By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The first indigenous Accountant in Nigeria, Pa Akintola Williams passed away in the early hours of Monday in his sleep at the age of 104.
Trained in the University of London, he was instrumental in the pioneering of Nigeria’s accounting profession.
Born in 1919, he qualified as a chartered accountant in 1947 and played a critical role in developing the Nigeria’s financial sector.
He returned to Nigeria and later set up his accounting firm, Akintola Williams & Co., now Deloitte & Touche, in 1952.
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.
Williams 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.
