Nigerian Delegates Attend African Conference in London (1948)

Nigerian Delegates Attend African Conference in London (1948)

On September 29, 1948, two distinguished members of the Nigerian Legislative Council, Mr. Akinpelu Obisesan, OBE, and Mr. Adeola Odutola, OBE, participated in the African Conference held in London.
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Akinpelu Obisesan (1889–1963) was a respected Nigerian businessman, politician, and diarist. He belonged to a class of early 20th-century educated elites in Western Nigeria who kept detailed personal diaries and often gave public speeches. Many of these speeches were later published in local newspapers, serving as a platform for intellectual recognition. His diary, covering events from 1920 to 1960, remains an important historical source for understanding the political, cultural, and social landscape of colonial Ibadan and beyond.

His writings include reflections on notable figures such as Salami Agbaje, one of the wealthiest Ibadan citizens of the time, and detail major events of the colonial era. Agbaje, known for being the first man in Ibadan to own a cement-built two-story house and a car, later faced public criticism in 1949 from community leaders who accused him of hoarding wealth.

Chief Timothy Adeola Odutola (1902–1995), OBE, CFR, CON, hailed from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. A pioneering Nigerian industrialist, he played a key role in the development of indigenous enterprise. He became the first president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria. Odutola was an alumnus of Ijebu Ode Grammar School, where he studied under Rev. Oladotun Ransome Kuti.