Oloye Violet Iyabode Adebola Ladipo’s life blossomed in Lagos. It took root from Abeokuta where she was born on Friday, March 21, 1924. Her mother was Victoria Madamidola Robbin and her father was Samuel Popoola Robbin of Robbin’s compound. Both hailed from Wasimi Ake, Abeokuta, in present day Ogun State. Violet Iyabode started school at St. Peter’s School, Ake, Abeokuta, but her schooling there was abruptly cut short when her father died in 1931. Destiny beckoned as she relocated to Lagos to live with her aunt and guardian, Mrs. Ellen Moore. At some point she also lived with her uncle, Prince Oresanya Asilokun, alias Papa Alakoro, in central Lagos.

Following her school days, Violet Iyabode enrolled to learn dressmaking, initially under Mrs Lolade Munis and later under Mrs Edith Renwick. Both ladies were foremost dressmakers in Lagos, with a reputation beyond. For Violet Iyabode, that experience was not just about dressmaking, it was a complete education in fashion, social grooming and correctness. There she most likely developed her life-long attention to details in dressing and decorations.

In 1962, she became the managing director of Lisabi Mills following the demise of her husband, Mr Josephus Kayode Ladipo, in 1961. She then assumed full leadership of the company. Today, Lisabi Mills remains a thriving family business in food processing.

Even at 102 years old, she still carries herself gracefully, with complete elan and with a good eye for simple but elegant dressing.

She recently marked her 102nd birthday and amazed everyone with her finesse, comportment, reading without glasses, walking unaided, and her memory very intact. She spoke with Saturday Sun at the event.

Happy birthday ma’am. How do you feel clocking 102 years?

I feel good, I feel great and I feel grateful to the Almighty God. Turning 102, I never thought I would come this far. But God is so good.

And I’m grateful to the Almighty God, not by my might or anything, I’m nobody, but God loves me. I can still see clearly. I can hear very well and don’t use a walking stick. Glory be to the Almighty God.

It is amazing that you are still in your prime. At 102, you easily recognise friends and well-wishers who came to celebrate with you. You even easily remember their immediate family names.

Oh, yes! And I still do my exercise. I live upstairs, I go downstairs and still come upstairs. I do other exercises also.

What kind of exercise do you still do now?

Once I wake up, before I get out of my bed, I do my exercise inside my room. I still do the ones I did in my school. It may not be every day. I don’t force myself to do anything that is not fit for me. But every morning I make it a point of duty to do that.

Do you have any special diet that you strictly adhere to so as to maintain these feats?

Special food? (Laughs) If you give me amala, I will eat. If you serve me eba, I will eat and drink water. No, I don’t have a special diet

Tell us more about yourself. Where did you work? Tell us about all those things.

No, no, I don’t talk about all that. I don’t tell people about all that. But I’m speaking English, or don’t you understand my English?

Your English is very sound, ma’am.

Yes, what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. You don’t have to be white before you can speak the way they do. That is it. I also read A B D, that is Yoruba. My heavenly father trained me and he’s still doing that. I told you that I do exercise. It is not by my own doing, it is by the grace of God.

What are the good things you still remember from when you were in your 50s or earlier years?

Tolerance. If you are not tolerant, you are just deceiving yourself. I lost my husband in 1961. I had to face my work. I worked very hard. I don’t want to go into all that. I’m always emotional when I say such things and on a day like this, I don’t want to shed tears. So, bear with me. That’s why I’m saying all these gently. I am nothing, but God loves me and he taught me a lot of things, and I also teach myself. I learn from younger people too. Money is not everything.

What lessons have you learnt about life as you clock 102?

Plenty! Plenty! I don’t want to go back to memories. We live to learn. My husband died in 1961.

Could you tell us about your husband before his demise?

Josephus Kayode (JK) Ladipo was a creative agricultural crusader. He founded Lisabi Mills (Nigeria) Limited in 1939 at age 30, making it the pioneer indigenous food processing company in Nigeria. He was not just a foremost agriculturist, he was also every bit a cultured man with a taste for music. Such was his musical versatility that he could play the trumpet, clarinet and harmonica. He even established and led an orchestra that was called The Mills Orchestra.

You never remarried after he passed on in 1961. That is 65 years ago. And you have been doing great things since then. What advice do you have for widows?

There is what the Yoruba call Aforiti. That is perseverance. Some women might not have patience because all fingers are not equal. I don’t copy anyone anywhere I go.

You are a beautiful woman. Do you have any special cream?

I’m grateful to my Almighty God. I won’t deny the fact that God has been faithful to me. If there is a chance, I will worship God from morning till dawn. Who am I that he decided to be gracious to me?

In your family in Egba, do you know anyone that has clocked 100 years before now?

No! I can’t lie to you. But my aunties from my father’s side died in their 80s and 90s.

So what’s the secret of your longevity?

It is God Almighty. I eat what others eat. I don’t make friends or copy someone to do what they do. I’m very proud about my culture as an Egba woman. All my cousins are all here to celebrate with me. It is the grace of God.

Since you lost your husband in 1961, you never remarried. How have you coped without him?

It is God Almighty that kept me. Nigeria just gained our independence but what could I do? I faced hard work. I was 37 years old with five growing children, a big company to run and some real estate to manage. The task was first to galvanise the family and play both motherly and fatherly roles and ensure the children attended the best schools in Nigeria and abroad .

What advice do you have for younger women?

Hold your God firmly. That’s my advice to everyone. And be honest with everyone. (The Sun)