Folawiyo Iyanda Wahab; industrialist, known as the Baba Adini of Nigeria and a recipient of the nation’s honour of the Commander of the Federal Republic, CFR, born to a successful Lagos merchant, Pa Tijani on June 16, 1928 in Lagos Island and studied at the Methodist Primary School, Ilesha Grammar School, liesha North Western Polytechnic, London where he read Brokerage. He returned home in 1957 and established Yinka Folawiyo and Sons- Exports and Imports business. Over the years, Folawiyo’s business empire comprised holdings in shipping, banking, construction, agriculture and energy. He was the only African principal member of the Baltic Exchange in the City of London. He founded the Bab-Ks-Salam Home which he dedicated to the upbringing and education of orphans. In June 1998, he became the first private individual to put together a physical structure in the University of Lagos, and he upgraded the University’s Health Centre to a full-fledged hospital completed with an X-ray unit. Folawiyo contributed to the construction of mosques at over the country including the Lagos Central Mosque, the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna and the Sutulere Central Mosque. He was a recipient of several honours and awards including national honour of the Order of the Federal Republic, OFR in 1982, Commander of the Order of the Niger CON, in 2000, the Millennium Award of Doctor Science, University of Lagos. UNILAG; Doctor of Law, University of Cross River State Uyo, 1991: Doctor of Letters, Ahmadu. Bello University. University of Cross River State Uyo, 1991; Doctor of Letters, Ahmadu. Bello University, Zaria, 1992 and Doctor of Science Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo. Folawiyo Iyanda was survived by several wives and several children, grand children and great grand children when he passed on June 6, 2008 after a brief illness in his ikoyi residence, aged 80. He was buried June 6 in the Lagos State Central Mosque in Lagos Island[i].
[i] Insider, June 23, 2008
