CHIEF TIMOTHY ADEOLA ODUTOLA

The late Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola was born on the 16th day of June 1902 and died on the 13th day of April 1995.

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 comportment, actions and deeds, was lived laboriously and very scornful of inconsequential delights. Indeed, in writing the foreword to the biography by the late 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."

The young Timothy Adeola Odutola was born of a Muslim father Papa Sanni Odutola Seyindemi and a converted Christian, Mama Sabina Otubajo Odutola Seyindemi. During the late 1800s the Ijebus were defeated by the British colonial masters and found their territory occupied. Although very few children were sent to school at the time, Adeola was sent to St. Saviour's Primary School, then at Italupe. Due to the early death of his father in 1915, he was unable to continue his education and was sent off to lle-lfe. He returned to Ijebu-Ode to learn a craft and became apprenticed to Mr. D. R. Otubusin, who later became the Awujale of Ijebuland in 1933 to learn to become a tailor and draper. Pa Otubusin placed 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 secondary school. Adeola returned to St. Saviors’ Primary School, Italupe, completed his primary education, sought and gained admission to the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School in 1919.

Among Adeola's companions at the Ijebu-Ode Grammar School were Fred Ogunade, T.O.Fasanya and Seth Kale who later became the Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos. These youngsters were tutored under the towering influence of Rev.l.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 educational island disciplinarian, strove to make a lasting impact on the I ife and career of their students.
Between 1921 and 1933, Adeola took on several roles in Lagos, including the role of a clerk in the Treasury Department of the Nigerian Secretariat and another position with the Judicial Department-of the Ijebu Native Administration. Adeola found the clerical role unchallenging and even boring. He proceeded into various entrepreneurial roles, the first being importation of lamps for churches. Subsequently, he began to export cocoa and palm products to business concerns in Europe and America. He equally imported merchandise from overseas for local sale and also ventured into the timber trade and gold mining.
By 1950, Adeola had developed business activities by establishing tyre retreading, rubber compounding and other allied products. He started manufacturing bicycle tyres in 1967. Adeola also recognised the importance of Education and founded the Secondary Commercial School in 1945 and Olu-lwa College in 1947. Both schools were subsequently merged to become Adeola Odutola College in 1964. Chief Odutola endowed a number of scholarship schemes for Students of secondary and tertiary institutions.

He endowed a Professorial chair at the Faculty of Business Administration in University of Lagos. He donated towards the building of the Social Science Faculty of Law library at the University of Ibadan and contributed towards a travelling fellowship to the Faculty of Medicine at the University. He donated towards the establishment of the College of Agriculture and Administration at the Ogun State University.

Chief Odutola was truly a legend that has left an indelible mark on the life of this country.
Between 1945 and 1947, he was a member of the local Government Council and also represented Ijebu Province in the Legislative council. He represented the Ijebu Province in the Western House of Assembly (1947-50), elected member of the Western House of Assembly (1956-59), member of senate, Upper house (1960-64), and a member of the Constituent Assembly in 1978.

He was founder and first President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and a past Chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He also served as a Director of the Central Bank and the Nigerian Industrial Development Bank.
Chief Odutola was honoured internationally with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1948, and back home he was conferred with the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 1966, Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 1982 and received honorary degrees of law at both the Universities of Ibadan and Lagos.
"A life that was well spent needed no belabouring and so it was with the life and times of Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola" (Sunday Times 1992).

Source: Odutolafoundations.