Nigeria’s first indigenous Chartered Accountant, Chief Akintola Williams, has died at the age of 104. He died on Monday.
Born in 1919, Williams was a pioneer Nigeria’s Accounting profession and was instrumental to developing the country’s financial sector.
He studied Accounting at the University of London and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1947, before returning to Nigeria to set up his accounting firm, Akintola Williams & Co., now Deloitte & Touche, in 1952.
Williams was also a strong advocate for developing the accounting profession in Nigeria.
He was a founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and was its president from 1963 to 1965.
He was also a member of the National Board of Accountants and Auditors.
Williams received many awards and honours, including the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM).
He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu in a statement issued Tuesday, said he shared in the pain of loss with the family, friends and associates of the Chief Akintola Williams.
President Tinubu sympathized with the Government and people of Lagos and Ogun States, the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAN), the Nigerian Stock Exchange, and other financial institutions that were founded by the centurion, who had lived an admirable life of charity with an impactful influence on future generations.
“President Tinubu affirms that Oloye Williams epitomized integrity, resilience and resourcefulness which was amply demonstrated when he established the first accounting firm, Akintola Williams & Co (Deliotte & Touche), by an African, in 1952, which inspired self-confidence in a generation of professionals who would make further impact in strengthening transparency and compentence in the Accounting profession.
“The President believes the numerous honours, recognitions and awards received by Oloye Williams during his lifetime, including the OFR and NNOM awards, have hardly reflected his immense contributions to the growth of the nation and humanity, particularly with respect to his investments in lifting the most impoverished and vulnerable of our citizens through his robust support for education and healthcare institutions”, the statement added.
