President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Chief Akintola Williams; the first Nigerian to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in England in 1949 and to start the first indigenous Chartered Accounting Firm in Africa in 1952, on the occasion of his 103rd birthday.
Buhari in a congratulatory letter issued by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina, Wednesday, in Abuja, thanked God for the grace of long life, strength and impact, particularly in service to the country.
While felicitating the renowned accountant, the President also acknowledged many recognitions and awards he has received, including his appointment as Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1997.
The President notes other historic achievements of the chartered accountant in establishing the Association of Accountants in Nigeria in 1960 with the goal of training accountants, being a founding member and first President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and full involvement in setting up the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
The President continues to rejoice with the chartered accountant and prays for his wellbeing.
Akintola Williams was born in 1919. His grandfather, Z. A. Williams, was a merchant prince from Abeokuta and his father Thomas Ekundayo Williams was a clerk in the colonial service who set up a legal practice in Lagos after training in London, England.
He was the older brother of Frederick Rotimi Williams, who later became a distinguished lawyer, and the late Rev. James Kehinde Williams, a Christian minister.
For his primary education in the early 1930s, he attended Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School, Lagos. Williams then attended the CMS Grammar School, Lagos.
He went to Yaba Higher College on a UAC scholarship, obtaining a diploma in commerce. In 1944, he travelled to England where he studied at the University of London. Studying Banking and Finance, he graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Commerce. He continued his studies and qualified as a chartered accountant in England in 1949.
A Yoruba of chiefly background, Oloye Williams was one of the founders of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa society while in London, with Dr Oni Akerele as president and Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Secretary.
Williams played a leading role in establishing the Association of Accountants in Nigeria in 1960 with the goal of training accountants. He was the first President of the association. He was a founding member and first president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
He was also involved in establishing the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He remained actively involved with these organisations into his old age. At a stock exchange ceremony in May 2011, he called on operators to protect the market and ensure there was no scandal. He said that, if needed, market operators should not hesitate to seek his advice on resolving any problem.
Public sector positions held by him include Chairman of the Federal Income Tax Appeal Commissioners (1958–68), member of the Coker Commission of Inquiry into the Statutory Corporations of the former Western Region of Nigeria (1962), member of the board of Trustees of the Commonwealth Foundation (1966–1975), Chairman of the Lagos State Government Revenue Collection Panel (1973) and Chairman of the Public Service Review Panel to correct the anomalies in the Udoji Salary Review Commission (1975). Other positions include President of the Metropolitan Club in Victoria Island, Lagos, Founder and Council member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and Founder and chairman of the board of Trustees of the Musical Society of Nigeria.
In 1982, Williams was honoured by the Nigerian Government with the O.F. R. Following his retirement in 1983, Williams threw himself into a project to establish a music centre and concert hall for the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON).
In April 1997, Williams was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to the accountancy profession and for the promotion of arts, culture and music through the Musical Society of Nigeria.
The Akintola Williams Arboretum at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation headquarters in Lagos is named in his honour.
On 8 May 2011, the Nigeria-Britain Association presented awards to John Kufuor, past President of Ghana, and Nigeria’s Akintola Williams, for their contributions to democracy and development in Africa.
