The former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Emmanuel Ijewere, has passed away, as confirmed by Dare Muyiwa, the senior manager of the corporate communications directorate of ICAN, in a statement to TheCable on Friday.
According to The Cable Ijewere succumbed to a prolonged battle with a terminal illness on Thursday.
When asked if the news of Ijewere was true, Muyiwa said, “Yes, he is late.”
Prior to his demise, Ijewere, a prominent figure in Nigeria’s business landscape, exhibited a diverse range of interests and expertise in banking, finance, and agriculture.
Serving as the 32nd president of ICAN from 1996 to 1997, he also held leadership roles in notable organizations such as the Institute of Directors and the Nigerian Red Cross.
Born in 1946, the former accountant pursued his education in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, Cameroon, and the United Kingdom. Commencing his accounting career in 1965 at Coopers & Lybrand, Ijewere later founded Ijewere & Co., a chartered accountancy firm in Nigeria, in 1979.
Over the years, his firm has evolved into one of the country’s most respected native accounting companies, specializing in tax advisory services.
Ijewere’s influence extended to his roles as chairman and director in numerous companies, including Best Foods Group, Emson, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Drum Resources Nigeria Limited, Apel Capital & Trust Limited, Countrywide Direct Mortgage Company, Kerildbert Holdings, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), Gemini Pharmaceuticals, and others.
Nationally, he served as the pioneer chairman of the Agriculture and Food Security Commission, as well as the director of the defunct Modified Value-Added Tax Committee in 1993.
Additionally, Ijewere was a member of the National Economic Forum (NEF), the International Investment Council, and the Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council under the chairmanship of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. He acted as a resource person on agriculture for the transition committee of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Until his passing, Ijewere held the position of president of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, serving as the umbrella organization for Nigerian agriculture.
