Fifty Seven years after his death, the name Israel Adebajo still resonates in Nigerian football, with the legacy of the founder of Stationery Stores Football Club of Lagos continuing to endure across generations.
Adebajo, a pioneering businessman, football administrator and sports enthusiast, founded Stationery Stores in 1958 after acquiring Oluwole Philips Football Club and transforming it into one of the most celebrated football clubs in Nigeria.
Closely linked to his Nigerian Office Stationery Supplies Stores business, the club became popularly known as “Super Stores” and “Adebajo Babes,” commanding a huge following in Lagos and beyond.
Stationery Stores quickly became a powerhouse of Nigerian football, attracting some of the country’s finest talents as well as players from Ghana and other parts of West Africa.
Under Adebajo’s leadership, the club won the prestigious Challenge Cup in successive years, establishing itself as one of the dominant forces in domestic football.
Adebajo’s influence was not limited to club football. He was also actively involved in the administration of the game, emerging as treasurer during the March 26, 1961 election of the Nigeria Football Association, NFA.
The strength of Stationery Stores was further demonstrated at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico, where the club reportedly supplied nine players to Nigeria’s squad.
But on July 25, 1969, tragedy struck. Adebajo died at a time when his beloved club was still battling for honours, passing away only weeks before a crucial Challenge Cup fixture.
His death marked the end of an era, but not the end of his football legacy.
For decades, Stationery Stores remained a household name in Nigerian football, inspiring fierce loyalty among supporters and producing players who went on to make their mark nationally and internationally.
Beyond the trophies and footballing glory, Adebajo left behind a legacy of entrepreneurship, sports administration, talent discovery and community building.
Fifty Seven years on, Israel Adebajo remains remembered not merely as the founder of a football club, but as a man whose vision helped shape a defining chapter in Nigeria’s football history.
And while the roar of the old Stationery Stores supporters may have faded, the name Adebajo Babes remains etched in the memory of Nigerian football.
