Nigeria’s billionaire, Antonio Deinde Fernandez, is dead. He was 79 years old. Ovation Publisher, Dele Momodu, announced the death of Fernandez in a personal tweet yesterday evening.
Momodu said of the late Fernandez: “Nigeria, and indeed Africa, has just lost one of its greatest sons. Ambassador Chief Antonio Dehinde Fernandez is gone!”
His profile on Wikipedia states that the multinational businessman was born in Lagos into the Fernandez family that originated from Brazil and the first European migrant to Lagos State. A former diplomat, the late billionaire had several links with several countries and at a time, served as advisor to the Angolan Government on Economic Matters.
He held this position for two years until his appointment as Deputy Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the United Nations in 1984. He ran an oil company called Petro Inett, which obtained 50 percent share with South African-based Energy Africa Limited in a deal with the state oil company for exploration rights in 1996.
In 1992, he was appointed as Special Adviser to the President of Mozambique on International Economic Matters, a position he held for three years.