Major organisations in Nigeria have expressed their condolences following the death of Mrs. Elsie Ajayi Ikoli who passed away in Lagos at the age of 93.
Nonagenarian Elsie Ajayi Ikoli. 1932 – 2025, born on June 24, 1932 in Bayelsa, Nigeria, passed away on September 2, 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria.
‘’On behalf of the Board, Management and the entire staff of CAKASA (Nigeria) Company Limited, I acknowledge the news of the transition to the glory of our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Madam Elsie Ajayi Ikoli who slept peacefully in the Lord on 2nd September, 2025. What an irreplaceable loss’’ Cakasa (Nigeria) Company Limited said in a statement.
The statement by the Chairman of CAKASA, Christopher A. Alabi, described Elsie Ajayi Ikoli as a great mother.
‘’No doubt, the transition of our dearly beloved matriarch had left a great and indelible void in the hearts and minds of not just the immediate family but anyone who had had a rare occasion to meet her’’.
The engineering, procurement and construction company highlighted her virtue and nobility.
‘’The outpouring of grief and emotion over her transition is a clear affirmation of her personality as an embodiment of virtue and nobility. She showed love without expectation to all, cared for others without conditions and touched lives in innumerable and invaluable ways’’.
The statement advised Antony George-Ikoli and members of his family not to grieve.
‘’Mama Elsie Ajayi Ikoli was a rare gem. She personified selflessness, altruism and service to humanity. What a life well lived, a legacy superlatively delivered. She would be sorely missed, but we are not without hope. And so, it is well said that albeit ‘’ nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower’’. Let us grieve no more. But find hope and strength that whatever our worries and cares may justifiably be on account of her glorious transition. We must give them over to God for He cares for us. God’s care closes every void. His comfort soothes every pain and His love trumps every loss.
It also reminded Antony George-Ikoli of the roles played by Elsie Ajayi Ikoli in the Lord’s Vineyard.
‘’Thus, as we grieve the irreparable loss, we must take solace in the sublime truth that our sister, having died a worthy daughter of the Lord and servant in His Vineyard, the heavenly hosts are rejoicing to meet her behind the veil of immortality of course.
Similarly, WEMA Bank extended condolences to Anthony George-Ikoli on the passing of his dearly beloved mother.
‘’As a team, we are deeply saddened by this loss and understand how difficult it is to part with a loved one.
In a letter signed by Business Development Manager, Olaniyi Saheed and Zonal Manager, LM, Lucky Imoisilli, the bank expressed solidarity with the family during the period of mourning.
‘’Please accept our deepest sympathy and we pray that God grants you and your entire family the strength and comfort you need during this time and may her soul rest in peace’’.
In the same vein, Polaris Bank extended sympathies to the family of Elsie Ajayi Ikoli.
‘’It was with deep sadness that we received the news of the passing of your dear mother, Mrs. Elsie Ajayi Ikoli. On behalf of the Management and Staff of Polaris Bank, we wish to extend our heartfelt condolences to you and your family during this difficult time’’
The bank in a letter by its Relationship Manager, Nta Henshaw and Branch Manager, Cibuzo Ogbonna acknowledged Elsie Ajayi Ikoli’s contributions to the growth of the family.
‘’We understand that the loss of a mother leaves a void that cannot be easily filled. May you find strength in the cherished memories you shared with her and may her legacy of love and guidance continue to comfort and inspire you. Please be assured of our thoughts and prayers as you go through this period of grief. We stand with you and wish you and your family the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.’’
The leaders of the Ijaw Nation expressed grief over the demise of Anthony George-Ikoli’s mother, Mrs. Elsie Ajayi Ikoli.
In a statement on Monday, the Ijaw leaders paid their deepest and heartfelt condolences, saying that the prayers of the Ijaw people are with Chief Anthony George-Ikoli and his family at this difficult time.
‘’Our prayers are with you and the entire bereaved family because of this irreparable loss. Though a painful exit of a good mother, God loves her more’’.
The statement by the Lagos State Chairman, Tonye Leonard Harry and State Secretary, Elayelagha Golden Ambakaderemo commiserated with Anthony George-Ikoli over the demise of his beloved mother, Mrs. Elsie Ajayi Ikoli.
‘’Please accept our heartfelt condolences and may you find comfort and strength during this difficult time’’
The statement by the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Lagos chapter urged Anthony George-Ikoli and his relatives to draw strength from the mother’s illuminating attributes of honesty, discipline, resilience and joyful spirit.
‘’Her sweet memories will forever be etched in our minds” the statement added.
Lagos residents also expressed profound sadness at the passing of Elsie Ajayi Ikoli.
A statement by the Alaka Executive Committee offered the deepest and most heartfelt condolences to famous lawyer, Chief Anthony George-Ikoli and his entire family.
‘’The loss of a mother is one of life’s most profound sorrows and we understand that no words can fully ease the pain you are experiencing’’.
The statement was signed by the Alaka Estate Chairman, Mr. Chukwuemeka Ugwu and the General Secretary, Mrs. Kemi Awe
‘’We stand with you in solidarity during this period of bereavement” the statement said.
‘’Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you navigate through these challenging times. We pray that the Almighty God will grant your mum eternal rest and provide you and your family with the strength, comfort and solace needed to bear this irreplaceable loss’’.
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Elsie Ajayi Ikoli departed this earth on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, in the quiet of her Lagos home.
A statement in Lagos described Elsie Ajayi Ikoli as a good mother, a church servant and a quiet revolution.
“Mama Ayo, as friends, family members and neighbors called her turned duty into destiny, grief into gospel, and labour into love’’
The statement from the Ernest Sissei Ikoli Foundation called Madam Elsie Ajayi Ikoli a woman of the altar, industry and unyielding grace.
“Madam Elsie Ajayi Ikoli was born beneath the golden skies of Kaduna on June 24, 1932”
The statement highlighted Mama Ayo’s intellect, resilience, wisdom and sobriety.
“Mama Ayo’s mind was a boundless library. She devoured books not for ornament, but for illumination — a habit that would later become the quiet engine of her wisdom”
The statement issued in Lagos by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Ernest Ikoli Foundation, Chief Anthony George- Ikoli (SAN), highlighted professionalism, apprenticeship in nation-building and her role as Executive Assistant to the First Editor of Daily Times, Publisher of African Messenger, President of the Nigerian Youth Movement, one of the founders of Action Group (AG) and representative of Lagos in the Legislative Council, Ernest Ikoli.
“Mama Ayo moved with quiet precision behind the scenes of history. While Ernest drafted editorials that stirred the conscience of a colony awakening to freedom, Mama Ayo kept the rhythm of his days — managing correspondence, organizing schedules, shielding one of the activists of Nigeria’s political history from distraction”
Well known as a tireless and cheerful woman who could be counted on, the statement said Elsie avoided the spotlight that focused on Ernest Sissei Ikoli through his long political career.
“In her presence, chaos yielded to order. In her silence, purpose found its voice. She did not seek the spotlight, but stood steadfast in its penumbra — a dutiful woman, an unseen architect of legacy, ensuring that the man who helped forge Nigeria’s voice never lost his own”
The statement recalled the period when the mantle of the sole provider fell upon her shoulders.
“Mama wore it not as a burden, but as a covenant. She became a staff member and major distributor for Abbott Pharmaceuticals during its pioneering years in Nigeria — a time when Similac and Isomil were not just products, but promises whispered into the cribs of a hopeful, growing nation. With grit and grace, she out-distributed her peers, not through force, but through faithfulness – waking before dawn, returning long after dusk, her arms laden not just with formula tins, but with the nourishment of futures. In her, Abbott did not merely find a distributor — they found a disciple of diligence, a woman who treated every delivery as a divine assignment”
A mother of all and a study in humility, the statement recollected how life exacted its cruel toll on Elsie Ajayi Ikoli.
“The loss of two of her children carved a canyon in her soul — a grief so profound it could have extinguished her. But Mama Ayo did not retreat. She ascended. In the hallowed halls of the Salvation Army, Marina Corps, she entered into a sacred covenant with God — a vow of everlasting service. There, as Welfare Keeper of the Home League Unit, she washed altar linens until they gleamed like morning snow, believing that holiness resided not only in prayer, but in purity of preparation. She folded hope into every crease, ironed devotion into every hem. Her hands, which once balanced ledgers and stacked crates, now cradled communion cloths with the reverence of a priestess”.
The statement emphasized her role in the women’s ministries.
“Madam Elsie Ajayi Ikoli was a pillar in the Women’s and Mother’s Ministries, where her counsel was sought not for its volume, but for its virtue. And beyond the church walls, she poured her spirit into the Nembe Women Society (Lagos Branch) — gathering daughters of the Niger Delta in diaspora, weaving community from memory, stitching solidarity with stories. She did not merely lead — she mothered. She did not merely organize — she sanctified”.
Blessed with a rich and agile mind, the statement said Mama Ayo’s worldview was sculpted by sweat and scripture.
“Madam Elsie Ajayi Ikoli believed work was worship, excellence an echo of the divine, and failure not a full stop — but a comma in God’s longer sentence. Like the ant she so admired, she saw the cathedral in the crumb, the empire in the errand. She got up early, humming hymns to the rhythm of responsibility. She taught by presence: “Do it yourself, Do it well and Do it now.” Not as a command, but as a creed”.
The statement lavished praise on her for the quiet revolution.
“Her altar remains spotless. Her hands shape us. Her name — Elsie — “God’s Promise” — echoes in every life she lifted. Rest now, Mama. The Rock you carried has become the monument. The vision you served has become a victory. Well done, good and faithful servant”
Ernest Ikoli fought alongside great nationalist leaders like Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello in the struggle for the political independence of Nigeria.
The Ernest Ikoli Foundation highlights the values of the late First Republic politician, nationalist and pioneering journalist, Ernest Sissei Ikoli, to inspire present and future generations.
It also promotes the ideals of integrity, unity and service that the late leader championed.
