Aka Ekene
Candido Joao Da Rocha, the OG Nigerian millionaire who even gave his clothes a taste of the high life by shipping them off to London for laundry!
it’s the 1800s, and in the bustling streets of Lagos Island, a legend was born. Meet Chief Candido Joao Da Rocha, a dude who knew how to make some serious moolah. He was not just your average Joe; he was a full-blown business maestro, landowner extraordinaire, and a total baller in the credit game.
This guy had a swanky crib known as Water House on Kakawa Street, Lagos Island. It wasn’t just a house; it was practically a landmark! And let’s not forget the Bonanza Hotel, which he ran like a boss. This guy’s street cred even got him the chieftaincy title of the Lodifi of Ilesa. Fancy, huh?
Now, Candido wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Lagos lad. Nope, this dude had some serious lineage going on. His pops, Joao Esan Da Rocha, had been a former slave, but that didn’t stop Candido from becoming the talk of the town. His dad had been captured as a slave when he was just a sprightly 10-year-old back in 1840. But Candido? He was born in Brazil’s Bahia region and brought up in style.
Education? Check! Candido was a smarty-pants who went to CMS Grammar School in Lagos. He kicked it with the likes of Isaac Oluwole and Herbert Macaulay, and trust me, they must have been quite the crew.
And get this, his home – Water House – was like the fanciest waterpark of its time. There was a borehole, a water fountain that made everyone else jealous, and he even sold water to folks! He was like the original Aquaman of Lagos Island.
Business vibes? Oh, you bet! Candido was the brains behind a restaurant called The Restaurant Da Rocha (creative, right?) and even got into deep-sea fishing with Sierra Leone Deep Sea Fishing Industries Ltd. But wait, there’s more! He teamed up with his buddies J. H. Doherty and Sedu Williams to rock the money lending scene with the Lagos Native Bank. These guys were like the Avengers of the finance world.
And let’s not forget about his social game. Candido was all about making a difference. He co-founded the Lagos auxiliary to the Anti Slavery and Aborigines Right Society – a real superhero move against injustice.
But here’s the kicker: Candido was so stinking rich that he shipped his dirty laundry all the way to Britain for a royal wash! Yep, that’s right. This man was all about that international laundry game.
Fast forward to 1959, and Candido’s journey on this Earth came to an end. He found his final resting place at Ikoyi Cemetery. Among his badass legacy were his children – names like Alexander Da Rocha, Adenike Afodu, Angelica Folashade Thomas, and Louissa Turton. These kids had some seriously big shoes to fill!
So there you have it, the rollercoaster ride of Candido Joao Da Rocha – the trailblazing, laundry-sending, water-selling, business-building legend who put Lagos on the map in a major way. Stay groovy, my friends!
