Obituary: Christopher Kolade, Nigeria’s gentleman of integrity
Christopher Kolade, Nigeria’s doyen of the boardroom, broadcaster, teacher and diplomat, passed away peacefully early Thursday morning, aged 93.
To many who knew him — or even those who only knew of him — Kolade was the rare kind of man whose name inspired instant respect. A man of quiet strength and steady conviction, he belonged to a vanishing generation of Nigerians who lived for service, led with humility, and believed integrity was the soul of leadership.
Read also: Christopher Kolade, Business luminary, teacher dies, aged 93
Born in Erin-Oke, Osun State, in December 1932 to an Anglican missionary father, Kolade’s early life was shaped by faith, discipline and learning. He attended Government College, Ibadan, before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fourah Bay College, Freetown — then one of West Africa’s most distinguished universities.
From classroom to newsroom
Kolade began his professional journey in the 1950s as an Education Officer in the Western Region, a colonial-era civil servant dedicated to shaping young minds. But when Nigeria gained independence in 1960, he switched to broadcasting, a move that would define the early part of his illustrious career.
At the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now FRCN), Kolade rose through the ranks to become Director-General. Those who worked under him remember his professionalism, dignity and insistence on ethical journalism, qualities rare even then. His partnership with the late Segun Olusola during Nigeria’s formative broadcasting years helped lay the foundation of modern television and radio in the country.
He once recalled, in a characteristically humble tone, “The only thing I asked God for, from the beginning, was to make me an Education Officer. I had no inclination to be in business or diplomacy. But God opened doors of opportunity for which I felt I had the ability to make something of. The doors that were opened to me were the ones I went through.”
That simple philosophy — faith, openness and a sense of duty — would become the rhythm of his long and varied life.
A corporate leader with a conscience
After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Kolade crossed into the private sector in 1978, joining Cadbury Nigeria Plc as Administration Director. In the years that followed, he became Managing Director, Chief Executive, and later Chairman — leading the company through what many call its “golden era”.
Read also: How Nigerias diplomatic influence waned in global affairs — Christopher Kolade
Kolade’s management philosophy was simple yet profound. He once said, “I saw my role in the management of people as that of taking the person and saying, ‘Really, I don’t know how high this person can go. But it is my role to help this person get there… to create opportunities, but more importantly, to create challenges, because we don’t grow unless we stretch.’”
It was this belief — in stretching others through responsibility, not fear — that defined his years at Cadbury. He built not just a company, but a generation of leaders who viewed work as a moral calling.
Kolade’s leadership extended beyond the boardroom. He chaired the Integrity Organisation and The Convention on Business Integrity, both dedicated to promoting ethical standards in corporate Nigeria — long before “governance” became a buzzword.
Teacher, mentor, moral compass
Even after leaving Cadbury, Kolade’s passion for shaping minds endured. At Lagos Business School (LBS), he taught Corporate Governance, Human Resource Management and Leadership. Generations of business executives remember him as a firm but gentle guide — the kind who began each class with questions about values, not profits.
Read also: Many politicians put their own interests ahead of national interest — Christopher Kolade
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. He was also Chancellor of McPherson University in Ogun State.
“Leadership is a responsibility,” he often reminded his students. “Unless you are carrying out that responsibility, you are failing as a leader.”
Service to nation and faith
From 2002 to 2007, Kolade served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom — a posting that capped his long record of public service. In that role, he was widely admired for his diplomacy, simplicity and moral bearing.
Beyond state and business, Kolade’s life was deeply rooted in faith. A lifelong 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 in the UK. He served as organist and choir director at St Peter’s Church, Faji, Lagos — a reminder that even in the corridors of power, he never lost touch with the pews.
A man of integrity and hope
Kolade was never one for grandstanding. Despite his towering résumé, Fellow of the Institute of Directors, past President of both the Nigerian Institute of Management and the Institute of Personnel Management, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) , he remained self-effacing.
Read also: How Nigerias diplomatic influence waned in global affairs — Christopher Kolade
Asked once about the state of Nigeria, his response was characteristically hopeful, “I am hopeful about Nigeria because those who are 35 years and below are in the majority. They have the energy, intellect and ambition to make this country better. My hope is that they will use it.”
To him, knowledge meant little without action. “It’s not enough to know,” he said. “You must do something with what you know.”
The legacy lives on
Married to Beatrice Egochukwu Ukogu, with whom he had two sons, Kolade led a life anchored in family, faith and service. His name has long been synonymous with integrity, a word he both taught and lived.
In business circles, he will be remembered as the man who led with principle. In academia, as the mentor who shaped minds with moral clarity. In diplomacy, as the envoy who carried Nigeria’s name with dignity.
But perhaps his greatest legacy lies in the countless people he inspired to do the right thing, not because it was easy, but because it was right.
As Nigeria bids farewell to Kolade, the nation mourns not just a man, but a standard, the embodiment of honesty, grace and moral leadership.
He has indeed fought the good fight.
