HISTORIC OVERVIEW 1913 – 2010
The District Grand Lodge of Nigeria, under the United Grand Lodge of England, was consecrated on Thursday 20th November 1913, when WBro.Judge Algernon Willough by-Osborne of St.George’s Lodge No.3065 was installed as the first District Grand Master.
Freemasonry in Nigeria has come a long way, and the District Grand Lodge has continued to grow steadily from 6 Lodges in 1913 to an expected 35 Lodges by end of 2010 with over 1, 200 masons.
The first Lodge was Lagos Lodge No. 1171, warranted on 25th May 1867. The first Nigerian to be initiated into masonry in Nigeria was Mr.F. D. Cole. He was the uncle of the late Brother, the Honorable C.A. Sapara-Williams. The first Nigerian to become a District Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England was the Right Worshipful Brother, Sir Adeyemo Alakija, K.B.E, P.A.G. Reg. He was also one the first two Africans to be a member of the Executive Council in 1943. He was the second African to become ruler of a District; RW Bro. Sir C.W. Tachie Mensah KBE (appointed DGM, Gold Coast the same year) being the first to hold this very distinguished position.” He subsequently installed R.W. Bro. Adeyemo Alakija.
The following brethren served as District Grand Masters:
| 1. | A. Willoughby Osborne | 1913 – 1917 |
| 2. | J.A. Pickels | 1917 – 1920 |
| 3. | J.J. Hyde-Johnson | 1902 – 1925 |
| 4. | G.M Gray | 1925 – 1950 |
| 5. | Sir Adeyemo Alakija, K.B.E | 1950 – 1952 |
| 6. | R.E. Wooff | 1952 – 1959 |
| 7. | Sir Lionel Brett | 1959 – 1968 |
| 8. | Alan Glynn Davies | 1968 – 1973 |
| 9. | Nat Sowande Cole | 1973 – 1976 |
| 10. | Trevor Elmore | 1976 – 1978 |
| 11. | Joseph Walrond McEwen | 1978 – 1991 |
| 12. | Chief Oludare Holloway | 1991 – 1996 |
| 13. | Adediji Adedoyin | 1997 – 2008 |
On the 31st October 2008, RW Bro. Olorogun Moses Taiga became the 14th District Grand Master of Nigeria. Under the current leadership, the District Grand Lodge of Nigeria continues to grow with the formation of new lodges, relaunch of its newsletter, the “Grand Design”, annual workshops on masonic education, constituting a new board of benevolence with a focus on charity, and making preparations for its upcoming centenary in October 2013.
