By Daniel A. Noah Osa-Ogbegie , Esq.
There are men who live. There are men who leave their footprints. And then there are men whose very existence transcends mortality-whose story is woven into the tapestry of their people’s history, whose life becomes a living monument. Chief Sir Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom, belongs firmly in the latter.
As the great Esama clocks ninety-one, we celebrate not merely a man, but an epoch. He is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma-larger than life, a legend who, if he had lived centuries earlier, would have been venerated as a god.
From the dust of humble beginnings, he rose by sheer grit, audacity, and the grace of God, to bestride the economic, social, and cultural landscapes of Nigeria like a colossus. He is a pioneer in every sense of the word-his life’s work marked by an unyielding refusal to accept limits. He gave Nigeria its first private airline (Okada Air), its first Montessori schools, its first private university (Igbinedion University, Okada), its first indigenous soda brand, and its first privately sponsored food stamps cafe. Honourable mentions as well to Independent Radio and television stations (ITV Benin & Abuja). He is also behind Igbinedion Education Centre, an enduring citadel of learning that shaped countless destinies. In him, vision married daring, and together they birthed firsts that redefined possibility for generations of Nigerians.
But beyond commerce and pioneering ventures, the Esama’s heart has always beaten for humanity. His philanthropy is legendary, almost mythical. He has fed multitudes, built churches, lifted widows, empowered orphans, and opened doors for thousands of men and women who today stand tall because the Esama once stooped to lift them. To say that his wealth has been a ladder for others is to speak plainly; for many, Chief Igbinedion’s open hand was the very bridge from obscurity to prominence. His giving knows no boundary-ethnic, religious, or cultural. Humanity is his constituency.
The fruit of greatness is not only measured in material monuments but also in legacy, and in this too, the Esama is unmatched. His children stand as testaments to his towering influence. His son, Chief Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, became Governor of Edo State. Another, Mr. Peter Igbinedion, served as Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). His daughters and other children are distinguished in business, education, philanthropy, and public service-an extension of his towering legacy.
Yet, perhaps the most compelling aspect of his story is that Chief Gabriel Igbinedion was not born with a silver spoon. He carved his destiny with his own hands. A man who once had nothing has today become a blessing to multitudes. And in doing so, he has shown generations that greatness is not inherited, it is earned-by faith, by diligence, and by an indomitable will to rise.
At ninety-one, the Esama remains a symbol of the greatness of the Benin people, a cultural patriarch, a man who carries the history of an entire kingdom in his name. His life is proof that a single man’s vision can ignite a thousand dreams. His story must be etched in history, not only as a chronicle of one man’s greatness, but as an immortal testament of what God can do with clay when shaped by discipline, courage, and compassion.
We are privileged, indeed blessed, to call him our own. May the Almighty keep him in health and strength, that his fountain of blessing may continue to water the lives of countless others.
“Happy birthday to the one and only transgenerational icon-business magnate, philanthropist, and elder statesman. I count it a rare privilege to have witnessed your greatness in flesh and blood, not merely as a name in future books or the stuff of legend. You are history living amongst us.”
Happy 91st birthday, Chief Sir Gabriel Osawaru Exemption Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom. Long may you live, and longer still may your legend endure.
Daniel Aroren Noah Osa-Ogbegie is a Benin based legal practitioner and an Apostle of Edo renaissance.
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