Dr. Benjamin Villasol Lozare PhD (1947-2024): An Inspiring Tribute to His Leadership Legacy
Celebrate the leadership legacy of Dr. Benjamin Villasol Lozare, PhD (1947-2024), as Babafunke Fagbemi pays tribute to his enduring impact. Read on for her heartfelt reflections and personal experiences.
I met Ben in 1997, and I have never been the same. He inspired me to aspire to reach for the stars. Ben was kind, caring, and exhibited compassion. His love for humanity always shone through, and he imparted so much wisdom and love.
I was attending the 1997 Advances workshop and left my 9-month-old twins in Nigeria, and that made me a bit miserable. Ben picked up on that low energy soon after we met at the workshop and asked me if I was okay, and further probed if I had malaria. He went out of his way to encourage me, and that really helped.
When I remember Ben, I recall that he embodied that fact that leadership is first about compassion and caring. He demonstrated this by driving home the reflective question “How deeply do you care?”
His leadership style was phenomenal and unique. I learned so much from Ben, and a great deal of that has shaped who I am today. I also inherited a lot from Ben; his passion, deep interest in the pursuit of knowledge, creativity, and intention to make a difference were some of these priceless virtues.
In 2008, Ben supported the rollout of the Nigerian series of leadership workshops, and this platform has held successfully till date, building the skills of over 600 professionals from the continent. He later facilitated four more editions, and last year we held the 16th edition of this life-changing leadership series. Whenever Ben asked “So where do leaders operate?”, we all agreed that it was in a space beyond imagination! It opened my mind to the transformative power of leadership.
Ben had not only been a professional colleague but also a friend and a steadfast mentor. My children adored him, and my daughter had also been blessed to have her capacity built by Ben.
I saw Ben at the CCP meeting in Baltimore in the summer of 2023. I never imagined that would be my last time to see him in person, nor did I know that his Christmas greeting sent last December would be the last.
I am really sad that Ben is gone. I pray that his wife, Cristina, his children, Nicole and Brian, and grandchildren (all of whom I have met) will receive the grace to carry on at this difficult time.
We will miss Dr. Benjamin Lozare deeply, and his legacy lives on through the impact he made in the world of development.
Rest in power, Ben.
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