Celebrating a Great Man
Most people who try describing Chief Olu Fadairo will readily say he was a man of many parts and there is no other way to capture the person of this man who many agree that he was indeed a great man.
He distinguished himself in the media, youth/social development, commerce, sports, Christian circle and the traditional institution; areas in which he left indelible marks.
Olu Fadairo was one patriotic and selfless Nigerian who all through his active life never stopped contributing his quota to the growth and development of his fatherland. In fact, he was instrumental to various policies which in no small ways have remained the focal point in a myriad of fields which he involved himself in.
No wonder, Chief Abel Guobadia, the first president of the Nigeria chapter of the Institute of Directors (IOD), while writing on the story behind the establishment of the IOD described Olu Fadairo, who was one of those that initiated the move and who was the first secretary of the institute as a “focused Nigerian”.
The fruit of his labour in the IOD just like other institutions and organizations are not in vain and they are all being used to complement other efforts to the growth of the nation.
Olu Fadairo, right from his days as a young boy, did not allow anything to distract his commitment and determination towards the building of great Nigeria.
Born on March 14, 1930 to the family of Benjamin Ajayi Fadairo and Mary Olubomeyin Olubowale, Olu Fadairo’s burning desire was apparent to his paternal grandfather who was left with no other choice than to allow him leave the village for Lagos.
On arrival in Lagos, he started his school and spent some time in Badagry before moving over to Ibadan. He later returned to Lagos to complete his education at Eko Boys’ High School. There is no doubt that Fadairo is a self-made man who was able to surmount all odds to build a career and reputation of excellence.
MEDIA
When Olu Fadairo gained employment into the Daily Times in 1949 as an apprentice linotype operator which is one of the least appreciated in the newspaper industry, most people would have thought that just like many others, his work would go unnoticed.
This assumption was proved wrong as extraordinary skill and mental alertness saw him being called upon by his employers to try his hands in most of the other departments and sister companies of the organisation. In his over 34 years in the company, Olu Fadairo ended up as the head of the publications division, the core company of the Daily Times Group.
His career saw him occupy the following positions;
Advertisement Manager Daily Times of Nigeria Ltd. (1960-68)
Marketing Manager, Daily Times of Nigeria Ltd. (1968-69)
Assistant Chief Executive, Daily Times of Nigeria Ltd. (1969-70)
Director and Sales Manager, Nigerpak Ltd.- a division of Daily Times Ltd. (1970-77)
Director and General Manager, Times Leisure Services Ltd. – a division of Daily Times Ltd. (1977-81)
General Manager, Times Publications Division, - a division of Daily Times Ltd. (1981-84)
Even after he left the Daily Times, his love for the media and related fields grew the more as he held the positions below;
Managing Director, Republic Publishing Company Ltd. (1986-87)
Chairman, Board of Directors, Ogun State Radio and Television Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC/OGTV)
He was also,
Chairman, Advertising Association of Nigeria (1978-82)
Chairman, Education Committee, Advertising Council of Nigeria (1978-82)
Honorary Secretary, Nigerian chapter, Institute of Directors (IOD)
Fellow, Institute of Directors (IOD)
Member, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM)
YOUTH/SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Just as he excelled in the media, Olu Fadairo was not found wanting in his social and youth development initiatives. A passion which started at the neighbourhood level at Ebute Metta, Lagos where he functioned as the pioneer leader of the Ijero Boys’ Club, one of the many of such clubs established in Lagos to moblilise young people for meaningful youth development activities, saw him as the head of various voluntary, government and Non Governmental Organisatians (NGO) that fashioned youth policies at the national and global level.
He presided over a conference of Voluntary and Youth Workers in Kaduna sometime in 1972 during which the establishment of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme was recommended and approved by the Federal Government to promote unity among the youth in the country.
He was the president of the umbrella body for youth organizations, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) for about 20 years and and vice-president, World Assembly of Youths (WAY) His relentless efforts was one of the reasons government in 1965 conferred on him the national merit award of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON).
He was;
Secretary, Federation of Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Nigeria (1952-59)
Deputy Chairman of Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs (1959-60)
Chairman, Federation of Boys’ and Girls’ Club, Nigeria (1960-72)
President, National Youth Council of Nigeria (1964-86)
Chairman, Lagos State Youth Council (1965-71)
Two-time vice-president, World Assembly of Youth WAY (1975-78)
Chairman, National Advisory Committee for International Youth Year-1985 (1983-86)
Member, National Youth Advisory Committee for Social Development (1979)
President, United Nations Association of Nigeria
Vice-president, World Federation of United Nations Association
Member, National Youth Advisory Committee, Nigeria
Chairman, Lagos State National Youth Award Scheme
He was once a keen sports administrator and represented Lagos State in various capacities in the
(a) Amateur Athletic Association of Nigeria and
(b) Amateur Boxing Association of Nigeria
Olu Fadairo was admitted a member of the Rotary Club of Ikeja in 1982
RELIGIOUS SERVICES
Olu Fadairo did not let his successes make him neglect his creator as he was also very active in religious activities. This accounts for his roles among others as;
Secretary, Young Men Christian Union, St. Jude’s Church, Ebute Metta (1965-74)
Chairman, Young Men Christian Union, St. Jude’s Church, Ebute Metta (1977-81)
Member and Synod Delegate, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Sagamu, Remoland
Public Relations Officer, Remo Anglican Diocese
TRADITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
There is no doubt that Olu Fadairo did not forget his source and his contributions to his home town, Sagamu earned him respect and honour. He held the traditional titles of Ogbeni Oja and Oluwo, Offin Sagamu at various times.
FAMILY
Olu Fadairo’s tight schedule did not stop him from building an enviable family with Elizabeth Oluremi Fadairo, Nee Taylor, his wife of 53 years. They call each other sake because they share the same initials, E. O. Their union is blessed with three sets of twins and an Idowu.
He must have left nothing to chance and was able to overcome interference that could have derailed his commitment for a peaceful and closely knit family. Building his family was not a bed of roses as it experienced its ups and downs, one of which was the death of their first two children which came before the first set of twins.
Pressure on him to get a new wife after the death of the children because of the alleged bad luck the marriage had brought to his life did not make him doubt his God and even his wife’s capacity to bring him joy.
By 1959, the blessings to the family came in double as his wife was delivered of a set of twins. Two years later, she gave birth to another set of twins and again by 1963, the third set of twins was added to the family.
A family who some had thought were not in the good books of God when they married because of the loss of children in quick succession was now scared of giving birth to more children thirteen years after. The fear that any other birth could bring forth two children again made them wait for about seven years after the birth of the last set of twins before another attempt was made to get the Idowu which Yorubas believe must come after a set of twins.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Oluremi Fadairo, Nee Taylor, children, Bayo, Wale, Bola, Popo, Bose, Gbenga, Yemisi, Idowu and many grandchldren.
A man full of energy.He was chairman Parent/Teacher Association at one time or the other to every single school attened by his children.
COURSES
Olu Fadairo participated in the following courses;
Newspaper Management: Columbia University, New York, USA
General Management: Continuing Education Department, University of Lagos
Harvard Type: Nigerian Institute of Management, University of Ibadan
Financial and General Management, Nigerian Institute of Management
This memorial website was created to remember our dearest FADAIRO OLU who was born in Nigeria on March 14, 1930 and passed away on November 16, 2008. You will live forever in our memories and hearts.
