By joshua Barr, Justina Abanida, former Kogi State SSG extols PROFESSOR EMERITUS PRINCE MIKE IKUPOLATI AT 70: A Lifetime of Wisdom, Distinction and Honour
Seventy years is not just a number. It is a library of wisdom, a monument of distinction, and a crown of honour.
Today we celebrate a rare icon *Professor Emeritus Prince Michael Sunday Ikupolati* Okun son, royal prince, insurance titan, scholar, and statesman, as he attains the glorious age of 70.
Prince Ikupolati’s life is a masterclass in versatility and excellence. A Chartered Insurance Practitioner to the core, FCII London, FIIN, LLB, PhD, he rose from humble beginnings in Iyara, Ijumu LGA, to the global stage as Director-General / Head of Mission of the West African Insurance Institute, Banjul, The Gambia. For over 12 years, he trained and shaped the insurance industry for the entire West African sub-region.
An academic colossus, he has served as Professor of Leadership and Corporate Governance, National President of the Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management, and a leading voice on sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria. His papers and presentations from Lagos to Abuja to The Gambia remain reference points for policy makers.
Yet, beyond the boardroom and the lecture hall, Professor Ikupolati is a committed community leader. A former National President of Iyara Development Movement, a key voice in Okun Development Association (ODA), and a passionate advocate at the Okun Nation Summits, he has consistently called for unity, good governance, and collective action for Okunland and Kogi State. He carries royalty with humility, and intellect with humanity.
He is firm but compassionate. Bold but respectful. A prince who serves, a professor who mentors, and an elder who guides.
At 70, Professor Emeritus Prince Mike Ikupolati has earned every wrinkle of wisdom and every strand of honour. He has written his name not just in books and certificates, but in the lives he has mentored and the institutions he has built.
On this milestone birthday, we join his family, the Ikupolati Royal Dynasty of Iyara, the entire Okun nation, and his many students across West Africa to thank God for his life.
We pray that the Almighty God grants him many more years in sound health, renewed strength, and fulfilled joy. May his light continue to shine for Okunland, Kogi State, Nigeria, and humanity.
*Congratulations and Happy 70th Birthday, Professor Emeritus Prince Mike Ikupolati!*