Oloye VIOLET IYABODE LADIPO Celebrates @ 100

• Why Her Children & Many People Call Her Aunty

It is not everyday you run into someone who is 100 years old. Last Thursday 21st March, 2024, Oloye Violet Iyabode Ladipo celebrated her 100th Birthday celebration. Her centenary celebration attracted an impressive roll call of eminent Nigerians. After the church service at St. Peter’s Church (Faji), Ajele Street, Lagos, reception followed immediately at Harbour Point, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.

It was a Green & Gold affair. The Thanksgiving service started at 11am and ended at 3pm. The reception started at 3:45 pm at Habour Point Event Center in Victoria Island, Lagos, with Btevents management as eventsplanner.

The centurion celebrant arrived with friends and well-wishers, with lots of dance from Mama. She was joined at the table by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the former Commonwealth Secretary General, who also doubled as the Chief Host, alongside his wife.

While on her table, many family members and friends came to congratulate her on her 100th birthday. In attendance were many dignitaries such as the former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke. Former Minister of Defence, Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, was among the few to say some lovely words about Mama.

Others are: Dr. Adeniyi Balogun, Otunba Tunde Adelaja, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Dr. Remi Ogunbiyi and Maj. Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd), who gave the Vote of thanks.

In his speech, he appreciated lots of things Mama had done and prayed that God would bless and give her more years to come. “To me, Mama doesn’t look 100, she looks 70 to me. Look at the way she still dazzles and greet all the people present. I pray that God bless her more abundantly.”

The event continued with the cutting of the cake, which was led by Chief Anyaoku and his wife. She was later joined by her children for the cutting of the cake. It was followed by group pictures with family and friends.

The event was concluded with a dance by the centurion woman who was accompanied by her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Mama Violet Ladipo, will always remember the 21st of March, 2024 birthday celebration, because it was celebrated with many friends and family members.

Who is Mama Ladipo? We can surely tell you a lot about her.  Though her life blossomed in Lagos, it took root from Abeokuta, where she was born on Friday 21st  March, 1924. Her mother was late Victoria Madamidola Robbin. And her father was Samuel Popoola Robbin of Robbin’s compound. Both hailed from Wasimi Ake, Abeokuta, in present day Ogun State.

Violet Iyabode started school at St. Peter’s School, Ake, Abeokuta but her schooling here was abruptly cut short when her father died in 1931. Destiny beckoned as she now relocated to Lagos to live with her aunt and guardian, the late Mrs. Ellen Moore. She also at some point lived with her uncle, late Papa (Prince) Oresanya Asilokun, alias Papa Alakoro in central Lagos.

Following her school days, Violet Iyabode enrolled to learn dressmaking, initially under Mrs. Lolade Munis and later under Mrs. Edith Renwick. Both ladies were foremost dressmakers in Lagos, with reputation beyond the shores of Nigeria. For Violet Iyabode, this experience was not just dressmaking, it was complete fashion and social grooming. Here she may have developed her life-long attention to detail and correctness in dress and decorations. Even at 100, she still carries herself gracefully, with complete elan and with a good eye for simple but elegant dressing.

The Lagos circle that she was now part of was big and prominent. It included the Moore, Munis, Renwick, Carr, Wright and Mann families; and somewhere along the line she crossed paths with Mr. Josephus Kayode Ladipo.

Mr. Josephus Kayode Ladipo was a creative agricultural crusader. He founded the Lisabi Mills (Nigeria) Ltd in 1939 at age 30, making it the pioneer indigenous food processing company in Nigeria. Violet Iyabode had a stint working at the Mills and she and Josephus Kayode Ladipo found love, possibly in the heat of the Mills, and thus emerged to forge a wonderful companionship. Marriage followed in March 1943, with 2 quick seeds, Kayode (Pompom) in 1944 and Kehinde (Toot) in 1945, whose Taiwo passed during infancy.

A break ensued, and 3 more, JJ, Bose and Shex were added, and a family was formed.

Josephus Kayode Ladipo (JK) was not just a foremost Agriculturist, he was every bit a cultured man with a taste for music. Such was his musical versatility that he could play the trumpet, clarinet and harmonica. He even established and led an orchestra that was called The Mills Orchestra. And there was room for Violet, the toast of today, to join rhythm for rhythm. She played the banjo and they often went ballroom dancing. Both JK and VIL were bound in love. It was a love in which they seemed to complement and strengthen one another and the sky was their limit. And then suddenly JK died in 1961.

Violet Iyabode Ladipo was 37 years old. And one can only imagine the weight on her shoulders, with 5 growing children, a big company to run and some real estate to manage. The task was first to galvanise the family and play both motherly and fatherly roles to the children. She also needed to steady and navigate the ship of the company Lisabi Mills, reeling at that time from a huge loan burden.

None of the task was going to be easy. Undaunted and with dedication and faith in God, and with the support of family and well-wishers, Violet Iyabode soon discovered herself and her mission.

She became the Managing Director of Lisabi Mills in 1962 to assume full leadership of the company and she managed to send the five children to some of the best schools on offer, both in Nigeria and overseas. Today, Lisabi Mills still remains a thriving family business in food processing. The Nigerian nation remains grateful for the pioneering spirit of JK Ladipo and his wife who carried on his mission.

Suffice to mention that she participated in the International Labour Organization (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland in 1964 and in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1965 as a member of the Nigerian delegation, under the auspices of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA). She was the only woman employer on those delegations. In 1983, she was awarded the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) Tuyo Medal, for her contribution to industry in Nigeria. In 1982, she was conferred with the title of Iyaloja of Ake, Abeokuta. In 1989, she received the Zonta International Club of Lagos “Woman of Achievement” award. In 1996, she was elected as a Trustee of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST). She is the only woman on the distinguished Board of Trustees of the Institute. She remains Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lisabi Mills, having relinquished the Managing Directorship in 1974 to one of her children.

Oloye Violet Iyabode Ladipo has devoted the most part of her life to her family and their business,

and she has brought up her children to be upright and productive members of the society. All the children are very successful in their respective fields. However in a twist of fate, 2 of her children, Kehinde and Bose, sadly have pre deceased her. Oloye Violet Iyabode has borne life and all its vicissitudes with equanimity and supreme tranquil. Her only other preoccupation is service to God. She belongs to the Ladies Christian Fellowship of St Peter’s Church (Faji), Lagos and serves as Matron of many church societies. She remains a pillar of that church, and indeed of the Anglican Communion in Nigeria.

Oloye Violet Iyabode has become iconic in all of her various roles. She is iconic as a caring and loving mother. As her children grew in age, she held the time for them, so that as ‘paddies’ they warmly call her ‘Aunty’ as against mum. In fact, all and sundry affectionately call her ‘Aunty’ because she has been a foster mother to many. She is iconic as a dynamic executive businesswoman, now carrying the

family business into the third generation. And she is iconic as a doting grandmother and a darling greatgrandmother.

So on 21st of March 2024, her children and grand children celebrated not only her centenary birthday; but they also heralded her Courage, Sacrifice, loyalty, success and achievements. Her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren say that ‘G-Gran’ is simply grand. She is a rare breed whose wise counsel, love for family and friends is legendary.

On behalf of all her ‘children’ they wished her a happy centenary birthday Aunty. We wish you more glorious years of love and service to humanity. God bless you ma.

–Benprince Ezeh

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