Moshood Kashimawo Olawale ABIOLA

Biographical record

Title

Chief

Surname

ABIOLA

First Name

Moshood

Other Names

Kashimawo Olawale

Gender

Male

Source of Publication

NIBC Who's Who (3rd Edition)

Date of Birth

Tuesday, August 24, 1937

Status

Died

Date of Death

7 July 1998

State of Origin

Abeokuta, Ogun State

Place of Birth

Abeokuta, Ogun State

Father's Status

N/A

Mother's Status

N/A

Marital Status

Married

Name of Spouse

Simbiat A. Shoaga, 1960
Kudirat O. Adeyemi, 1973
Adebisi Olawunmi O, 1974
Hamidat Doyinsola A., 1982

Names of Children

Abdulateef Kola Abiola
Dupsy Abiola
Hafsat Abiola
Rinsola Abiola
Khafila Abiola
(35+ other children)

Profession

Chartered Accountant
Publisher
Philanthropist
Businessman
Politician

Education Level

Tertiary

Schools Attended with Dates

Nawaru-Ud-Deen School, Abeokuta, 1945; African Central School, Abeokuta, 1945-1950; Baptist Boys' High School, Abeokuta, 1951-56, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1961-63.

Membership of Professional Bodies/Professional Qualifications

- Member, Executive Committee, Institute of Advanced Management Practice, 1965-68;
- Associate, Chartered Institute of Secretaries;
- Member, Institute of Management;
- Patron, Nigerian Olympic Committee;
- Grand Patron, Sports Writers Association of Nigeria;
- Grand Patron, African Sports Journalists Union;
- President, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, 1991'

- Member and patron of many other associations

Previous Appointments

- Clerk, Barclays Bank, Ibadan;

- Executive Officer, Western Region Finance Corporation;

- Deputy Chief Accountant, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba, Lagos, 1965-67;

- Chief Accountant, Pfizer Products Limited, Lagos, 1967-69;

- Comptroller, the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, ITT, Nigeria Limited, 1969-70;

- Appointed Vice-President, ITT, Africa and Middle-East and Chairman and Chief Executive, ITT Nigeria Limited, 1971-88, (retired voluntarily from ITT, July 1988);

- Chairman and Chief Executive, Radio Communications Nigeria Limited, 1971-;

- Member, Constituent Assembly, 1977-78;

- Chairman, Decca (WA) Ltd (later renamed Afrodisia (Nig) Ltd), 1979;

- Publisher and Chief Executive, Concord Press of Nigeria Limited, Lagos,1980-;

- Founder, Wonder Bakeries Ltd, 1980;

-Chairman, Board of Directors, Habib Bank, 1982-1998;

- Co-founder, Africa Ocean Lines (Shipping);

- Chairman, Abiola Bookshop;

- Chairman, Abiola Farms Limited, Eggua, Ogun State;

- Chairman, Concord Air lines;

- Chairman, OAU Group of Eminent Persons on Reparation, 1991;

- Founder, Abiola Babes Football Club;

- Chairman, G.15 Business Development Council;

- Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, 1991;

- President, Nigerian Stock Exchange, 1991;

- Vice-President, Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs

Have you ever been a member of any political party?

Yes

If "Yes", please state the party(ies) and offices you have held with dates

Member, National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC)
Member, banned National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Chairman, Ogun State Chapter. 1978-82;
Member, Social Democratic Party (Presidential Nominee)

Membership of International Organizations

Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland;
Board Member, International Press Institute, 1992;

Traditional Titles

The Baba Adini of Yoruba land; Basborun of Ibadan land; the Bobagunwa of Egbaland; Aare Ona Kakanfo of Oyo; Baba of Gbagura Moslems, Abeokuta, and over one hundred and forty chieftaincy titles all over the country.

Awards and Honours

Honoured as Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR),1998;
Honoured as Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari, June 6, 2018.

International/Foreign Decorations

- Patron, W.E.B. Du Bois Foundation, Accra, 1986, 1989;
- Winner, International Businessman Award. 1988. Los Angeles. USA;
- Patron, Congressional Black Caucus, USA;
- Patron, Black Parliamentary Caucus, UK;
- Honoured with the American Black Heritage Award of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People, 1992;
- Received the Golden Key to Washington D.C, 1992;
- Winner, Humanitarian Award of the Southern Leadership Conference.

Honourary Degrees and Awarding Institutions

Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD), by University of Tuskegee, March 1989;
DLitt (Hon), University of Ilorin, 1990;
DLitt (Hon), University of Jos, 1991;
DSc (Hon), Usman dan Fadio University, Sokoto, 1992;
LLD (Hon), Ogun State University, 1992;
Honorary Doctorate Degree, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, 1992.

Hobbies

Sports, Reading, Philanthropy

Other Relevant Information

Late Chief Abiola, popularly nicknamed as "Father Christmas" among Nigerians was a Philanthropist who gave generously to every just cause around the world.

For instance, in 1988, he gave $40,000 to Howard University for research in African Studies. In 1990, he gave N1 million to each State University, N500,000 to each Federal University and N250,000 to each Nigerian Polytechnic for improvement of students' welfare. In the same year, he gave $50,000 for the construction of an Islamic Centre in New York City and $100,000 towards the 19th anniversary of Africare (which was dedicated to Nelson Mandela).

He also donated N30 million to Oyo State Education Development Fund and provided free Islamic education to more than 500,000 students across Nigeria through his Zulikha Abiola Islamic Centre.

In 1991, Late Chief Abiola established the Abiola Foundation for Reparation, a foundation set up for black victims of enslavement and compensation for the fortunes made from collecting Africa's raw materials, a move he made to make the United States and the UK uncomfortable. He provided $500,000 to them.

Residential Address

Moshood Abiola Crescent, Off Toyin Street, Ikaja, Lagos State.

Official Address

Concord Press Nigeria Limited, Concord House, 42 Concord Way, off Murtala Muhammed Air port, PO'Box 4483, Ikeja, Lagos