Biography: Alhaji Chief Abdul-wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, CON, OFR, KCOP

Alhaji Chief Abdul-wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, CON, OFR, KCOP. He was a businessman, industrialist and a philanthropist. Born on June 16, 1928 in Lagos, to Pa Tijani, also a successful Lagos merchant. Folawiyo is second to M.K.O Abiola in terms of generosity, he has been described as a “Muslimpreneur” for his numerous support for Islamic projects.

He also contributed immensely in educational and sports development, he facilitated the construction of several mosques across the country including the Lagos Central Mosque, the Sultan Bello Mosque in Kaduna, and the Surulere Central Mosque. He was and still the sole sponsor of the Adhan ( call to prayer programme) on Radio Lagos thanks to his family who continues to carry-on that legacy.

Folawiyo was a pillar of Islam, he was named the Bàbá Adinni of Nigeria. He attended Olowogbowo Methodist Primary School, Lagos from 1934 to 1941, Ilesha Grammar School in Ilesha, Osun State. In 1951, he attended North-Western Polytechnic where he studied Management with a focus on Ship Brokerage. While in the UK, he became the only African Principal Member of the Baltic Exchange, London. Upon his return to Nigeria, he founded Yinka Folawiyo & Sons in 1957.

He was the first entrepreneur to develop trading activities between Eastern Europe and Nigeria. The company which has now become The Folawiyo Group, expanded its activities across the region, trading commodities like sugar, cement and construction materials. The company then expanded its product offering with dairy products, tinned and frozen fish, fertilizers and other essential commodities like rice. The Folawiyo Farms, Folawiyo Energy, Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum, Enyo Retail Supply and many more companies are all a franchise of Folawiyo Group.

In June 1998, Folawiyo became the first private individual to put together a physical structure in the University of Lagos when he upgraded the University’s Health Centre to a full-fledged hospital complete with an X-Ray Unit. He was also reputed to have single handedly sponsored annual national sport events. He died on June 6 2008, 10 days to his 80th birthday.

Alhaji Wahab held numerous awards and titles some of which are;

Grand Patron of Nigerian Muslim Council,

Chairman, Executive Council of the Lagos Central Mosque,

Honorary Fellow, Chartered Institute of Transport,

Order of Federal Republic, OFR, conferred on him in 1982,

Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON, on November 16th, 2000.

Chancellor, Lagos State University on April 17th, 1999.

Patron of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce.

Doctor of Law by the University of Cross River State, Uyo, 1991,

Doctor of Letters by Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1992

Doctor of Science by the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, 1998

Key to Dade County, Florida, USA