NIGERIAN BORN BILLIONAIRE, OLADEINDE FERNANDEZ DIES IN BELGIUM

Nigerian born billionaire and one of Africa’s richest men, Chief Antonio Oladeinde Fernandez, 79, has died in a Brussels, Belgium hospital from an undisclosed ailment, according to news reports quoting family sources.

He died on Tuesday September 1.

Chief Fernandez was an oil baron, businessman and the Permanent Representative of Central African Republic to the United Nations (UN).

Born in Lagos into the Fernandez family that originated from Cuba and the first European migrant to Lagos State, he had served as a diplomat and advisor to the Angolan Government on Economic matter in 1982, according to his profile on website Wikipedia.

He held this position for two years until his appointment as Deputy Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations in 1984.

He ran an oil company called Petro Inett which obtained a 50% share with South African-based Energy Africa Limited in a deal with the state oil company for exploration rights in a 4,700 km2 area of Angola’s coast in 1996.

In 1992, he was appointed as Special Adviser to the President of Mozambique on International Economic Matters, a position he held for three years.

He was formerly married to Aduke Fernandez, whom he divorced in July 2003 following a £ 300m divorce suit in Scotland filled on July 1, 2003 by her counsel. He married Halima in 2003.