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Ex-Minister And Former First Bank Chairman Dies
Ajibola Afonja, a former Minister of Labour and Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, has sadly passed away.
According to a family source, he passed away on Sunday night at the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State, where he was born.
Afonja died at the age of 82.
He had a distinguished career, serving as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of First Bank Plc and also as the Minister of Labour under the interim government of Earnest Shonekan. In addition to his roles in the banking and political sectors, he was also the chairman of Integrated Dimensional System and several other companies.
He obtained a degree in Accounting from Kingston University in the United Kingdom in 1970. After graduating, he worked with John Mowlem & Co, a renowned UK-based construction firm, where he contributed to notable projects such as Buckingham Palace, the House of Commons, and Westminster Abbey, among others.
In 1974, Afonja returned to Nigeria after spending several years in the UK. His expertise and experience in finance and management made him a valuable asset to the companies he worked with.
‘The passing of Ajibola Afonja is a great loss to the Oyo community and the nation as a whole”, the Oyo Global Forum, a prominent socio-political group in Oyo, expressed in their condolences and paid tribute to his contributions as a former Labour Minister and Chairman of First Bank Nigeria.
The statement added: “Although, a national figure with tremendous influence, he was particularly light for the Oyo community where he made pioneering efforts as an industrialist. His legacy of generosity and open-heartedness touched countless lives, and his presence will be profoundly missed.
“Until his last month, Daddy IDS, as he was affectionately known, as a reference to his manufacturing company, remained hardworking, dedicated to realizing one of the most transformative business visions for the country’s economy. It was the E-Customs project.
“His absence leaves a void that will be difficult to fill, but his spirit of generosity and leadership will continue to inspire us. For all of us that he inspired, we shall honour his memory by carrying forward the values he embodied and continuing his legacy of service and compassion, the values that guide OGF, which he supported during his lifetime.”
The group, thus, offers its sincerest sympathies to his family, the entire Oyo community, friends, and associates worldwide in this period of grief.
