“He is unbelievably down-to-earth despite his many laurels, never leaves you guessing where he stands on any issue, family-oriented sage, and an almost endless trove of national and international history with dates. I could just go on and on.”
The privilege of living is priceless. There is no one among us that truly deserves it. However, if you are in full health, please live it out with exemplary value and leadership.
The indefatigable and distinguished life of Dr. Christopher Kolade, a teacher, broadcaster, administrator, diplomat, boardroom czar, has given meaning to the passage of the Bible, Psalm 92:12 that says that “In old age they will still bear fruit; healthy and green”
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As he’s fondly called, CK is 90 years old. Ten years away from clocking 100 years on the surface of the earth. The nine long decades have seen him work and lead in different capacities of various organisations, creating excellence and driving positive results.
He started his public service after graduating from the famous Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, as a colonial-era Education Officer in the mid-50s, and went into broadcasting when Nigeria gained independence in 1960. In his 18-year(1960-78) sojourn in the media space, he reached a peak – and became the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, NBC.
He was the Chief Executive, Executive Chairman and Chairman (non-executive) of Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Fellow, Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria; Fellow, Society of Nigerian Broadcasters; Fellow, Institute of Directors (Nigeria) and has served as the president of these and many other professional bodies which he belonged to and served meritoriously.
CK is the Pro-Chancellor, Pan-African University and a member of the governing council and became Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
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He also sits on the Board of several organisations, which include the Christopher Kolade Foundation (CKF); Transparency in Nigeria and the Convention on Business Integrity.
As global business executives have written tons of eschatology of their experiences of him, my first encounter with him as a journalist was at the launch of the Remita App at Eko Hotels in 20017. In his Queen’s English, his responses to my questions were so profound that he answered all my technology-focused questions without turning any down, and put two of my questions in the right perspective.
Pa Kolade was 85 in 2017. His knowledge of technology was superb. Without leaving anything behind, he spoke exceptionally well during his speech as the Chairman of the occasion, an event organized by Systemspecs, where he serves as Board Chair.
Lampe is a business leader with marketing expertise. Managing Director at Nitro121, – a marketing and advertising company.
He’s also a Partner at Lucent Consulting Company and one of the top 100 Most Influential Global Marketing Leaders in 2018 by World Marketing Congress.
Lampe on his account with Dr. Kolade said his journey started with him when he wrote an aptitude test for recruitment as a Management Trainee into Cadbury Nigeria in 1989.
“That experience was an appetizer to my journey to and through Cadbury Nigeria. I took that first test, and after another test which included group case study discussions and extempore speeches followed by oral interviews with the board of directors, I started my Cadbury life in July 1990.
According to Lampe, “the bar was constantly raised. Good was not good enough. And it was not just talk, you had to walk the talk. Dot your ‘I’s and cross your ‘t’s. Premises were spick and span, punctuality was second nature and integrity was taken seriously.”
He explained that Dr. Kolade was an inspiration and the progenitor of a high-performing team. “A leader who strove to walk the talk out”, he pointed out.
On his retirement as CEO, Lampe mentioned that CK gave a farewell address that defined who a Cadbury Nigeria person was, saying that Conscientious, Confident, Caring, Careful, Character, Committed, Competent are the 7C’s they all strove to live with.
Apart from being the Managing Director/CEO at Remita Payment Services Limited, Deremi is a multi-skilled, experienced and passionate IT Industry business professional with core strength in strategy, branding & marketing, project management and organizational development.
Recounting his experience with CK, he said it took him 17 years after his first encounter with him at the University of Ibadan Faculty of Science Lecture Theatre (FLT) where he had come to deliver the faculty lecture to be on the same board with him, with John Obaro as the company’s founder.
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Deremi described him as a man of deep conviction, adding that he intuitively knows the details that matter.
“He has an exceptional eye for detail (try missing a decimal point in your financials and get a story on how you could cost the world a fortune). He is unbelievably down-to-earth despite his many laurels, never leaves you guessing where he stands on any issue, family-oriented sage, and an almost endless trove of national and international history with dates. I could just go on and on.”
“Every after-board meeting session was a delight, knowing you were going to be regaled with exciting stories from his personal and corporate experiences which he never tried to paint to make himself a hero. it was always about the lessons to be learnt”, Deremi recounted.
Emeka is the Vice President Corporate Communications & CSR, Airtel Africa. He’s a multiple award-winning crisis management expert, leadership change strategist and rebranding veteran.
He has over 25 years of consistent communications practice spanning journalism, advertising, public relations, events, sponsorships and corporate social responsibility in different organisations, which include Patine Communications, Candid Communications, Richland Communications, Cadbury Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria.
Emeka described Dr Kolade as an enigma, an achiever, a leader extraordinaire, pointing out that CK turned things around at Cadbury Nigeria and went on to build the company into one of the most formidable institutions in business, management and leadership.
“I still remember with humility how, as he said, I allegedly “contributed to his appointment” as High Commissioner. Then CEO (his successor), Bunmi Oni, informed me one evening that I would be going to Abuja the next day to deliver a letter on behalf of CK”
“I was over the moon at the prospect of going on a personal errand for someone we all loved and adored. As the company’s Media Relations Manager at the time, such an assignment was not out of the ordinary, by any stretch of imagination, but it was, to me, a privilege. I never knew the contents of the letter then”, he explained.
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To cut the story short, Emeka delivered the letter to then President Olusegun Obasanjo (via one of his aides). Three months later, while lounging in his hotel room on a different mission in Abuja, he saw a news flash on TV announcing CK as the new Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
“Then, it dawned on me what the letter I delivered months back might have been about.”, he said.
He said Dr. Kolade means different things to different people, but one thing is that he surely exemplifies for all is a person of high integrity!
“CK is very well known for being erudite, cultured, disciplined, conscientious, sagacious and, above all, humble. Whether your path crossed his at Radio Nigeria or Cadbury Nigeria or Nigerian High Commission, UK or the Lagos Business School or even in church, one thing is certain, you’re never the same after an encounter with him. He never fails to leave a positive mark”, he said.
Happy birthday, CK. 90 may seem a lot, but 100 yet beckons because you deserve it and even more for all you’ve done and still do for mankind!
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