High-Profile Dignitaries Attend Funeral of Segun Awolowo, Grandson of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
The funeral service for Segun Awolowo, grandson of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and former Executive Director of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), attracted a host of high-profile figures on Friday.
Family, friends, and associates of the late Awolowo gathered at Our Saviour’s Church, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos State, to pay their respects during the solemn ceremony.
Prominent attendees included former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and his wife Toyin, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun.
President Bola Tinubu was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who delivered a tribute highlighting Segun Awolowo’s dedication to national service and his contributions to public life.
The service celebrated the life and legacy of a man widely respected for his commitment to both his family’s heritage and the nation.
He was quoted as saying, “Segun served Nigeria with an exceptional passion and unending dedication. From his earliest days as a Special Assistant to the President, through his distinguished tenure as Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, he pursued his objectives with discipline and purpose, achieving real success for our country.
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“His latter service as Secretary of the National Committee for the African Continental Free Trade Area underscored his belief in a future for Nigeria and Africa built on trade, collaboration and shared prosperity.
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“He was a family man, a kind and gentle man who spoke to people’s hearts just as well as he did to their minds.”
Sharing photos from the event on X on Friday, Sanwo-Olu remarked that Awolowo honored his family’s distinguished legacy with grace while carving out his own path.
“He served Nigeria with quiet strength, steady conviction and a rare commitment to the ideals he held dear. My thoughts are with his wife, Adebola, his children and the entire Awolowo family,” he wrote.
In a separate post, Saraki described Awolowo as the “very definition of a good man.”
“His character was impeccable, and his influence was profound. Though we mourn his passing, we take comfort in knowing he lived a life of purpose and service. He will be dearly missed,” Saraki wrote.
Other notable Nigerians at the service included former Governors James Ibori (Delta), Adeniyi Adebayo (Ekiti), and Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), as well as numerous Anglican bishops and priests, traditional and religious leaders, and business leaders.
The Awolowo family announced that Segun Awolowo passed away on November 20 at the age of 62.
