When a good man departs: Elegy for Yinka Lijadu

The insurance firmament has lost another star with the death of Late YinkaLijadu, former MD of Nicon Insurance and past President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria as well as Chairman of Nigerian Insurers Association and the Institute of Loss Adjusters Association of Nigeria.

Even though late Lijadu had been unwell for a while, due to old age related ailments, the announcement of his demise came to many as a shock. No one that knew him would ever wish him dead, even though that is the ultimate bus stop of all mortals.

In the days when Nicon Insurance Corporation was the flagship of the Nigerian Insurance Industry and a delightful place to work, Mr. Lijadu held sway: he never allowed the office to intoxicate him. He was humble, considerate and professional. Under him, Nicon built several octopus of business institutions such as the NiconNoga Hilton Hotel, Abuja which has now transfigured to Transcorp Hilton Hotel, as well as the defunct Nigerian Acceptances Limited (NAL) Merchant Bank. On behalf of the Federal Government, Lijadu also pioneered National Properties Limited and the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Agency, among others. Lijadu demonstrated through his leadership of Nicon the belief that the insurance industry could really be the desired fountain for the conception and establishment of other business institutions as obtainable in other advanced economies. In spite of the enormous opportunities and span of influence that predisposes many of his ilk to corruption and gross abuse of office, Lijadu was known to be quite austere and was incorruptible. It was reliably gathered that at retirement, he never had a bogus house or any obvious material possession that “befitted” the life of a man who bestrode the nation’s then nascent economy; this is strange in a society like ours where warped value system has seemingly made such life style abnormal. Late Lijaduwas honest through and through. His life radiated contentment and simplicity and he never gave in to anger, under any circumstance. This writer once asked him the reason for this and he told him how needless it is to be angry, under any circumstances: “it makes your life short” he retorted. All these infallible attributes impelled the Federal Government to confer on him the prestigious Member of the Order of Niger (MON), becoming one of the first insurance professionals to be so honoured in the country.

Lijadu loved the Insurance fraternity with great passion. He personified an ideal insurance man;suave, urbane, straight forward and conservative. As Chairman of the defunct Image Committee of the Nigerian Insurance Industry, of which this writer was the Secretary, Mr. Lijadu made everyone see the need to collectively build the much desired reputation for the industry and he demonstrated this through his own life of selfless service. He always strongly advocated a return to basics, in order to eliminate the various professional challenges facing the industry. In all these Late Lijadu never suffered fools gladly, as he could be sternly firm when it comes to upholding his convictions. He was a soft spoken executive with a coaching leadership style. He talked with a slow, relaxed cadence and had repeatedly been called a “thoughtful, humble leader” and,ofcourse,he was not a flashy, “look at me, look at what I have achieved leader” who spends time reveling or living above his means.

It is on record that Late Lijadu was a great mentor and a fountain for many insurance professionals, some of who still hold commanding positions in the insurance industry and the nation’s economy today. He simply believed in people and always insisted on the need to unleash their innate potentials at all times. Late Lijadu has been regarded as the Grandfather of the NICON Alumni, formed by retired officers of the defunct company for continuous bonding and networking. His professional and intellectual bent made him suitably fit as Chairman of the Educational Committee of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, among other responsible positions in the industry for many years.

Born on April 2, 1934 at Abeokuta, Ogun State.Lijadu had his primary education at Christ Cathedral and Saints Peters Schools and his secondary education at CMS Grammar School and Kings College all in Lagos. He later won a scholarship in 1960 to study Insurance at the Holborn College of Law, Languages and Commerce, and bagged the Associateship of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London  with specialization in fire insurance in 1963.

He began his career in insurance with the Accounts department of the Royal Exchange Assurance Plc (REAN) in 1955 before going for further studies and on graduation he was promoted to the position of Executive Assistant in the fire department from where he was seconded to reorganize the regional offices of the firm at Accra in Ghana and Freetown in Sierra Leone.

He was the pioneer Fire Manager at inception of Nicon Insurance Corporation in 1970. He was elevated to become Assistant General Manager in 1972 and Deputy General Manager in 1975. In 1989 he was made Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the corporation and retired in 2003.

On the professional front, Lijadu served on various committees of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) since 196, notably as Chairman of the Examination Committee of institute for over 20 years as well Chairman of the Editorial Board.

The life of late Lijadu could be simply be likened to that of a man who came to the world, strived to make it a better place, and bowed out like a great actor, when the ovation was loudest. His death has definitely closed a significant chapter in the history of the insurance industry, just as it has to the Nigerian society and humanity in general.

Tope Adaramola