Otunba Adekunle Ojora: Boardroom guru and foremost traditional titleholder

The father of a former Kwara First Lady, Toyin Saraki, Otunba Adekunle Ojora, who passed away this week at the age of 93, has been described as a boardroom guru and foremost traditional titleholder.

The chief executive officer of Kolade Property Consult, Ajiboye Abdulmumeen Kolade, in his tribute, condoled with the entire Ojora family, including Mr and Mrs Bukola Saraki for the loss.

He stated that his departure marked the end of an era of one who was like a parent, and a guiding light whose impact on Nigerian business and the society remained unparalleled, and whose “legacy is not just in the history books but in the character and grace you carry every day.

“We join you in celebrating a long, distinguished journey. May the memories of his love and the pride of his achievements bring you peace,” he stated.

Similarly, Isaac Jolayemi Olatunji mourned the drawing of the curtain of a golden era of an extraordinary life defined by vision, dignity, service and enduring influence, where he stood as a towering figure in Nigeria’s corporate and social history and as a grand patriarch of the country’s elite establishment.

“Otunba Ojora was more than a boardroom guru; he was a corporate titan whose wisdom shaped institutions, mentored generations of leaders and helped lay the foundations of modern Nigerian enterprise.

“As an industrialist of rare depth and foresight, his imprint cut across sectors, leaving behind legacies of excellence, integrity and nation-building.

“Beyond commerce, he embodied grace, tradition and statesmanship. He bridged the worlds of royalty, business and public service with uncommon ease, earning respect, not by noise or bravado but by quiet authority, consistency and class. His life was a master class in leadership with humility, wealth with responsibility and power with restraint.” he wrote on Facebook.

Otunba Adekunle Ojora’s professional journey, which began in the early 1950s at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), spanned journalism, public service, politics and big-ticket corporate governance. After studying journalism at Regent Street Polytechnic, London, he rose to the position of assistant editor before returning to Nigeria in 1955 to join the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) as a reporter. He later moved to Ibadan, where he served as an information officer in the office of the then regional premier.

In 1961, he transitioned into the corporate world, joining the United African Company (UAC) as a public relations manager and becoming an executive director in 1962.

His interest in commerce and enterprise deepened in the years that followed, marking the start of a lifelong influence in Nigerian boardrooms.

Following the military coup that ended the First Republic, Otunba Ojora was nominated to the Lagos City Council in 1966. In 1967, he held two key appointments: Managing director of WEMABOD, a regional property and investment company, and chairman of the Nigerian National Shipping Line, succeeding Chief Kola Balogun.

After leaving WEMABOD, he expanded his footprint as a major investor and entrepreneur. He held significant interests in AGIP Petroleum Marketing, NCR Nigeria, and founded several private firms, including Nigerlink Industries, Unital Builders and Lagos Investments, a holding company. In the wake of the Nigerian Enterprise Promotion Act, he acquired equity stakes in numerous foreign companies operating in Nigeria, including Bowring Group, Inchcape, Schlumberger, Phoenix Assurance, UTC Nigeria, Evans Brothers, and Seven-Up. He was the chairman of the Board of AGIP Nigeria Limited from 1971 until its acquisition by Unipetrol in 2002.

Beyond the boardroom, Otunba Ojora was deeply rooted in tradition. He was the Otunba of Lagos, Lisa of Ife and Olori Omo Oba of Lagos.

He is survived by his wife, Erelu Ojuolape and children, including, Mrs Toyin Saraki.

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