President Bola Tinubu has paid tribute to the late Dr Christopher Kolade, describing him as “an icon of integrity, patriotism, and excellence” whose life and work represented the highest ideals of service and leadership in Nigeria.
In a statement personally signed by him on Thursday, Tinubu said he received the news of Kolade’s death “with profound sadness,” calling the 92-year-old diplomat, broadcaster, and corporate titan “one of Nigeria’s intellectual treasures and a custodian of our enterprise history.”
“Dr Kolade was among the finest of men,” the President said. “He was exceptionally brilliant, statesmanly, diligent, and had unimpeachable integrity. He was not only a boardroom icon — serving as Chief Executive and later Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc — but also a patriot and an uncompromising advocate of transparency and accountability in governance.”
Tinubu said Kolade’s long and distinguished career, spanning the colonial era through to Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, reflected “uncommon dedication to the nation’s growth and moral capital.”
“From working as a colonial-era education officer to serving as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and as Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, Dr Kolade left ineffaceable stamps of distinction in every endeavour,” the statement read.
The President also praised Kolade’s humanitarian legacy through the Christopher Kolade Foundation, citing his advocacy for ethical leadership and his lifelong support for people living with sickle-cell disease.
“He lived not for wealth or fame but for impact,” Tinubu said. “His passing is agonising but worth celebrating. He immortalised himself through uncommon service to our nation and humanity. He was a true Nigerian—selfless, resilient, and guided by faith. May God Almighty, whom he served faithfully, grant him eternal rest.”
Kolade, who died peacefully on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, at the age of 92, was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost voices on ethics, leadership, and corporate governance. A former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc and Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK, he also served as pioneer Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) and was a prominent lecturer at the Lagos Business School.
Tributes have poured in from across the country, including from his hometown of Erin-Oke in Osun State, where the Alua of Erin-Oke, Oba Ayodeji Akintola, said the community had lost “a rare gem devoted to service and moral excellence.”
“It hurts me deeply because he promised to support our development efforts,” the monarch told The PUNCH. “He was my father and kinsman, and he had a global reputation that brought pride to Erin-Oke. God knows best.”
Born on 28 December 1932 in Erin-Oke, Kolade was the son of an Anglican missionary. He attended Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he completed his higher education.
In a statement announcing his death, the Kolade family said: “We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings.”
