The Waterside Centre team gladly wishes Prince Olayiwola Shittu a happy 75th birthday!
We are glad to share excerpts from his story published in our book ‘Beacons of Nigerian Maritime Industry.’
A Brief History
One beautiful heritage easily identifiable with the personality of Prince Olayiwola Shittu is his good mien towards people, irrespective of where they come from or what their religious or cultural beliefs are. It is a virtue that shaped his life from an early age when his father led him through the path of great thoughts, making him to become exposed to other religions, simply to understand what could inform people’s disposition and how to relate with them.
He also learned early in life how to give a helping hand to people, something that has since made him focus on pursuing his needs modestly, and not doing the wild chase for insatiable desires.
On the business front however, this entrepreneur gentleman knows how to keep the lead unruffled. He served as National President of the Association of National Licensed Customs Agents.
Fond Memories
For Olayiwola Shittu, early life memories are the richest. His fond memories just will also remain fresh because the events shaped his life till date.
“One vital thing I remember about my childhood was that my father encouraged me to read the Bible even though he was an Islamic Scholar. Later in the years, he said he was allowing me to think like others, not to think like myself alone, and that shaped my life,” he said.
After high school, Olayiwola left his birthplace in Epe for Mushin, in Lagos, to assume duty on a job with the Post and Telecommunications(P&T) Department, which trained him at the Training School, Oshodi, Lagos. Soon after, he transferred his service to the Nigerian Ports Authority, which is another parastatal of the Federal Government.
He was in Koko Port when the first commercial vessel came with Mitsubishi Lancer cars. Being passionate and dedicated to his job, he worked day-long and into late evenings, just to get the job well done. He aimed at meeting his set goals, doing cargo discharge, clearance and delivery processes at his duty post, therefore, he never waited for those who attended to the job casually. With that enterprising spirit, Olayiwola left Warri, in present-day Delta State for Port Harcourt, Rivers State, convinced that he would be better off running a business for himself. So, in 1984, when he relocated to Port Harcourt, he knew he was done with a salary-job after a good discharge with his records of service from the Nigerian Ports Authority.
