Veteran broadcaster and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Christopher Kolade, has died at the age of 92.
The death of the elder statesman was announced by his family in a statement on Thursday.
The statement disclosed that the late former Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria died peacefully on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.
“We are thankful for his incredible life of faith and service, and are grateful for God’s abundant blessings,” the statement read in part.
Kolade had a long career as a diplomat, academic, and proponent of ethics and corporate governance, among other things.
Kolade was born in 1932 in Erin-Oke, Osun State, as the son of an Anglican missionary. He attended Government College in Ibadan before transferring to Fourah Bay College in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he finished his higher education.
Kolade began his career in broadcasting and finally became the Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation.
He then became CEO and Chairman of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, where he was well-known for his ethical leadership and corporate changes.
The deceased also served as Nigeria’s High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, leaving a legacy of diplomacy, ethics, and professionalism.
Kolade taught corporate governance and human resources management at Pan-Atlantic University’s Lagos Business School, as well as leadership and conflict management at its School of Media & Communication.
Kolade, a previous member of the university’s Governing Council, also served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman and later became Chancellor of McPherson University in Ogun State.
Kolade was deeply committed to advancing ethical corporate standards and served as chair of numerous integrity-driven entities, including the Integrity Organisation Ltd GTE and the Convention on Corporate Integrity Ltd GTE.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
