Arthur Christopher Mbanefo, one of Nigeria’s most influential accountants and a respected figure in diplomacy, academia and public service, has died at the age of 95.
Mbanefo passed away on Monday, December 2, 2025, according to a report by THISDAY. His death marks the close of a distinguished career that spanned more than half a century and left an enduring imprint on Nigeria’s professional institutions, universities and international standing.
A chartered accountant of rare distinction, Mbanefo served Nigeria as its Permanent Representative to the United Nations and later as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of three leading universities — the University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
Born on June 11, 1930, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Mbanefo had his secondary education at St. Patrick’s College, Calabar. He proceeded to the United Kingdom in the early 1950s, where he trained and qualified as a chartered accountant, before returning home to contribute to Nigeria’s emerging post-independence economy.
Popularly known as the Odu of Onitsha, Mbanefo joined Akintola Williams & Company in 1961. Over 25 years at the firm, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous accountancy practice, he rose to the position of senior partner, earning wide respect for his professionalism, ethical standards and administrative acumen. After leaving the firm in 1986, he established a management consultancy that advised government agencies, corporate bodies and international organisations.
His leadership of ICAN as president in 1978 was widely regarded as transformative. During his tenure, the institute completed and commissioned its permanent secretariat in 1979. Mbanefo also represented Nigeria’s accounting profession at the global level, serving on the governing boards of the International Federation of Accountants and the International Accounting Standards Committee, where he contributed to international standard-setting.
Beyond professional practice, Mbanefo played significant roles in corporate governance and national accountability. He served on the boards of major Nigerian companies and financial institutions and was known for his intellectual rigour and insistence on transparency. He was also a member of the Justice Ayo Irikefe Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the finances of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, where his expertise proved critical.
Mbanefo’s influence in higher education was equally notable. As Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (1984–1986), Obafemi Awolowo University (1986–1990) and Ahmadu Bello University (1990–1993), he helped strengthen governance structures and uphold academic standards during periods of institutional strain.
In 1999, his public service took on a global dimension when President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. At the UN headquarters in New York, Mbanefo represented Nigeria in key deliberations on international peace, development and human rights, enhancing the country’s diplomatic engagement.
His contributions earned him numerous honours, including Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR), Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy, and Grand Officer of Brazil’s National Order of the Southern Cross.
Committed to giving back, Mbanefo supported education and research throughout his life. In 2020, to commemorate his 90th birthday, he donated the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre to the University of Lagos, reinforcing his belief in knowledge, innovation and institutional capacity as foundations for national progress.
Leave a Reply