Pascal Gabriel Dozie, the visionary entrepreneur who pioneered modern banking in Nigeria through Diamond Bank Plc and steered MTN Nigeria to market dominance, has died at the age of 85. Family sources confirmed that Dozie passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Lagos, following a brief illness related to age, just a day before what would have been his 86th birthday.
Born on April 9, 1939, in Egbu, Owerri North of Imo State, Dozie was a towering figure in Nigeria’s corporate and financial ecosystem. In 1990, he founded Diamond Bank, a revolutionary financial institution that introduced customer-centric banking long before it became an industry standard. He remained at the helm until his retirement in 2006, handing over leadership to his son, Uzoma Dozie, and guiding the bank through several reforms until its 2019 merger with Access Bank.
Dozie also made a profound mark in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. He served as the pioneer chairman of MTN Nigeria from 2001, overseeing its emergence as the country’s largest telecom provider and playing a pivotal role in deepening mobile connectivity across Africa’s most populous nation.
A seasoned economist and public intellectual, Dozie was educated at the London School of Economics and earned a Master’s in Administrative Science from City University in the UK. Before establishing Diamond Bank, he consulted for major organizations including the Central Bank of Nigeria and NAL Merchant Bank.
Over the decades, Dozie served on various national economic panels and corporate boards, advocating for inclusive growth, indigenous entrepreneurship, and structural reforms in Nigeria’s financial system. He also mentored a generation of business leaders, leaving behind a legacy of integrity, innovation, and nation-building.
Condolence messages have begun pouring in from across Nigeria’s business and political landscapes. Industry leaders, former colleagues, and public figures have described him as a quiet force who shaped modern banking and corporate governance in Nigeria with unmatched foresight.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in the coming days. Dozie is survived by his wife, Chinyere, and their children, including Uzoma Dozie, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a respected banker and fintech innovator.
