•Dr Christopher Kolade

Dr Christopher Kolade, a renowned former diplomat and one of Nigeria’s most respected elder statesmen, is dead, aged 92.

“We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service; and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings,” his family announced his death in a statement on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Dr Kolade led a life marked by integrity, leadership, and service across multiple spheres — from broadcasting and diplomacy to corporate governance and academia.

A son of an Anglican missionary, Kolade attended Government College, Ibadan, before proceeding to Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

His academic excellence earned him honorary doctorate degrees from institutions such as the University of Sierra Leone (1976) and McPherson University (2016).

Dr Kolade began his professional journey in broadcasting, where he rose to become Director-General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).

His career later expanded into the corporate world, where he served as Chief Executive and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc.

His leadership and reputation for ethical conduct earned him an appointment as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a role he performed with distinction.

After his diplomatic service, Dr Kolade continued shaping minds and institutions as a lecturer in Corporate Governance and Human Resource Management at the Lagos Business School (LBS), and in Leadership and Conflict Management at the School of Media and Communication (SMC), both under Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

He also served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the university.

Beyond academia, Dr Kolade held key leadership roles in several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, the International Institute for Communications, and the World Association for Christian Communication.

Recognised for his outstanding service to humanity, he received numerous honours, including the Order of St. Augustine medal from the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 2012, he was appointed by then-President Goodluck Jonathan as Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Board.

•Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN)/ Whatsapp image

The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan as the nominee to fill the vacant position, following Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit.

Yakubu served from 2015 till October 2025.

President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical.

Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.

In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening.

Amupitan, 58, from Ayetoro Gbede, Ijumu LGA in Kogi State, is a Professor of Law at the University of Jos, Plateau. He is also an alumnus of the university.

He specialises in Company Law, Law of Evidence, Corporate Governance and Privatisation Law.

He became a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2014. Amupitan was born on April 25, 1967.

After completing primary and secondary education, he attended Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, from 1982 to 1984, and the University of Jos from 1984 to 1987.

He was called to the bar in 1988. He earned an LLM at UNIJOS in 1993 and a PhD in 2007, amid an academic career that began in 1989, following his National Youth Service at the Bauchi State Publishing Corporation in Bauchi from 1988 to 1989.

Currently, he serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) at the University of Jos, a position he holds in conjunction with being the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Joseph Ayo Babalola University in Osun State.

Among the academic positions he has held at UNIJOS are: Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Directors (2012-2014); Dean of the Faculty of Law (2008-2014); and Head of Public Law (2006-2008).

Outside of academics, Amupitan serves as a board member of Integrated Dairies Limited in Vom, a member of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Governing Council, and a member of the Council of Legal Education (2008-2014), among other roles.

He was a board member of Riss Oil Limited, Abuja(1996-2004).

Amupitan is the author of many books on law, such as Corporate Governance: Models and Principles(2008); Documentary Evidence in Nigeria (2008); Evidence Law: Theory and Practice in Nigeria(2013), Principles of Company Law(2013) and an Introduction to the Law of Trust in Nigeria (2014).

The Kogi State Government on Thursday successfully harvested the first greenhouse-grown cucumbers at the Federal University, Lokoja.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said : ” A total of 260 kilograms of cucumbers was harvested. The harvest is expected to continue weekly for the next three months before another crop will be planted.”

Fanwo disclosed that the harvesting was supervised by representatives of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo – the Commissioner for Environment and Ecological Management, Engr. Olusegun Joseph, and the State ACReSAL Project Coordinator, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto.

He emphasised that the success of the greenhouse project underscores Governor Ododo’s commitment to promoting food security, tackling food inflation, and ensuring sustainable prosperity for the people of Kogi State.

“Our women and youths are now at the forefront of Kogi’s agricultural revolution,” he said.

Fanwo said that the agricultural revolution in Kogi State under the administration of Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo was inspired by the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Agriculture, which places emphasis on supporting states to produce what Nigerians eat and eat what Nigerians produce.

“Mr President has empowered the State and has energized the agricultural sector with his policies and support. We are only responding to his support by ensuring farmers benefit directly and also to expand our value chain in the sector as a State. We are grateful to Mr President for sparking a revolution in the nation’s agricultural sector”, he said.

“A total of 260 kilograms of cucumbers was harvested. The harvest is expected to continue weekly for the next three months before another crop will be planted.”

The project is currently been implemented in the three senatorial zones of the State.

“Through ACReSAL, thousands of farmers are being empowered across the State, and Kogi is fast becoming a model of agricultural resilience and productivity.

“We didn’t just go to Lagos to sign the Food For Lagos Partnership just for the television flashes. We are back home to walk our talk and become the noiseless food basket of Nigeria”, he said.