Scholars, clergies, family and friends gathered at the Cornelius Adepegba Museum Of African Art (CAMAA), Institute Of African Studies, University Of Ibadan (UI), to witness the opening of a two weeks exhibition of the Dele T. Fawole Numismatic Collection.
The event, which was declared opened by the former Vice Chancellor of of the nation’s Premier University, Professor Olufemi Bamiro, who was the chairman of the occasion, is an exhibition of world currencies in notes and coins.
Speaking, Professor Dele Fawole, a retired Professor of Phytonematology, pointed out that his desire to publicly display his collection of coins and notes from different countries had been on for a while.
He revealed, “I have been fortunate to extensively see Africa, Europe, the Caribbean and North America. I kept hoping for trips to South America and Asia but they never materialised. Collecting the coins and bills from my world travels was fun and was often the first chore I performed during my missions.”
He stated, “Many good friends who know about my collection have also kindly donated some of their coins and notes and I thank them all. Some of them are here at this ceremony. If after going round the exhibition, you desire to help build it up some more, I am willing and ready to accept your donations.”
“My favourite bill in the collection is the multi-billion dollar note from Zimbabwe which was given to me by Dr. Gracian Chimwaza, the Executive Director of the Information, Training and Outreach Centre for Africa (ITOCA) based in South Africa. So, you are looking at a billionaire; never mind that the note was only good to buy two loaves of bread at the time it was in circulation”, he added.
Fawole concluded by thanking his 25 Exhibition Benefactors, who bank-rolled the mounting of this exhibition and specifically thanked Professor Ohioma Ifounu Pogoson and Mr. Akeem Ashiyanbi who worked assiduously to make the exhibition a reality, enthusiastically saying, “I now have a better perspective of what goes into mounting an exhibition.”
In his remarks, the honourary Curator CAMAA, Professor Pogoson said that the much-anticipated currencies exhibition, featuring nations’ notes and coins has finally come to life after a long-held aspiration.
The curator expressed deep appreciation to key contributors, stating, “The idea of exhibiting these works of art has been a long old one. I am grateful that we have actualised it today. Gratitude to the Fawoles, Akeem Asiyanbi, Bolatito Fatope and a few VA students that showed some interest in helping.”
Pogoson noted that the exhibition, despite its success, did not come without its challenges.
Curating and funding were notable hurdles. Although the artworks are primarily paper-based, the curator explained that they possess a unique three-dimensional quality despite their flat structure, which added layers of complexity to their exhibition.
The curator noted, “Curating challenges and funding, although the artworks are paper, in spite of their flatness still have three dimensions, and here lies the challenges of exhibiting the notes. Funding challenges and the interesting/unusual three-dimensionality of the artworks constrain refinement. So these are just the baby steps.”
Beyond the exhibition, the curator also used the platform to advocate for a culture of collecting among individuals.
Referencing thoughts shared during his inaugural lecture, he emphasised the value of personal collections as not just a hobby but a means of preserving history and building wealth.
He said, “In the conclusions of my inaugural lecture, I advocated for individuals to start collections of sorts. In collecting, you’re building personal wealth and legacy, you’re promoting knowledge, and presenting/recording history. Collecting is dedication, collecting is consistency – two virtues that have made successful people – start collecting something today.” .
Among those who were in attendance are Director, Institute of African Studies, Prof Sola Olorunyomi, former Dean, UI Postgraduate School, Professor Olabode Lucas, former Head of Department, Political Science, Professor Irene Pogoson, former Vice Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Professor Adeniyi Gbadegesin, and Emeritus Professor Uche Isiugo-Abanihe.
Professor Fawole is a seasoned phytonematologist and passionate collector whose journey began as a philatelist during his secondary school days at Government College, Ibadan (GCI), and as an undergraduate at the University of Ibadan (UI) in the 1970s. His collecting evolved from stamps to matchbooks, beer cans, and eventually to numismatics, the collection of coins and bills, during his postgraduate studies at Cornell University, USA.
His travels across ECOWAS countries, the rest of Africa, Europe, and North America over 40 years contributed to his extensive currency collection, which makes up about 80% of his exhibition, with the rest donated by friends and family. Notable items include a Commemorative Quarter Collection of the United States and an Obama Coin Collection. He also collects miniature liquor bottles from airlines, with over 100 displayed in his home.
Professor Fawole retired on July 9, 2018, after 41 years of service at the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, having successfully supervised 18 PhD students. He remains proud of his global coin and bill collection and welcomes contributions to further expand it.
