
Nigeria’s public, corporate, and faith communities are united in mourning the passing of Chief (Dr.) Christopher Olusola Kolade, CON, a respected broadcaster, diplomat, and corporate leader, who died on 8 October 2025 at the age of 93.
From the pulpit to the boardroom and the diplomatic stage, tributes have poured in describing Dr. Kolade as a symbol of integrity and principled service whose influence spanned generations.
In a statement issued in Ibadan, the Stsinoiz International Club, a Christian-based non-governmental organisation, described the late elder statesman as a “mentor, motivator, and moral guardian.” The Club’s President, Mr. Lekan Adebayo, and Secretary-General, Prof. Rotimi Olatunji, said his life embodied “principled leadership, humility, and an unwavering commitment to ethical nation-building.”
Appointed as Grand Patron of the Club in 2017, Dr. Kolade was said to have lent his “wisdom, grace, and moral authority” to the group’s vision of promoting ethical citizenship. The Club recalled his message during its 2024 webinar marking 25 years of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, where he urged Nigerians to “establish and sustain integrity in this environment” and to “carry on knowing that God is with us.”
Mr. Adebayo said the late diplomat’s influence on members would endure. “His vision for a just, disciplined, and value-driven society will continue to guide our engagements and inspire our programmes,” he stated.
Also reacting to his death, former presidential spokesperson, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Dr. Kolade represented “reputation, conscience, accountability and reliability.” Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Adesina recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari held him in high regard. “My boss had so much confidence in him. A number of times I heard him talk about Dr. Kolade, and he always said very good things about him,” he said.
Dr. Kolade’s professional career began in broadcasting, where he rose to become Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), promoting standards of professionalism and balanced reportage. He later moved into the private sector as Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, where he advanced principles of corporate accountability and human development.
Between 2001 and 2007, he served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, strengthening diplomatic relations and engaging with the Nigerian diaspora community.
The Hallmarks of Labour Foundation (HLF), where Dr. Kolade served for more than two decades — first as Vice Chairman and later as Chairman of its Board of Trustees — also paid tribute, describing his passing as “the end of an era.” The Foundation’s Executive Secretary, Mrs. Patricia Otuedon-Arawore, said his association with HLF reflected a shared commitment to promoting integrity and excellence in public life.
Quoting one of his reflections, the Foundation noted, “‘A good example can become infectious so that we all strive to attain more of the same. Excellence is on the horizon. Our job is to travel towards it.’ That was the spirit Dr. Kolade brought to our mission.”
The Foundation credited him with helping to institutionalise merit-based recognition through the Hallmarks of Labour awards, which continue to celebrate Nigerians of distinction.
Throughout his life, Dr. Kolade combined professional achievement with academic mentorship, teaching Corporate Governance and Leadership at the Lagos Business School and Pan-Atlantic University.
The Stsinoiz International Club and the Hallmarks of Labour Foundation have both called on Nigerians, particularly those in leadership, to uphold the values for which he stood. “Chief Kolade lived not for himself but for others,” the Club stated. “Through his example, we are reminded that integrity remains the truest measure of greatness.”
Dr. Christopher Kolade is survived by his family and a generation of Nigerians who continue to draw inspiration from his life of service, integrity, and faith. (Guardian)