Six Things You May Not Know About Ernest Shonekan

Chief Ernest Shonekan who died at the age of 85 on Tuesday morning, January 11 Shonekan served as Nigeria’s Interim Head of State from 26 August 1993 to 17 November 1993.

Here are things you might not know about the late Head of State:

Date of birth
Chief Shonekan was born on 9 May 1936 in Lagos. The son of an Abeokuta-born civil servant; he was one of six children born into the family.
Education
He was educated at CMS Grammar School and Igbobi College. He received a law degree from the University of London; and was called to the bar. He later attended Harvard Business School.

Traditional honour
He was bestowed with the title of Abese of Egbaland in 1981.
Professional career
Prior to his political career, Shonekan was the chairman and chief executive of the United African Company of Nigeria (successor of The Niger Company), a vast Nigerian conglomerate, which at the time was the largest African-controlled company in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Political career
On 2 January 1993, Ernest Shonekan assumed office simultaneously as head of the transitional council and head of government under Ibrahim Babangida. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled handover to an elected democratic leader of the Third Nigerian Republic.
In August 1993, Babangida resigned from office, following the annulment of the 12 June elections. He signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Shonekan who was subsequently sworn-in as head of state.In November 1993, three months into his administration, Shonekan was overthrown in a palace coup by Abacha.
Formation of NESG

In 1994, he founded the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, an advocacy group and think-tank for private sector-led development of the Nigerian economy after his removal as Head of State.

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