Lagos Business School has taken a significant step in cementing its place as Africa's foremost institution for management thought leadership, unveiling an endowed chair in honour of the man who built it from the ground up.

The Professor Albert Alos Endowed Chair in Strategic Management was formally announced at a ceremony held on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, at the Federal Palace Hotel and Casino in Lagos. The event brought together alumni, corporate leaders, faculty and partners under the theme "Legacy, Leadership and the Frontier of Strategic Management," and served as both a tribute to a remarkable career and a statement of institutional intent.

The Dean of LBS, Professor Olayinka David West, opened proceedings with a welcome address that framed the endowed chair as a commitment to building on the school's legacy while expanding its influence in strategic thinking across the continent. A tribute segment titled "Legacy Tribute: Architect of Excellence" traced Professor Alos's foundational role at the Institution, while alumni Clare Omatseye and Lawrence Mba offered personal reflections on how his leadership shaped their careers and management philosophies.

Alumni Vice President Valentine Okelu, representing Alumni President Dr Owen Omogiafo, described the initiative as a collective responsibility to sustain and extend the standard of excellence the school has come to represent. "This is not just about honouring one man," he said. "It is about ensuring that what he built continues to grow."

The keynote address was delivered by Senior Partner at Kenna, Fabian Ajogwu, who spoke on "The Strategic Imperative: Advancing Strategic Thought Leadership for Africa." He argued that as global systems grow increasingly complex, African institutions must develop context specific frameworks that reflect local realities while remaining globally relevant, a challenge the endowed chair is directly designed to address.

The formal unveiling of the chair was accompanied by an invitation to a newly established Founders' Circle, marking the beginning of a broader effort to secure sustained support for research, teaching and engagement in strategic management. The endowed chair represents LBS's most deliberate institutional commitment yet to building Africa driven thinking in business strategy and governance.

Professor Alos, born in Barcelona and trained as an electrical engineer at the University of Bilbao, where he earned his doctorate in 1966, began his African journey in Kenya before arriving in Nigeria in 1967. He went on to teach at the University of Lagos, University of Ibadan and Obafemi Awolowo University before becoming the founding dean of Lagos Business School and the pioneer Vice Chancellor of Pan Atlantic University. He was granted Nigerian citizenship in 2022 in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to education and ethical business leadership on the continent.

The evening closed with a toast by Ejovi Aror and remarks from Chief Raymond Ihyembe, Chairman of the Endowed Chair Committee, whose members include Professor Chris Ogbechie, Professor Pat Utomi, Clare Omatseye, Sylvia Nwakwue, Nkechi Iwegbu, Frank Aigbogun, Patrick Akinwuntan, Jacinta Ifeoma Anakua and Oghogho Osula.

For an Institution that has spent decades training the leaders who run Nigeria's most consequential organisations, the endowed chair is more than a memorial gesture. It is a declaration that the ideas Professor Alos championed, rigorous strategy, ethical leadership and Africa centred thinking, are not relics of a founding era but the living framework through which Lagos Business School intends to shape the next generation of African business minds.