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Renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, Chief Bode Akindele, is dead.
A close associate of the late Parakoyi of Ibadan and Chairman Modandola Group, Oloye Lekan Alabi, who confirmed the demise of Akindele, said he died in Lagos on Monday, aged 88 years.
Akindele attended Olubi Memorial School, Ibadan, before proceeding to Lisabi Commercial College, Abeokuta for his secondary school education. Though he had wished to attend Ibadan Grammar School or ibadan Boys High School just like his friends, he was restricted due to his inability to pass the exam.
He, however, noted that it was at the Commercial School that he received the training that has helped him in building a successful business empire.
Akindele worked as secretary to an assistant district officer in 1952 and later became a cadet manager with the United Africa Company (UAC), where he was an assistant to the expatriate manager at Oyo. Akindele left UAC foods for the Western Nigerian Union of Importers and Exporters.
His philanthropic gestures spans decades, with a recent donation of N100 million to the Federal Government, Oyo and Lagos State governments in the fight against COVID-19 being the latest before his demise.
Through his Bode Akindele Foundation, the deceased has for many decades awarded scholarships to bright and indigent students.
Similarly, through the Bode Akindele Youths Initiatives, the late Akindele collaborated with the University of Ibadan in giving vocational training alongside academic to students.
Before his demise, Akindele was Chairman of Mondandola Group, a group of companies with business interests in maritime, real estate, construction among others, with its headquarters in United Kingdom. He was also the Baba Ijo, Methodist Church Nigeria, Agbeni, Ibadan, Oyo State.