Family, friends and well-wishers, on Wednesday, 12 March 2025, converged at the Large Lecture Theatre of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, University of Ibadan, to celebrate the 70th Birthday and Retirement of Professor Adebayo Okunade, a former Head, Department of Political Science, and former Director of the Institution’s Distance Learning Centre (DLC).
Earlier, Okunade shared his experience in the last 43 years at the Staff Life Experience programme organised by the faculty, revealing his role as a political academic as well as shedding light on his academic journey.
In his welcome address, the Head, Department of Political Science, Prof Dhikru Adewale Yagboyaju, eulogised the celebrant, noting his immense contribution to the department, the institution and the society at large. He used the opportunity to request for recruitment of more academic staff for the department as some lecturers are retiring, leaving the department short-staffed.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Kayode Adebowale, acknowledged the contribution of Prof Okunade in various capacities in the University. Adebowale, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admnistration), Prof Peter Olapegba pointed out that gross shortage of academic staff is not peculiar to the Department of Political Science, but a university-wide problem, which is beyond the control of the institution.
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commision, and a Professor of Public Administration, Tunji Olaopa, in a deeply reflective and intellectually stimulating Valedictory and 70th Birthday lecture titled, “Is Leadership Sufficient for National Transformation in Nigeria? Bayo Okunade, Leadership Question and Political Science Scholarship at Ibadan”, dissected the role of leadership in national development and paid homage to the scholarly contributions of the celebrant.
Prof. Tunji Olaopa Delivering the Valedictory and 70th Birthday Lecture
Prof. Olaopa described Prof. Okunade as a distinguished academic, administrator, and mentor whose scholarship has significantly shaped the study of Political Science in Nigeria. He noted that Okunade’s intellectual journey was rooted in a solid cultural and moral upbringing that emphasised excellence and integrity adding that being born to parents who were teachers meant that he had no choice but to be immersed in a rigorous discipline that prioritised character and knowledge.
According to him, “So, we can only imagine the strong moral, social, cultural and educational tutelage that went into the formation of Bayo Okunade. That these parents were from Aawe, my hometown in the Afijio local government of Oyo State, in itself carries cultural weight. It means, among other deductions, that Okunade’s parents carried immense cultural weight about raising a child with character – an omoluwabi; a child that is morally upright, socially worthy and intellectually approvable”.
Reflecting on Okunade’s early teaching years, Olaopa recalled how he first encountered him as a brilliant young government teacher at Olivet Baptist High School. He remarked that this encounter was instrumental in shaping his own academic trajectory.
Olaopa stated that turning 70 is more than a milestone; it is a mark of survival, wisdom, and continued contribution to society. He lamented the difficult realities of life expectancy in Nigeria, stating that to live beyond the national average of 59 years is, in itself, a feat of endurance and resilience. He also underscored the spiritual significance of the number 70, referencing biblical and historical traditions that elevate the age as a moment of reflection and legacy-building.
A key highlight of Olaopa’s lecture was his interrogation of leadership as the fundamental determinant of national transformation. According to him, Okunade argues that crafting a well-ordered society is the responsibility of political leadership, but it is not enough to define leadership broadly. Instead, he emphasises the need to determine what constitutes good political leadership, which must balance moral integrity and technical competence while remaining effective. This, however, creates a dilemma. In Nigeria’s postcolonial context, leadership should be judged by its ethical responsiveness to citizens’ needs and autonomy. This perspective underpins Okunade’s preference for servant leadership over transformational leadership, as it prioritises the people’s welfare over personal ambition.
He revealed that Okunade identifies leadership as Nigeria’s greatest challenge, highlighting its failure to overcome colonial legacies and drive national progress. While his analysis aligns with Chinua Achebe’s view of leadership as Nigeria’s major problem, Okunade takes a more empirical approach, detailing the deep-rooted consequences of poor leadership. His argument gains further weight from Africa’s struggle to produce leaders worthy of the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, reflecting a broader leadership crisis across the continent.
Olaopa further engaged with Okunade’s argument that “any system that is not totally off the mark can work. It takes people for a system to work. For a system to work, there has to be consistency with the construed norms and supportive ethos that will make it work. If we change the system, even the restructuring or whatever, how much of what are on ground are we substantially complying with?” This, he argued, highlights a fundamental problem: leadership is not just about changing political structures but about embedding the right values within them.
To bridge the gap between leadership and sustainable national transformation, Olaopa proposed the Change Space Model – a framework that integrates leadership, institutional strength, and social change mechanisms. He argued that political transformation must move beyond reliance on strong individuals and focus on developing systems that encourage accountability, inclusivity, and sustainable governance.
His words, “Essentially, every change – and change space – requires a leader or a change agent. A leader – political or bureaucratic – becomes critical to the extent that s/he is committed to either creating or enhancing a change space that is founded on harnessing the interaction of a critical mass of change agents who can bring abilities/competences, resources and context together in facilitating genuine and transformational change through a problem-solving approach.”
He noted that a leader who drives meaningful change must create an environment that fosters transformation and sustains progress. This approach highlights the relationship between individual leadership and broader leadership structures that mobilise people, ideas, resources, and infrastructure for development. Effective leadership, therefore, requires (a) building coalitions for change, (b) assembling a competent and committed team, and (c) granting authority, incentives, and accountability to ensure optimal performance. However, political leaders alone cannot guarantee national progress. What is needed is a structured leadership model that could have provided valuable insights if applied to Prof. Okunade’s leadership analysis.
Olaopa also reflected on the nature of political leadership as a moral undertaking. He noted that Okunade’s scholarship has consistently highlighted the need for ethical and values-based leadership in Nigeria. He noted that Okunade’s theory of political leadership, building on Chinua Achebe’s critique of Nigeria’s challenges, underscores the urgent need for both theoretical and practical engagement with the leadership crisis in a postcolonial state. He stated that this poses a crucial challenge for Political Science scholarship in Nigeria – the task of developing a well-grounded and comprehensive understanding of the nation’s leadership failures, the deficiencies of its leaders, and the enduring struggles of its people.
In his concluding remarks, Olaopa paid an emotional tribute to Okunade, celebrating his enduring legacy in academia and governance. He recounted a personal anecdote from his student days, where Okunade recognised his intellectual curiosity and nurtured his academic potential.
He said: “I am ever grateful for a teacher and a mentor who saw in me what I could not possibly have seen all by myself. I am very grateful to God for the first day I met Prof. Bayo Okunade, and for the journey we have embarked upon together for many years.”
The highlight of the event, which was anchored by Dr Stephen Lafenwa, also a mentee of the celebrant include the discussion on the paper presented and the guests discussants are Prof Emmanuel Ojo, former Oyo State SSG, and Comrade Azeem Salako, cutting of the birthday cake anchored by Prof Ayo Hammed, endowment of prizes for two of the courses taught by the celebrants, tributes by well-wishers, and the presentation of gifts to the celebrants.
In attendance were, among others, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, the immediate past UI Vice Chancellor and the current Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, West Midlands Open University, Prof. Adeolu Akande, the former Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission ((NCC), who chaired the occasion, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, Prof. Adigun Agbaje, former UI Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Ben Ehigie, Dean, Faculty of The Social Sciences, Dr Akin Onigbinde (SAN), Comrade Moshood Erubami, a Legal Practitioner and Human Rights Activist, Dr Gani Adeniran, Deans, HODs, and lecturers.
On Tuesday, his colleagues held a session of tributes in his honour at the historic Trenchard Hall, where cream-de-la-cream in academia gathered to share a moment with the celebrant and generously showered encomiums on him.
