President Bola Tinubu, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, joined other dignitaries in paying glowing tributes to the late veteran broadcaster and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, during a service of songs held in his honour.
By Emma Ogbuehi
President Bola Tinubu, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, joined other dignitaries in paying glowing tributes to the late veteran broadcaster and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, during a service of songs held in his honour.
The service of songs, which formed part of the rites of passage for the late diplomat, was held at the Wole Soyinka Centre (formerly the National Arts Theatre) and attracted a cross-section of family members, friends, associates, and serving and former public officials.
Among those present were President Bola Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; former President Olusegun Obasanjo; Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; former Minister of Science and Technology, Olorunibe Mamora; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; and former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, among others.
The dignitaries extolled Kolade’s virtues, describing him as a man of integrity, discipline, and uncommon humility.
Kolade, the elder statesman, aged 92, passed away on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, according to a statement by his family.
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In a tribute delivered on behalf of the President, Gbajabiamila said Kolade lived a life dedicated to God and humanity. “Few people bestride the arena of public service with the dexterity, confidence, and diligence that Dr. Christopher Kolade possessed throughout his life. He served his country with distinction, leaving behind a legacy of excellence for others to emulate.
“Through the Christopher Kolade Foundation, he extended his service to humanity by helping the sick, the afflicted, and the downtrodden. His work in supporting persons living with sickle cell remains one of the most significant achievements of his life.
“We do not mourn Dr. Kolade because we know he lived for God and for others. Our grief comes from the knowledge that the nation has lost a talented, passionate, and selfless individual. Dr. Kolade now belongs to the ages”, Tinubu said.
Former President Obasanjo described the late diplomat as a man who never sought personal gains and had to be persuaded to accept the position of High Commissioner to the United Kingdom during his administration.
“Chris and I have come a long way. I don’t have too many friends, but the ones I have are very dear to me—and Chris was one of them. I had to beg and persuade him to accept the position of High Commissioner in London.
“The reason was simple: the UK hosts the largest number of Nigerians in the diaspora, and I needed someone I could trust to handle that responsibility effectively. Chris was the only one I could think of. After much persuasion, he agreed—and he delivered exceptionally”, Obasanjo said
He added that Kolade played a key role in Nigeria’s successful debt relief campaign during his presidency.
Also paying tribute, former presidential candidate Peter Obi described Kolade as “one of the best of humanity.”
“He represented the best of humanity in integrity, character, and service. “He possessed everything one could admire in a human being”, Obi said.
In his sermon at the occasion, the Archbishop of Ife Diocese, Most Rev. Olubunmi Akinlade, described Kolade as a good man who lived righteously.
“He was not a perfect man but a good one, and that is why God granted him the grace to live to the age of 93—to die and end like a righteous man”, the cleric said.
Kolade was an elder statesman, who symbolized service, reforms and principled leadership. He was one of Nigeria’s most decorated management professionals. Critics and admirers are agreed that he was of rare breed and conviction whose name inspired instant respect. 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, Sierra Leone, — then one of West Africa’s most distinguished universities.
Kolade began his professional career in the 1950s as an Education Officer in the Western Region, a colonial-era civil servant dedicated to shaping young minds. At Nigeria’s attainment of independence in 1960, he switched to broadcasting, an area he made great impacts and earned astonishing repute.
At the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN), Kolade rose through the ranks to become Director-General. While in service, he distinguished himself with his trademark discipline, dignity and insistence on ethical journalism, qualities that stood him out. After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Kolade crossed to 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. His tenure in the leadership of Cadbury marked the golden era of the organisation.
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. While on the job, he earned the respect and admiration of many for his astute diplomacy, simplicity and moral bearing.
Besides making his marks in diplomacy and corporate management, Kolade was deeply involved in academia, particularly at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, where he taught courses in Corporate Governance and Human Resources Management at the Lagos Business School, as well as Leadership and Conflict Management at the School of Media and Communication. He was a former member of the University’s Governing Council, later becoming its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman. He also served as Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.
