T. Ola Avoseh

Chief Theophilus Olabode Avoseh (born on 21 March 1908 – 12 April 1999), known as T. Ola Avoseh, was a local historian, writer and chief of Badagry, Lagos. He wrote several booklets and pamphlets in the English and Yoruba languages on aspects of the history and culture of Badagry and Epe towns in Lagos, Nigeria.

Early life T. Ola Avoseh was born to an Ogu father and an Awori mother in Badagry town. He grew up in Ajara Vedo community in Badagry. At age 4 in 1912, he started school at the popular St. Thomas' Primary School in Badagry. At 8 years of age in 1916, Avoseh was baptized in the Anglican faith at the Saint Thomas' Anglican Church, Badagry.

He spent 13 years in the school until 1925 due to demotion and ill-health. Side-by-side with his education, he learned carpentry from his father. In 1926 he dropped carpentry to become a teacher in his former school. In 1929, he sat for and passed the Standard VI examinations as an external candidate. His poor health, however, hindered him from securing admission to St. Andrew's College, Oyo; and he failed the Teachers' Higher Elementary Certificate examinations twice in 1932 and 1934.

Work and career From 1941 until 1955, Avoseh worked for the Egun Awori Native Authority. In 1957, he opened a private primary school at Ajegunle and Apapa, and also started working for the Federal Ministry of Information and Home Affairs as a Cinema Commentator. While with the Ministry of Information and Home Affairs, he worked at Ibadan, Badagry, Epe, and Ijebu-Ode. It was during the period that Avoseh worked in Epe that he wrote one of his books. He retired from the government post at the mandatory age of 60 in 1968. In the 1960s and 1970s, Avoseh was engaged by the government in the management of schools and councils in Badagry. He continued to operate the school until the 1970s, when the government took over management of all private schools.

Avoseh was active in church work and local politics. He was the General Secretary of the Badagry branch of the Nigerian Youth Movement's political party from 1939 to 1941. He was also the founder and General Secretary of the Egun Awori Improvement Union in 1968.