What you need to know about late elder statesman Christopher Kolade
File photo: Late Dr Christopher Kolade
• Kolade will be remembered as a leader of principle.
Veteran broadcaster, business icon, and diplomat Christopher Kolade has died at the age of 93.
According to the statement, the late former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
Below are the things to know about the elder statesman:
Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, to an Anglican missionary father, Kolade’s early years were shaped by faith, discipline, and learning.
He attended Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College, Freetown, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from one of West Africa’s most prestigious universities.
Kolade began his professional career in the 1950s as an Education Officer in the Western Region. However, following Nigeria’s independence in 1960, he transitioned to broadcasting — a move that would define the early part of his illustrious career.
At the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (now the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kolade rose through the ranks to become Director-General.
Those who worked under him remember his professionalism, dignity, and insistence on ethical journalism — qualities that set him apart in Nigeria’s early broadcasting years.
His collaboration with the late Segun Olusola helped lay the foundation for modern television and radio in the country.
After nearly two decades in broadcasting, Kolade joined Cadbury Nigeria Plc in 1978 as Administration Director. He later became Managing Director, Chief Executive, and eventually Chairman, leading the company through what many described as its “golden era.”
Beyond the corporate boardroom, Kolade was a champion of ethical business practices. He chaired both the Integrity Organisation and The Convention on Business Integrity, long before “corporate governance” became a popular phrase in Nigeria’s business lexicon.
Even after retiring from corporate life, Kolade continued to shape minds and values.
At the Lagos Business School, he taught Corporate Governance, Human Resource Management, and Leadership, where generations of business executives recall him as a mentor who began each class with questions about values rather than profits.
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, and as Chancellor of McPherson University, Ogun State.
From 2002 to 2007, Kolade served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, earning widespread respect for his diplomacy, humility, and integrity.
A devout 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, United Kingdom. He was also organist and choir director at St Peter’s Church, Faji, Lagos, a testament to his lifelong commitment to faith and service.
Despite his towering résumé, which includes Fellow of the Institute of Directors, Past President of both the Nigerian Institute of Management and the Institute of Personnel Management, and recipient of the Commander of the Order of the Niger, Kolade remained remarkably humble.
He was married to Beatrice Egochukwu Ukogu, with whom he had two sons. Those close to him describe him as a devoted husband and father who balanced public duty with family warmth and simplicity.
Kolade’s life was anchored in family, faith, and service — values he lived and passed on to all who encountered him.
In business circles, Kolade will be remembered as a leader of principle, while in academia, as a mentor who shaped minds with moral clarity and in diplomacy, as an envoy who carried Nigeria’s name with dignity.
