Akintola Williams buried amid tears… spotlighting Africa’s first chattered accountant

Akintola Williams was of the finest of his kind. Family and friends including Sanwo-Olu, Jim Ovia, and Dangote on Thursday, 19th October bade him farewell after he exited the scene aged 104 on the 11th of September, 2023.

The exceptional chartered accountant, the late Williams impacted and built a legacy that will remain for generations.

Williams’ Achievements

Akintola Williams had a knack for being “a first” and for building institutions.

He played a pivotal role in establishing the Association of Accountants in Nigeria in 1960, serving as its first President, he was also a founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and contributed to the establishment of the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Throughout his career, Williams held prominent roles, including Chairman of the Federal Income Tax Appeal Commissioners, Chairman of the Lagos State Government Revenue Collection Panel, and Chairman of the Public Service Review Panel to address issues in the Udoji Salary Review Commission.

He was also a member of the Coker Commission of Inquiry into the Statutory Corporations of the former Western Region of Nigeria in 1962 and served on the board of Trustees of the Commonwealth Foundation from 1966 to 1975. He founded the Nigerian Conservation Foundation and the Musical Society of Nigeria.

In 1982, the late Akintola Williams was honoured by the Nigerian Government with the O.F. R. , and in April 1997, he was appointed a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for his contributions 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 was named in his honour.

On May 8, 2011, the Nigeria-Britain Association awarded him for his significant contributions to democracy and development in Africa.

Career

In 1950, Williams worked as an assessment officer with the Inland Revenue until March 1952 when he left the civil service and founded Akintola Williams & Co. in Lagos. This company was the first indigenous chartered accounting firm in Africa.

Between April 1999 and May 2004, Akintola Williams & Co. merged with two other accounting firms to create Akintola Williams Deloitte, now known as Deloitte & Touche, which stands as the largest professional services firm in Nigeria with a staff of over 600.

Birth, formation and family 

Akintola Williams was born on August 9, 1919. His grandfather, Z. A. Williams, was a notable merchant from Abeokuta, and his father, Thomas Ekundayo Williams, worked as a clerk in the colonial legal service.

Williams attended Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School and CMS Grammar School in Lagos. He later pursued higher education at Yaba Higher College through a UAC scholarship, earning a diploma in commerce.

In 1944, he journeyed to England, where he studied at the University of London, majoring in Banking and Finance. He graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Commerce and continued his studies, becoming a qualified chartered accountant in England in 1949.

While in London, he was one of the founders of the Egbe Omo Oduduwa Society, with figures like Dr. Oni Akerele serving as president and Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Secretary.

He was married to Mabel Efunroye née Coker and had two children Teni and Tokunbo.