NIGERIA has again lost a renowned philanthropist and one of the outstanding stakeholders in the Organized Private Sector, High Chief Bode Akindele; the Parakoyi of Ibadanland who passed on Monday at the age of 88 years.
President Muhammadu Buhari in his condolence message to the Government and people of Oyo State, particularly the Olubadan-in-Council on the loss described the death as yet another big blow to the country considering his enormous contributions and uncommon commitments to the economy beginning from his community.
This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Femi Adesina, who revealed that President Buhari recalled that the late industrialist was one of the early groups of private individuals to support government intervention in the fight against the COVID-19 scourge, donating handsomely to the fund.
“Chief Akindele was a man of many parts. He was a creator of jobs who demonstrated untiring love for the down-trodden. His philanthropic gestures knew no bounds, intervening especially in critical sectors of the economy,” President Buhari said.
President Buhari also commiserated with Organized Private Sector on the departure of a key member whose imprints in various sectors will remain indelible, alongside family, friends and associates to take solace in the fact that Chief Akindele touched lives, wrote his name in gold, and lived a life of accomplishments. He prayed that God will grant him eternal rest.
Chief Akindele’s business empire operates under the name Modandola Group Of Companies, named after his mother, which translates to ‘God, if you give me the wealth, give me a child that can take care of it.’ Madandola Group spans from maritime to properties, manufacturing, real estates, investments, finance and flour milling with its headquarters in the United Kingdom.
The Fairgate Group, (a company owned by Chief Akindele, located on Bond Street, London, England), deals mainly in properties. Some of its tenants include giant retail stores such as Sainsbury and Asda supermarkets. As at the last quantification, the Fairgate Group was said to be worth over £1billion.
Among the subsidiaries of the Madandola Group Standard Breweries, Ibadan, Diamond Foods Ltd, Ibadan, United Beverages Ltd, Ibadan, Associated Match Industry, Ibadan, merged with Ilorin, Port-Harcourt and Lagos to form a company with a large share of the Nigerian market and Standard Flour Mills in Lagos.