The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (SCGN) has condoled the demise of its founding President, Christopher Kolade. The elder statesman died on October 8, 2025, at the age of 92.
In honor of his legacy, the Society's delegation, President/Chairman Muhammad K. Ahmed, led by Chief Operating Officer Omotola Bamigbai-Elatuyi, paid tribute to the late Kolade at his family residence, where he paid rich tributes to the memory of a visionary whose life was dedicated to integrity, service and nation-building.
Others in the delegation were former SCGN President and Board Chairman Olusegun Osunki; Uto Ukpana, Company Secretary, MTN Nigeria/Member, SCGN; Adedayo Amzat, Group Managing Director, ZCrest Group/Member, SCGN; Alex Adedele-Adedipe, Partner, DOA Law/Member, SCGN; Femi Shobanjo, Managing Director, NGX Regulation Limited/Partner, SCGN; Sunkanmi Balogun, Managing Director, Future Finance Limited/Member, SCGN; Tunde Lemo, (Partner, SCGN), and Michael Otu, Company Secretary, Zenith Bank Plc/Member, SCGN.
He described the late Kolade as a great leader and a moral guide, a teacher and a statesman whose influence spanned generations.
According to SCGN, as the pioneer President/Chairman of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, Kolade laid the foundation to become the leading voice in promoting ethical leadership, transparency and sound governance practices in Nigeria and beyond.
Kolade's career, while alive, spanned many key areas including broadcasting, corporate leadership and diplomacy, from serving as Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, to his role as Chairman and Chief Executive of Cadbury Nigeria Plc and later as Nigeria's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
He exemplified excellence, integrity and ethical management. A dedicated teacher, Kolade was also widely respected for his work in shaping future leaders through his teaching at the Lagos Business School and the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University. His lectures on leadership, values and governance continue to influence a new generation of professionals committed to public service and private sector accountability.
According to Ahmed, the SCGN President said: “Dr Kolade was a great man whose legacy is woven into the fabric of our institution and the broader governance landscape in Nigeria.
“His life was a testament to humility, principle and the power to do what is right. The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria will always be guided by the path he blazed for us.”
Ahmed said, “The Society is grateful for his foundational leadership and pledges to uphold the values and standards that he so passionately advocated. As we mourn his passing, we also celebrate a life well lived, a life that leaves behind a legacy of purpose, discipline and unwavering moral conviction.”
