Arthur Mbanefo at 90

Editorial

There are Nigerians whose lives of decency, diligence and distinction offer the strong belief that the country will ultimately transcend its many challenges of development. Chief Arthur Christopher Izuegbunan Mbanefo, MFR, CON, Odu III, who turned 90 on June 11, is the epitome of this select class of citizens.

Operating in the divergent fields of accountancy, business, international diplomacy, public policy formulation, educational administration, philanthropy, culture and the arts, Chief Mbanefo’s life and career represent a unique combination of capability, consistency and commitment that have profoundly influenced Nigeria and the many institutions that he has been associated with.

Born in Onitsha in 1930 to the distinguished Mbanefo family, he was educated at St. Patrick’s College, Calabar and trained in the United Kingdom as a chartered accountant. Returning to Nigeria in 1961, he joined the firm of Akintola Williams and Company, eventually leaving in 1986 to establish his own management consultancy firm.

Chief Mbanefo has played one of the most significant individual roles in the growth of Nigerian business over the past six decades. His reputation for probity and excellence ensured that he sat on the boards of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished firms and also placed him in leadership roles in professional bodies like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Even while he was attaining distinction in the country’s corporate sector, successive administrations benefitted from his exceptional talent at participating in investigations into very complex matters. He was a member of the Justice Ayo Irikefe Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s Crude Oil Sales set up in 1980, and was chairman of the Committee on State Creation established in 1996, which led to the creation of six new states.

Chief Mbanefo entered into yet another phase of a profoundly distinguished career in 1999 when the Obasanjo administration appointed him Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.

As one of the country’s top diplomats operating at the epicentre of global diplomacy, he was entrusted with ensuring the projection of the country’s interests, the maintenance and development of existing alliances, and facilitating the creation of new ties. It was a task to which he brought his famed charm, reputation for honest dealing, and unimpeachable moral standards. The long-standing friendships he developed with some of the world’s most influential diplomats testify to his success on the world stage.

Chief Mbanefo also brought his administrative talents to bear on the country’s tertiary education sector as well. He has served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos (1984-1986), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (1986-1990), and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1990-1993). In these positions, he helped steer those institutions through some of their most challenging times, all the while ensuring that academic and moral standards were maintained.

It is testimony to the nature of his commitment that, 34 years after leaving the University of Lagos as pro-chancellor, he returned in June 2020 to launch the N100 million Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC) as part of his 90th birthday celebrations.

Chief Mbanefo’s actions and attitudes make him the quintessential detribalised Nigerian, with friendships and relationships that cut across the nation. His vigorous advocacy of the Biafran cause did not stop him from pushing Nigeria’s interests with similar dedication after the civil war.

His life is untouched by scandal. He has navigated the treacherous waters of public life with consummate skill. He has served military regimes and civilian administrations with equal efficiency. He is the recipient of multiple honours from a grateful country and a variety of communities, including his native Onitsha and Ile-Ife.

Chief Arthur Mbanefo is the distilled essence of the model Nigerian citizen. As he enters into his ninth decade, the most fitting tribute the country can pay him is to emulate him. May he continue to honour Nigeria with the benefit of his wisdom.