Daughter of late Ooni of Ife Dies at 88

The daughter of the the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, was reported dead in the early hours of Friday at the University College Hospital. One of her relatives, Adewole confirmed this in a telephone interview.
Tejumade Alakija was born on May 17, 1925, in Ile-Ife, now in Osun State.
She attended  Aiyetoro Primary and Central Schools, Ile-Ife, between 1933 and 1937 as well as Kudeti Girls’ School, Molete, Ibadan.
She obtained a B.A Honours (History) at Westfield College, University of London, England, between 1946 and 1950.
 She then proceeded to Oxford University where she bagged a post-graduate diploma in Education between 1950 and 1951.
She joined the Nigerian civil service and was posted to Queen’s School, Ede, and later to the new Government Girls’ Secondary Grammar School between 1951 and 1953.
In 1953, Alakija founded a Girls’ Secondary Grammar School at the invitation of the Anglican Mission in Ijebu-Ode Diocese.


She was the Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industries in the region between 1962 and 1964 and was later appointed secretary of some important commissions.
She served in the Committee on Development of Training in the Western Region Civil Service and the Committee on Technical Education in Western Nigeria.
Alakija became the Chief Investment Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Industries in charge of Industrial Promotions between 1969 and 1972.
She served the nation as Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Health between 1976 and 1978 and as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, between 1978 and 1979.
Alakija also served as Head of Service in  the old Oyo State and voluntarily retired on September 30, 1983.

May God grant the family of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.
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