Chief Leila Fowler, Founder of Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, Dies at 91

|By Oko-Echem Agnes

Nigeria has lost one of its trailblazing women leaders as Chief Mrs. Leila Euphemia Apinke Fowler, the Yeye Mofin of Lagos and founder of the prestigious Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, passed away on Saturday at the age of 91.

Her death was confirmed by Bashorun J.K. Randle, who told journalists that the distinguished educationist died peacefully in Lagos.

Born on March 23, 1933, Fowler (née Moore) carved a remarkable path across teaching, nursing, law, politics, and education. After her early studies at CMS Girls’ School in Lagos and Queen of the Rosary College, Onitsha, she began her career in teaching before venturing into nursing at London’s St Thomas’ Hospital. Never one to be confined by limits, she pursued law at Middle Temple, England, and was called to the Bar in 1962. She returned to Nigeria the following year to practice law, specialising in insurance and consultancy.

Fowler’s public service record was equally notable. Between 1978 and 1980, she served as a councillor in the Lagos City Council while also contributing to the Nigerian Bar Association, Nigerian Red Cross, and the Corona Schools Trust Council.

In 1991, she founded the Vivian Fowler Memorial College for Girls, named in honour of her late daughter. Today, the school stands as one of Nigeria’s foremost institutions for girls’ education, celebrated for academic excellence and leadership training.

Her contributions earned her the revered title of Yeye Mofin of Lagos, bestowed by Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II. Remembered as a “silent achiever,” Chief Fowler’s legacy endures in the generations she inspired through resilience, service, and an unshakable belief in the power of education.