Ike Chioke Mourns Pascal Dozie: ‘A Titan of Industry, A Beacon of Humility’

LAGOS/Nigeria: The Group Managing Director of Afrinvest, Ike Chioke, has paid glowing tribute to the late Nigerian business icon and philanthropist, Pascal Gabriel Dozie, describing him as a quiet transformer whose impact on Nigeria’s economic and human capital landscape was both profound and enduring.

Dozie, who died on April 8, 2025, just a day before his 86th birthday, was remembered by Chioke as a man of extraordinary humility, visionary leadership, and unwavering commitment to national development. In a heartfelt statement issued on May 2, 2025, Chioke referred to him simply as “PGD”, affirming that he represented “calm and peace at the summit.”

Quoting Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Chioke likened Dozie to “the northern star”—constant, unwavering, and inspiring. “Long before I met PGD, I had heard of his entrepreneurial genius, innovative flair, and educational philanthropy. He was a deliberate architect of Nigeria’s economic future, sponsoring dozens of young Nigerians to Ivy League institutions in the ’90s,” Chioke said.

Chioke praised Dozie’s quiet but resolute devotion to national progress, noting that his philanthropic gestures were not acts of impulse but part of a sustained mission to empower generations. “His legacy is one of service without self-interest, leadership without arrogance, and faith without cynicism,” he said.

A towering figure in Nigeria’s corporate history, Pascal Dozie was the founder of Diamond Bank, later acquired by Access Bank, and a former chairman of MTN Nigeria. He was also a founding member of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group and a past president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Chioke reflected on the late entrepreneur’s leadership style, describing him as a man who “listened more than he spoke,” and who led not by authority, but by the strength of example. “His presence was never imposing, but always commanding. He was a delight to follow,” he said.

Dozie’s influence, Chioke noted, stretched far beyond boardrooms and banking halls. “His achievements, as visible as they are, pale when measured against the number of lives he transformed, the leaders he mentored, and the values he instilled across generations.”

Born in 1939 in Egbu village, Owerri, Imo State, Pascal Dozie’s life was steeped in scholarship and service. The son of a Catholic catechist, he was educated at the London School of Economics and later earned a master’s degree in Operational Research and Industrial Engineering from City University, London.

He began his career at the National Economic Development Office in the UK and lectured part-time at North Western Polytechnic, London. From 1970 to 1971, he served as a consulting economist in Uganda before returning to Nigeria at his mother’s behest. He would go on to serve as an economic consultant to the Central Bank of Nigeria and later chairman of Progress Bank.

In 1991, after fulfilling all regulatory requirements, Dozie launched Diamond Bank—an institution that began with a modest N10 million share capital and only 21 shareholders. He served as its Chief Executive Officer until 2006.

As Nigeria mourns one of its greatest financial minds, Chioke summed up the loss succinctly: “PGD never sought accolades; accolades sought him. His life is proof that one man, with vision and compassion, can alter the destiny of a nation.”

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