OAU Council Chair Hails New NAL Fellows, Urges Scholars to Serve Society

Chairman of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Siyan Oyeweso, has called on scholars to channel their intellectual gifts towards advancing national development and human dignity.

He made this charge while congratulating three illustrious alumni of the university recently elected as Fellows of the prestigious Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL).

Describing the appointment as a “historic honour for the university,” Oyeweso urged the honorees to continue to uphold the ideals of excellence, integrity, and service to society.

The three alumni who made the 2025 list of NAL Fellows are:

Professor Gbemisola Aderemi Adeoti – elected as a Regular Fellow

Professor Akinwumi Ogundiran – elected as an Overseas Fellow

Dr. Lasisi Olagunju – elected as an Honorary Fellow

Professor Gbemisola Adeoti, a literary critic, dramatist, and cultural scholar, holds degrees from both OAU and the University of Ibadan. Currently a Professor of English at OAU, Adeoti’s scholarly contributions span postcolonial literature, performance studies, and Nigerian drama. He has also made a mark in Yoruba cinema and served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies.

Professor Akinwumi Ogundiran is an internationally respected archaeologist and historian of Yoruba civilization. He holds degrees from OAU, the University of Ibadan, and Boston University. Currently the Cardiss Collins Professor at Northwestern University, USA, Ogundiran has led influential research projects, authored prize-winning books such as The Yoruba: A New History, and was recently named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Lasisi Olagunju is a renowned journalist, columnist, and political communication scholar. With academic credentials in English, Law, and Communication Arts, he is the Editor of Saturday Tribune and author of over 500 essays under his widely read column, Monday Lines. Olagunju has served in various media leadership roles and previously worked as a government communications adviser. His literary works include Cowries of Blood and Every Inch a King.

Professor Oyeweso described the trio as “embodiments of the university’s legacy of critical scholarship and service,” adding that their elevation into the Academy of Letters “reaffirms Great Ifẹ’s enduring contribution to the humanities and intellectual advancement in Nigeria.”

The Nigerian Academy of Letters is the apex body of scholars in the humanities, established to promote excellence in scholarship and recognize distinguished contributions to language, literature, and culture.