The Statue of Late Chief Bode Akindele unveiled, amid cheers.

Mathew Oyedele

Family and friends of Late Chief Bode Akindele pose for a picture before the statue. Photo credit: Djakou Kassi Nathalie.

After a series of daily workings spanning a couple of months, the statue of Chief Bode Akindele was completed and mounted in May 2021 by a workforce that consists of Ato Arinze as the sculptor, Henry Unuigboje and David Kpanaki as studio associates, Djakou Kassi Nathalie as the photographer and Oladapo Oyekunle as the logistics supervisor.

Fibre glass, mixed with marble and stone dust, and acrylic bronze as the surface finish was used to actualise the project which was commissioned by the Akindele family in Ibadan to celebrate and immortalise the legacy of Chief Bode Akindele, as a proud father, grandfather, great- grandfather, a successful business man, an industrialist and a philanthropist.

Chief Bode Akindele was a man of many enterprises and international connections. He was the Chairman of Modandola Group, a holding company which covers banking, real estate, manufacturing and shipping. Chief Bode Akindele was a businessman who endured and navigated the challenges, uncertainties and surprises of the Nigerian environment to build a lasting legacy. He was the founder of Fairgate Group, a United Kingdom-based holding company with significant interest in properties, and the Parakoyi of Ibadanland.

Close-up shot of the statue before completion. Photo credit: Djakou Kassi Nathalie.

The completion of the project is not the only thing that excites Ato Arinze, it also serves as a milestone achievement in his career: "The project, which is my second statue commission is a way to mark my 30 years of being a full-time sculptor. It is also my first work to be mounted in a public space."

The project was unveiled on the 29th of June 2021 at the entrance of Chief Bode Akindele's industrial estate in Alomaja, Ibadan in the presence of his family members, friends, and officials of his church.

Ato Arinze working on the statue. Photo credit: Djakou Kassi Nathalie.

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