Adeola was literate and a Christian. Jimoh, though not literate, was a self trained man and till his death, spoke impeccable English and wrote like a Professor. He was a Muslim. Their father was a Muslim, whilst their mother-Sabainah, was a Christian.He thereafter entered Cocoa and Palm trading business and started exporting the produce and products to the United Kingdom. He also ventured into Sawmill and Gold mining at Ilesha and he was a major agent for John Holt in Nigeria. As a distinguished and notable Nigerian entrepreneur, he ventured into the production of rubber, goods, tyres and tubes. He established various factories in Nigeria, spanning the transport. and built a secondary school and a kuranic institute in Ijebu-Ode – jummah Odutola College.
In his early years in business, he went into a partnership that could not last – “the Odutola Brothers”- with his senior brother – adeola Odutola.
However,Jimoh, started business in 1918 as an apprenticeship to abudu karimu,the cattle trader ended due to the influenza plague of that yearin 1921 he started business with sanni bilesanmi,his step father and ended the same year,in 1924 he succeeded in building up his capital to 200pounds or more and he bought textile merchandize in ibadan.in 1924 he had made enough money that he got married to two wives the same day,ashia olomu and ramota alli.
In 1927,jimoh visited the Gold coast and met the company of ariston gold miningand in same year entered into transport business that makes him the first man to discover raw gold in Nigeria.in july 1929,he began the cocoa produce business and his mother advised him to incorporate his brotheradeola in the cocoa business and signed a partnership agreement,which resulted in the founding of the ODUTOLA BROTHERS,in 1932.
in 1948 jimoh made his first trip to europe this made him an historican trip as the black man to board BOAC flight from london to lagos,in oen his overseas buying office in oldham,9 miles to Manchester.in 1956 he established his first industrial outfit;the west africa tyre retreading and co.ltd.the first of the its kind in nigeria and africa,in 1958 he established rubber foam company the first of its type in nigeria and west africa,on account of his industrial enterprise,he travelled to Norway and los Angeles in USA in 1960-1961 respectively,Jimoh started the first tyre factory in Nigeria, the first Foam factory in West Africa According to Jimoh, the engine of growth and development of any country rests on its industrialists.He had vast Estates across Nigeria – Ibadan, Benin, Onitsha, Kano, etc.
In 1967 at japan jimoh was awarded a certificate of merit as the first African to ply the North pole, and first afirican to fly on lufthansa flight from tokyo to alaska,alaska to copenhagen.
In 1987,he establish property and investment company ltd.and in March 24 1994,he lay the foundation of sanni odutola memorial mosque that net worth 100million.
this edifice was completed in 2004 and it cannot but remain as a singular piece of altruism and philanthropy of a centenarian.
The Odutola Partnership lasted between 1932-1948. Jimoh’s Tyre Company was invited by the governments of Kenya and Ghana to come and set up similar factories.
many people in nigeria know about this business guru jimoh but his success was not known to the then governor General of Nigeria,Sir james Robertson until after he left to became the Director of the same bank jimoh had been using for his business he come accorss his account he was staggered by the volume and status of his accountand wondered why he never met such an heroric nigeria he immediately come to nigeria to meet this man of incredible business success.in november 1958
He lived to the ripe age of 105 years and remained throughout an epitome of modesty. Interestingly, Adeola was the father of Prof. (Mrs.) Oyin Olurin – a doyen of Ophthalmology in Nigeria, whilst Jimoh, was also father of Prof. (Mrs). Ebun Clark, a pioneer Professor of Theatre Arts in Nigeria and wife of Prof. J.P. Clark.
And not to mention of his philanthropic enceavours,jimoh built a 9 miles road from irogbo to iperindo,in ilesha,worthy of mention was his donation of 200 mattresses to ibadan Garrison organisation as a support to nigeria Government during Biafran War,headed by olusegun obasanjo.
He made another landmark when the oyo state Government decide to launch a development fund at onikan sport stadium in 22 feb 1986 he was made the chief launcher in likes of M.K.O Abiola,Wahab Folawiyo and Micheal ibru.In 1987 he build the Staff Cooperative Multipurpose Society of Tai Solarin College of Education,ijebu-ode with the cost of 45million.
He volunter the cleaning and clearing of the ijebu-ode prayer ground(YIDI) and burial ground,more importantly,he played a most notable role in building the central Mosque in ijebu-ode as well as its hall.
It would still not be easy to forget the pioneering efforts of Chief Theophilus Adediran Oni, popularly known as (T.A.Oni amp sons) – (adulterated by the Ibadan people then as “oni-osunwon”) in the building and construction industry in Nigeria. He was born in 1913 and died February 1975. His company was first indigenous construction company in Nigeria. Constructed and completed roads and historical buildings over the years, including Asaba-Ogwashukwu Road, Obiarukwu-Sapele Warri Road, Ife Township Road, IbadanIwo Road, Ilishan-Iperu Road (Ogun), Nawa to Yauri Road(Niger State), Ibadan-Oshogbo road (Osun), Opeki Bridge, Flats for Members of Assembly, Lugard Avenue, Ikoyi, Lagos, WAEC Quarters, Yaba, Lagos, just to mention a few. His most notable act of kindness was willing his Family Estate to charity.
As a high level degree of philanthropy, he willed his residence, “Goodwill House” to the OyoWestern State Government, to be used as a Paediatric Hospital which is now known as Chief T.A. Oni Memorial Children Hospital, Ibadan.
This sprawling Family Estate and Residence, was cited on a 15-acre piece of land, 65 rooms with all the modern conveniences, Olympic size swimming pool, stable for Horses and Fountains, etc. He was indeed a true philanthropist.
In the women folks, were the likes of late Chief Mrs. Bisoye Tejuoso, a prominent Nigerian businesswoman from Abeokuta who started trading from Zaria, was born in1918 and started trading at the age of 18. She joined her husband then working with the Nigerian Railways in the Northern Nigeria and relocated back to Lagos in the early 1950s to become an agent of the UAC and Vono industry and later set up a Teju industry, a firm specialized in foam manufacturing. She was the mother of Osile Oke-Ona of Egbaland, Oba (Dr.) Adedapo Tejuoso.
Alhaja Humoani Alaga and Madam Janet Alatede Aboderin – (mother of Moyosore, Olu Aboderin and Ajibola Ogunsola), Alhaja Rabiatu Adedigba Akindele- (mother of Chief Bode Akindele) and the first Ibadan woman to go on holy pilgrimage, were also great Ibadan women of great business acumen in the early days. Mama Chief HID Awolowo, was also prominent in the textile business and her textile store in Gbagi, Ibadan, known as “Awolowo corner”, was very prominent.
As resentment to non-admission of Christian girls to a Girls mission school in Ibadan, Alhaja Humoani Alaga, single-handedly established Isabatudeen Girl’s Grammar School, Ibadan, in1964. She established her textile trading business in 1928 and, by 1933, she had become one of the most successful merchants and had properties in the United Kingdom.
The succeeding generations of Adebisi, Agbaje, Odutolas, were the likes of Henry Fajemirokun, Chief Michael Ibru, Chief Bode Akindele, Chief Bode Amoo, Chief S.B. Bakare, Chief Isaac Ajanaku, Sir Lawrence Omole, Prince Samuel Ogundele Adedoyin – a business mogul, who started business as an itinerant trader, Wahab Iyanda Folawiyo, Jimoh Ibrahim Inaolaji of Ikire, Adekambi Amao- aka “Ti Oluwa ni ‘yoose A.Amao”- of Ibadan, Rev. Fagboyegun in Owo, Chief Iromini in Iwo, Alhaji Adetoro Lawal in Ede, Amuda Obelawo in Ejigbo, Chief Lawson in Abeokuta and Agbara Estate, Chief Ayinla Olatunde Abudu in Abeokuta – a lawyer, industrialist and philanthropist – Chief Adeyemi Lawson – Chairman of West African Breweries, Abeokuta, maker of the then popular Top beer Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade, who later became Soun of Ogbomoso Land, made his money from Jos, in the early 1950s. He was a business giant Chief S.O. Bakare (Oluwa lo gbon Motors), an astute business genius and Iyalode Wulemotu Aduke Kehinde – Late Iyalode of Gbongan Land.
Wulemotu Aduke Kehinde, pioneered the distillery of Local Gin, using brewed tea, as a colourant, known in the Gbongan neighborhood then, as “Ogogoro Wule” in the 1960s, and also diversified into produce buying, transportation, sawmill and petroleum business. She was described in a tribute, by Justice Bolarinwa Oyegoke Babalakin, – a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, as a woman of “business sagacity”.
Henry Oloyede Fajemirokun started business in 1956, which at the time of his death in 1978 spanned a whole spectrum of ventures, from Insurance, Engineering and Supplying. To sustain his legacy, he invited a University of Ibadan don and friend, Professor Ayo Ogunseye, to oversee his Business Empire.
Michael Ibru, son of a Missionary Worker, who also worked at Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital, joined UAC in 1956. He founded a Partnership called Laibru, with Jimmy Large, an expatriate, and also a Taiwanese Company- Osadjere Fishing Company. He created one of the largest own Nigerian groups, with investment in Fishing, Banking, Transportation, Palm Oil production, Tourism, Brewery, Timber and Poultry.
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