Pius Nsabe
It was another occasion where encomiums were by no means in short supply as prominent Nigerians converged on the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday, June 6, 2025, for the public presentation and official launch of Opral Benson: Life and Legend, a biography that captures the life of the Iya Oge of Lagos, Chief (Mrs) Opral Mason Benson, wife of the late prominent lawyer and Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Culture in the first post-independent government of Nigeria, Chief Theophilus Owolabi Shobowale Benson.
To set the stage for the presentation of the 20-chapter and 555 pages biography spearheaded by a prominent biographer and Managing Director of May Publishing Limited, Lagos, Dr Udu Yakubu, was a short but scintillating documentary that summarised the life of Chief (Mrs) Benson, and quickly followed by the introduction of the book anchored by a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Lagos State, Chief (Mrs) Eniola Fadayomi, who took time to bring the reason for the event into perspective.
Thereafter, veteran broadcaster, Mrs Bimbo Oloyede, prominent accountant and writer, Bashorun Joseph Konsoniola Randle, and a seasoned journalist, Dr Reuben Abati, all took to the stage to review various chapters of the book.
The Journal Nigeria reports that it was Oloyede who set the ball rolling among the team of reviewers, starting out with heaps of praises for the book which she described as beautifully crafted. Reviewing chapters 1 to 6 and 17, Oloyede zeroed in on Mrs Benson’s background, love life with TOS Benson and her role in women’s rights and empowerment.
Quoting from the book, Oloyede said “It goes without saying that by 1995, Opral was ready for Beijing, China. What she saw and heard at that conference prepared her for the next phase of her life, focusing on poverty alleviation, philanthropy and women empowerment”.
Taking his turn to review chapter 7 to 13 of the book, Bashorun Randle was quite magnanimous with words for the subject of the occasion, Chief (Mrs) Benson. Bashorun Randle. Speaking glowingly about the relationship he shares with the Benson family, he described the book as a masterpiece that left out absolutely nothing about Mrs Benson.
“The reference to life and legend, the subtitle of the book is generously amplified by her superlative achievements. She remains a magnet to all and sundry without any bias about race, religion or gender.”
On his part, the third but surely not the least reviewer, Dr Abati, who reviewed chapters 14 to 16 and 18 to 20, preferred to begin with a sterling description of the person of the author of the book, Dr Udu Yakubu.
“The book itself is 555 pages long. So why should I read some three or four chapters and ignore the remaining chapters. So I told myself that if there is anything hidden in the other chapters, it was up to me to find out. I would not do a selective, restricted book review. As a journalist, I am aware of the danger of reading only the headlines or one side of the story and jumping into conclusion.
“Days later, the same gentlemen that dropped me the hardback cover of the book followed up with a phone call in the course of which I told him that even without reading the book, I believed it would be well written on the basis of my knowledge of the reputation of its author. Dr Udu Yakubu is an experienced, skillful, well trained scholar and a master storyteller. And I am familiar with his scholarship. I can attest today that Dr Udu Yakubu did not disappoint”.
Dr Abati went ahead to describe the book as well structured, comprehensive, detailed, and written in simple elegant prose.
Thereafter, speaker after speaker, including Hon. Justice Olajumoke Bello, representative of the wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, extolled the virtues of Chief (Mrs) Benson and how impactful her life has been to others, especially the women folk.
Author of the book, Dr Udu Yakubu, who also mounted the podium to discuss his experience in writing the book, said it took about three years to put the work together. Yakubu described Mrs Benson as a good human being, whose true nature was captured in the biography.
“I tried in every way I could in the work to present the portrait of an outstanding African, combing through various facets of her life and developments. The work we have is an honest appraisal of the life of Opral Benson. It took about three years to put this together and I would say that it was about three years of extensive interaction with the subject and other persons who provided perspectives to the life and experiences of the subject.
“Importantly, what you have in the work, I would say, is my own honest appraisal of the subject. The subject did not in any way try to influence the outcome. It is not a work that seeks to flatter the subject even though there are so many good things to say about the subject, and I tried to present the work as honestly and objectively as I could.
“Chief Opral Benson is a good human being; she is a good person. And this stretches from her innate qualities and her relations and contribution to society she is impacting. It is a great honour to have extensively interacted with her” Yakubu said.
While expressing gratitude to the reviewers and those who facilitated the interactions with Mrs Benson, and provided insightful information that helped bring the biography to life, Dr Yakubu urged the public to not only buy copies of the book for themselves and institutions they are associated with, but to also create the time to read it as “all you you need to know about the subject is in the book,” he added.
The climax of the event was the official launch of the book by the Chairman of the event, Chief (Dr) Kesington Adebutu, represented by Aare(Engr) Kola Oyefeso who also paid glowing tributes to Mrs Benson, describing her as a proportionate combination of beauty and character.
Ambassador Dew Mason was also on hand to launch the book on behalf of the government and people of Liberia, the birth country of Chief (Mrs) Benson.
The heartfelt words of appreciation by the nonagenarian and host of the event, Chief Mrs Benson, signalled the end of the occasion which attracted guests from all walks of life.
Born on 7 February 1935, Opral Benson is an entrepreneur, and holds the chieftaincy title of Iya Oge of Lagos. A former university administrator, Chief Benson joined Johnson Products Nigeria’s board as chairman and established the Opral Benson Beauty Institute and Chic Afrique Enterprises at Yaba, Lagos. She also served as a pioneer board member of the National Youth Service Corps and was member of the Nigerian Olympic Committee in 1982.
There are very few Africans who have traversed the continent’s socio-cultural landscape for as long and with as much panache and penetration as Opral Benson. In Nigeria and Liberia in particular, she has been a steady and recurring cultural cardinal for over half a century, defining, reconceptualising, and re-creating subliminal and popular trends in cultural and cross-national dialogue and diplomacy, and in beauty and fashion.
Opral Benson has been a constant figure in the movement for women’s development on the continent, playing such crucial roles that have not only awakened many women to the imperatives and strategies of advancement, but have also positively engaged men and leaders at various levels, in the cause of developing women.
As a beauty icon, she has been at the forefront of defining trends and customs for her contemporaries and younger generations. She has also explored beauty as an industry and a strong driver of business, and has economically empowered thousands of young people in the process.
At 90, in retrospect, it is widely believed that mama has been a force for good not just in Nigeria but also across countries and continents.