Bimbo Ashiru, Group Chairman of Odua Investment Company Limited, has said that the conglomerate is committed to making the Cocoa House not just a monument to the past, but a hub for the future, integrating modern infrastructure, sustainable practices, and cutting-edge facilities, while preserving its soul.

Ashiru, while speaking at the grand finale of the 60th of the Anniversary monument held at the Cocoa House premises, said Cocoa House remains a living chapter of the Yoruba story, representing resilience, modernity, and economic strength.

“We have been reminded that Cocoa House was not born of chance. It was born of vision. In the early 1960s, at the very height of Nigeria’s cocoa boom, the leaders of the Western Region dared to dream of a commercial tower that would stand as a symbol of prosperity and modernity.

“That dream became reality in 1965, when this 26-storey masterpiece opened its doors—then the tallest building in tropical Africa. Imagine the excitement of that time: a post-independence Nigeria, with cocoa farmers in the West watching as the proceeds of their labour were turned into this towering proof that Africa could design, finance, and build to world-class standards.

“So at 60, it is not slowing down; it is standing taller than ever, calling us to match its resilience with our own. So, the House, at 60 years old, is not just a building we work in; it is a living, breathing chapter of our collective story as a people”, he said.

Recalling the tragic inferno of January 9, 1985, which claimed lives and devastated the building, the Group Chairman stated that its rehabilitation was a symbol of defiance and resilience.

“But history, as we know, is not a straight road. The story of Cocoa House took a tragic turn on January 9, 1985, when fire swept through the building. Lives were lost. Families were shattered. And for many, it felt like the heart of Ibadan itself had been wounded.

“Today, as part of this celebration, we pause to honour those who perished that day. Let us remember them not only with sorrow, but with the knowledge that their sacrifice is forever woven into the fabric of this building’s legacy. May their souls rest in perfect peace.

“The inferno could have been the end of Cocoa House. But just as our forebears built it with courage, so too did the generation after rise with resilience. Step by step, brick by brick, the building was rehabilitated and restored to life, and once again open for business. That restoration was more than construction work; it was an act of defiance, a statement that we will not be defined by our setbacks, but by our comebacks.

“Since then, Odu’a Investment Company Limited has been custodian of this legacy, preserving its historic value, keeping it functional for tenants and partners, and gradually modernizing it to meet new demands but assured that the current board would continue to preserve Cocoa House as both a historic landmark and a modern hub of enterprise”, he added.

Ashiru however expressed appreciation to shareholders, boards, management teams, business partners, and tenants for their collective stewardship, stressing that the diamond jubilee was a testament to their commitment.

Abdulrahman Yinusa, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of OICL, described the skyscraper as “a statement of vision, enterprise, and excellence” that has endured since its inauguration in 1965.

He recalled that the edifice, built from cocoa proceeds under the leadership of Obafemi Awolowo and inaugurated by Samuel Ladoke Akintola, symbolises the foresight and prosperity of the Yoruba nation.

“Cocoa House is our talking drum, it calls us to remember who we are. She is our oríkì in stone and glass, telling the world of a people who could plant cocoa and harvest skyscrapers,” Yinusa said.