The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. —William James
Engr Anthony Oludaiye was born in January 25 1936 to Prince Dickson Oyeyemi, a civil servanht and Mrs. Victoria Omobola Oludaiye. He attended the Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Lagos Island, and St Gregory’s College, Obalende in 1951.
Young Oludaiye excelled in his studies especially in science subjects and thus, no surprise when he opted for engineering as his career choice. After he graduated from Secondary school with grade 2 aggregate in the West African Certificate Examination in 1956, he proceeded to Technical Institute, now (Yaba College of technology,) Yaba, in 1957 and obtained diploma in electrical engineering. He later joined the Electricity Corporation of Nigerian, ECN, in 1959.
Few years after he was included among the Assistant Technical Officers sponsored by the Corporation for a course in electrical engineering at the Reputable Michael Faraday Hose Engineering College, London.
He graduated from Faraday College in 1965 and resumed work with EC Lagos where he worked in many departments of the corporation until he was posted to Maduguri in 1968. In 1970, he was transferred to Kano as District Manager. He served in same capacity in Jos, Enugu and Ijora, Lagos for nine years. During this period he has established himself as an enviable reputable public worker and a humanist as he was known for his kindness at every city he worked.
While in kano, he started the Kano Branch of Nigerian Society of Engineers in 1973 and thus became its first chairman and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the new Branch.
In 1980, Engr Oludaiye was appointed the Director of Distribution, Lagos/Western Nigeria. He remained in that position until he was promoted to the executive position of Assistant General Manager, (Now equivalent of General manager) Benin Zone in 1991. He voluntarily retired from civil services having worked across various parts of Nigeria and left positive impacts.
Oludaiye was a humanitarian, who touched lives of everyone that came near him. He was a study in the industry with a can-do attitude and inspired most of hs peers as well as those below him. A man gifted with listening ear and strong empathy and compassion to artisans and junior colleagues.
In 1997, Engr Oludaiye became the third Chairman of NSE Ikeja Branch. Under his tenure, the Branch hosted the International Engineering Conference and brought Engineers across the world to Lagos.
An astute professional, he was a registered engineer by both Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN (1977) and Council of Engineering Institutions, England (1972). He became a fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers on October 1982 while he also bagged the Fellowship of the British Institute of Electrical Engineering, IEE in May 1988. Until his death, he was a Consultant/Managing Director of AKOL Engineering Company, Lagos and Chairman of Okey Electrical.
On Social aspect, he was a community man with membership of many scoal clubs like Island Club, Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos Country Club, Club 9 of which he was its pioneer President.
A devout Christian,married to, Mariam Bolaji (Nee Akinola) who also Studied in London and survived by wife children, grandchildren and siblings. Recently, an endorsement fund was launched to honour his memory
-Compiled by Isqil Najim
NSE Ikeja teams up with YABATECH to Launch Endowment Fund in Honour late Anthony Oludaiye