Akintola Williams biography, death, age, career, net worth

Akintola Williams biography, death, age, career, net worth.

On August 9, 1919, Chief Akintola Williams was born in Lagos State, Nigeria to Thomas Ekundayo Williams, a clerk and legal practitioner from Abeokuta, Ogun State. Z.A. Williams, his grandfather, was a merchant prince. He is an Eminent Chartered Accountant and the First President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN.

Akintola Williams Biography & Profile Summary

Name	Akintola Williams
Nickname	None
Gender	Male
Date of Birth	9-Aug-1919
Age in 2023	104
Date of Death	11th September 2023
Birth Place	Lagos
Country	Nigeria
Nationality	Nigerian
Profession	Politician & Accountant

Akintola Williams Age

Akintola Williams is 104 years old.

Akintola Williams Early Life

Akintola Williams grew up alongside his brothers, including Rotimi Williams, a renowned lawyer in Nigeria, and Rev. James Kehinde Williams, a Christian minister. He began his formal education at Baptist Academy, Lagos, in 1927. After completing his secondary school education at CMS Grammar School in 1938, he attended Yaba Higher College on a United African Company (UAC) scholarship from 1939 to 1941. At Yaba Higher College, he pursued a Diploma in Commerce. Initially interested in surveying, he later considered studying actuarial science in England but changed his plans after meeting an expatriate named John Selby.

1944 Williams left Nigeria for the United Kingdom on a government scholarship to train as a chartered accountant. The early months in England were challenging due to the ongoing Second World War and racial prejudice. Finding a job as a coloured articled clerk was difficult, but he eventually joined the firm of Binder Hamlyn & Co. as an articled clerk. In 1946, while serving his articles and studying for accountancy examinations, he completed his degree in Commerce at the University of London. In December 1949, Williams passed the final examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, becoming the first Nigerian chartered accountant.

Akintola Williams Career

After completing his studies, Williams worked with the Colonial Office in London and was later posted to Nigeria as an Inspector of Taxes. He returned to Nigeria in 1950 and worked with John Selby, the expatriate who influenced his interest in accountancy earlier. In May 1952, he established Akintola Williams and Company, Nigeria’s first indigenous firm of chartered accountants. His firm began operations as Akintola Williams & Co. in 1952.

Over time, the firm grew through mergers and became Nigeria’s largest professional services firm by 2004. It adopted the business name “Akintola Williams Deloitte” on July 30, 2004, and remains the oldest indigenous firm in Nigeria.

Williams played a significant role in establishing organizations such as the Association of Accountants in Nigeria (AAN) in 1960, where he served as the first President. He was also a founding member and the first president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Additionally, he created the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and was the only surviving signatory to the original Memorandum and Articles of Association of the NSE.

He participated in various committees and panels, including the Coker Commission of Inquiry into the statutory corporations of the former Western Region of Nigeria (1962). He contributed to the growth of the NSE’s listing portfolio and established rules to reduce barriers for companies listing on the exchange. Williams remained actively involved in numerous organizations throughout his life.

In his personal life, he married Mabel Etuntiloye Coker in 1947, and they had children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Akintola Williams Awards

Akintola Williams received several awards and recognitions during his lifetime, including:

• The Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) from the Nigerian Government in 1982.
• ICAN’s first-ever Gold Medal Merit Award in 1988.
• Commander of the British Empire (CBE) title from Queen Elizabeth II in April 1997 for his services to the accountancy profession.

Akintola Williams Death

Akintola Williams, Nigeria’s first indigenous chartered accountant, passed away on September 11, 2023, at 104. His death was confirmed by the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, who described it as the end of an era. He died at his residence in Lagos.

Akintola Williams Net Worth

The net worth of Akintola Williams is not available.

12 fascinating facts about the late Pa Akintola Williams, the pioneer of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Nigeria:

1. Chief Akintola Williams was born on August 9, 1919, and lived to the remarkable age of 104.
2. He is the first Nigerian to qualify as a chartered accountant, leaving an enduring legacy in the field.
3. Akintola began his early education at Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School in Lagos Island, Lagos, during the early 1930s. Interestingly, this is the same primary school where his younger brother, Chief Rotimi Williams, also received his education.
4. He continued his academic journey and pursued further studies at Yaba Higher College, thanks to a United African Company (UAC) scholarship. He obtained a diploma in commerce during this period.
5. In 1944, Akintola Williams embarked on a journey to England to further his education. He enrolled at the University of London, specializing in Banking and Finance. He graduated in 1946 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
6. His pursuit of academic excellence didn’t end there. He continued his studies and qualified as a chartered accountant in England in 1949.
7. Returning to Nigeria in 1950, Akintola Williams served as an assessment officer in the Inland Revenue. This marked the beginning of his distinguished career in the public service.
8. In March 1952, he took a momentous step by leaving the civil service and founding Akintola Williams & Co. in Lagos. This firm became the first indigenous chartered accounting firm in Africa.
9. Beyond his professional achievements, Akintola Williams played a pivotal role in founding two of Nigeria’s significant institutions: the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
10. In a period spanning from April 1999 to May 2004, Akintola Williams & Co. merged with two other prominent accounting firms, culminating in the formation of Akintola Williams Deloitte (now known as Deloitte & Touche). It became the largest professional services firm in Nigeria, boasting a staff of over 600 professionals.
11. Over the years, his firm, founded in 1952, grew substantially, organically and through strategic mergers, ultimately becoming Nigeria’s preeminent professional services firm by 2004.
12. Remarkably, Akintola Williams came from a family deeply rooted in service. His youngest brother, Rev. James Kehinde Williams, was a pastor in the same church, Olowogbowo Methodist Church, underscoring their commitment to faith and community.

These facts illuminate the extraordinary life and enduring contributions of Chief Akintola Williams to the fields of accounting, education, and nation-building in Nigeria.