Lucia Onabanjo: A Centenarian’s Final Transition to Glory

The curtains have fallen on a remarkable century of service, grace, and unwavering faith with the passing of Chief (Mrs.) Lucia Onabowale Onabanjo. The matriarch of the Onabanjo family and widow of Ogun State’s first civilian governor, Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo, died on Monday, January 11, 2026, just months after celebrating her historic 100th birthday. Her daughter, Ms. Olubukunola Onabanjo, confirmed the transition in a statement that described her mother’s life as a fulfilled journey rooted in an enduring legacy of love and strength.

Born in the quiet town of Ijebu-Ode in 1925, Lucia’s life was a bridge between Nigeria’s colonial past and its modern democratic struggles. At the age of ten, she moved to Lagos, a transition that would define her academic and professional future. Under the strict but nurturing guidance of Irish Sisters, she developed the discipline that led her to the Teachers’ Training College in Yaba. Despite being offered a scholarship to study in England, she famously declined, choosing instead to remain in Nigeria to ensure her children were raised with her direct presence and values—a decision she never regretted.

Teaching was not merely a job for Madam Onabanjo; it was a vocation that lasted 22 years. She served in various schools across Lagos and Zaria, balancing the demands of a classroom with the pressures of being married to one of Nigeria’s most prominent nationalist leaders and journalists. Her husband, known for his fearless “Ayekooto” column, often faced the wrath of military regimes, but Lucia remained a steady anchor. Even when he was jailed during the military era, she embodied a heart of forgiveness and resilience that later earned her the public admiration of President Bola Tinubu.

Despite her husband’s towering political status, Lucia was celebrated for her profound humility. She lived a famously simple life in a modest home, shunning the ostentation often associated with political families. She was a woman who preferred traditional staple foods and local customs over foreign luxuries, maintaining that true character was built at home. A vocal critic of modern parenting, she frequently urged contemporary mothers and fathers to be more intentional and “present” in their children’s lives, lamenting the trend of children exerting undue influence over their parents.

Her spiritual life was equally significant, serving as the Iya Ijo of St. Sebastian Catholic Cathedral in Ijebu-Ode. In her later years, she became a beacon of wisdom for both the church and the community, often sought out for counsel by governors and national leaders alike. At her centenary celebration in October 2025, President Tinubu hailed her as a “reflection of grace and wisdom,” noting that her life was deeply woven into the moral and political history of the Yoruba nation and Nigeria at large.

The passing of Madam Onabanjo marks the end of an era for the people of Ogun State. She leaves behind a legacy of three surviving children, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, having been predeceased by her first daughter, Victoria Adetoun. As the family prepares for her final rites, the nation reflects on a woman who measured greatness not by titles, but by the quiet, consistent service of a devoted teacher and a resilient matriarch.