By Chukwuma Umeorah
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged members of the Ibru family to preserve their unity and build on the values established by the family’s founders, saying doing so would ensure that one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous business legacies continues to endure across generations.
Obasanjo made the call in Lagos yesterday at the launch of ‘The Ibru Story: An Account of a Pioneering Nigerian Business Family,’ a book chronicling the history, achievements and evolution of the Ibru family from its early beginnings to one of Africa’s leading indigenous business groups.
Describing the late Olorogun Michael Ibru as a leader who united his siblings around a shared vision, Obasanjo said the family’s greatest responsibility now is to sustain that bond. “This assembly must be held together at all costs. If there are areas where we still have to work to bring people in, we should do it. We should never be tired. All the family together.”
He added that the family’s legacy should remain visible through continued service to Nigeria and future generations.
Chief Host of the event, Goodie Minabo Ibru, said the publication was undertaken to preserve the family’s history before the memories of those who witnessed its formative years were lost. He said previous efforts by the late Michael Ibru and the late Olorogun Felix Ibru to document the family’s journey were never completed, making it necessary to ensure the story was finally recorded.
“As time passed and more of those who had witnessed the early years left us, I became increasingly conscious that we could not continue to postpone the task,” he said. “Memories fade. Documents are lost. Those who can explain the meaning behind events are no longer always available. I, therefore, felt a responsibility to ensure that the story was gathered and preserved while it was still possible.”
Goodie Ibru said the book was intended not only to document commercial achievements but also to preserve the family’s values of discipline, enterprise, faith, service and responsibility for future generations.
He also announced that proceeds from the publication would be dedicated to the Ibru Foundation to support educational and other developmental initiatives.
“Our wish is that our family book will be more than a record of commercial achievement. May it inspire its readers through its lessons of vision, enterprise, courage, hard work, faith, commitment to family and service to society,” he said.
Author of the book, Mike Awoyinfa, said the publication sought to preserve the authentic story of a family whose contributions extended beyond business into hospitality, media, politics and national development.
He described the Ibru family as an example of how shared vision and complementary leadership could create enduring institutions, noting that the book was intended to serve as a resource for entrepreneurs, business families and young Nigerians.
The Book Reviewer, Professor Godini G. Darah described The Ibru Story as an important contribution to documenting indigenous enterprise in Africa. He said the book challenged negative stereotypes about the continent by presenting the story of a Nigerian family that built a diversified business empire through vision, discipline and entrepreneurship.
According to Darah, the 342-page book provides lessons in business leadership, succession, family governance and philanthropy, while preserving an important chapter of Nigeria’s economic history.
He noted that the publication traced the evolution of the Ibru Organisation from Michael Ibru’s pioneering frozen fish business into a conglomerate with interests in shipping, hospitality, agriculture, aviation, banking, oil and gas, among other sectors.
The Ibru Story chronicles the lives and contributions of the Ibru family across business, public service and philanthropy while documenting the transition of the family’s legacy to a new generation and highlighting the principles that shaped one of Nigeria’s best-known indigenous business dynasties.
(The Sun)