Chief Executive Officer, Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited, Lagos
Otunba Olayinka Lawal-Solarin, a distinguished Pharmacist and Publisher was born in Sagamu Ogun State.
He was educated at Wesley School Sagamu, Remo Secondary School Sagamu, Norwood College United Kingdom, University of Bradford School of Pharmacy and Portsmouth University School of Pharmacy United Kingdom.
After graduation, he worked with the Boots Chemists in United Kingdom, he returned to Nigeria and was employed in Leventis Stores where he set up the Pharmacy division. He worked for Boots Company Nigeria as Field Sales Representative.
Otunba Lawal-Solarin started his own business as a Retail Pharmacist and became proprietor and Managing Director of Corona Chemists Nigeria in 1969. The same year, he pioneered medical publishing in Nigeria with Medipharm, a medical index of pharmaceutical specialities, the first of its kind in Africa. This led to the incorporation of Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited in 1969 which has not only published Medipharm and other medical journals but children's books.
With its imprint, Lantern Books, which has become the companion of every nursery and primary school pupil, Literamed Publications Nigeria Limited is one of the largest publishers of children's books in Nigeria. The Company won the Readership Promotion Award of the Nigeria Book Foundation in 1995 and the African Refugees Foundation (AREF) Merit Award as supporter in 1998.
Otunba O.M. Lawal-Solarin belongs to several Professional Associations: he is a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain; former Assistant Secretary, Chairman Publications Committee and council member, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria; member West African Pharmaceutical Federation; member, National Association of General Practice Pharmacists; member, African Publishers Network, former president Nigerian Publishers Association, a Trustee and Chairman of the Nigerian Book Fair Trust.
He is the former Chairman of National Anti-piracy Committee of the Nigeria Copyright Commission and is the Chairman Board of REPRONIG (Reproduction Rights Organisation of Nigeria).
He is married to Bjorg Bjorseth and they are blessed with three sons and a daughter. Otunba Lawal-Solarin finds pleasure in reading, music and golf.