Dr Christopher Kolade, a renowned diplomat, broadcaster and statesman, has passed on at 92.
His family confirmed his death in a statement.
“We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service, and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings,” the statement reads.
The statement relayed that the statesman died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8.
Born in 1932, Kolade was at one time director general of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) and was in the nation’s broadcasting ecosystem from 1960 to 1978.
He had his early education in Nigeria, and his university education at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Kolade served as Nigerian high commissioner to the UK from 2002 to 2007.
In the corporate space, Kolade was also CEO and chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, often lending his voice to corporate governance and social responsibility subjects across several boardrooms.
Before he left for the UK, Kolade was part of the faculty of the Lagos Business School as lecturer in corporate governance, leadership and human resource management from 1995 to 2002.
After his diplomatic assignment, he returned to the Lagos Business School to continue his teaching and research programme and in February 2009, he was appointed pro-chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the Pan-African University.
He was a fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Society of Nigerian Broadcasters, the Nigerian Institute of Management (where he was president from 1985 to 1988), and the Institute of Personnel Management in Nigeria where he served as president from 1988 to 1994.
Kolade was conferred with the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2000.
Until his death, he was the chancellor of McPherson University in Ogun state.
