Pascal Dozie, founder of the defunct Diamond Bank Plc, has died at the age of 85.
The economist died on April 8 (a day before his 86th birthday), according to a statement on Tuesday by his family, represented by Uzoma Dozie, his son.
“With deep sorrow, but with gratitude to God for a life well spent, we announce the passing of our beloved father, Pascal Gabriel Dozie, on 8th April 2025.
“He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a man of unwavering Catholic faith. His life was marked by service—to God, his family, and his country.
“He is survived by his loving wife, Chinyere, his children, grandchildren, and all who were blessed to know him. We thank God for the gift of his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”
Born on April 9, 1939, in Egbu, Owerri, Imo, Pascal Dozie was the founder of Diamond Bank in 1990, before its merger with Access Bank.
The bank was later handed over to his son, Uzoma, according to the statement.
Dozie also served as the pioneer chairman of MTN Nigeria, playing a pivotal role in shaping the country’s mobile telecommunications revolution.
“Dozie’s early brilliance took him from Our Lady’s School in Emekuku to the London School of Economics, where he studied economics and earned a master’s degree in administrative science,” the statement further reads.
It added that his leadership style, marked “by humility, integrity, and long-term vision, earned him widespread recognition, including the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON”).
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has extended his heartfelt condolences to the Dozie family, the business community, and all Nigerians on the passing of Chief (Dr.) Pascal Gabriel Dozie, an elder statesman, entrepreneur, and banker.
The president, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Pascal Dozie, OON, was a visionary whose contributions to Nigeria’s economic architecture left an enduring legacy. “As the founder of Diamond Bank and the pioneer chairman of MTN Nigeria, he was at the forefront of two of the most transformative sectors in Nigeria’s development journey: banking and telecommunications.
“Dozie, a steadfast believer in Nigeria’s vast potential, was pivotal in shaping the financial services industry and expanding access to mobile connectivity nationwide. His influential leadership extended well beyond corporate boardrooms.
In addition to his business acumen, Chief Dozie served as a former director at the Central Bank of Nigeria, president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, dedicating decades of service to national policy formulation, private sector development, and youth empowerment.
President Tinubu lauds Chief Dozie as “a rare breed business leader whose wisdom, humility, and pioneering efforts laid a foundation upon which many continue to build. His passing is a profound loss to the private sector and Nigeria.”
The president prayed for the peaceful repose of Dozie’s soul and extended his condolences to his wife, children, and extended family. He calls upon the Nigerian private sector to honour Dozie’s memory by upholding the values of integrity, innovation, and nation-building, for which he was renowned.
