I was recently on the main Campus of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in Osun State on an official assignment lasting some 60 hours. One left Ile- Ife with the impression that in spite of the negative images painted of this citadel of learning, as is often the tale about other universities in our great country Nigeria, this famous institution has earned its stripes since it was established some 60 years ago by the then Western Nigeria regional government.
I am a native of the University of Ibadan with which I have had affinity first as an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Science for the past 44 years, and for the last 33 years as a member of the Faculty. This short write-up is a tribute to our sister institution Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, some 80 kilometres away. Indeed Obafemi Awolowo University started on a temporary campus at a site adjacent to my beloved University of Ibadan, which up till then used to be occupied by the Ibadan branch of the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology and which is currently occupied by The Polytechnic Ibadan.
The story of Great Ife cannot be told in full without reference to the role of Ibadan if only because many of the first generation of leaders at Ife made their names at University College Ibadan and its successor the University of Ibadan. I talk of the eminent Ife Vice-Chancellors like the pioneer Oladele Ajose, and his worthy successors Hezekiah Oluwasanmi, Ojetunji Aboyade, Cyril Agodi Onwumechili, Wande Abimbola, Caleb Osuntogun and Roger Makanjuola.
I have had many years of very cordial relationships, either as Dean Postgraduate School, Deputy VC and VC at Ibadan with many of the leaders of Great Ife, especially my mentors, aunty and uncles like Professors Adeniyi Osuntogun, Wale Omole, Funmi Bickerstheth, Abiodun Adediran and great senior friends like Vice-Chancellors Michael Faborode, Bamitale Omole, Eyitope Ogunbodede, and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor Ayobami Salami.
Many leaders of Great Ife played critical roles in the formation of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA) which I served as Foundation President from 2006 till 2015. Indeed, WARIMA once organised a special Conference/Workshop in honour of Ife VC Michael Faborode, the notable Engineer, in appreciation of his exceptional support to the then nascent body.
Nonetheless, I do not have any conflict of interest in acknowledging the great efforts of the past and current leadership of the great institution. All things considered, Great Ife has done exceedingly well over the last 60 years. We join other stakeholders in wishing this great citadel more achievements in the years and decades ahead.
The then Federal Military Government took over the University of Ife (as it then was) in 1975 and the University which was renamed in 1987 after Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is now a Federal University.
I have served as External Examiner to both the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Geology and Applied Geophysics of Obafemi Awolowo University and one is always impressed with the high quality of the graduates of Great Ife.
The central Library deservedly named after the second Vice-Chancellor Hezekiah Oluwasanmi is looking much better than it was some 43 years ago when I had opportunity to use the facilities as an external student from Ibadan; thanks to the succession of great leaders of Great Ife. It now boasts of an electronic library section, with generous funding from Prince Julius Adeluyi, the notable alumnus, famous pharmacist, and former Secretary (Minister) of Health.
And talking about alumni/alumnae, the Great Ife has done exceedingly well with many of her thousands of former students in various sectors of the economy, both nationally and globally. Many of them are Presidents, Fellows of the various learned academies, successful politicians, business leaders, diplomats, to mention a few.
Many Great Ifes have served our geoscience profession meritoriously including the current President of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, the hardworking Mrs Patricia Ochogbu, FNAPE, and former President and Ife Alumna Dr Marie Stella Sonuga, FNAPE, who we are using as a point of contact to all others, too numerous to mention in this short piece.
The Department of Geology at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was at a time easily the biggest of its type in sub-saharan Africa. Thanks to the efforts of the pioneers like the late Prof Abiodun Kayode, Emeritus Professor OS Adegoke NNOM, expatriates like Profs Dash, Roy, and those icons directly in line of succession in no particular order like Omar Rahaman, MB Salami, BD Ako, Siyan Malomo, TR Ajayi, JO Ajayi, Niyi Odebode, MO Olorunfemi, Joe Nwachukwu, Victor Olarewaju, Emmanuel Enu, SB Ojo, Olorunniwo, Ojok Ochan, Sulaiman Adediran, Aina, late Abraham Adepelumi, etc. Indeed the history of great institutions is but the autobiography of its great leaders.
In spite of the difficulty in recruiting new Faculty members, as is the case with nearly all Federal Universities in the country, the leadership of Great Ife is still working very hard to retain and retrain its academic staff. Commendable efforts are ongoing to retool the laboratories. The Alumni are very supportive of their alma Mater. The new extension to the Department of Geology facilitated by the Petroleum Technology Development Fund about 12 years ago is being put to good use for the various professional Postgraduate programmes in the Department.
There is a number of research institutes on the Ife campus which must have helped in improving teaching, learning and community service thereby contributing a great deal to the academic ecosystem. Among these are the Centre for Energy Research and Development (CERD), the Regional Centre for Training in Aerospace and Surveys (RECTAS) funded by the UN/ECA, the Centre for Technology Management (NACETEM) and the African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E).
Many of my very close relations including uncles and cousins, as well as highly respected colleagues, are Great Ifes. I join them and thousands of other eminent alumni and Friends of Obafemi Awolowo University as the great institution celebrates its diamond anniversary. This is wishing Great Ife many more decades of quality service to humankind.
