SPEECH DELIVERED BY BASHORUN J. K. RANDLE, OFR, AT THE CONDOLENCE VISIT BY NEPAD BUSINESS GROUP NIGERIA TO THE FAMILY OF LATE MR. OLABODE JUSTIN EMANUEL, ON MONDAY 6TH JANUARY 2025.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and Management of the NEPAD Business Group Nigeria (NBGN), I convey our deepest condolences to the entire Olabode Emanuel family on the painful demise of their patriarch, late Mr. Olabode Justin Emanuel. 

The news of his passage came to us as a rude shock, and we are yet to come to term with the loss of Mr. Bode Emanuel who was one of the foremost and outstanding leaders of Corporate Nigeria par excellence. He can also be aptly described as a Grand Board Room Guru and Director of Directors. As a corporate colossus who traversed Nigeria’s private sector for more than sixty years Mr Emanuel will be sadly missed. 

Mr. Emanuel was one of the foundation members of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Business Group Nigeria at its inception when it was inaugurated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on 1st July, 2004 in Abuja. The other founding members include Alhaji Bamangar Tukur and Mr Goodie Ibru who was Pioneer Chairman.  Mr. Emanuel who was elected as the 4th Chairman of NBGN in May, 2022 succeeded Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande who was the 3rd Chairman.  

NEPAD Business Group Nigeria was formed to domesticate the mission of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) in 2001 as its economic development programme at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Lusaka, Zambia. NBGN was one of the national business groups that were established in AU member states to mobilise Africa’s private sector towards playing leadership roles in the continent’s economic transformation envisioned to eradicate poverty in Africa and improve the living standards of Africans.

Mr. Emanuel’s contributions to the growth and development of the twenty-year-old organisation shall remain indelible. During the two years and seven months that he served as Chairman Mr Emanuel led the reorganisation of NGBN as a prelude to relaunching its operations to enable it impact more positively on Nigeria’s development and by extension that of the African Continent as envisaged by its founders that included the late President of the African Development Bank Mr Babacar Ndiaye.   

In order to reform NBGN into a fit for purpose organisation and in readiness for the task ahead Mr Emanuel provided leadership for: 

1)    Reviewing the Mandate, Objectives & Operations of NBGN having them aligned with contemporary realities that have continued to unfold since its inauguration in 2004. These include the African Union’s Agenda 2063 that was launched in 2013, the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement that was signed in 2018 and ongoing efforts at  fostering economic partnership between African and Caribbean countries by the African Export Import Bank (AFREXIM). The exercise while benefiting from the lessons of hindsight was also futuristic as it leveraged Mr Emanuel’s great foresight and those of the other leaders of NGBN.

2)    The foregoing meant reviewing NBGN’s Memorandum and Articles of Association. A process which also incorporated a succession plan which resulted in the creation of the position of Deputy Chairman. It was as if Mr Emanuel had premonition that he would not lead us for long as he went ahead to nominate me to be the organisation’s first Deputy Chairman who would invariably be his successor. I subsequently emerged as his second in command because my nomination was unopposed. On behalf of the Board and Management I promise that we shall continue implementing Mr Emanuel’s bold vision for NBGN.

3)    The other progressive steps taken included reconstituting the team that was saddled with the task of drawing up a Five-Year Strategic Plan. 

4)    As a prelude to the organisation’s relaunch a Communication Machinery was put in place to enhance NGBN’s visibility and interactions with the public and private sectors as well as the international development community.  

5)    A robust plan for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Government is also being drawn up. Because this has to be done in consultation with leading members of the President’s team meetings had actually been scheduled for next week with:

I) Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister of the Economy 

II) Minister of Industry Trade & Investment

III) Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria

Indeed man proposes God disposes. Because of Mr Emanuel’s unfortunate demise at this point in our nation’s development we have concealed these meetings.

While thanking God for Mr Emanuel’s highly accomplished and very well lived life we at NBGN are grateful to God for gifting us with such a divinely endowed great and resourceful leader. The organisation as well as its corporate and individual members benefited immensely from his rich depth of knowledge and vast wealth of experience in the public service and the private sector over the past 60 years plus. For example, we drew lessons from his involvement with the construction of the Kainji dam especially its financing by the World Bank. So also is his spearheading of private power generation in Kwale, Delta State at a time that NEPA was the monolist power generator in Nigeria. Many will find it difficult to believe that his company, Borino Prono, built the Lagos Third mainland, - the longest bridge in Africa until recently- and handed it over on time to the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1991. Few knew oneof his companies was a member of the consortium which built the world famous bosphorus bridge in far away Istanbul, Turkey in the 1970’s. Till today, that bridge connects Turkey to China, thereby connecting the continents of Europe and Asia. I can go on and on, but I must say that Mr. Emmanuel was in deed a bridge builder among people, businesses, countries, and continents of the world.

We also benefited from the experience that he gained while promoting private sector development through domestic and foreign investments as well as providing leadership especially at the board level for many successful enterprises across various sectors of Nigeria’s economy.

We want the family to be consoled by the fact that, Mr. Olabode Justin Emanuel lived well and has contributed significantly to the growth and development of our dear nation, the African Continent and indeed the World at large. We at the NBGN pledge to continue to build on his legacy by rededicating ourselves to the pursuit of the organisation’s mandate and objectives and the implementation of the robust plans that were designed to impact positively on Nigeria’s economic and social development and that of the African Continent.

Adieu Mr. Olabode Justin Emanuel. 

Bashorun J. K. Randle, FCA, OFR.