f:I[48173,["9344","static/chunks/9081a741-c61dd986cfa0c828.js","6408","static/chunks/00cbbcb7-c04264a14f470d4a.js","8173","static/chunks/8173-fc6c345d757cc6f6.js","7970","static/chunks/7970-6e0129b3de8ddbd6.js","3539","static/chunks/3539-02bf90933f94c836.js","6937","static/chunks/6937-3bd12da95143b93b.js","8827","static/chunks/app/(dashboard)/account/news/%5Bid%5D/edit/page-ce509fe7e2acda80.js"],""] 10:I[76937,["9344","static/chunks/9081a741-c61dd986cfa0c828.js","6408","static/chunks/00cbbcb7-c04264a14f470d4a.js","8173","static/chunks/8173-fc6c345d757cc6f6.js","7970","static/chunks/7970-6e0129b3de8ddbd6.js","3539","static/chunks/3539-02bf90933f94c836.js","6937","static/chunks/6937-3bd12da95143b93b.js","8827","static/chunks/app/(dashboard)/account/news/%5Bid%5D/edit/page-ce509fe7e2acda80.js"],"UpdateNewsForm"] 11:T505,

The American entrepreneur and manufacturer, Henry Ford, founded the Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903.

That was the first birthday anniversary of T. Adeola Odutola, first President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) – Odutola having been born on June 16, 1902.

Ford manufactured millions of the cars named Model T. Ford. I wonder what The T in T. Ford stands for. T in T. Adeola Odutola stands for Timothy.

Henry Ford and Adeola Odutola both set up rubber plantations for manufacturing tyres. However, while Ford failed to manufacture tyres, Odutola succeeded.

Henry Ford and Adeola Odutola both passed away in the month of April – Ford on April 7, 1947 and Odutola on April 13, 1995.

So when we celebrate the existence of the Ford Motor Company, producers of Model T. Ford, we are invariably celebrating the life and times of T. Adeola Odutola , one of the first African entrepreneurs to be featured in the TIME Magazine.

•COINCIDENCES appears fortnightly on Wednesdays. The columnist, Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth, is based in England, Britain, but can be reached via e-mail throu

Update news