OKADA — The 92nd birthday anniversary of the Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Sir Chief (Dr.) Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, CON, CFR, has been marked with tributes celebrating his contributions to education, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, institution-building and national development.
The milestone was commemorated on Tuesday at the University’s Library Conference Hall, Okada, with a special birthday lecture, “A Tapestry of Nine Decades of Wisdom… Still Counting: The Journey and the Legacy.”
The ceremony attracted dignitaries from Nigeria and beyond, including a delegation from the Office of the President of the Republic of Ghana, formally welcomed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye. The delegation comprised Dr. Foster Abu Sankara, Mr. Emmanuel Oboe-Baiden and Ms. Maame Yaa Edusei, former Media Adviser to the late First Lady of Ghana, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings.
Ezemonye described Igbinedion as a visionary leader, accomplished entrepreneur and philanthropist whose influence extended beyond his immediate community.
“Greatness is not measured merely by personal success but by the number of lives uplifted and opportunities created for others,” he stated.
The Vice-Chancellor identified the establishment of Igbinedion University in 1999, Nigeria’s first private university, as a defining expression of the Chancellor’s foresight and belief in education as an instrument of national transformation.
He said thousands of graduates of the institution now contribute to society across Nigeria and the world, while acknowledging the contributions of Deputy Chancellor, His Excellency, Chief Dr. Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, to sustaining the Chancellor’s vision.
Delivering the lecture, renowned historian and scholar, Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochefu, described Igbinedion’s journey from selling kerosene on the streets of Benin City to building major enterprises as a story of “audacity, resilience, innovation and institution-building.”
Ochefu said Igbinedion’s legacy represented the “Democratisation of Development”, through which individuals and institutions complement government in advancing society.
He highlighted the founding of Mid-Motors Nigeria Limited in 1968, described as reportedly Nigeria’s first indigenous motor assembly plant, and the establishment of Okada Air in 1983, which grew to more than 40 aircraft.
He noted that the airline’s name left a cultural imprint, with “Okada” becoming synonymous with commercial motorcycles and eventually entering the Oxford English Dictionary in 2020.
Ochefu described IUO as perhaps Igbinedion’s most enduring intervention, noting that its pioneering role helped open Nigeria’s university sector to private participation. Nigeria now has more than 160 licensed private universities.
“Igbinedion University is not a monument to a man. It is a living, self-renewing institution built to outlast generations,” he declared.
Identifying audacity, institutionalisation and generational handover as defining strands of Igbinedion’s legacy, Ochefu urged students and young Nigerians to apply the Chancellor’s pioneering spirit to emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and other technologies addressing African challenges.
Concluding, he said the true measure of Igbinedion’s life was the number of people positively impacted by his vision.
“The loom is still active. The thread is unbroken. And the legacy… is still counting,” he emphasised.