Elder statesman and foremost corporate lawyer, Dr Christopher Ogunbanjo, passed away on Saturday, October 7, 2023.
The patriarch died at the age of 99, two months before his 100th birthday.
Announcing his passing via a statement, his family said, “Papa was an unwavering beacon of reassurance, courage and moral integrity for the entire family, truly embodying dedication and service to his country.”
While President Bola Tinubu and other eminent Nigerians continue to mourn his passing, below are 10 things to know about the late philanthropist:
Christopher Oladipo Ogunbajo was a Nigerian corporate lawyer and philanthropist from Ogun State.
He was born on December 14, 1923, to the family of Daniel Ajayi Ogunbanjo, a Catechist from Erunwon, Ijebu, Ogun State.
He was educated at St Phillips Primary School, Aiyetoro, Ile-Ife before proceeding to Oduduwa College, Ife for his secondary education in 1936.
He began work in 1942 as a junior clerk in the Judicial Dept in Enugu and was subsequently transferred to Port Harcourt.
He left the civil service in 1946 to study law at the University of London. Ogunbanjo obtained a law degree in 1949 and was called to the bar in 1950.
He worked briefly for H.O. Davies’ law firm before establishing his private practice; his firm added two more partners, Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Michael Odesanya in 1952 to become Samuel, Chris and Michael Solicitors.
He was an early advocate of domiciliary accounts in Nigeria which later came into existence through the promulgation of the Foreign Currency Decree 18 of 1985.
Ogunbanjo’s familiarity with corporate law led him to be a significant shareholder in various Nigerian companies like West African Batteries, Metal Box Toyo, Union Securities, 3M Nigeria, ABB Nigeria, Roche Nigeria and Chemical and Allied Products Ltd.
In the late 1960s, he was among the group of businessmen who supported local equity participation in foreign firms operating in Nigeria.
He was the Olotu of Ijebuland, the Larinja of Egbaland, Gbadero of Lagos, Lerinja of Egbaland, Baba Oba of Ijebu Imusin, and Baba Oba of Erunwon Ijebu.
