User:GATA0495/sandbox/Z. A. Williams

Zachariah Archibald Williams (commonly known as Z. A. Williams) was a merchant prince from Abeokuta. He was one of the wealthiest and most prolific businessmen in Nigeria in the late 19th century. He was the patriarch of the prominent Williams family and his descendants include barrister and judge, Chief Adebesin Folarin, Thomas Ekundayo Williams (father of Chief Frederick Rotimi Williams and Chief Akintola Williams) and many others.

= Early Life and Education =

Z. A. Williams was born in 1850 and was educated at C.M.S. Grammar School, Lagos. He started his first business in Abeokuta in 1870, at the age of 20. He relocated his business to Lagos in 1877, at which time he was unencumbered with £5000 (equivalent to £59,791 in 2021). In Lagos, he dealt mainly in cotton goods, and exported only cotton.

= Later Life and Career =

In March 1879, he married Eleanor Clementine Agnes at St Pauls, Breadfruit Church. Agnes was the second daughter of the prominent T. F. Cole of Lagos, who was one of the benefactors of the CMS Grammar School. He brought his first son, Adebesin Folarin, with him to Lagos.

Soon afterwards, Williams started a business at Idunshagbe in Lagos, and visited England for the first time in June 1880, where he made arrangements to establish a much larger business in Lagos. He returned in October 1880 and established a business on the Marina, in a building which at the time was called Manchester House.

In 1883, Williams made a fortune of £30,000 (equivalent to £3,741,777.22 in 2021), and in that same year travelled again to England to join his wife, who had travelled before him. In February 1885, he established a factory at Porto Novo, where the turnover in eleven months amounted to £11,000 (equivalent to £1,449,938.67 in 2021). In 1884, his business in Lagos was valued at £60,000 (equivalent to £7,648,028.16 in 2021).

He was present at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in 1886, along with other prominent “native gentlemen” and women from Lagos. Other Lagos representatives included Mr. and Mrs. J. A. O. Payne, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Thomas, R. B. Blaize, Mr. N. T. B. Shepherd and James Johnson.

He paid further visits to England in 1887 and 1889, following which he retired from business. His main exports were palm oil, palm kernels, ivory and cotton. He had branch factories at Broad Street, Itolo, Offin, Victoria Road, Martin Street and Abeokuta. He employed two Europeans, over 20 Native Clerks and a general contingent of 100 Krooboys.

Williams was also a large landowner. In 1895 he owned 1,000 acres in Isheri, 500 acres in each of Jebu Ode, Abeokuta, Igbologun and Porto Novo, and over 100 acres in Ikoyi in Lagos. He also owned a villa on Broad Street, which was leased to the Colonial Government, and “Manchester House” on the Marina, which was leased to the Lagos Stores and Tomlinson Ltd.

In celebration of Queen Victoria’s jubilee in 1887, Williams subscribed £100 (equivalent to £13,487.80 in 2021) towards the construction of the Glover Memorial Hall in Lagos.

Williams was one of the four African members of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce when it was founded in 1888. The other African members were R.B. Blaize, J.W. Cole and J.J. Thomas, all of whom were prominent businessmen at the time.

On 7 August 1895, he left Lagos on the steamship Bakana on a visit to France and England for the benefit of his health.

His successful business career earned him the moniker: “the native Napoleon of West African Commerce”.