Our Reporter, Abuja
Arthur Christopher Mbanefo, one of Nigeria’s most distinguished accountants and a prominent figure in the country’s professional, academic and diplomatic circles, has died at the age of 95.
Mbanefo, the Odu of Onitsha, was a renowned chartered accountant, elder statesman and former Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations. His death marks the end of a life defined by decades of service to Nigeria and the global community.
Born on June 11, 1930, in Onitsha, Anambra State, Mbanefo received his early education at St. Patrick’s College, Calabar, before travelling to the United Kingdom, where he trained and qualified as a chartered accountant in the mid-1950s. He returned to Nigeria to begin a professional career that would span more than 50 years.
He was a long-serving partner at Akintola Williams & Company, Nigeria’s oldest indigenous accounting firm, joining the practice in 1961 and later becoming its senior partner before retiring in 1986. He subsequently established his own management consultancy, offering advisory services to governments, corporations and international organisations.
A respected leader within the accounting profession, Mbanefo served as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 1978. During his tenure, the ICAN Secretariat was completed and officially opened in April 1979. He also represented the institute on the governing boards of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC).
Beyond accountancy, Mbanefo played influential roles in corporate governance and public service, serving on the boards of major Nigerian companies and financial institutions. 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 financial expertise proved invaluable.
His commitment to education was equally notable. Mbanefo served as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council at three leading Nigerian universities: the University of Lagos (1984–1986), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (1986–1990), and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1990–1993). In these roles, he was widely credited with promoting academic excellence, strong governance and institutional integrity during challenging periods for higher education.
In 1999, President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed Mbanefo Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. At the UN, he represented the country in high-level diplomatic engagements and contributed to discussions on peace, security, development and human rights, enhancing Nigeria’s international profile.
In tribute to him on his 94th birthday, President Bola Tinubu described Mbanefo as part of a rare generation of Nigerian statesmen distinguished by integrity, diligence and patriotism.
Throughout his life, Mbanefo earned numerous honours in recognition of his service. He was a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He also received several national and international 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.
His philanthropy reflected his enduring belief in education. In 2020, to mark his 90th birthday, he donated the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre to the University of Lagos.
Details of his burial arrangements are yet to be announced by the family. Mbanefo is remembered as a consummate professional who viewed accountancy as a calling, a diplomat who gave Nigeria a respected voice on the global stage, and a leader who championed ethical governance and education as pillars of national development.
