Mr Babatunde Fashola, a former Governor of Lagos, on Tuesday described the late insurance expert, Dr Olawale Banmore, as a model of responsible citizenship.
Fashola said in Lagos that Banmore, who died in December 2025, devoted his influence and resources to institutional development.
He lauded the late insurance expert’s commitment to service and advancement of education, urging Nigerians to support the schools and communities that shaped them.
Fashola spoke at a Day of Tributes and Posthumous Book Presentation in honour of Banmore.
The book entitled “The Claims Advantage: How Smart Insurance Firms Win and Keep Customers” was authored by Banmore.
The former governor delivered the keynote address at the event held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Fashola said that Banmore’s life reflected a philosophy of service, particularly through his contributions to Patigi Secondary School Old Boys Association and his sustained support for indigent students of the school.
According to him, Banmore demonstrated that individuals owe their alma maters more than nostalgia,
He said that educational institutions would “graduate” into what their students would become and what they would be prepared to give back.
“We do not graduate from our schools, our schools graduate from us,” Fashola said.
He said that Banmore viewed old boys associations as institutions for preserving values, mobilising resources and connecting generations, rather than mere social clubs for reunions and reminiscences.
“Institutions are preserved first by concern, then by organisation, then by sacrifice and finally by structure.
“I don’t think Dr Banmore had billions of naira, but he had a large heart. He recognised his origin and gave back selflessly to the place that made him,” he said.
The former governor identified memory, network, example and continuity as the four major powers of old boys associations.
He said that such associations preserved standards and institutional values, assembled professional competence for public good, inspired younger generations through practical acts of gratitude, and provided continuity beyond changing political administrations.
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He said that old students must move beyond emotional attachment to practical interventions capable of strengthening schools through scholarships, infrastructure support, fundraising and mentorship.
“A child who sees old students return to build a classroom learns that gratitude must be practical. He learns that citizenship is reciprocal.”
Fashola added that schools survived when their products refused to abandon them, warning that neglecting educational institutions would translate into wider social costs.
He urged old boys associations and professionals across the country to reflect on what they would be preserving, building and funding for future generations.
“Influence is not to be accumulated, it is to be deployed.
“Banmore’s legacy remains significant because he converted opportunity into service and used his influence to widen opportunities for others,” Fashola said.
Reviewing the book, Dr Reuben Abati, an Arise Television anchor and former Presidential Spokesman, said the role of insurance companies had become more important as the world had become more problematic, with crises unpredictable.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the book is divided into six chapters and 116 pages.
It focused on how insurance claims are handled and why insurance claims matter.
Abati said that insurance would provide individuals with a safety net when life would take an unexpected turn.
According to him, in the book, the late author argued that claims would matter, and explained why and how they could be managed efficiently and professionally.
“Late Dr Banmore discussed how insurance firms can achieve excellence in claims management, the challenges and the strategies.”
Quoting an excerpt from the book, Abati said thatNigeria’s insurance industry stood at a critical inflection point with challenges and opportunities.
Abati said that insurance was Banmore’s life and the book, his legacy.
“He wrote about the subject at the very core, and in so doing, he covered the field in a prose that is accessible and reader-friendly, devoid of jargons.
“For every challenge, the book offers a multilayered approach as solution and proposes a call for change as to how insurance firms handle claims.
“This book was written by Banmore before his death in December 2025 and has now been published posthumously as an act of remembrance, a legacy project, a memorial, a labour of duty and respect.”
Mr Bode Opadokun, Managing Director, Sanlam General Insurance, described Banmore as a friend and brother.
“For 27 years, we were best of friends and during this period, he was someone I could rely on without hesitation.
“We shared countless conversations, laughters and memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
“Wale was indeed a rare gem and an exemplary leader. He was very intelligent, remarkably kind and exceptionally humble.’
He added that Banmore loved unconditionally and cared for everyone who came his way.
Opadokun said that Banmore left behind a legacy of positive impacts in the lives of many individuals from different tribes.
He said that Banmore’s greatest legacy was his family, which he achieved by being a present and loving spouse, a caring father and a good grandfather.
“He was like a proverbial stream that kept flowing because it is connected to its source.
“In this loss, we find comfort and gratitude in knowing what we share with him.”
(NAN)
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