Nigeria mourns the passing of Chief Akintola Williams, its first indigenous chartered accountant, who passed away at the age of 104.
A source, who did not want to be mentioned, told PUNCH online that Williams died at his house in Lagos, on Monday 11th September.
Williams was a pioneering figure in Nigeria’s accounting profession and made significant contributions to the country’s financial sector.
Here are 12 key facts about the late pioneer chartered accountant:
- Chief Akintola Williams was born on August 9, 1919, in the UK.
- He began his education at Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School, Bankole Street, Apongbon, Lagos Island, Lagos, in the early 1930s.
- Williams received a UAC scholarship and attended Yaba Higher College, where he obtained a diploma in commerce.
- In 1944, he traveled to England and studied at the University of London, specializing in Banking and Finance. He graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Commerce and qualified as a chartered accountant in England in 1949.
- He was the elder brother of Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams, QC, SAN, who became the first Nigerian to attain the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
- Chief Akintola Williams holds the distinction of being the first Nigerian to qualify as a chartered accountant.
- In 1952, he founded the first indigenous chartered accounting firm in Africa, Akintola Williams & Co, located in Lagos.
- He was a founding member and served as the first president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
- Williams played a pivotal role in establishing the Association of Accountants in Nigeria in 1960, aimed at training accountants, and he served as its first president.
- He made invaluable contributions to the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
- In recognition of his contributions, he was honored with the Order of the Federal Republic by the Nigerian Government in 1982.
- Queen Elizabeth II also recognized his achievements in April 1997 when she conferred upon him the title Commander of the British Empire (CBE).
