Gbenro Adesina
Professor Duro Oni, a renowned Culture/Theatre Administrator, Production Designer and frontline academic, has been elected as the President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL).
Until his election at the 22nd and 23rd Combined Convocation and Investiture of New Fellows held from August 11 to 13, 2021 at the University of Lagos, Oni was the Academy’s Vice-President.
He took over from a Professor of Linguistic from University of Ibadan (UI), Francis Egbokhare, who served as President of the Academy between August 10, 2018 and August 13, 2021.
Oni will lead the Academy for the next two years (2021-2023).
Other elected officers include the Vice President, Professor Sola Akinrinade; Secretary, Professor Ayobami Kehinde (Re-Elected); Assistant Secretary, Professor Sunday Ododo (Re-Elected); Treasurer, Professor Afis Ayinde Oladosu and General Editor/Chairman Publications Committee, Professor Andrew Haruna.
Other members of the Executive Committee are: Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose, (Foundation President); Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo, (a Past president); Professor Emeritus Dan Izevbaye, (a Past President), and Professor Francis Egbokhare, (Immediate Past President).
Also inaugurated as Officers of the Academy for 2021 to 2023 are four members representing different disciplines within the Arts: Professors Yakubu Aboki Ochefu (History); Folake Onayemi (Classics); Professor Ayotunde Isola Bewaji (Philosophy) and Professor B.A.C Obiefuna (Religious Studies). Florence O. Orabueze will serve as NAL’s Honorary Solicitor, while Professor Emmanuel S. Dandaura was elected as the Bulletin Editor.
In his acceptance speech, the new President said he was honoured to be elected as President of Nigeria’s foremost Humanities Academy saying, “I consider it a privilege bestowed on me to be President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, a privilege that I accept with a great sense of responsibility to the membership and all our stakeholders”.
The event witnessed the investiture of 12 Regular Fellows, one Overseas Fellow and an Honorary Fellow.
The Regular Fellows are: Professors Abayomi O. Akinyeye, Andrew Haruna, Imelda Icheji Lawrence Udoh, Olusegun Adesina Adekoya, Mabel Itohanosa Erioyunvwen Evwierhoma, David Roger Jowitt, Ahmed Parker Yerima, Adebola Babatunde Ekanola, Frank Maduabuchi Dukor, Olayemi Durotimi Akinwumi, Lateef Babatunde Ayeleru and Isidore Okeawolam Diala.
The Overseas Fellow is Professors Tanure Ojaide, while Most Reverend, Bishop Dr Mathew Hassan Kukah is Honorary Fellow.
Also, 26 scholars in the Arts and Humanities disciplines were inducted as new members of the Academy.
The Convocation lecture titled, “Descent from Humanity: Music, Literature and the Media,” was delivered by Professor Olu Obafemi.
The Scientific Session had three speakers:
The event featured three scientific sessions with three speakers: Professor Lai Oso, School of Communication, Lagos State University – “Media Reportage of crime, conflict and violence: Dehumanising Humanity”, Professor Jim Unah, Department of Philosophy, University of Lagos – “The Oxymoronic Rhetoric of Humans Being Asked to be Human” and Professor Alex Asigbo, Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Akwa – “Rediscovering Our Humanity in an Age of Terror and Globalisation: The Role of the Arts”.
NAL, an organisation of academics in the Liberal Arts, Languages and Linguistics and the broad discipline of humanities was formed in 1974, but was officially inaugurated in Ibadan on November 14, 1991 with Professors Ayo Bamgbose, Chinua Achebe, J.F. Ade Ajayi, A.E. Afigbo, Adeboye Babalola, J.P. Clark-Bekederemo and Wole Soyinka as Foundation Fellows.
