The family of Chief Oludolapo Ibukun Akinkugbe, CFR, CON, FPS, has announced the peaceful passing of their patriarch on Monday, September 22, 2025, in Lagos. He was 96 years old.
Chief Akinkugbe, born on December 5, 1928, in Ondo, was one of Nigeria’s most distinguished pharmacists, entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and philanthropists. With a career that spanned over seven decades, he lived a life defined by vision, service, and integrity.
After qualifying as a pharmacist in 1949, he began his career at Lagos General Hospital before blazing trails in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical manufacturing. He founded Palm Chemists in the 1950s, establishing one of Nigeria’s earliest modern retail pharmacy chains, and later set up Vitalink Pharmaceutical Industries, which went into a landmark partnership with Procter & Gamble. He served as Chairman of P&G Nigeria until 2010.
Beyond the pharmaceutical sector, Chief Akinkugbe’s influence extended into banking, consumer goods, manufacturing, and technology. He served on the boards of several leading institutions, including Barclays Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Bank of Industry, FrieslandCampina WAMCO, Fan Milk, SmithKline Beecham (now GSK), West African Portland Cement, and SecureID. He also co-founded and led business associations such as the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce, and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN).
In recognition of his immense contributions to Nigeria, Chief Akinkugbe received multiple national and international honours, among them MON (1965), CON (2001), CFR (2014), and the Royal Dutch honour of Officer of the Orange Nassau. He also held traditional chieftaincy titles in Ondo and Ibadan.
His quiet but far-reaching philanthropy focused on education and healthcare. He established the Olu Akinkugbe Pharmacy Education Trust (OAPET), which endowed the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, and supported numerous institutions including Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos Business School, All Saints College, and the University of Cape Town. The Olu Akinkugbe WAMCO Nutrition Centre also stands as a testament to his vision.
A devout Christian, family man, and community leader, Chief Akinkugbe was married to Mrs. Janet Oladunni Akinkugbe for nearly 70 years, until her passing on September 11, 2025 — just eleven days before his. He is survived by four children, eleven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and extended family.
The family has requested privacy as funeral and memorial arrangements are being finalized.
May his soul rest in perfect peace.
Signed:
Olayinka Akinkugbe, for the Family.
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