Mobolaji Bank-Anthony was a Nigerian businessman, philanthropist and company director who was known both locally and internationally. He also served as president of the West African Cricket Conference, National Stadium Project and was a life president of the Amateur Athletics. Federation of Nigeria.
Bank-Anthony held interest in various international and local business ventures including a group of companies bearing the name Ayinla involved in the furniture and bed components business and in a trading firm, all three of which were family ventures. He started trading in merchandise goods such as clocks and after World War 2 led a campaign for foreign investors to join Nigerians in developing the country.
Bank-Anthony held interest in various international and local business ventures including a group of companies bearing the name Ayinla involved in the furniture and bed components business and in a trading firm, all three of which were family ventures. He started trading in merchandise goods such as clocks and after World War 2 led a campaign for foreign investors to join Nigerians in developing the country.
He was born in Kinshasa to the family of Alfred Anthony, a businessman from Lagos. His mother, Rabiatu was from the Aleshinloye Williams family of Olowogbowo. Bank-Anthony attended St. Peter's, Faji, Lagos, St Andrews, Lagos and various secondary schools including Methodist Boys High School, Baptist Academy, Lagos and Ijebu Ode Grammar School. After completing his secondary education in 1923, he got employment with the Post and Telegraph dept as a correspondence clerk, he was with the postal service for six years before trying his luck in the palm oil trade trying to learn new techniques in the production of palm oil. While working for the postal service, he also did part time duties on his father's line of business which included cash crops such as palm oil, it was this interest that took him abroad to learn new methods of palm oil production which later fell through. He subsequently focused his attention on trading in various goods such as fountain pens, patented medicine, watches and clocks and was successful with those goods. During World War 2, he divested his interest into real estate as his retail business was adversely affected by the war.
As a high profile businessman, at his height, he served on various public commissions and companies including the Lagos Stock Exchange, Federal Palace Hotel, Tourist Company of Nigeria
and the Federal Rehabilitation Appeal Fund.
and the Federal Rehabilitation Appeal Fund.
