BENIN CITY — As Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, clocks 92 on September 11, 2026, residents and his admirers across Benin City are reflecting on his personality.
For many Nigerians who have encountered the Esama over the decades, including 85-year-old Madam Alice Ogiemonyi, he is a rare personality — larger than life, generous, accessible and deeply committed to the advancement of humanity.
“His personality cannot easily be separated from his reputation for giving, enterprise, institution-building and an unusual ability to attract people from different backgrounds,” she said.
For Pa. Adeyemi Badmus, who said he hails from Osun State and has lived in Benin City since 1951, Sir Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion has remained a highly visible personality in Edo State and beyond since becoming the Esama of Benin Kingdom in 1974, pointing to his generosity as perhaps the most defining feature of his personality.
“Chief Gabriel Igbinedion’s intervention in securing the release of former Bendel State Governor, Professor Ambrose Alli, from detention in the 1980s speaks greatly of his kindness,” Badmus noted.
Another respondent, Chief Ifeanyi Ugueze, said that besides the obvious fact that the Esama of Benin is a philanthropist of great repute and an industrialist whose interventions have touched education, healthcare, employment, aviation and other aspects of human endeavour, his non-tribal approach to life is unique.
A community leader, Elder Irorere Oviasuyi from Eguaholor village, also acknowledged Sir Chief Gabriel Igbinedion for a long history of scholarships, medical assistance and community interventions, stressing that his philanthropy has included support for education and healthcare, noting that between 1972 and 1990, he provided electricity to Okada and dozens of surrounding communities.
For some residents, however, the Esama’s personality goes beyond financial generosity. They point to his capacity to make people feel important, regardless of their social status. They described him as a man who “associates himself with anybody and everybody” as well as a man who is happy when others succeed.
His connection with ordinary people is also reflected in the way his annual birthday celebrations have evolved into major social occasions in Benin City. Over the years, the celebrations have attracted traditional rulers, politicians, business leaders, religious figures, professionals and ordinary well-wishers.
For his admirers, the more important legacy is the network of people who say their lives have been touched by him — through employment, education, medical assistance, personal support or opportunities created through his various ventures.
His influence on employment is particularly significant. His official records state that thousands of Nigerians have obtained employment through his educational institutions and business organisations, while his investments have helped establish a number of enterprises over the years.
There is also a strong religious dimension to his personality, as the Esama of Benin has single-handedly built and furnished several churches and handed them over to the Christian community, a development Pastor James Alebor posited may be instrumental to the rare grace of God upon him.
At 92, therefore, the conversation about the Esama is less about age than about legacy. To his admirers, Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion represents an era of bold entrepreneurship, expansive philanthropy and an uncompromising belief that success should be shared with others.