Last Saturday, the Arcade Hall of Eko Club in Surulere, Lagos, shimmered with warmth as friends, family, and admirers gathered to honor Alhaji Abdulfatai Dawodu on a milestone that feels both personal and public: his 90th birthday. The hall was filled to the brim, a testament to a life that has touched many individulas, Lagos society and beyond.
The evening carried a purposeful warmth, that brought both gratitude and fun combined. The chairman of the occasion, Retired Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, framed the night as a double celebration: the remarkable milestone of ninety years and the launch of a memoir that chronicles a remarkable life and the family’s enduring legacy.
He spoke with a quiet gravitas, beginning with a tribute to the tireless work Dawodu poured into producing the memoirs of the Mabinuori family, a project that binds generations and preserves stories that might otherwise fade with time. The gathering, he explained, was not merely to celebrate a life but to launch a memoir on his behalf, a symbolic gesture that binds the past, present, and future into one ongoing narrative.
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In a moment of civic candor, he reflected on Lagos with frankness that resonated beyond the hall: “We the sons and daughters of Lagos state are not happy. The Lagos state that is bequeathed to us is not where we want it to be. Lagos state is slipping off our hands.” It was a gentle prompt to the audience about responsibility—an invitation to protect heritage and to learn from the experiences of their father, who has made himself an open book for those willing to read. The message suggested that Dawodu’s life offers practical wisdom about resilience, service, and the importance of documenting and sharing family and community stories, a reminder that the elder’s journey can guide the younger generations toward a more mindful future.
The evening offered a tapestry of moments that linger far beyond the banquet table. An entrancing Indian dance performance lit up the room, as a young woman in traditional Indian attire graced the stage and treated guests to a sequence of elegant steps.
The centerpiece of the night, the “Book Lunch,” featured the memoir authored by the celebrant himself and reviewed by LASU’s former Vice Chancellor, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun. Guests contributed generously to the launch, their contributions signaling broad recognition of a life woven into Lagos’s social, civic, and cultural fabric. The ceremonial moment of cutting the cake punctuated the evening, a traditional rite that felt both celebratory and reflective—a symbolic pause to honor nine decades of service, community, and family.
The guest list read like a who’s who of Lagos’s civic and cultural corridors. Among those present were the former Inspector General Muslim Smith, the President of Eko Club Sirajudeen, LASU’s former Vice Chancellor Prof Olanrewaju Smith, the past chairman of the Yoruba Tennis Club, and HRH Oba Riliwanu Akiolu of Lagos, represented by Olori Oloye of Lagos, Chief Lateef Aderibigbe. Also in attendance were Chief Adisa Abisogun, the chairman of the occasion Retired Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, the Lagos Island Club President Prince Olasoye Matins, and Taofeek Abdulrasaq. Their presence lent the evening a resonance that stretched across the Arcade’s halls of power and culture, weaving together institutions that have helped shape the city’s civic and social life over decades.
