By Dr. Abiola Salami
In a world where status often overshadows service, Dr. Christopher Olusola Kolade stood apart. He lived by the timeless creed that “we make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” His life was not a parade of titles though he earned many, but a steady testimony of integrity, humility, and sacrificial leadership.
Born on December 28, 1932, in Erin-Oke, Osun State, Dr. Kolade was raised by an Anglican missionary father and a mother whose faith shaped his moral compass. After attending Government College, Ibadan, and Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, he joined the Nigerian civil service as an education officer before moving to the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
As Director-General of NBC in the 1970s, he redefined broadcasting as a public trust. Under his leadership, truth was sacred, professionalism was enforced, and propaganda found no place. At a time when many used the airwaves for influence, Kolade used them for integrity.
When he moved into the private sector, joining Cadbury Nigeria Plc in 1978, his ethical compass didn’t change. Rising to Managing Director and later Chairman, he built a company culture rooted in fairness and accountability. Later, as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (2002–2007), he represented the nation with humility, diligence, and dignity — the kind that earns respect without demanding it.
He also became a mentor to thousands through Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, and as founder of the Christopher Kolade Foundation, which champions education, leadership, and the girl child. Wherever he served, he left behind the fragrance of integrity.
But for me, his impact was not just professional; it was personal.
My Father Is Gone, and I Am Grateful
When I lost my biological father in July 2001, I knew how challenging life would be. I was still an undergraduate — a young man who had suddenly inherited a wife he didn’t propose to and four children he didn’t birth, while he himself was still somehow a child.
I had great hopes that the future would be better. I couldn’t wait to graduate, find a job, and start earning decent income so I could continue paying what we now call “Black Tax” the price of love and responsibility in a communal culture.
My quest landed me a job in Port Harcourt, which I eventually lost because I refused to be complicit in a fraudulent act. Despite the desperation of my situation, I insisted that we must not go the dishonest route. I lost the job, but I kept my integrity.
Many years later, destiny orchestrated another meeting that would change my life forever. I met Dr. Christopher Kolade in an unconventional situation that could have ended my career; it was a setup that could have taken me off a promising path. But God turned it into an escalator to greatness.
After few interactions on a professional level, Dr. Kolade held my hands for 17 years. He gave me his time for 17 years. He gave me wisdom for 17 years. He gave me access for 17 years.
He wrote the foreword for my first book. He put his money where his mouth was by becoming the first investor in CHAMP before the dream I carried in my heart even had form or void.
Many attempted to kill my potential, but he shielded me and guided me. Many sold mentorship as a marketing strategy for their own survival, but he mentored with compassion and no agenda. Many used biblical principles as a rent-seeking tool, but he lived them as a God-seeker. Many dismissed me, but he gave me unfettered access to his wisdom and resources.
10 years ago, I could have died in an accident on my way home from an altruistic overnight church engagement. To the church I served, I was just a number but he reached out to comfort & guide me with wisdom and grace.
He placed me on pedestals I could only dream of, guided me through heartbreaks, transitions, and tests of integrity. He taught me to walk with dignity, even when unseen.
Thank you, Daddy, for accepting to be my father. Thank you for mentoring me not as a means to an end but as a selfless act of service to a boy who had dreams but needed direction.
If I have ever added any value to you, my reader, through my life or work; it is because my biological father, Mr. M.O. Salami, laid a foundation, and my adopted father, Dr. Christopher Olusola Kolade, built upon it the pillars of:
- Confidence without noise, arrogance, or narcissism.
- Compassion without bias, selfishness, or agenda.
- Competence without complacency or mediocrity.
- Character without compromise.
- Courage without ego, cruelty, or recklessness.
The True Measure of a Leader
Dr. Kolade’s life forces every leader in government, business, church, or civil service to confront a simple question: What are you really giving?
It is easy to eulogize integrity; it is harder to embody it.
Today, many who post glowing tributes about “Mr. Integrity” will return to offices steeped in corruption, nepotism, and greed. That is not a tribute; it is treason against his values.
Leadership is not a stage for acquisition. It is a platform for contribution.
Dr. Kolade’s life reminds us that the best legacy is not wealth, title, or network, but character the invisible asset that outlives every award.
He taught us that you can be firm without being fierce, powerful without being proud, and successful without being selfish.
He showed that true leadership is not about being followed, but about being trusted.
Rest in Power, Mr. Integrity
Dr. Kolade was a broadcaster who gave voice to truth, a CEO who gave structure to integrity, a diplomat who gave Nigeria a good name, a teacher who gave knowledge freely, and a mentor who gave his heart without hesitation.
In him, leadership found its conscience. In his legacy, Nigeria must find its compass.
Because in the end, we all make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. And Dr. Christopher Olusola Kolade made a life that gave us all something to live for.
Thank you, Daddy. I will continue to do my best to pay it forward. I am grateful to God for making our paths cross.
Rest in Power, my father.
— Your Son, Abiola.
About Dr. Abiola Salami
Dr. Abiola Salami is the Convener of Dr Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp ; The Peak PerformerTM Festival Made4More Accelerator Program and The New Year Kickoff Summit. He is the Principal Performance Strategist at CHAMP – a full scale professional services firm trusted by high performing business leaders for providing Executive Coaching, Workforce Development & Advisory Services to improve performance. You can reach his team on hello@abiolachamp.com and connect with him @abiolachamp on all social media platforms.
For private coaching, boardroom recalibration, or executive healing strategy, connect email me directly at hello@abiolachamp.com to begin your private Executive Coaching Session.
