END OF AN ERA: ‘Boardroom Guru’ Otunba Adekunle Ojora Dies at 93

LAGOS — A titan of the Nigerian corporate world has bowed out.

The Ojora Royal Family of Lagos officially announced on Wednesday that their patriarch, Otunba Adekunle Ojora, has passed away at the age of 93.

The renowned industrialist and boardroom strategist, often described as one of the architects of corporate Nigeria in the post-independence era, died in the early hours of Wednesday, January 28, 2026.

Saraki confirm’s Patriarch’s Exit

The formal announcement came via a statement signed by his daughter, Mrs. Toyin Ojora-Saraki, the former First Lady of Kwara State and wife of former Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki.

“With total submission to the will of Almighty Allah (SWT), the Ojora family of Lagos hereby announces the passing of our beloved patriarch, Otunba Adekunle Ojora, the Otunba of Lagos and Lisa of Ife,” the statement read.
“We say Alhamdulilahi for a life well lived, and we comply with Allah’s words: ‘Surely, to Allah we belong, and to Him we will all return’ (Q2:156).”

From Journalist to Corporate Kingpin

While many knew him as the “Boardroom Guru,” Otunba Ojora’s journey began in the newsroom.

• The BBC Years: He started his career in the early 1950s as a journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London, before returning to Nigeria to work as a reporter for the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
• The Corporate Shift: His transition to the corporate world was decisive. By 1962, he had become an Executive Director at the United Africa Company (UAC), breaking barriers for Nigerians in colonial-era corporate structures.
• The AGIP Era: Perhaps his most defining role was his long tenure as Chairman of AGIP Nigeria Limited. From 1971 until the company’s acquisition by Unipetrol in 2002, Ojora steered the oil giant through Nigeria’s oil boom and bust cycles.

A Life of Titles

Otunba Ojora was not just a business mogul; he was a custodian of culture. He held some of the most prestigious traditional titles in Yorubaland, including:

• The Otunba of Lagos
• The Olori Omo Oba of Lagos (Head of Princes)
• The Lisa of Ife

He is survived by his wife of over six decades, the style icon Erelu Ojuolape Ojora, as well as children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

The family has confirmed that he will be buried in Lagos according to Islamic rites, with further details to follow.