Pa Ayo Adebanjo, the Afenifere leader, is dead.

He died on Friday morning at his Lekki residence in Lagos, according to a family statement. He was aged 96.

It reads: “With a heart full of gratitude for a selfless life spent in the service of God, the nation and humanity, we announce the passing on of our beloved patriarch, Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo.

“He died peacefully this morning, Friday, February 14, 2025 at his Lekki, Lagos Nigeria home at the age of 96.

“The foremost nationalist, elder statesman, distinguished lawyer, very distinct politician, apostle of true federalism, former organising secretary of Action Group and the national leader of Afenifere is survived by his 94 year-old wife, Chief Christy Ayo-Adebanjo, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

“We will forever cherish his commitment to fighting for truth, equity and justice. His belief and struggle for a truly independent and progressive Nigeria was total and this he fought for until he breathed his last breath.

“The family is consulting with Papa’s friends, associates, numerous interest groups across the length and breadth of Nigeria and beyond, to fine tune plans for a befitting funeral details which will be communicated in due course.

“A condolence register is open at his residence in Lagos (8, Ayo Adebanjo Close, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos) and  his country home in Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode Ogun State.”

As part of its ongoing transformation from a training institute to a regulatory authority, the Director-General/CEO of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Aare (Dr) Abisoye Fagade, has embarked on a high-level courtesy visits to key government agencies.

These engagements aim to foster collaboration, enhance industry standards, and strengthen NIHOTOUR’s regulatory framework for the hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.

So far, Dr. Fagade has met with top officials, including Mr. Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman of the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS); Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC); and Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, SAN, Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Discussions focused on strategic partnerships to ensure compliance, professional certification, and improved service delivery within the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.

“Our vision is clear – to build a robust, well-regulated travel, hospitality, and tourism sector that meets global standards. This transition requires strong collaboration with key agencies to align our training, certification, and regulatory frameworks with international best practices,” said Dr. Abisoye Fagade.

With more agencies scheduled for engagement, NIHOTOUR remains committed to promoting excellence, innovation, and sustainable growth in Nigeria’s travel, hospitality, and tourism industry.

Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Uche Orji as an Independent Non-Executive Director of its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc.

The Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, said the appointment, which takes effect from January 7, 2025, has been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“This appointment reflects our commitment to enhancing our governance practices and ensuring a diverse and experienced board”, Access Holdings said.

Orji is a renowned investment banking professional, information technology entrepreneur, and finance expert with three decades of professional and board experience. He is the Co-founder and Partner of Titangate Capital Management, an equity firm that invests in deep-tech, enterprise software, semi-conductors, hardware, and artificial intelligence companies.

Orji is the Founder and Director of Vitesse Africa Limited, an investment advisory firm focused on African energy, technology and infrastructure sectors.

He serves as an Executive Board member and investor in Ultrasafe AI, an artificial intelligence/IT development firm that maintains strategic collaborations with leading technology companies.

He also sits on the Board of Private Infrastructure Development Group, London, and chairs the Risk Committee.

Previously, Orji served as the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

He held positions as Managing Director and Senior Analyst at UBS Securities Limited New York and Managing Director and Head of European Technology/Semiconductor Equity Research at JP Morgan Securities, London.

He also served as Executive Director/Portfolio Manager at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, London. Earlier in his career, he was Acting Financial Controller at Diamond Bank Limited and an Audit Trainee at Arthur Andersen & Co.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Port Harcourt and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Bank, Mr. Paul Usoro (SAN), said: “Mr. Orji has been appointed based on his exceptionally rich professional, academic, and corporate board experience which will be invaluable to the Bank as we continue to pursue our strategic objectives.

“We are confident that his addition to the Board would further enrich the quality of our decision-making process, enabling us to deliver even greater value to our customers and stakeholders.

“His appointment has been made in accordance with the Bank’s internal policies and has been notified to all relevant regulatory authorities underscoring our commitment to upholding the highest standards of corporate governance.

“On behalf of the Board, Management and staff, I warmly welcome Mr. Orji to the Board and look forward to his contributions towards our goal of becoming one of the top five African banks in the shortest possible time.”