Nigeria Loses Accounting Guru, Akintola Williams

By Adesina Soyooye

Nigeria’s most popular Accountant, and arguably, one of the oldest Nigerians that lived,  Akintola Williams is dead.

Williams who recently celebrated his 104 birthday, died of old age-related issues on September 11, 2023.

Born in 1919, Williams was the first indigenous Chattered Accountant Nigeria had.

He was the pioneer of  Nigeria’s accounting profession. He was, also, instrumental to developing Nigeria’s financial sector.

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.

Williams, a strong advocate for developing the accounting profession in Nigeria, was a founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) which President he was 1963 to 1965.

He was, also, a member of the National Board of Accountants and Auditors.

Williams and a recipient of many awards and honours, including the National honour of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) and the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM).

A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Williams was the older brother of Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams (FRA Williams) until his death, unarguably, one of the most successful and biggest names in the Nigerian legal circle.

His wife, Efuntiloye died in 2009.