President Bola Tinubu and the people of Osun State have mourned the passing of Dr. Christopher Kolade, describing him as an icon of integrity, patriotism, and leadership whose contributions shaped Nigeria’s corporate, diplomatic, and ethical landscape.
In a statement personally signed by him, President Tinubu said he received the news of Kolade’s death “with profound sadness,” noting that the late diplomat, broadcaster, and corporate leader was “one of Nigeria’s intellectual treasures and a custodian of the nation’s enterprise history.”
Dr. Kolade was among the finest of men exceptionally brilliant, diligent, and of unimpeachable integrity,” the President said.
“He was not only a boardroom icon, having served as Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, but also a patriot and advocate of transparency and accountability in governance.”
Tinubu highlighted Kolade’s decades of service from the colonial era through Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, describing him as a man who left “an ineffaceable mark” in every role he held, including as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation.
He also commended Kolade’s humanitarian work through the Christopher Kolade Foundation and his advocacy for ethical leadership and support for people living with sickle-cell disease.
Kolade, who died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at age 92, was a former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, pioneer Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), and a respected voice on ethics and corporate governance at the Lagos Business School.
In Osun State, the Alua of Erin-Oke, Oba Ayodeji Akintola, described Kolade’s death as a painful loss to the community and the nation.
“He was a rare gem and a man of deep integrity. His global reputation brought pride to Erin-Oke,” the monarch said, recalling recent conversations with Kolade about supporting the town’s development projects.
Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Kolade was the son of an Anglican missionary.
He attended Government College, Ibadan, and later Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he completed his higher education.
In a statement, the Kolade family expressed gratitude for his life of faith and service, saying, “We are thankful for his incredible life and God’s abundant blessings.”