For those born after his death on November 4, 1987, they may not know that there was an Owu-born and Egba chief that pioneered event centring in Abeokuta, the political capital of the Egba people and in deed the Ogun State capital.

Successful business man, lawyer and politician, Chief Ohu Babatunde Akin Olugbade, through his Akin Olugbade Social Centre, located in Totoro Area of Abeokura, arguably has the records of establishing the first event centre in the state.

While it lasted, the 2-storey building was an edifice to behold as it hosted events and peoples across and beyond the state in the early 70's and 80's.

The event centre building is now what houses, FoodCo, at the Totoro Area of the gateway capital.

FoodCo, is one of the biggest supermarket chain in Southwest Nigeria, with branches in Abeokuta, Ibadan, Lagos among others.

Aside the feat of event centre, the late Balogun Owu and Ekerin Egba has also been credited as a personality that pioneered housing estate in Abeokuta with his Akin Olugbade Estate, Totoro, Abeokuta which is still very much in existence.

He was also the pioneer individual in Abeokuta that established an hospital for the care of the people.

Good enough, the hospital still serves humanity even several years after his passage.

Born in Abeokuta on January 15, 1913 to the family of Ojeleye Akinremi, Akin Olugbade attended Baptist Day School, Owu for his elementary education.

His secondary education began at the famous Baptist Boys High School, Abeokuta and ended it at Baptist College, Ogbomoso.

At age 9, he lost his father, forcing the task of raising young Babatunde solely on his mother who did her best until when she died in 1937.

At age 38, he studied law in the United Kingdom which he completed and was later called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn.

After he returned to Nigeria, he started his professional practice with the late Magistrate Lapite on Tinubu Street, Lagos.

Later, he set up his own law chambers located on Balogun Street, Lagos, where eminent Nigerian lawyers like the late Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Prince Bola Ajibola and Chief Bayo Kehinde, among others passed through.

A politician of note, he was first a member of the Nigerian Youth Movement and later a member of the Action Group during the first republic, through which he became the chairman of the Western Region Finance Corporation and later a member of the Federal House of Representatives.

He also served on the board of G.L. Gaizer, Arab Brothers Motors and the Baptist Academy, Lagos.

Akin Olugbade represented the Egba South district and also served as the AG's Chief Whip in the parliament, during the first republic.

For the young ones and those who do not know, AG was the popular party in the Western Region led by the late Nigerian sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

However, during the second republic in 1979, Akin Olugbade chose to be a member of the then ruling party, National Party of Nigeria.