Renowned banker, investor and philanthropist, Pascal Gabriel Dozie, died recently at the age of 86. Born in 1939 in Egbu, Owerri, to a Catholic catechist, Mr. Charles Dozie, the late Pascal attended Our Lady’s B School Emekuku, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate. He proceeded to the Holy Ghost Juniorate Seminary and Holy Ghost College Owerri, sat and successfully passed his WASSCE in flying colours. Having completed his secondary education, his quest for success and aspirations to reach the pinnacle of his chosen career led him to travel from the heartland of Eastern Nigeria to the metropolis of London where he studied Economics at the London School of Economics.
He obtained his first university degree in Economics with flying colours. After completing his first degree, his quest for more educational accomplishment led him to City University in London, where he studied Operational Research and Industrial Engineering, obtaining a Master’s Degree in Administrative Science. At this stage of his life, it was apparent to everyone that he was headed for the top. He started his career in the United Kingdom at the office of the National Economic Development, and while working there, he took a part-time lecturing job at the North Western Polytechnic London. He was a versatile person whose knowledge and hunger to impact other people knew no bounds. His integrity and dedication to work saw him serve in Uganda successfully as a consulting economist at the African States Consulting Organization. In 1971, he returned to Nigeria to establish his first company, African Development Consulting Group (ADCG). His strides in his private company attracted the interest of captains of industries and the corporate world. The then governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Clement Isong, subsequently engaged his services in a research capacity on commercial banks. At this stage, his reputation in the banking industry and financial market was growing like wildfire. In 1985, he was appointed to serve as the chairman of the defunct Progress Bank. Dozie’s self-conviction that he had more to contribute to the banking sector led him to take a bold step that would affect the lives of millions of people and change the banking landscape in Nigeria.
In 1990, he applied for a banking licence and in 1991, Diamond Bank came on board. It was a huge sigh of relief for many small-scale business operators and investors, especially traders who needed a bank that would require small deposits to open a bank account. He was at the helm of affairs of the bank as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from inception to 2006 when he handed over the baton of leadership to his son, Uzoma Dozie. Today, Diamond Bank is successfully subsumed under Access Bank in a merger that did not lead to the loss of customers’ funds. Pascal Dozie’s sterling career led him to serve as the president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He owned substantial shares in MTN, a leading global telecommunication company, and rose to become the chairman. His remarkable legacy in MTN has solidified the business interest of the company across the country and Africa in general. No one will deny that MTN’s success story is synonymous to his name, dedication, business acumen, and selfless service.
As he takes a bow, traveling the way of all mortals into eternity, the world celebrates him, the business and banking community celebrates him, and the board and management of Sun Newspaper also celebrate him. Young business executives should emulate his ground-breaking achievements and possibly improve on them. No one will doubt Pascal Dozie’s affectionate commitment to human progress within his Owerri community and Nigeria at large. Anytime the success story of Nigeria’s banking sector is told, his name will surely be there. Anytime the success story of Nigeria’s telecommunication industrial revolution is told, as long as MTN is operational, his name will surely be there. Indeed, the history and progress of the Nigerian Stock Exchange cannot be complete without a mention of his name. It is commendable that he mentored many people who today occupy important positions in the banking sector and telecommunications industry. Adieu, Pascal Gabriel Dozie, for your contributions to humanity, the business world and the banking industry in Nigeria.