Onosode delivers Cathedral’s lecture tomorrow

By Bashir Adefaka
Renowned technocrat and former President of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Deacon Gamaliel Oforitsenere Onosode, is expected to deliver a lecture at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, Ikeja, Lagos, tomorrow.

The business mogul’s lecture will be centred on a topic, “God in my life” at the occasion to be attended by distinguished members of the society.

A release by the Church stated that Onosode “will be the guest of the cathedral’s elite society, the Torchbearers, in the quarterly series of testimonies by the movers and shakers of the Nigerian society on the hand of God in their lives,” it stated.

Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, an alumnus of the University of Ibadan,  was born in Sapele, Delta State, 78 years ago.  He started life as a management/executive assistant with the Commonwealth Development Corporation immediately after graduating from Ibadan in 1957 and moved from there to NIDB, now Bank of Industry, where he became the pioneer company secretary and subsequently assistant general manager.

Onosode, an Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR), is a recipient of seven honorary doctorate degrees from various Nigerian universities including the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU).

Also an honourary fellow, Nigeria Academy of Letters, his public service career began at the age of 39 with his appointment as a member of the Public Service Review Commission, popularly called the Udoji Commission.

He moved on to become deputy chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (1973 – 1974); chairman and chief executive officer NAL Merchant Bank (now Sterling Bank PLC) and was there between 1973 through 1979.  He was also chairman of Cadbury Nigeria PLC (1976 – 1993); chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management (1979 – 1982); Chairman, Dunlop Nigeria Plc (now DN Tyre & Rubber Plc) from 1984 to 2006 and chairman, Nigeria LNG Working Committee and Nigeria LNG Limited from 1985 to 1990.

Mr. Onosode is currently pro-chancellor and chairman of council of the University of Lagos, Akoka and Bowen University, Iwo; chairman of Nigeria Stockbrokers Limited; chairman, Niger Delta Environmental Survey (NDES) and chairman, Pillar Oil Limited.