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14 Facts About Tai Solarin

1.

Tai Solarin established the famous Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State in 1956.

2.

In 1952, Solarin became the principal of Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo, a post he held till 1956 when he became the proprietor and principal of Mayflower School.

3.

Tai Solarin was inspired by the writings of Nnamdi Azikiwe who encouraged young people to travel abroad for study.

4.

Tai Solarin remained in Britain, studying at University of Manchester, and then at the University of London.

5.

Tai Solarin returned to Nigeria and became a tutor at Molusi College, which was supported by the community and Christians in Ijebu-Igbo.

6.

Tai Solarin removed morning prayers and religious studies as a subject in the school.

7.

Tai Solarin decided to quit and found his own school with the approval of Awokoya the former Principal.

8.

Tai Solarin is one of the post-Independence civil rights critics and activists in his native Nigeria; some others were Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Beko Ransome-Kuti, Wole Soyinka, Ayodele Awojobi, Dele Giwa, Gani Fawehinmi, and Ken Saro-Wiwa.

9.

In 1975, when the General Gowon Regime delayed returning power to a civilian regime, Tai Solarin published his "The Beginning of the End" statement, which he then physically distributed on the roadside.

10.

Mr Tai Solarin was an intellectual guru for Nigeria's disenchanted and disfranchised for four decades.

11.

Tai Solarin was a vehement critic of military rule in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, and an ombudsman in three states in 1976 and 1977.

12.

In 1989, The Peoples Bank was founded by the government, and Tai Solarin became the first chairman.

13.

Tai Solarin was a well known humanist and atheist who opposed the ownership of the schools by churches.

14.

Tai Solarin wrote regularly for the Daily Times, the Nigerian Tribune and The Guardian.