By Engr. Isaac Igbinosun.
Chief Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, has been described as one of Nigeria’s most influential business pioneers whose entrepreneurial journey has spanned aviation, manufacturing, banking, broadcasting, education, real estate, oil and gas, hospitality and several other sectors.
Born on September 11, 1934, in Okada, in what is now Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Igbinedion rose from humble beginnings to establish a business empire with interests across Nigeria and beyond.
According to the Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK), Igbinedion was born to the late Josiah Agharagbon Oviawe Igbinedion and Madam Okunozee, née Ihaza, a descendant of the Royal House of Usen.
OGBK President and Founder, Engr. Isaac Igbinosun, in a profile of the Esama, said Igbinedion’s entrepreneurial career was marked by bold investments in sectors where many others were reluctant to venture.
“Chief Igbinedion’s numerous companies have over the years had interest in diverse areas such as aviation, radio and television broadcasting, banking, salt manufacturing, crude oil exploration, solid minerals, soft drinks bottling, real estate, fruit and fish farming, palm oil production, petroleum and gas marketing, shipping, haulage, road transport, confectionery and hospitality, among many others,” Igbinosun stated.
One of the landmarks of Igbinedion’s business career, according to the OGBK, was the establishment of Mid Motors (Nig.) Limited in 1968, described as Nigeria’s first indigenous motor assembly plant.
The organisation also credited the Esama with demonstrating remarkable courage and foresight in the aviation industry, particularly during Nigeria’s oil boom of the early 1980s.
Igbinosun said Igbinedion purchased his first private aircraft in 1981, an HS125, through Mr. Derek Lowe of Executive Jet Sales. The aircraft was subsequently launched and blessed at the Benin Airport by the then Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Omo N’Oba Erediauwa.
Two years later, in 1983, Igbinedion established Okada Airline Limited, marking what OGBK described as a pioneering private-sector initiative in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
His aviation investments expanded rapidly. He later acquired a BAC 1-11 executive jet formerly owned by deposed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
By 1988, according to the OGBK account, the Okada Airline fleet had grown to two executive BAC 1-11 aircraft and nine BAC 1-11 passenger/cargo aircraft.
The airline subsequently expanded its operations with support from international aviation companies and organisations, including British Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, Aer Lingus, Dan-Air, Rogers Aviation, A.J. Walter, FLS Aerospace and Dunlop Aviation & Tyres.
At the height of its operations, Igbinedion’s Okada Air was said to have amassed a fleet of 32 aircraft.
Another major milestone came in 1992 when Igbinedion acquired a Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet.
The aircraft was officially commissioned at Abuja International Airport on May 7, 1992, in a ceremony attended by then Vice President Augustus Aikhomu on behalf of President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
According to OGBK, the acquisition made Igbinedion the first black man in the 20th century to own and operate a Boeing 747 aircraft.
Beyond business, education remains another major legacy associated with the Esama.
Igbinedion is the Chancellor and Chairman of the Board of Regents of Igbinedion University, Okada, which OGBK described as Nigeria’s first private university.
According to Igbinosun, Igbinedion began pursuing the establishment of a private university as far back as 1986, when he made representations to the administration of then military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.
He continued to pursue the initiative through the administrations of Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Sani Abacha before his request was eventually approved under the administration of General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
On May 10, 1999, the Federal Government presented Igbinedion University, Okada, with Certificate No. 001 at a ceremony held at the National Universities Commission in Abuja, formally recognising it as Nigeria’s first private university.
Igbinosun described the Esama’s journey as one characterised by courage, determination and a willingness to venture into areas considered too risky by others.
“There is no doubt that the name Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion has become synonymous with courage, for he has always been a man who treads where others dare not go,” he said.
Reflecting on the demands of leadership and influence in Nigeria’s business environment, Igbinosun recalled that Igbinedion once summed up his experience in a simple phrase: “It is tough and lonely at the top.”
As the Esama advances in age, OGBK said his legacy is increasingly reflected in the generation of children and successors positioned to sustain the various enterprises and institutions he built over several decades.
For Igbinosun, however, Igbinedion’s enduring significance goes beyond the size of his business empire.
He described the Esama as a trailblazer whose willingness to take risks helped open new frontiers in Nigerian business, aviation and education, while establishing a legacy that continues to attract admiration and inspire younger generations.
By Engr. Isaac Igbinosun
President/Founder, Organisation of Great Benin Kingdom Worldwide (OGBK)
