Abdulrasaq Kolawole Ilori, born on August 20, 1949, in Ilota, a town on the outskirts of Ilorin, Kwara State, and known professionally as Ayinla Kollington or General Kollington Ayinla, is a Nigerian Fuji musician and one of the pioneers of the genre. He is 76 years old and remains one of the most celebrated and recognisable figures in Nigerian music history, ranking alongside his late friend and rival Sikiru Ayinde Barrister as the two artists most responsible for turning Fuji into a national phenomenon.
Ayinla Kollington Profile
| Name | Ayinla Kollington |
| Real Name | Abdulrasaq Kolawole Ilori |
| Date of Birth | August 20, 1949 |
| State of Origin | Kwara state |
| Tribe | Yoruba |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation | A Nigerian Fuji musician |
| Religion | Islam |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Net Worth | $700,000 |
| Copied from | content101.com |
Educational Background
Ayinla Kollington’s formal academic background is not available to the public. He began singing the Islamic Ajisari tradition from the age of 10 in Ebute Metta, Lagos, and his musical education developed through community performance, military band training, and decades of hands-on experience rather than formal schooling.
Career
Ayinla Kollington enlisted in the Nigerian Army at the Abeokuta depot in 1967, where he was assigned to the army’s signals department and later its music band, learning instruments including the flute. He was discharged in 1978 to pursue Fuji music full-time, founding Alhaji Kollington Ayinla and His Fuji 78.
He began recording for Nigerian EMI in 1974, and in 1978 introduced the powerful bata drum into Fuji, a significant innovation that gave him a temporary lead over Barrister. In 1982, he founded his own label, Kollington Records, releasing over 100 albums across his career. He has remained active well into his seventies, releasing the album Anu-Nla in 2024 with a high-profile Lagos launch attended by state governors, and continuing public appearances at Fuji industry events into 2025 and 2026.
Controversies
Ayinla Kollington’s most recurring controversy has been the persistent rumours of his death, which have circulated repeatedly on Nigerian social media, most seriously in January 2024 when he was hospitalised at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for an undisclosed but critical ailment. He personally addressed the rumours in an emotional video from his hospital bed, thanking Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the hospital’s medical team for saving his life.
He has also been at the centre of long-running public rivalries throughout his career, most notably with Barrister in the 1970s and 1980s and with waka star Salawa Abeni, who exchanged bitter personal insults with him across a series of album releases. In May 2025, he reignited debate by declaring himself the undisputed king of Fuji music without rivals, dismissing claims by K1 De Ultimate to the title.
Ayinla Kollington Social Media Handle
Ayinla Kollington does not have any official or publicly known social media handles.
Personal Life
Abdulrasaq Kolawole Ilori was born on August 20, 1949, in Ilota, Kwara State, making him 76 years old, to Chief Ayanda Ilori, a kingmaker, and Alhaja Asiawu Mofodeke Ilori. He is also known by the nicknames Baba Alatika, Kebe-n-Kwara, and Baba Alagbado. He was previously married to fellow musician Salawa Abeni, and the couple has children together.
Ayinla Kollington Net Worth
Ayinla Kollington’s net worth is estimated to be around $700,000.