\n
\n
As tributes continue to flood in over the passing of Nigerian banking titan and business statesman, Dr. Pascal Gabriel Dozie (PGD), one particularly moving homage came from Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe\u2014renowned entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of Tekedia Institute\u2014who described PGD as \u201ca legend who departs the solid bounds of the earth to the ecclesiastical heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an emotionally rich reflection, Prof. Ekekwe recounted personal memories, moments of transformation, and the remarkable legacy left behind by the late founder of Diamond Bank. His words painted a vivid portrait of Dr. Dozie as not only a pioneer of African banking but a compassionate leader who elevated countless young Nigerians.<\/p>\n
\u201cA legend departs from the solid bounds of the earth to the ecclesiastical heaven,\u201d Prof. Ekekwe wrote, \u201cwhere cymbals, tapestries and flutes, with cherubic melodies, welcome a man who raised a generation of young people, pushing them into the path of prosperity and abundance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recounting a powerful encounter from November 2023, he recalled a moment that left him stunned.
\u201cA phone rang, and I picked it. From the other side, an unmistakable voice said, \u2018Prof Ekekwe, I am PGD, your colleague in Diamond Bank.\u2019 I jumped and shouted, \u2018Ifeoma, come over here\u2014because a Legend is on the line!\u2019 Yes, a banking legend, Pascal Dozie, Founder of Diamond Bank, called one of his boys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ekekwe recalled being posted to the Diamond Bank headquarters in Lagos instead of the Owerri branch for which he was originally interviewed. That simple decision, he said, changed his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn just three years, I experienced transformation. Diamond Bank paid for two of my master’s degrees and a correspondence doctoral program in banking and finance,\u201d he said. \u201cChairman PGD showed us grace, kindness and generosity. I recited the Diamond Bank mission and vision statement to him during that call\u2014because I had memorized it while in training school. Great leaders inspire generations\u2014and PGD served.\u201d<\/p>\n
One particular incident stood out vividly in his memory. He recalled trying to return an advance salary payment when he was resigning to pursue studies abroad.
\u201cChairman remembered everything,\u201d Ekekwe noted. \u201cI came to the bank that January morning to submit my resignation letter. Hours before, the bank had paid me a big chunk of my yearly salary. I updated the letter and requested a reversal, because I hadn\u2019t earned it. To my astonishment, PGD later approved for me to keep the money, covering it on behalf of the Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond his human kindness, PGD\u2019s legacy as an innovator was also deeply praised. Ekekwe credited the late founder for pioneering the integrated banking system (DIBS) that connected all bank branches seamlessly\u2014a system that influenced Ekekwe\u2019s own academic pursuits.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the world of African banking, PGD was peerless on innovation,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cIt was DIBS and the Valucard system that drew me to Diamond Bank while I was still a student at FUTO. Even Schlumberger, a top job destination for engineering graduates, couldn\u2019t sway me\u2014I flew to Port Harcourt to decline their offer because I had my heart set on Diamond Bank.\u201d<\/p>\n
PGD\u2019s leadership, according to Ekekwe, left an indelible imprint. \u201cHe transformed a village boy into a global professional. He helped me understand the physics of finance. That was PGD\u2014an innovator, a mentor, a father figure.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Nigeria and the African business community bid farewell to one of its brightest minds, Prof. Ekekwe\u2019s words echo the sentiments of many whose lives were touched by Dr. Pascal Dozie:<\/p>\n
\u201cChairman ascended to heaven today, aged 85, leaving behind a generation of men and women he inspired. An icon of African business. Innovator personalized. THANK YOU, for all you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr. Pascal Dozie may have passed, but the seeds he sowed\u2014in people, in institutions, in ideas\u2014will flourish for generations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As tributes continue to flood in over the passing of Nigerian banking titan and business statesman, Dr. Pascal Gabriel Dozie (PGD), one particularly moving homage came from Professor Ndubuisi Ekekwe\u2014renowned entrepreneur, inventor, and founder of Tekedia Institute\u2014who described PGD as \u201ca legend who departs the solid bounds of the earth to the ecclesiastical heaven.\u201d In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[302,16,346,366,322,300],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements","category-business","category-culture","category-economy","category-opinion","category-society"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techandbiz.com.ng\/tab-backup\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}