The University of Ibadan (UI) has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of one of Africa’s foremost linguists and Foundation President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose, who on Saturday, July 25, 2026, died at the age of 94.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the university described the late scholar as an eminent academic whose contributions to linguistics, education, and intellectual development left an enduring legacy in Nigeria and beyond.
Emeritus Professor Bamgbose, a recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (FNAL), and honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt. 2017), served the University of Ibadan with distinction for several decades.
The university recalled that he was Dean of the Faculty of Arts between 1971 and 1973, during which he demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to academic excellence.
According to the institution, Professor Bamgbose was a distinguished contributor to the academic and intellectual life of the country, earning international recognition for his pioneering work in African linguistics and language development.
Reacting to the news of his passing, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, on behalf of the university community, extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends, colleagues, and the wider intellectual community.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that Professor Bamgbose’s remarkable scholarship, dedication to teaching, and immense contributions to the advancement of African languages would continue to inspire generations of academics and researchers.
The university prayed for the peaceful repose of the late scholar’s soul and for divine comfort for all those mourning his loss.
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