Iyalode Alaba Lawson is the Chairman of the Advisory Board of U.S.-Africa Trade Council. She is also the National President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the umbrella organization for all Chambers of Commerce in Nigeria.
she’s a pioneer of the Private School system in Nigeria, with the establishment of the Lawson’s Group of Schools, consisting of Lawson’s International Private School – 1977, Lawson’s Continuing Education Centre -1992, Alaba Lawson Royal College Abeokuta – 1995, and Alaba Lawson School of Advanced Studies – 2003. She established a trading / distributing firm known as Capricorn Stores Ltd, 1968- 1996. She had chains of distributing outlets with Nigerian Breweries Ltd. Nigerian Bottling Company Ltd, Guinness Nigeria Ltd, West African Portland Cement Ltd etc. She is a major distributor in major cities in the Southwest of Nigeria.
From 2013 till date she has been the Chairman Board of Governing Council, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ogun State (MAPOLY). From 2012 to 2015, she was President, Odu’s Chambers of Commerce between 2000 and 2002, she was President, Ogun Council of Chambers of Commerce between 1995 and 2000, she was President Abeokuta Chambers of Commerce since 2005 till date, she has been Chairperson NACCIMA Business Woman Group (NAWORG). Since 2010 till date. She has been President, Federation of Economic Community of West African States Business Women Entrepreneur (ECOWAS FEBWE).
She is a Member of the Institute of Directors (IOD) of Nigeria, and active member of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI). Since 2011 till date, she has been a Council Member Nigeria British Chambers of Commerce (NBCC).
Iyalode Lawson is the Chairman of ABESTONE MICROFINANCE BANK, which has helped significantly to boost SME’s access to working capital. She has demonstrated herself as a beacon of hope, educationist, philanthropist, industrialist, community leader, opinion leader and a tower of strength for womanhood. In February 2017, in recognition of her enthusiasm and mobilization of the women entrepreneurs, Iyalode Alaba Lawson was decorated as an Ambassador of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. A mobilizer of the informal trade sector, she encourages them to form trade associations and be affiliated with the chamber of commerce and form cooperatives to enhance access to finance.
In recognition of her contributions to the growth of the organized private sector, and her extensive milestones in the growth of quality education in Nigeria, the State of Georgia, in the United States of America, conferred its honorary citizenship on Iyalode Alaba Lawson in November 2017.