Born on January 7 1958 in Benin City, Okunbor was the Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions Limited (OMSL). He had his secondary education at the Federal Government College, Warri in Delta State.
At 21, he became a pilot following his graduation from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Okunbo, whose father Robert Amos Okunbo – was a preacher and teacher – later proceeded to ACME School of Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas in the US. There, he earned an Airline Transport Pilot Licence.
He retired from working as a pilot at 30 and ventured into business.
“A man of unparalleled energy and accomplishments, Captain Okunbo saw opportunities in adversity and from an early age in life, carved a niche for himself to become one of Nigeria’s most outstanding businessmen,” the governor said in a statement he signed and issued on Sunday afternoon.
“A trained pilot, he conquered the air at an early age and set for the waters and land, building enterprises that distinguished him in the business world and embodied the hard work, perseverance, dexterity and acumen that espoused his Edo heritage.
“Okunbo was a philanthropist who gave lavishly of himself and his resources; thousands of Edo sons and daughters benefited from his charitable works and benevolence.”
Hosa was born in Benin City to the family of Reverend Robert Amos Okunbo, a clergyman, teacher, and community leader. Okunbo had his primary education at Government Primary in Benin City, old Bendel State, now Edo State. He proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, in 1971, where he sat for West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Okunbo was a native speaker of the Edo language, and a fluent speaker of English.
Upon graduation, Okunbo became a professional commercial pilot, and was made a captain in 1983 at the age of 25. He was a flight captain with Intercontinental Airlines for about two years, then was employed by Okada Airlines for three years. In 1988, he retired from piloting at the age of 30, having logged over 7,000 hours of flight time, and ventured into private business.
Okunbo established Hoslyn Ventures Nigeria Ltd., a company that was involved with procurement in the Nigerian petroleum sector.
Okunbo was the founder and chairman of the following Nigerian companies:
- CMES-OMS Petroleum Development Company (CPDC), which, in September 2019, signed “$875.75m alternative financing deal for the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) operated OML 65”.
- The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments, Abuja
- Wells San-Carlos Agro Farms Ltd., which, in March 2016, unveiled a $750 million, 9,000-hectare (22,000-acre) farm intended to “create 85,000 jobs in Edo State”.
- Ocean Marine Security Ltd., an offshore asset-protection company, rendering services to major oil companies in Nigeria, including NNPC. The company recently completed the building of the 46-kilometre (29 mi) Escravos–Warri Crude Pipeline, which was inaugurated by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.
- Westminster Security Solutions Nigeria Ltd, a franchise of Westminster Group Plc UK, of which he was major shareholder.
- Wells Group of companies, which include Wells Dredging Ltd., Wells Property Development Company Ltd., and Wells Entertainments Ltd. – through which Okunbo financed the movie Black November.
- Ocean Marine Solutions Tankers Ltd., which owns Nigeria’s first marine tankers.
- Hoslyn Habitat Ltd., which is a design, construction and landscaping company.
- Gyro Air Ltd., operators of charter flight operations.
Okunbo was a director in the following companies:
- Joint Marine Environ Guard Ltd. (JMEG)
- Secure Anchorage Area Ltd. (SAA)
- Digisteel Integrated Services Ltd.
- Phil Nugent Nigeria Ltd.
- Integrated Energy Distribution and Marketing Ltd. (IEDM), which is a core investor in Ibadan and Yola Electricity Distribution Companies.
On Saturday, 21 September 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland, Okunbo was bestowed with the Global Peace Award from the chairman of the Order of Lafayette Awards, “in recognition of his efforts in global peace and business innovations.” In March 2017, he received Businessman of the Year award at the ‘2016 Vanguard Personality of Year Awards’. Okunbo received the Africa Titans Award in 2012, from the Congress of the United States in collaboration with the African Society Summit, in recognition of “strides on behalf of Africa in the international arena.”
In November 2012, the University of Benin conferred Okunbo with an honorary Doctor of Science degree.
Okumba was granted the “Worthy Ambassador of Unity Award” as an old student of Federal Government College, Warri in March 2016.
It was learnt that his wife contacted his colleagues in the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria about two weeks ago and notified them that he was ill.
“She notified industry players that he is sick and solicited prayers for her husband,” a source said.
His Facebook page evidently showed that Dr. Ekhomu’s last post was five days before his death where he shared novelist, Chimamanda Adichie’s TED speech of 2020 that chronicled her experience with a roommate in the United States.
Born in March 1955, Ekhomu was the Chairman, Transworld Security Systems and a founding member of the American Society for Industry Security (ASIS) International in Nigeria.
“He was a great achiever, an accomplished servant of God, a role model, a bridge builder, mentor, teacher par excellence, an apostle and respected family man.
“Dr Badejo served the Foursquare Gospel Church in Nigeria in several ministerial capacities, crowning his stewardship at the apex as the General Overseer of the Church from 1999 for 2009.
According to him, Mr Badejo left behind an indelible mark in the heart of everyone who came his way.
Mr Oyinloye called for prayers for the family of the deceased and the Foursquare Gospel Church in this trying time.
The accident also changed his life, the way he never envisaged.
Mohammed Fawehinmi was unmarried before his death. As he said in an interview in 2018,
the accident affected his life in many ways.
“I just felt that I shouldn’t bother any woman with my condition. I didn’t want anybody to marry me out of pity. Even though I always have females around me, it is not every woman that can stay with a person with disability of my kind.
A graduate of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, before he ventured into law practice, he obtained an LLB degree from the University of Buckingham, England, and was called to Nigerian Bar in 1998. He has over 20 years of experience in the practice of law.
Until his death, he was the Head of Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers, Director, Nigerian Law Publications Limited, Director, Books Industries Nigeria Limited and Director, Gani Fawehinmi Library & Gallery Limited.
He said Hadiza died in the early hours of Thursday after battling COVID-19 complications.
A funeral prayer for Hadiza, who was aged 80, was held on Thursday evening at the National Mosque in Abuja.
“We lost her in the early hours of today, 12th August 2021, at about 3.00am, after battling COVID-19 at the Gwagwalada Isolation Centre in Abuja.
“Hajiya Hadiza Shehu Shagari was 80 years old. Her Jana’iza (Funeral Prayer) will take place today, at 4.00pm, immediately after Asr prayer, at the National Mosque, Abuja.”
