*Honoured with Prestigious IORMS Fellowship Award
Ronke Kehinde/
In Nigeria’s aviation industry once sealed off by foreign dominance and unspoken barriers, Dr. Thomas Olaleye Ogungbangbe, Founder of Christ Is The Answer (CITA), stands as a symbol of disruption, resilience, and indigenous triumph. His journey is not merely one of business success, but of vision, sacrifice, and a relentless belief that Nigerians could build, own, and lead critical infrastructure sectors.
Yet, his story did not begin in aviation. It began with a teenage ambition to study medicine and a father’s wisdom that redirected a destiny.
From Medicine to Microbiology: A Defining Pivot
Like many teenagers of his time, Ogungbangbe dreamed of becoming a medical doctor. With a JAMB score of 262, well above the federal merit cut-off of 258 for medicine, he was on track for admission into the University of Ilorin or Obafemi Awolowo University. But, a brief conversation with his father changed everything.
“Oju alaisan ni Dokita ti Niyi,” his father told him, the doctor is only important in the eyes of the sick.
“Why don’t you study something about money-making?”
At the point of submission, medicine was replaced with Microbiology. That single decision would later influence how Ogungbangbe approached systems, processes, quality control, and leadership.
At the University of Ilorin, Microbiology was housed under Biological Sciences, then known as Bioscience. Ogungbangbe did not simply adapt, he organized.
Barely 19 or 20 years old, he founded the Nigerian Association of Microbiology Students (NAMS) and became its first President, effectively breaking Microbiology out into what later became a recognized faculty.
Under his leadership, students secured industrial training placements at Guinness and Nigerian Breweries, a rare opportunity at the time. Professors became advisors, battles were fought, systems were built.
Twice, the University of Ilorin would later celebrate him. A hall was named after him, cementing his legacy as an undergraduate leader whose impact outlived his student years.
“It’s not about what you studied,” he told NewsmakersNG. “It’s about how your mind works.”
One of the defining moments of Ogungbangbe’s professional journey came through an encounter with Chief Michael Adenuga. After reviewing his CV, Adenuga asked: “Thomas, can you get me five more people like you?”
Among those five was a close associate of Ogungbangbe who later became Managing Director of Globacom. Though Ogungbangbe himself was not a Director at Globacom, his influence and network placed him in rooms where key decisions were shaped.
In one interview session, when asked to define marketing, he cited Kotler, the American Marketing Association, the British school, and then his own interpretation. The room fell silent before someone exclaimed: “This is a madman.”
He laughs at the memory: “He was not the first person to call me that.”
Breaking a Century-Old Aviation Monopoly
When Ogungbangbe entered the aviation fueling sector, Nigeria had just six international companies that had dominated the industry since the 1920s. Entry barriers were deliberately high. Local players were practically excluded.
Through Sahara Energy, where he played a foundational role, relentless lobbying, negotiations, and behind-the-scenes advocacy eventually cracked the monopoly. Sahara became the seventh company, and that breakthrough reshaped the industry.
Today, Nigeria has over 45 aviation fueling companies.
“There were six for almost 100 years,” he said. “We broke it open.”
Many of today’s industry players passed through systems, training, or frameworks he helped establish. His influence quietly defines the sector.
CITA: Choosing Risk Over Comfort
The most pivotal decision in CITA’s growth came at a deeply personal moment. With limited capital and living in a rented apartment, Ogungbangbe faced a choice: buy a house in Magodo or invest in a neglected mobile fuel depot in Port Harcourt.
He chose the depot. Friends contributed funds. Some later withdrew. The investment looked risky, almost reckless.
That decision birthed Christ Is The Answer (CITA) as the eight aviation fueling company, now operating in 17 locations across Nigeria, more than any competitor. By volume, CITA ranks second in the industry.
“If I didn’t seize that window, it would never have happened,” he said.
For Ogungbangbe, safety is not a policy, it is doctrine.
“When it comes to safety, it is not negotiable,” he said.
CITA’s Safety Department is its most efficient arm, a necessity for operating at scale. This operational discipline is why CITA has become the largest indigenous aviation fueling company by presence in Nigeria.
Recently, the Federal Government of Nigeria recognized his contribution, honoring him among individuals who shaped the aviation industry over the last 100 years.
He was also honoured by the Institute of Operational Research and Management Science, IORMS fellowship award.
Local content, to Ogungbangbe, is not a slogan: “If there was no local content policy, this gathering would not exist,” he said, gesturing toward the people already assembled for CITA’s end-of-year and awards ceremony.
He credits former President Olusegun Obasanjo for opening the door that allowed indigenous companies to thrive. Today, that window has created opportunities for dozens of Nigerian-owned firms and thousands of professionals.
CITA is unapologetically faith-based.
“We don’t see pits or failure. We see the big picture. Christ is the answer,” he said.
This philosophy reflects in the company’s CSR efforts from distributing 500 bags of 50kg rice in Osun State, to road construction near Kano Airport, and provision of transformers in Abuja and Port Harcourt.
Investing in the Future: IORMS and Innovation
Ogungbangbe remains open to supporting emerging intellectual ecosystems. When asked about backing IORMS initiatives focused on Operations Research, AI, Data Analytics, and sports-based competitions among Nigerian university students, he was clear but receptive.
“If a proposal is brought and it has merit, why not?”
It is a reflection of his belief in systems, data, and disciplined thinking, the same principles that shaped his own journey from microbiology to aviation.
Politics and Public Service
Ogungbangbe has confirmed plans to venture into senatorial level politics, driven not by ambition, but service.
“Before you say you want to serve people, let us see what you have done for yourself.”
He insists that leadership should be proven before power is sought.
How He Wants to Be Remembered
Beyond wealth and titles, Ogungbangbe wants to be remembered as a student of excellence, a man shaped by discipline, late nights of study, and relentless pursuit of mastery.
“We studied every night. If you didn’t read, you felt lost.”
It is that mindset, more than aviation fuel, infrastructure, or awards, that defines his legacy.
And if aviation had not claimed him?
Those who know him well are certain of one thing: Whatever Thomas Ogungbangbe chose, he would still have succeeded.
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