[4] Shafi Lawal Edu was born on 7 January 1911[1] in Epe, Lagos to the polygamous family of Lawani Edu; his mother was Raliatu who was the daughter of a Muslim cleric.

[8] The journey of life had been usefully and productively spent in the service of Epe, Lagos State, Nigeria and the global community.

[8] From his humble beginning as the arcadian milieu of Epe, Shafi Edu travelled on his odyssey, making significant and ground breaking forays into the domain of business, commerce, politics, environment, philanthropy, religion and education.

As a manager, he organized the Dutch shipping line's offices in the country and helped in expanding the business to other coastal cities.

Figuring out there were affordable untapped prospects in the Nigerian shipping industry, he left Holland West Africa Lines and founded his firm.

Edu's voyage on the high seas of entrepreneurship started as a ship chandelier, food contractor, and timber trader.

[10] He grieved that he had to witness the contemporary deterioration in the state of Nigeria's economy, governance, and international relations.

His active participation in politics began in 1945, when he was chosen to serve as a councilor for Epe District Council's Bado Ward.

[11] During the pre-independence period, Edu was sympathetic to the Nigerian Youth Movement (NYM) as a supporter of Jibril Martin, one of the party's candidates in the 1943 election.