Late Chief Akintola Williams, who died in the early hours of Monday, September 11, 2023 at the rip age of 104, was a pioneer in the field of accounting and business in Nigeria.
He was a brother of equally Nigeria’s first Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Late Chief Frederick Rotimi Alade Williams.
Hereunder are five ‘firsts’ about Chief Akintola Williams:
1. First Chartered Accountant in Africa: Chief Akintola Williams was the first African to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in 1960, after studying in the UK. He went on to establish the first indigenous accounting firm in Nigeria – Akintola Williams & Co.
2. First President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria: Late Williams was the first president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), which was established in 1965. He played a key role in shaping the organisation and promoting the accounting profession in Nigeria.
3. First African Partner in a Major International Accounting Firm:
Late Akintola Williams was the first African partner in the international accounting firm, Peat Marwick Mitchell (now KPMG). He joined the firm in 1952 and worked in various locations around the world before returning to Nigeria to establish his own firm.
4. First African to Serve on the Board of Directors of a British Company:
Late Chief Williams was the first African to serve on the Board of Directors of a British company, Lever Brothers (now Unilever), in 1979. He was also the first African to serve on the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
5. First Nigerian to receive the Order of the British Empire:
In 1992, Late Chief Akintola Williams was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to the accounting profession and to society. He was the first Nigerian to receive this honour.
