Nigeria’s first indigenous chartered accountant, Akintola Williams, has died. Family sources say he died in his Lagos residence in the early hours of Monday, September 11. He was 104 years old.
Born in 1919, Akintola Williams studied accounting at the University of London and qualified as a chartered accountant in 1947. He returned to Nigeria and later set up his accounting firm, Akintola Williams & Co., now Deloitte & Touche, in 1952. He pioneered Nigeria’s accounting profession and was instrumental in developing the country’s financial sector.
Williams was also a strong advocate for developing the accounting profession in Nigeria. He was a founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and was president from 1963 to 1965. He was also a member of the National Board of Accountants and Auditors.
He received many awards and honours, including the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM). He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
May his soul rest in peace, Amen.