Engr Abidoye Ayoola was born on November 22 1947 at Ogbomoso, Oyo State of Nigeria. He was educated at Ogbomoso Grammar School, Oyo State between 1961 and 1965 and passed the West African School Certificate Examination in Division One. From January 1966 to June 1967, he attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo and after the first year at the Higher School Certificate class, he sat for the GCE Advanced Level subjects in Physics and Mathematics and passed. In September 1967, he enrolled at the University of Lagos for Mechanical Engineering and graduated in June 1970. He was admitted to the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, USA and was awarded Master of Science Degree in Petroleum Engineering in May 1975.

Engr. Ayoola work experience started with employment by Gulf Oil Company (Nigeria) now Chevron Nigeria Limited in June 1970. He was involved in petroleum engineering including off shore production, operation and maintenance, logistics, reservoir and drilling. Between 1974 and 1975, he worked with Gulf Oil Company (USA) Lafayette, Louisiana where he had responsibility for oil and gas drilling, workover programmes, production facilities, design and maintenance programmes, reservoir performance tests and evaluation.



Between 1975 and 1977, he was employed by Solar Turbines International Co, San Diego, California, USA as an Application Engineer. His duty included designing, building and testing of gas turbines, compressors, pumps and generator packages, pipeline system analysis and optimisation. Others included preparation of specifications and bid proposals.



Between 1977 and 1980, Ayoola served as Manager, West African District of Solar Turbines International with office in Lagos, Nigeria. His responsibility included sales and service business of companys turbo machinery in Nigeria, West and Central Africa.



In 1980, he established his own company and thus became Chairman/Chief Executive of Negris Limited. Negris Limited is a foremost engineering services company involved in the design, procurement, installation, commissioning and maintenance of gas turbines and related rotating equipment in the oil and gas and industrial sectors of the Nigerian economy. The company has grown to become a fully integrated Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) outfit building power plants and similar structures. Engr. Ayoola is currently the Chairman of a number of companies such as Negris Investment Limited, a holding company consisting of Negris Limited, Energy Company Nigeria Limited (ENCON), OKIPP Limited, as well as the Chairman of All-Seasons Property Company Limited, a property development outfit.



He is a COREN Registered Engineer, Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (FITP), Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FNIMechE). Patron, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineering Foundation.



He was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Technology (DSc. Honoris Causa) by the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osun State. He is a recipients of member of the Order of Niger (MON), Distiguished Alumnus Award, University of Lagos. Distinguished Partner in Science Education Award, Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation.