Nigeria’s first indigenous chartered accountant, Akintola Williams, has passed away at the age of 104. Mr. Williams, who celebrated his 104th birthday on August 9th, was a trailblazer in Nigeria’s accounting profession and made significant contributions to the development of the country’s financial sector.
Born in 1919, Akintola Williams earned a degree in commerce with a focus on banking and finance from the University of London in 1946. In 1949, he achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first individual from sub-Saharan Africa to attain the status of a chartered accountant after successfully passing the qualifying examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW).
A founding member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), previously known as the Association of Accountants in Nigeria, Williams played a pivotal role in establishing and shaping the accounting profession in Nigeria.
Between 1950 and 1952, Akintola Williams served as an assessment officer at the Inland Revenue, contributing his expertise to the nation’s fiscal affairs.
