Harris Aibangbee Igiehon

Harris Aibangbee Igiehon, devoted husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather, passed away May 11th, 2024. A gentle sage, a guiding light, Aibangbee embraced his family with boundless love, offering tireless support and unwavering belief in each member's potential. His wisdom, like a well-worn path, was carved by a lifetime of understanding that grace could always find a way to soften the world's sharpest corners.

His Creed

He envisioned a family, nuclear & at large, united by an unbreakable bond of love and unwavering support, an indomitable force against adversity.

He was determined that his family would never know the desperation of poverty, and its corrosive effects on the human spirit.

He believed a sound education should be the birthright of every child, and their guidepost towards every kind of success in life.

He and his wife, partners in life and purpose, fervently believed that music's transcendent beauty and unwavering structure could pave a path out of poverty and into a future brimming with promise.

A man and spirit larger than life – a family man, promoter and social engineer, architect and developer – Aib Harris Igiehon has gone the way of all life.

Aibangbee Igiehon was born on February 11th, 1952, in Benin City, Nigeria, to the great Eruvbi-Igiehon Family. He received a full scholarship to study architecture at the prestigious New York Institute of Technology, Long Island, and returned to Nigeria in 1982, when he began his career which made impact across different sectors of Nigerian society – as an illustrious architect, and as Nigeria’s leading promoter through AIBTONIA Promotions, Advertising & Marketing – run with his wife and partner, Tonia – which became a household name in Nigeria for over two decades.

Among AIBTONIA’s notable achievements:

• Producers, Mass Mobilization for Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER)
  1. The MAMSER campaign was a federal initiative which toured 110 cities nationwide from 1987-1990, operationalizing AIBTONIA’s adaptation of the US Civil Rights Movement concept of music as a vehicle for social mobilization.
  2. For the first time, Nigerian artistes were provided competitive fees for their performances.
  3. Notable musicians promoted at this time included Majek Fashek, Sonny Okosun, Onyeka Onwenu, Ras Kimono, et al.

• Founders, All Nigerian Food & Beverage Festival
  1. For two decades, AIBTONIA pioneered the Promoting Nigerian Food Culture Endeavor which produced conferences, seminars, thinktanks and the bespoke All Nigerian Food and Beverage Festival.
  2. The Festival introduced Nigerians of different states and ethnicities to each others’ foods, and helped integrate indigenous foods theretofore known only within particular states or regions.
  3. Working with farmers cooperatives and domestic and international food research institutes – FIIRO, PRODA, IITA.

• Official Marketers, Nigeria Olympic Committee
  1. AIBTONIA Promotions served as Official Marketers for the Nigeria Olympic Committee – raising funds notably for the contingent that won first place in Atlanta 1996 in football (soccer).
• Official Marketers, Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA)
  1. Established the nationwide leagues that ran throughout the 36 national universities for several years, to combat campus cultism and encourage team spirit and egalitarianism among the students.
  2. It was sponsored by Exxon Mobil, Amstel Malta (Nigerian Breweries), and PZ.
• Founders, ARATASIN Pan-Nigerian Cultural Revue
  1. Within the context of the Arts, AIBTONIA’s ARATASIN produced several folk operas which performed at the Muson Centre in Lagos, and were exported abroad, performing at the Smithsonian Institution, at Howard University, Virginia Commonwealth University and at Andrews Airforce Base in DC, Maryland and Virgina.

In the sphere of architecture:

• Harris Aib Igiehon towered as a leading continental professional. Through Harris Aib Associates and ARCHARRIS Engineering Construction, his unique corporate and residential designs of note include the Nigerian Stock Exchange building situated in Nigeria’s oil and gas capital of Port Harcourt, and Chief Bayo Kuku’s estate in Ijebu-Ode, which was widely designated as millennial design of the decade.
• He received awards for being the best architect in West Africa.
• In Architect Harris’ latter years, he designed the imminent Marina Quayside Strip Development Project (MQSDP), Lagos – the world class, infrastructure-rich, city center, which is to be situated adjacent the Marina in Nigeria’s financial capital of Lagos. In 2017, the MQSDP was issued the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission’s Certificate of Compliance and awaits financing to ensure that Nigeria takes it proper place as a pre-eminent nation of global significance.

Perhaps Lawrence of Arabia put it most succinctly (paraphrase): All men dream, but not equally. Some men dream in the dusty recesses of their minds, and upon waking, find it has vanished. But others dream their dreams with open eyes to make them happen. Aib Igiehon dreamed his dreams with open eyes, and they are not just personal dreams, but dreams for a nation. From architectural design and building to music promotions, and social change strategies, Aib Igiehon was many people in one: “Architect, Revolutionary, Catalytic Thinker, Creative Genius.”

Harris Aib Igiehon is survived by his beloved wife and life/business partner of 43 years – Tonia Deborah Igiehon (nee Wright), and his 8 children and 10 grandchildren. He is also survived by his companies: HARRIS AIB ASSOCIATES (Architects & Planners), HAASSO Limited (Developers), ARCHARRIS Engineering Construction, and AIBTONIA.

We thank God for Aib’s life and contributions. He lived long and well! Hallelujah!!!