TOS Educational Initiative

We celebrate you today and always, Hon. J. Tolani Alli-Balogun.

Today, we at *TOS Educational Initiatives* celebrate a visionary leader — a calm, humble educationist with an unwavering heart for the progress of education in our beloved Lagos State.

Hon. Alli-Balogun, you brought renewed vision, strategic insight, and innovative reforms to Lagos State’s Basic and Secondary Education sector. Through your leadership, we have seen sustainable development for pupils both in school and out of school.

Your deep understanding and commitment to *quality education, teacher development, infrastructure improvement, and student excellence* continue to transform lives and build a brighter future for our children.

Our prayer for you is that you keep driving the education system forward toward a self-sustaining, globally competitive Lagos State and beyond.

May this new year of your life renew our collective hope for better education. May you be granted greater wisdom, strength, and divine guidance to reach even greater heights.

*Congratulations, Sir — our mentor and the strength behind many of our successes.*
May goodness and mercy continue to shine upon you and your family, today and always.

*Happy celebration, Honourable Commissioner.*

Lolade Salvador
Founder & Program Director
TOS Educational Initiatives
One book. One child. One future.
09090008874 | [email protected]

Chief Taiwo Olowo (c.1781-1901) a.k.a “ Taiwo The Rich Man” was a 19th Century businessman born in Isheri. Taiwo, a son of Oluwole the Olofin of Isheri, came to Lagos in 1848 as an apprentice basket maker. He quickly learnt his trade and was able to establish his own business.

By the 1840s, Taiwo had become a protege of Kosoko, Oba Osinlokun’s son. Kosoko reigned as Oba of Lagos from 1845 to 1851 and, as can be expected, Taiwo leveraged his closeness to Kosoko for mercantile gain, establishing partnerships with European and Brazilian merchants. After Oba Kosoko returned to Lagos, he introduced Taiwo to Governor Glover, the then administrator of Lagos in 1863. Glover liked taiwo very much that he made him his business partner and subsequently made him Baba Isale of Isheri. This paved way for taiwo as he became the patron and representative of the Isheri people. In return, Taiwo enjoyed monopolistic privileges over all others in access to Isheri trade routes and markets, he became even wealthier.

He got baptized in the late 1870s at the Holy Trinity Church in Ebute Ero, taking the name Daniel Conrad Taiwo and also served as an emissary of the British colonial government in Lagos, and was ambassador to the court of the King of Porto Novo.

When he died in Lagos on February 20, 1901, James Johnson (Assistant Bishop of Western Equatorial Africa) officiated his funeral in an impressive funeral service held at Ebute–Ero where he worshipped as a member in life.

His mansion is still located on Marina Street, Lagos Island, and across the street stood his monument erected over his tomb by the Brazilian-Lagosian master builder Senhor Jorge DaCosta in 1905. Its plaques were said to have been forged from the melting of hundreds of copper pennies. The Ìgà Taiwo Olowo which translates to “Palace of Taiwo the Rich Man” on Lagos Island belongs to his descendants.