News

Things To Know About Late Elder Statesman Christopher Kolade

Published

7 months ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

Veteran broadcaster, business icon, and diplomat Christopher Kolade has died at the age of 93.

The family announced the elder statesman’s death in a statement on Thursday.

According to the statement, the late former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

Below are the things to know about the elder statesman

Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, to an Anglican missionary father, Kolade’s early years were shaped by faith, discipline, and learning.

He attended Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College, Freetown, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from one of West Africa’s most prestigious universities.

Broadcasting trailblazer

Kolade began his professional career in the 1950s as an Education Officer in the Western Region. However, following Nigeria’s independence in 1960, he transitioned to broadcasting — a move that would define the early part of his illustrious career.

At the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kolade rose through the ranks to become Director-General.

Those who worked under him remember his professionalism, dignity, and insistence on ethical journalism — qualities that set him apart in Nigeria’s early broadcasting years.

His collaboration with the late Segun Olusola helped lay the foundation for modern television and radio in the country.

Corporate leader

After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Kolade joined Cadbury Nigeria Plc in 1978 as Administration Director. He later became Managing Director, Chief Executive, and eventually Chairman, leading the company through what many described as its “golden era.”

Beyond the corporate boardroom, Kolade was a champion of ethical business practices. He chaired both the Integrity Organisation and The Convention on Business Integrity, long before “corporate governance” became a popular phrase in Nigeria’s business lexicon.

Teacher, mentor, and voice of values

Even after retiring from corporate life, Kolade continued to shape minds and values.

At the Lagos Business School, he taught Corporate Governance, Human Resource Management, and Leadership, where generations of business executives recall him as a mentor who began each class with questions about values rather than profits.

He later served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Pan-Atlantic University, which houses both LBS and the School of Media and Communication, and as Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.

Diplomat and devout Anglican

From 2002 to 2007, Kolade served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, earning widespread respect for his diplomacy, humility, and integrity.

A devout Anglican, he received the Order of St Augustine Medal from the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1981 and was later installed as a Lay Canon Emeritus at Guildford Cathedral, United Kingdom. He was also organist and choir director at St Peter’s Church, Faji, Lagos, a testament to his lifelong commitment to faith and service.

Despite his towering résumé, which includes Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Past President of both the Nigerian Institute of Management and the Institute of Personnel Management, and recipient of the Commander of the Order of the Niger, Kolade remained remarkably humble.

Family life

He was married to Beatrice Egochukwu Ukogu, with whom he had two sons. Those close to him describe him as a devoted husband and father who balanced public duty with family warmth and simplicity.

Kolade’s life was anchored in family, faith, and service — values he lived and passed on to all who encountered him.
Enduring Legacy

In business circles, Kolade will be remembered as a leader of principle, while in academia, as a mentor who shaped minds with moral clarity and in diplomacy, as an envoy who carried Nigeria’s name with dignity.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

4 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

10 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

10 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.