On August 20, 1922, Augustus Taiwo “Tai” Solarin was born in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The son of a civil servant, Solarin grew up in Ikenne at the dawn of Western education in the town. He later called those years the foundation of his lifelong devotion to discipline, truth, and service.
Trained first as a teacher and later in the United Kingdom, he returned to Nigeria with a clear mission: to build a different kind of school.
In 1956 he founded Mayflower School in Ikenne. It was co-educational, and it ran on self-reliance, hard work, and moral courage. Students farmed the land, cleaned their hostels, and took part in self-government, all while pursuing academics.
Beyond the classroom, Solarin was a prolific author, columnist, and social critic. With a sharp pen he confronted corruption, religious hypocrisy, and poor governance. His books, including Mayflower and Things Left Unsaid, earned him both admiration and controversy.
He died in 1994, but his influence has not faded. Mayflower School continues to produce leaders, and Solarin’s name still comes up whenever Nigeria debates education, integrity, and civic duty.
