Tributes Rain As Capt. Boyo’s Mother Goes Home
It was indeed, celebration of a life well lived at the Service of Songs and Funeral Services of Mrs. Claudiana Esther Boyo (Nee Okungbowa), mother of Capt. Edward Boyo, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Landover Company and Overland Airways Limited.
Born on June 1, 1936, Mama Boyo (as she is called), who died on August 31, 2026 (after 90 years) hailed from Ihogbe quarters, Ika South, Agbor, Delta State, attended Mount Carmel Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos (1942-1948) and Holy Child College, Obalende, Lagos from 1948. She eventually married Mr. Jonathan Momubaghan Boyo (an Itsekiri man) in October 1955 in Lagos.
Claudiana Esther Boyo is also the mother of Engr. Agboola Oladehin-Boyo, Dr. Kenneth Boyo, Barrister Christopher Boyo, Mrs. Helen Archer, Engr. Ozor Obayuwana-Boyo, Mrs. Esimadida Abeke, Barrister Esther Boyo and the late economist, Dr. Henry Boyo.
She was multi-skilled and talented in diverse fields ranging from building construction to clothing design and humanities. Several buildings in Surulere, Ilupeju, Ikeja, Alausa and Maryland in Lagos were constructed under her contracting supervisory and management skills.
In his condolence message to Mrs. Boyo’s family members, the Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus to Keyamo (SAN) urged the family to “take solace in the fact that Mama touched so many lives during her lifetime, leaving behind, a remarkable legacy of love, service, compassion and selfless dedication to humanity.”
A tribute from Landover Company and Overland Airways Limited signed by the Executive Director, Mrs. Aduke Atiba, said Landover’s journey had started in 1992 from a ground floor flat in Mama Boyo’s residence at 16, Otigba street, Ikeja before the company’s relocation to its present corporate head office at Simbiat Abiola Road.
“During the construction of our head office, she volunteered for the harsh and tedious responsibility to be on site, providing supervision and mediation support as well as project oversight. Her construction experience and dedication earned her the fond title of Engr. Mummy among the workers and construction team,” said Atiba.
On the community and philanthropic service side of her life, her positive impact and selflessness in social welfare development of the Ikeja community where she lived, earned her the appointment as Lay Assessor in the Juvenile Court of the Lagos State Judiciary from early 70s till she retired in 1996.
Dignitaries present at the Service of Songs/Night of Tributes held at Citadel Conference & Events Centre, Ikeja on October 20, 2026, included Nigeria’s former Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, wife of former Vice President of Nigeria, Dame Beatrice Ekwueme and former Rector, Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Capt. Ayodele Caulcrick.
Dignitaries present at the Funeral Service/Celebration of Life held at First Baptist Church, Ikeja on October 22, 2026 included the former President of African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, former Director General of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Managing Director of Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, former President of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Capt. Nogie Megisson and President of Baptist Convention in Africa, among other dignitaries.
Delivering his Vote of Thanks, Capt. Edward Boyo informed the audience that the impact made by his late mother was inadequately known even by his children, disclosing that he only got to know after her death, about her financial involvement and moral contribution to the acquisition of the landed property where the First Baptist Church Ikeja is currently located. She was a devout worshipper and member of the church. Capt. Boyo said he has received a lot of testimonies about her philanthropy after her death
In a sermon delivered at the Service of Songs by Rev. Dr. Kolawole Ogokunle, the church’s Senior Pastor, he stressed the importance of making a man’s days count by prioritizing God and living for eternity, drawing his scripture references from Psalm 9:9-12, Ephesians 5:16 and Colossians 3:2.
The sermon delivered at the funeral service by Rev. Dr. Olusola Idowu, Executive President, Nigeria Baptist Convention is titled “Prepare To Meet Your God”. He used Bible references from Ecclesiastes 6:3, explaining from Amos 4:12 that those who say things like “leave me to live my life” are wrong because “Your life is not your life and you don’t own your life.”
According to him, preparing to meet your Lord involves living in consciousness of your status, which is temporal status (Job 14:1), living in consciousness of your stewardship (Matthew 6:20) and living in consciousness of eternity (2nd Corinthians 5:10).
