T. A. Doherty

Chief Theophilus Adebayo Doherty was a Nigerian businessman and politician.

Biography

Doherty grew up with his family in Lagos where he attended primary and secondary schools. He attended C.M.S. Grammar School, Lagos, from 1910 to 1912 and thereafter, King's College, Lagos from 1913 to 1916. After his secondary education, he proceeded to the London School of Economics and at the Middle Temple being called to the Bar on April 20, 1921.
A member of the Nigerian National Democratic Party, Doherty was elected to the Legislative Council representing Lagos in 1928, and was re-elected in 1933. He did not contest the 1938 elections.
In 1933, he founded the National Bank of Nigeria alongside Dr. Akinola Maja, Olatunde Johnson and a few other businessmen. He also became a prominent member of the Nigerian Association of African Importers and Exporters, an association designed to link African traders who depend on foreign firms for goods with overseas trading houses and also act as an African Chamber of Commerce. In the 1940s, the association was a leading indigenous elite business group that negotiated trading concessions with the colonial government. He was also the founder of West African Pictures Limited, the Nigerian General Insurance Company and the Nigerian Medicines Stores. T.A Doherty was also the president and sole funder of the Lagos citizens protection council which was instrumental in the fight for the creation of Lagos state. He lived at Debayo House, Odunlanmi street Lagos Island.