About

THE BEGINNING OF A CAREER

The start of a turning point in the young T.A Oni’s life came about when he met a certain Mr T.B. Wade, an expatriate with Public Works Department (PWD) in Abeokuta at the Lawn Tennis Club House. Mr Wade who had been watching 16 year old Adediran with keen interest, decided to invite him for a chat and discovered in him an intelligent, bold and outspoken African youth.

He was employed by Mr Wade to work in his house while he continued as a ball boy at the Tennis club. He was at this time living with his employer at the in GRA Abeokuta.

In 1930, Mr Wade had to go on leave for six months, since he did not wish to leave Adediran without a job; he offered him a temporary job as a Timekeeper/Storekeeper at PWD. This temporary position soon became permanent due to his credible performance on a salary of Two Pounds, Ten Shillings per month.

At PWD, his performance as Road Overseer and Engineer was remarkable. He led road construction projects such as: Ibadan/Abeokuta road, Oyo/Ilorin road, Ilesha, Oshogbo, Saki etc. He rose through the ranks from a Store & Timekeeper, to become a Senior Road Overseer at the age of 33; the highest position an African technician could attain in PWD at that time.

He had a vision of prosperous business in Road construction in which he had gained a lot of experience; therefore after 15 years of meritorious service to the nation, T.A Oni resigned from PWD in 1945. On January 2, 1946 he established a construction company known as Nigerian General Contractors with an initial capital of GBP2, 000. The company was later changed to the famous T.A ONI & SONS.  

EARLY BUSINESS VENTURES

As he was planning his exit from PWD, he demonstrated a strong desire for self reliance by engaging in a number of ventures, he was involved in Transport business with his late younger brother Abiodun Oni (late aunty Dupe`s father) Photography, Furniture making business (managed by one of his wives), importation and sale of motorcycles, metal and steelwork. He also set up the first filling stations in Oyo & Ilesa respectively (managed by two of his wives). All of them subsequently became subsidiaries of T.A Oni & Sons.

THE EMERGENCE OF THE FIRST INDIGENOUS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY IN NIGERIA

PWD`s dominant influence in Constructing and Maintaining roads & bridges started to wane in the 1940s, because the emerging nature of growth and national development was beyond the company, hence it’s role in construction, eventually became that of Supervision & Overseeing.

This was the situation, when Messrs T.A Oni & Sons emerged on the 14th March 1946, it therefore saw the emergence of T.A Oni & Sons as the first indigenous construction company in Nigeria.

For further self-development and to add value to his company, he made the first of many trips to Europe (England) in 1952, where he visited various construction and civil engineering firms to study their methods of construction. He constantly updated his knowledge and that of his staff on new construction and technical developments by sending them on training to Europe and America. This no doubt ranked T.A Oni & Sons at par with other non-indigenous construction companies in the country at the time.         T. A. Oni & Sons enjoyed tremendous patronage, due to its technical ability, competence and reliable Nigerian and Expatriate professionals employed.

By 1970, T.A Oni & Sons Ltd had grown to over 1,000 staff, with 5,000 plants & Vehicles operating all over the country with offices in Ibadan, Benin, Kaduna & Lagos. By this time, the company had established a reputation for good work with fair prices and was in the forefront of Nigeria’s Civil Engineering industry. The total value of their projects exceeded GBP160, 000 before 1952, which rose progressively to over GBP2 million by 1961.

HIS WORK- PROJECTS

 

Projects handled between 1946 and 1971 included the following:

 

  1. Re construction -Abeokuta, Ijebu, Ondo, Ibadan Road
  2. Opeki Bridge
  3. Construction of bridges and culvert in Auchi area
  4. Ikoyi-Igbeti Roads & Bridges
  5. Majidu Bridge (Lagos State)
  6. Ibadan/Iwo road
  7. Ilisan-Iperu Road, (Ogun)
  8. Ila –Ora Road,(Osun)
  9. University Of Ibadan Roads
  10. Parliament Road (secretariat road) –Ibadan
  11. Queen Elizabeth Road to commemorate the Queen on her visit to Nigeria, shot the company to prominence
  12. Auchi-Ekpoma Road (Edo)
  13. Nigeria Technical College-staff house and laboratory
  14. First University of Ibadan staff houses
  15. Furniture for University College of Ibadan (U.I)
  16. Science lecture Theatre Uiversity of Ibadan
  17. Baptist Shaki Hospital staff quarters- (now in Oyo State)
  18. Native Court in Shaki
  19. 53 Houses New Reservation, Ibadan for cocoa survey
  20. Agricultural Staff Quarters at various Govt Centres
  21. First production Board Office Staff Qtrs Ibadan
  22. 10 A3 Quarters for Western Govt Agodi
  23. Flats for Members of Assembly, Lugard Avenue Ikoyi Lagos
  24. ECN (now PHCN) flats  Lugard Avenue Ikoyi Lagos
  25. Federal Govt Block of flats-Ikeja
  26. ECN (now PHCN) office Sagamu
  27. Warders Quarters Abeokuta
  28. Teacher Training College Main Block Surulere
  29. Traumatic block-Igbobi Orthopedic hospital  Lagos
  30. Barclays bank, Agodi, Ibadan.
  31. WAEC quarters, Yaba, Lagos
  32. Ewekoro Cement Works    
  33. First Canning factory in Ibadan
  34. Western Region Marketing Board office Ibadan
  35. St Peters Church Aremo Ibadan
  36. Lafia Hotels,
  37. Nigerian National Archives (U.I) (Record office)
  38. Iaro Divisional Hospital
  39. Iloro, Ilesa;(Osun)
  40. Ife Post Office
  41. Oyo Magistrate court
  42. St Peters Church Aremo
  43. Agbor to Ogwajukwu( Delta)
  44. Shikantu to Ayangba Road (Niger)
  45. Nawa to Yauri Road (Niger State)
  46. Sibadan-Iwo-Osogbo Road (Osun)
  47. Owo-Ikare road (Ondo)
  48. Okemesi college
  49. Igbajo Kiriji memorial college
  50. Ibafon-Agbowa-kosi Road
  51. Private houses for people like Dr Oruwariye, M.S. Sowole, J.O Osuntokun
  52.  

The decade of the 70`s witnessed massive road & bridge construction, especially in Lagos, the seat of power .The construction industry had become more sophisticated and more advanced, hence there was a high demand for T.A Oni & Sons` services. The company rose to the challenge and amalgamated with a foreign partner Royal Netherlands Harbor Works to form HARBONI LTD on the 14th of January 1972.

 

The marriage produced a new management, a mixture of Nigerians & Dutch partners. Several projects were won and executed under the new arrangement.

 

  1. Osogbo-Okuku Road (Osun)
  2. Idah-Ayangba Road (Benue)
  3. Ikeja international Airport Lagos,
  4. Staff Quarters of Rubber Research Institute, Iyannonio , Benin City
  5. Kaimi Dam, Kaduna
  6. Tejuosho Market, Lagos

The merger was short lived as a result of management control crisis.

 

Unfortunately, T.A Oni`s failing health affected the company and his eventual death created a vacuum, which led to loss of on-going contracts, encroachment of financial support and staff.