he got admission to university.
He asked him whether he would like to work in an insurance company, he said no problem after all, it’s going to be a temporary employment.
That conversation with his uncle friend led him to then Mercury Assurance Limited at 17 Martins Street, Lagos, on that faithful day Oke found himself in the office of the company’s chief executive. The interaction felt casual, even playful but before he left, he had a job offer in hand.
“That was how my insurance journey began,” he said.
He has been admiring Glanvill’s high standards and eventually became one of the staffers of a firm he revered.
As he joined Glanvill Enthoven Insurance Brokers Limited in 1987 and just within a space of Ten years in 1997, he became the General Manager and Chief Executive of Glanvill Enthoven Reinsurance Brokers, a Subsidiary of Glanvill Enthoven Group. Due to his outstanding performance, he was promoted to the position of Executive Director in 2008 with the responsibility of overseeing and coordinating the technical operations, marketing/business developments as well as branch operations of the entire Glanvill Group.
In 2010, Oke retired from Glanvill Enthoven Insurance Brokers ltd, armed with experience, international certification, and a vision. That vision led to the birth of Jomola Insurance Brokers Nigeria Limited, (Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers).
Under his leadership, Jomola Insurance Brokers has grown into one of Nigeria’s most respected reinsurance broking firms, managing accounts locally and internationally. Its annual technical training program has trained over 300 professionals, contributing significantly to industry capacity-building. Recently, the firm moved into her new corporate head office equipped with modern training facilities evidence of growth, vision, and enduring excellence.
Mr. Oke credits much of his success to his upbringing and to his wife, Mrs. Caroline Arinola Oke, whom he called his unwavering supporter. He praised his children for embodying the values passed down by their grandmother: hard work, resilience, and results. Appreciating their gesture of celebrating his 70th birthday which he described as deeply humbling.
“I’ve never cared for birthdays. I just wanted to work. But they insisted we must celebrate this milestone. And I’m grateful,” he said.
He also extended appreciation to colleagues and friends in the insurance industry who continually support his vision over the years.
“Ultimately, the success of my journey rests on one foundational truth: God has been faithful. Sometimes, the doors opened even before I knocked,” he said.
“People trust my technical competence not because I’m extraordinary, but because grace has elevated my competence.”
Reflecting on the evolution of the insurance industry, Oke observed,
“When I started, capital requirements were minimal. Today, they run into billions. The bar is higher and professionalism has followed. The industry is maturing.”
In his words to young professionals, Oke offered this.
“Where you start does not determine where you will finish.
I came from a single-parent home raised by a woman society underestimated. But with faith, discipline, and an open heart, I climbed to the top of one of the most technical industries in the world. And for that, I am eternally grateful for the journey, the people, and the legacy.”
As Mr. Daramola Oke enters a new decade of life, his story stands as a beacon for anyone navigating difficulty.
His mother’s strength, his own perseverance, and a career built on integrity combine to form a life not just lived but well-led.
A legacy built not just in offices and boardrooms but in hearts and history.
