J.K. Randle

Joseph Kosoniola Randle MVO MBE (1909 - 1956) was a Nigerian businessman and socialite from Lagos. He was Chief de Mission of the Nigerian Olympic team to Melbourne and was connected to various public activities in Lagos. Randle was a social crusader and philanthropist who started the Nigerian arm of the Anti-Tuberculosis Society, a member of the Lagos Town Council but his politics discouraged extreme nationalism and was a sportsman who was a trustee of a proposed National Stadium.

Randle was born on July 28, 1909, his father was John K. Randle, a medical doctor and his mother came from the Aguda side of Lagos. He was educated at CMS Grammar School, Lagos and King's College, Lagos. In college, he loved playing football cricket and was a member and first captain of Zik's Athletic club. Born to a well to do father but when his father died, much of his estate was left elsewhere for philanthropic purposes. At the time of his father's death, Randle was in the senior year of King's College and his dream of attending a university became financial infeasible. He worked for a brief period as a junior clerk with the treasury department, in the same office with Adeniji Adele. Randle later moved to Ilesha to try his luck in gold mining. He was not successful in the mining business and returned to Lagos and engaged in trade, contract and business promotion where he earned some income. He held the title of Lisa of Lagos given to him by Oba Adeniji Adele and was a founding member and later chairman of the Island club. He was a sports enthusiast who was vice president of the Nigerian Olympic and British Empire and Commonwealth Games Association and a trustee of the proposed National Stadium. Randle was the Chief de Mission of the Nigeran Olympic team to the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was awarded the medal of Victorian Order. He took ill on his flight from Melbourne and later died at the Lagos General Hospital in December, 1956.

He was chairman of the Lagos Race Club in 1956.

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