Nigeria has lost one of its most distinguished professional and public figures with the passing of Arthur Christopher Mbanefo, a revered accountant, diplomat, educationist, and elder statesman, who died on Monday at the age of 95.
Mbanefo’s death marks the close of an extraordinary chapter in Nigeria’s professional, academic, and diplomatic history. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he built a legacy defined by integrity, intellectual depth, and unwavering service to both Nigeria and the international community.
A former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations and Pro-Chancellor of three leading Nigerian universities—the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Ahmadu Bello University—Mbanefo stood out as a rare blend of technical excellence and statesmanship. He was a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Born on June 11, 1930, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Mbanefo received his early education at St. Patrick’s College, Calabar, before proceeding to the United Kingdom, where he qualified as a chartered accountant in the mid-1950s. He returned to Nigeria to embark on a career that would shape the nation’s accounting profession and corporate governance landscape.
Widely known as the Odu of Onitsha, Mbanefo spent much of his early professional life at Akintola Williams & Company, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous accounting firm. Joining the firm in 1961, he rose to become senior partner before retiring in 1986. He later established a management consultancy firm, offering strategic financial and corporate advisory services to government institutions, businesses, and international organisations.
His leadership within the accounting profession was profound. Mbanefo served as President of ICAN in 1978, during which time the institute’s secretariat was completed and officially opened on April 21, 1979. He also represented ICAN on the governing boards of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC), contributing to global accounting standards and policy.
Beyond his professional achievements, Mbanefo was widely respected for his role in national development. He served on the boards of major Nigerian corporations and financial institutions and was a member of key national commissions, including the Justice Ayo Irikefe Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the finances of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), where his analytical rigour was instrumental in untangling complex financial issues.
His commitment to education was equally remarkable. As Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at the University of Lagos (1984–1986), Obafemi Awolowo University (1986–1990), and Ahmadu Bello University (1990–1993), Mbanefo championed academic excellence, institutional discipline, and ethical leadership during periods of significant challenge for Nigeria’s higher education system. His stewardship left lasting imprints on governance and academic culture at these institutions.
In 1999, Mbanefo entered the arena of international diplomacy when President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. At the UN in New York, he engaged global leaders and advanced Nigeria’s positions on peace and security, development, and human rights, strengthening the country’s diplomatic profile on the world stage.
Tributes to his character and service have been widespread. On Mbanefo’s 94th birthday, President Bola Tinubu described him as a member of “one of the finest stock and vintage class of Nigeria’s statesmen,” distinguished by integrity, hard work, and patriotism.
Throughout his life, Mbanefo received numerous honours in recognition of his service. He was awarded Nigeria’s national honours of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). Internationally, he was conferred with the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy and the Grand Officer of the National Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil.
His philanthropy reflected his deep belief in education as a catalyst for societal progress. To commemorate his 90th birthday in 2020, he donated the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre to the University of Lagos, a lasting symbol of his commitment to knowledge, innovation, and future generations.
While details of his burial arrangements are yet to be announced, Arthur Christopher Mbanefo is remembered as an accountant who viewed his profession as a calling, a diplomat who elevated Nigeria’s voice internationally, and a principled leader who placed education, ethics, and service at the heart of national development.
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