Edo
Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, who died early Sunday morning 8th of August was born in Benin City on 7th January 1958, to the family of Reverend Robert Amos Okunbo, a clergyman, teacher and community leader.
Okunbo had his primary education at Government Primary School Benin City, Edo State. He proceeded to Federal Government College, Warri, in 1971, where he sat for West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
He proceeded to Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria, Kaduna State, and became a professional commercial pilot at the age of 21. He also attended ACME School of Aeronautics, Fort Worth Texas in 1983, where he obtained an Airline Transport Pilot License.(2)
Upon graduation, Okunbo became a professional commercial pilot, and was made a captain in 1983 at the age of 25. He was a flight captain with Intercontinental Airlines for about two years, before joining Okada Airlines for three years. In 1988, he retired from piloting at the age of 30, having logged over 7,000 hours of flight time, and ventured into private business.
He established Hoslyn VenturesNigeria Ltd,a company that was involved with procurement in the Nigerian petroleum sector.
He founded and chaired the following Nigerian companies:
CMES-OMS Petroleum Development Company (CPDC), which, in September 2019, signed $875.75m alternative financing deal for the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC);The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments, Abuja;Wells Hosa Green Farms among others.
Honours
Okunbo received the Africa Titans Award in 2012, from the Congress of the United States in collaboration with the African Society Summit, in recognition of his “strides on behalf of Africa in the international arena.
Also,in November 2012, the University of Benin conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Science degree, and In March 2017, he received Businessman of the Year award at the ‘2016 Vanguard Personality of Year Awards
On Saturday, September 21, 2019, in Geneva, Switzerland, he was bestowed with the Global Peace Award from the chairman of the Order of Lafayette Awards, “
in recognition of his efforts in global peace and business innovations.”
Okumba was granted the “Worthy Ambassador of Unity Award” as an old student of Federal Government College, Warri in March 2016.
He was a renowned philanthropist.
