Nigeria’s foremost insurance expert Prof. Joe Irukwu, is dead. He died on Friday, aged 89.
Irukwu was the founding managing director of Nigerian Reinsurance Corporation.
He also founded African Development Insurance Company, which was later sold to Diamond Bank.
A statement by Prince Harrison Eze Okorie, President General, Amaokwe Item Welfare Union said: “The Amaokwe Item Welfare Union on behalf of entire Amaba Ukwu kindred and the immediate family hereby announce the glorious but painful demise of our great patron, father, grandfather, son and brother, Prof. Joe Irukwu, SAN, CFR.
“The Union on behalf Amaokwe Community, commiserate with the family and pray to God to grant his soul peaceful rest.
“The Union enjoin all Amaokwe sons and daughters to mourn the exit of this giant as we also remember to uphold his family in prayers in this moment of grief.”
Irukwu obtained a degree in Law and Insurance from a British university in 1962.
He was one of the leading lights in the African insurance landscape and was instrumental to the formation of bodies such as: African insurance Organization (AIO); West African insurance Association (WAICA) and more.
In Nigeria, he was a former Chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA); President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) amongst others.
President Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Edwin Igbiti, said a hero has gone and his contributions would be greatly missed.
He noted that Irukwu was the only Professor the institute had and that he greatly contributed to the growth and development of the institute.