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Chief T. A Odutola - Indigenous Entrepreneur & Industrialist

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adeola_Odutola

African Leader
http://www.africaleadership.org/P...995report/Odutola%20Biography.pdf

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Enduring Footprints of an Industrialist

This Day
Tunde Okoli
16th Nov. '04

Biography: Timothy Adetola Odutola...a Legend Lives on: Challenges of Sustainable Leadership & Entrepreneurship, by Prince Lekan Fadina.

In the world of industrialization, India has its business Maharajas, Germany its Julius Bergers, Opels and America its Fords, Bill Gates, among others. Nigeria has its Chris Ogunbanjos, Dantatas, Odumegwu Ojukwus, Lawsons, Eyo Itas, Folawiyos, Adedoyins and the Odutolas, among others. But little were known about some of these industrialists.

But after reading Timothy Adetola Odutola...a Legend Lives on: Challenges of Sustainable Leadership & Entrepreneurship, by Prince Lekan Fadina, the reader comes to the knowledge of the invaluable contributions of these patriarchs to the socio-economic, political and industrial development of this nation.

The book which is the biography of one of Africa's foremost industrialists and business magnates, Chief Timothy Adetola, highlights salient aspects and epochs in the life of the entrepreneur, educationist, politician and above all, a statesman. It was commissioned by the offsprings of the late Chief Odutola to mark the centenary of his birthday. But unlike some commissioned book projects, the book is coming from a writer who is close to the subject and is informed on the life and times of the subject.

The author does not pretend to be writing a concise or comprehensive biography of his subject. In his preface to the book, he acknowledges that some other writers have attempted at documenting the life of his subject. "Some books have been written on Chief T. A. Odutola," therefore, his commissioned effort only comes "to remind ourselves of how he (Odutola) lived and what he lived for, lest we forget. We here touch on some of the aspects of his life."

So, in a sense, the author has declared to the reader that the book, Timothy Adetola Odutola...a Legend Lives on: Challenges of Sustainable Leadership & Entrepreneurship, is not the comprehensive biography or the complete story of the life and times of his subject. In fact, how can in one breadth, tell the complete story of the life of a man, who the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) described as the "Grandfather of Nigerian business" and as "the foremost Nigerian and perhaps, African industrialist in history?" His life and what he lived to achieve are far larger than what an author could summarised in one book, even if the author is an encyclopeadic writer.

According to the tale of the author, Odutola is a man with many lives. In everything he did, he strives for excellence and probity and success. He is averse to failure. His life, according to the author, is characterized by a strong desire to always learn and to always strive for the best in life and not settle for less; to stand out from the crowd and not accept mediocrity.

Alhaji Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, another industrialist of repute, writes in his foreword to the book, that the life of the book's subject "is a catalogue of achievements which serve as a motivation to the present and future generations. He averred that Odutola's prominence in the political, socio and economic life of Nigeria which span over 60 years , portrayed as a man of stature that who excelled in all fields of human endeavour.

Odutola developed a unique set of tenets, which stems from his character, background and experiences. To succeed in life he said one "must have mission, vision, ambition, sense of direction, discipline, strength, frugality, determination, total commitment, tenacity, abiding faith in God and credibility". Like Booker T. Washington, Odutola believed that "character is power" but reasoned that outstanding leaders must appeal to the hearts of their followers and their minds. "We must each learn that broad leadership is built from deep character. An infrastructure of great character is essential to support great conduct. The trust and involvement of our followers will be parallel to the level of our own character," he enthused.

The book contains 10 chapters spanning the beginning of the life of the subject in 1902 and his intriguing journey through life to his demise in 1995.

As business man, entrepreneur and industrialist, his business philosophy is anchored on constant learning and interaction. For him, "The more we learn about business the more we are convinced that management decisions are usually based on personal experiences, aims and vision of one person. It is usually the head of business, or the Chairman of a company, but sometimes-crucial decisions can be taken by unexpected people as we found out while researching for this book.

His fleet of companies include: Odutola Nigerian Industries Limited - Manufacturers of bicycle tyres and tubes in Ijebu-Ode, Odutola Tyresoles Company Limited with factories in Ibadan, Kano and Onitsha - re-threading automotive tyres, Odutola Tyre & Rubber Company Limited - factories in Ibadan for Rubber compounding, Adeola Farms - growing of rubber and oil palm, Odutola Food Industries Limited - Manufacturing assorted biscuits and, Odutola Stores Limited - Department Stores. He also held substantial investments in breweries and pharmaceutical sub-sectors. He served as Chairman in many other companies including Kabelmetal Nigeria Limited, Bayer Pharmaceuticals Nigeria Limited, and Unichem Nigeria Limited in which he had substantial share holdings.

Politically, Chief Odutola was a key player in the local politics. He was at the forefront of the demand for the formation of Ijebu-Ode Town Council which later developed into the status of a subordinate Native Authority. He became a member of the Advisory Council of Ijebu Native Administration and later member Ijebu Divisional Council. He served in the old legislative Council from 1945-1951, Member Western Assembly 1945-1959, Federal House of Representatives 1952-1954, and Senator of the Nigeria's Upper House 1960-1964.

A statesman of proven integrity, Odutola was more concerned with the future, development and welfare of the people. He is one of the founding fathers of modern Nigeria. He was more interested in the future of Nigeria than material gains of the moment.

Like other nation builders like Samuel Heelas Macaulay, grandson of Bishop Ajayi Crowther, Chief T. A Doherty, Chief Essien Ernest Sisei Ikoli, Dr. J. C. Vaughan, Oba Samuel Akinsanya, Eyo Ita, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Adeyemo Alakija, Obafemi Awolowo, Nwafor Orizu, Abubakar Imam, Dr. Akinola Maja, Malam later, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Odutola was involved in the formulation of the Constitution desired to promote the unity of the country.

His interest in education was fired by his yearning for education as a human development and capacity building tool necessitated the establishment of a secondary school. His concept of education, according to the author, was for "job creation, entrepreneurship and sustainable leadership." On the occasion of his 90th birthday, he reportedly said that "I believe that investments in education cannot be measured in naira and kobo. My vision of a well-educated person is that of a man who gets the best from education..." In fact, he had a famed quotation- "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance"- strategically placed in his office.

Chief Adeola Odutola was born on June 16, 1902 into the family of Sanni Odutola Seyindemi, a prince of the Moloda of Odogbolu Dynasty, a muslim who was married to a converted Christian, Sabinah Otubajo Odutola Seyindemi. He lost his father in 1915 when he was barely thirteen years old. The death of his father led to his acquiring skill that would make him independent and fired in him, a driving spirit for self development which encouraged him to unlock his potentials.

He attended St. Saviours School, Ijebu-Ode and the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School under the great disciplinarian, educationist, motivator and patriarch of the Ransome-Kuti family, late Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti.

Upon leaving secondary school in 1921, he briefly worked as a clerk in the Treasury Department of the Nigerian Government in Lagos for 8 months before returning home at the request of his mother to join the Judiciary Department of the Ijebu Native Administration and to be nearer home. His first shot at business was as an exporter of cocoa and palm products with business concerns in Britain, Germany and the United States of America. He also imported merchandise from overseas for sale locally. His other lines of business were gold mining and the timber trade.

By early 1950s, Odutola had developed his business activities by establishing tyre retreading, rubber compounding and other allied rubber industries. As one of pioneers of the drive towards Nigeria's industrialization, he extended his investment interest to the production of rubber goods, and started the manufacturing of bicycle tyres and tubes in 1967.

At the same time, he was investing in education. He founded Secondary Commercial School in 1945 and another secondary school known as Olu-Iwa College. He later merged to what is today known as Adeola Odutola College in Ijebu-Ode, with the student population presently about 3000.

Aside endowing a number of scholarship schemes for both secondary and tertiary institution students, Odutola also endowed a Professorial chair at the Faculty of Business Administration, University of Lagos. He also made donations to the University of Ibadan for building of its Social Science Faculty of Law Library and traveling fellowship to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan. He gave funds to the Ogun State University for the establishment of its College of Agriculture and Business Administration.

The book attempts to capture snap shots of critical and illustrative episodes in the life of the man who is known by different appellations by different people. To some he was " a rare breed", "a legend" the "father of manufacturing industry and "the Grand father of Nigerian Business", among others. It discusses Odutola as a statesman, educationist, businessman, entrepreneur, industrialist, etc. A chapter even attempts to draw parallels between his life and that of his Biblical namesake- Timothy.

Aside providing novel and relevant information on the life of its subject and credible background to further research on achieving sustainable leadership and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria, Africa and the developing countries, the book also provides the reader with illustrative photographs that enhance the author's narrative.

The book also provides the reader with actual seminal and conference papers, lectures, addresses, etc. delivered by the subject during the course of his fruitful life. There are also illuminating letters and other correspondences to and by the authors which also add to the overall value of the book's narrative.

But, like most latter day 'commissioned' biographers, Lekan Fadina could not resist patronising the subject of his book. The reader is presented with a spotless man in the character composition of the subject. He hardly made mistakes and if he did, such instances, either by omission or commission, are ignored deliberately or otherwise, by the author. The Odutola recorded in this biography is near a saintly entity. All deeds recorded of him in the book are painted in glowing colours. Some might be tempted to label the book, 'a praise song.'

Structurally, this book is a success. But in terms of contents it is obvious that it was hurriedly executed. It is very apparent that the author must have rushed the book in time for the centenary celebrations of the birth of the subject. In any case, that is a common plague of commissioned works of this nature. This impacts on creativity, because it is not writing from the point of view of inspiration. He writes from the point of view of a contract with a defined date for publication.

Nevertheless, this is a commendable effort. In a nation where it is common factor to forget history, no matter how recent, in a hurry, this is a welcome addition to the literature of biographies of legends that have left indelible marks in the life of this country. The book is recommended for the reading and enjoyment of policy makers, private sector, academia and students of Nigeria indeed Africa's socio-economic, political and industrial development.

[Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development Management and Environment- CISME, Lagos, 2002. pp116.]

http://www.thisdayonline.com/archive/2002/07/30/20020730art01.html
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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola and Nigeria's Manufacturing Sector

Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola was an important contributor to Nigeria's manufacturing sector, creating a multimillion-dollar conglomerate including three factories, a retail franchise, a cattle ranch, a 5,000-acre plantation, a sawmill, and an exporting business before the end of British colonial rule in 1960. Seizing business opportunities as he saw demand, Odutola moved between markets at every opportunity, creating companies servicing a diverse variety of needs. Odutola's keen, unwavering interest in improving the infrastructure of Nigeria allowed him to enjoy a successful career in business and politics, despite the vastly fluctuating political landscape of Nigeria.

From British rule through civil war and subsequent coups and countercoups, Odutola remained a popular leader for his commitment to promoting Nigerian business ventures. Elevated to Prime Minister of his tribe—the Ijebu-Ode—in 1956, and later selected as the first President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Odutola campaigned for manufacturing interests and consulted with government officials about national fiscal policy. As a statesman and as a business leader, Odutola worked tirelessly to improve the infrastructure of his country.

Harvard Business School Case 407-027
http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp...jhtml?id=407027&referral=2340

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To purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=407027
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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm

admin · Site Admin Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 5404

Adeola Odutola and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Nigerian Economy

This Day
Akin L. Mabogunje
16th Nov. 04

It was John Milton who, in bewailing the passing away of a learned friend in 1637, had this to say of certain individuals who serve as icons to their and coming generations. I quote: "Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise (That last infirmity of Noble mind) To scorn delights, and live laborious days."

Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola was famous in his times. He remains famous in our days and his name is bound to be counted among the famous of our nation in times to come. But he did not become famous by accident. His life, although showing such nobility of comportrnent, actions and deeds, was lived laboriously and very scornful of inconsequential delights.

Indeed, in writing the foreword to the book by Mr. Foluso Longe titled: "A Rare Breed: The Story of Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola", the late Bishop S. I. Kale made this comment about Chief Odutola. "Many years after leaving school, Chief Odutola still says he has been brought up by men who worked hard and almost without respite. Men who find pleasure in their hard daily routine and do not feel they must count how many holidays are in twelve calendar months or hours in each working day." I must acknowledge my indebtedness for much of the personal information on Chief Odutola to this publication by Foluso Longe, although I confess that the biography left so many tantalising questions about the life and career of Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola unanswered, making a definitive biography of the Chief a challenge to be confronted by anyone in today's audience.

It is this that impelled me to choose for this lecture the title: "The Challenge of the Mustard Seed: Adeola Odutola and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Nigeria" I have divided the lecture into five parts. The first part considers the Ijebu society into which Chief Odutola was born at the turn of the twentietl1 century. This enables me in the second part to review the remarkable nature of the emergence of Chief Odutola as an entrepreneur especially in the period from 1933-1950. The third part then discusses the growth and development of the business empire that he built especially from 1950 onwards whilst the fourth part examines the emphasis on corporate social responsibility in Chief Odutola's entrepreneurial experience. The fifth part then evaluates the significance of Chief Odutola's life and career for present- day Nigerian society and its economic development whilst a concluding part considers the implications of the growth of this mustard seed for the understanding of the nature of entrepreneurial leadership in any society.

The Ijebu Society At The Turn Of The Twentieth Century

The background to the emergence of Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola as an entrepreneur needs to be clearly delineated to enable the present generation realise the nature of the hurdles that he had to contend with to become what he became. Born on 16 June, 1902, young Adeola grew up in a situation in which his hometown, Ijebu-Ode, was trying to re-define its position within the emerging colonial territory of Nigeria. Ten years before his birth, the Ijebu kingdom had confronted the British colonial administration on the field of battle to prevent the direct contact of foreign traders based in Lagos with the very productivc agricultural hinterland of the country. The army of the kingdom had been defeated signally and had had to disperse into the rural areas of the kingdom as the British colonial army moved into Ijebu-Ode to accept the surrender of the town. The Ijebu people had difficulty accepting their defeat and were anxious to investigate the basis of the British superiority over them.

Until that date, apart from warfare and the proceeds from the illegal trade in slaves, the Ijebus were engaged in the pre-capitalist economy of the precolonial era. This was an economy that consisted essentially of subsistent agriculture. For the Ijebus at this time, agriculture was largely based on the cultivation of grains such as white maize from which they had learnt to make "eko" and "adun" melon seeds from which they make their special type of "egusi "soup, the palm oil from the secondary regrowth of oil palm trees in the forests, and of course root crops especially water-yam, from which they had developed their famous 'ikokore' meal. Chief Adeola Odutola used to claim that you needed to be rich and comfortable to really enjoy the "ikokore" meal since in that one dish is contained such condiments as fish, meat, and other delicacies which could, in other circumstances be used to produce more than one meal.

This notwithstanding, it must be stressed that the economy of Ijebuland at this time was largely pre-capitalist pre-feudal and essentially peasant-based. Like else where in Africa, the peasants in Ijebuland have socially remained virtually independent not only by their position as producers with direct access to their land and the labour of their family members but also by their ability to secure their own reproduction without significant dependence on other social classes.

The major organizing principle of the economy was based on kinship relationship. Kinship determined the access of every, one to all the critical factors of production, namely land, labour, capital and entrepreneurship. It governed access to productive land as well as to residential sites even in the city like Ijebu-Ode. It controlled access to labour both of family members and of kinsmen and women, whether in urban or rural areas it facilitated access to capital and credit and determined what crafts or skills a person could acquire or what enterprise he could engage in. Given this emphasis on kinship, it is no wonder that there is in most African countries no formal or organised market for each of these factors of production.

Kinship relationship as a coordinating principle is complemented by social values that have both ethical and philosophical aspects to them. On the ethical side, the values discount individual competitiveness and emphasize collective survival and cooperation. They ensure that no one is without access to the critical means of sustenance, notably land. This is fostered through an inheritance system (known as partible inheritance) whereby all the children or sons of a man on his death have a share of his movable and immovable property.

On the philosophical side, the values regard life as a passage in which the living are no more than the link between past and future generations. Consequently, with regard to societal resources such as land, the living are more than trustees with rights only of beneficial use but with no power to alienate the land out of the ownership of the family or the community at large. This philosophy not to alienate land to non-kinsmen was also bound up with notions of allegiance to one's ommunity in an era of requent communal hostilities.

Within such a social formation, apart from the kinship principle, the need for community-wide coordination and cooperation as well as some degree of group competitition gave rise to the emergence of various institutions. These institutions were built around such basic identities as age, sex, land, occupation, credit, community organization and rituals of solidarity. With respect to age, the Ijebu society organizes its population in successive cohorts with a three-year span as age grades or age sets known as "Regbereghe". Each age grade is given a special name which helps to define its position in the society relative to other age grades. Chief Odutola's age grade, for instance, was Obafowora.

Members of each age-grade are meant to know one another fairly well, to choose a leadership group from among their members, to meet to discuss issues of mutual or communal interest and be willing to help one another if the need arises. Ottenberg (1960:37) notes that, apart from these internal functions, age grades perform important integrative and regulatory functions for the society as a whole such as social training, defence and government. Indeed as Ayandele (1992: 166) also observed, so important was the "Regberegbe" institution in the governance of the town that attempts were made in the late 1930 to reform and re-organise it into an ultra-patriotic and populist organisation called the Ijebu Mure Welfare Society.

Sex is a fundamental identity for the division of labor in Ijebu society. The prerogatives of one sex to an economic activity such as trading, growing certain crops or dairying are set by custom and reinforced by technology, prestige and even by supernatural sanctions. Thus, in the pre-colonial Ijebu society, women played a critical role in marketing and have established quite formidable organisations to this end. And for this reason, the womenfolk in Ijebu society enjoy a substantial degree of economic independence as well as a parallel but complementary institution of governance among their members which is recognised in the overall administration of the city and the kingdom.

Land tenure or the institution defining ownership, access to and the use of land is perhaps one of the most critical institutions in Ijebu society as in othe African societies. The partible inheritance system and the absence of any major land-owning aristocracy has meant the predominance of small, scattered and often intermixed holdings owned by lineages or sub-units of a lineage over which individuals can only claim a right of use rather than of ownership. Occupational associations or guilds based on craft skills also operate as closed professions often with centralized controls and hierarchies of rank and grade usually involving apprentices, journey-men and masters. Entry to them is often deterrnined by kinship ties although this is not often rigorously enforced. Masters accept economic and quasi-parental responsibility in the training of apprentices and attempt to inculcate relevant moral codes in the discharge of the obligations of the guild to its clients and to the community.

Credit provisioning in Ijebu society also encouraged the forming of short-lived associations whose members come together to pool financial resources which is then offered to individual members in rotation or sometimes on the basis of need. Such rotational credit-provisioning arrangements known as "esusu" generally operate on the basis of kinship or associational relation.

The city was organized spatially or territorially into quarters or "ituns" to facilitate locational coordination and cooperation. Individual spatial segment is occupied by households or members of one or more lineages or kinship units which are organised into quarters or wards. Ijebu-Ode is said to have some 25 ituns, each of which has an Oloritun or quarter-chief responsible to the Awujale. the traditional head of the whole communit) for the peace, order and environmental sanitation of his area. Ayandele ( 1992: 168) noted that when Chief Odutola began to assume important political position in the city, it w as through serving as the spokesperson for the Olorituns in their dispute with the Awujale.

Community rituals of solidarity need to be distinguished from personal, family or lineage rituals in that their essence is to re-affirm community solidarity and identity. Such rituals tend to occur each year, usually at the beginning of the harvest season. The most notable in Ijebu-Ode is, of course, the Agemo festival. This festival brings people into Ijebu-Ode from all parts of the Ijebu kingdom for the celebrations and thus serves to re-create and strengthen a sense of community. There are other such festivals such as that of Obinrin Ojowu and Egungun with more limited integrative values.

ii The Early Beginnings

With their defeat at Imagbon, the Ijebus had to come face to face with the inferiority of their strategic capabilities vis-a-vis the colonial authority and were determined to change that situation. They conceptualized, thanks to the Christian missionaries who had come to Ijebu-Ode on the heels of the conquering colonial army in 1892, that the basis of the superiority of their colonizers had to do with western education. Consequently, even at that-time, it was already becoming the practice to send to school young children of elite families not children of slaves or of the lower orders. Although born of a moslem father Papa Sanni Odutola Seyindemi and a converted christian lady-Sabina Otubajo Odutola - Seyindemi, young Adeola found himself in 1909 headed off at the age of seven to St. Saviour's Primary School, then at Italupe.

It is also a measure of how the Ijebus were adapting to this changing world situation that a moslem man could continue to be married to a converted Christian woman without harassing her to re-convert to Islam even though, as Foluso Longe noted, he was reproached and heckled by his friends for this. Indeed, such was the tolerance within the family that Sanni Odutola went further to raise no objection to having his first-born son baptised a Christian and given the prophetic name of Timothy, the young dutiful assistant of Saint Paul who was to be the "mustard seed" for the emergence of serious leadership among Christians in the early years of the growth of the new religion.

We do not have much informaton about Adeola in the primary school. All we know is that before he completed this stage of his career, tragedy struck. His father died in 1915 when he was in his sixth year of an eight year primary school system. The first reaction to this tragedy was for him to be withdrawn from school and taken to Ile-Ife which was already emerging as the centre of a growing cocoa and timber trade. He did not stay long in lle-lfe before returning to Ijebu-Ode to attempt not to complete his formal education but to set out to acquire a craft skills. He was apprenticed to Pa, then Mr. D. R. Otubusin, who later became the Awujale of Ijebuland in 1933 to learn to become a tailor and draper. How long Adeola spent with Mr. Otubusin is not known but it was long enough to excite a strong sartorial taste in him, a fact which was to shape his taste in good clothes and dressing as he grew up to adulthood.

Fortunately, Pa Otubusin like a true member of the Ijebu elite at that time paid greater premium on encouraging the youths to give themselves the benefit of a good education than just learning some artisanal skills. Consequently, he joined forces with those, including Adeola's mother, persuading him to return to school to complete his primary education with a view to going on to the secondary school. To this end, therefore, Adeola returned to St. Saviour's Primary School, Italupe, completed his primary education, sought and gained admission to the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School in 1919.

The Ijebu-Ode Grammar School itself had been founded by the Church Missionary Society in 1913 to begin to provide Ijebu yot!ths with higher education after their primary school career. For a society still alive to the organisation of its youth on age-grade basis, it was no more than the place where age-grade companions move to as a stage in their growing maturity. Among Adeola's companions at the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School were Fred Ogunade, T.O.Fasanya and Seth Kale who was later to hecome the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos. All of these youngsters were to come under the towering influence of Rev. I. O.Ransome-Kuti, the Principal of the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School at the time. He was one of those early school Principals who, as an educationalist and disciplinarian, strove to make a lasting impact on the life and career of their students.

By then, it was already becoming evident that the creative genius of Timothy Adeola Odutola could not stand the routine of an educational institution. After two or three years at the school, he left in 1921 and proceeded to Lagos like many other Ijebu youths before him who were looking for the excitement of a growing metropolis. And as Saul Steinberg observed, "the life of the creative man is led, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of his most important purposes". Avoiding boredom is perhaps the most important explanation one can proffer for the life and public sector career of Adeola Odutola in the twelve years between 1921 and 1933 when he finally resigned his appointment to set up his own business and plungel head-on into showing his many capabilities as an entrepreneur.

But first, on getting to Lagos, according to his biographer, Foluso Longe, he got employed as a clerk in the Treasury Department of the Nigerian Secretariat. His immediate boss was Mr. Ladega who later became the Ayangbunrin of Ikorodu. It did not appear that this first appointment as a civil servant lasted more than a month or two. The reason for this short durationl' as related by Foluso Longe cannot be divorced from the boredom Adeola musti have felt as a colonial civil servant. I will like to crave your indulgence to quote Longe (1981: 10) a little extensively on this issue: he made and sold gas lamps to churches.

It was a matter of some satisfaction to him at by the early 1930s whilst he was still in service, most of the gas lamps used in churches in most towns and cities in Ijebu Province were supplied by him on credit to Church elders authorized by their churches to make the purchase. Initially, Adeola Odutola employed the services of a Clearing Agent to get his various imports out of the Apapa Port. Later on, he assumed this responsibility himself as he found after some study that he could do it much more efficiently and at less cost, thus increasing his profit margin.

Prof. Akin L. Mabogunje is Chairman, Development Policy Centre, Ibadan

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May we be strengthened with the ability, willingness and capabilities to be good ambassadors of Nigeria contributing to its uplifting, rather than its detriment. - Cxsm