Shafi Edu
| S.L Edu | |
|---|---|
Shafi Edu welcoming Prince Bernhard to Nigeria, 1987
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| Western Region Commissioner for Health and Social Services | |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 7, 1911 Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Died | January 8, 2002 (aged 91) Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
Shafi Lawal Edu (1911–2002) popularly known as S.L Edu was a prominent Nigerian businessman and conservationist from Epe, Lagos State. He was the founder of the Nigerian Conservation Fund, a Nigerian NGO involved in conservation projects and was a former member of the council of the World Wildlife Fund.
Edu was born in Epe to the polygamous family of Lawani Edu; his mother was Raliatu who was the daughter of a Muslim cleric. His education started with attendance at Quaranic schools before enrolling in the Government Muslim Primary School, Epe. He finished his education in 1927 and thereafter, taught at his alma mater.
Edu left teaching in 1930 and started a career as a clerk with the Africa Oil and Nuts Company, a firm which had a business alliance with Holland West Africa and was involved in buying palm produce at Epe. In 1933, he was posted to Apapa as a shipping clerk with Holland West Africa. By 1945, he had risen to a managerial level. As a manager, he organized the Dutch shipping line's offices in the country and helped in expanding the business to other coastal cities.Figuring out there were affordable untapped prospects in the Nigerian shipping industry, he left Holland West Africa Lines, and founded his own firm. Using his prior experience in the shipping industry, he found himself a niche in ship handling and stevedoring. He later expanded the venture into timber and other commodities. In the post war period, he was a food contractor to private, government and European agencies. He also delved into the oil haulage business working as a contractor for British Petroleum, Edu was chairman of British Petroleum, Nigeria when the firm was nationalized and had its name changed to African Petroleum by the Obasanjo regime. In partnership with T.A. Braithwaite and Munich Re-Insurance, he set up an insurance firm, African Alliance.
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