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Former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, Ambassador Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, among many others, on Sunday, celebrated renowned historian and award-winning author, Professor Toyin Falola who turned 70 on January 1, 2023.
The evening of tributes which had a cross section of politicians, technocrats, academics, philanthropists and university administrators was beamed on various social media platforms including Zoom and YouTube.
Toyin Falola is a professor in several universities; he is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, and has served as the president of the African Studies Association. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin.
His research interest is African History since the 19th century in the tradition of the Ibadan School. Falola is author and editor of more than two hundred books.
Speaking, President Obasanjo eulogized the humility and scholarship of Professor Falola, saying that the celebrant has continued to make Africa proud both in the homeland and the Diaspora. He prayed that he enjoyed more health and continued relevance in his chosen endeavours.
For Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, Nigeria’s former ambassador to The Netherlands, Professor Falola represents one of the most iconic academics that Nigeria has ever produced. Speaking at the event, she stated that “During the course of my job as Nigeria’s ambassador to The Netherlands, we invited Professor Toyin Falola as a guest speaker at an event which we organized. We were celebrating Nigeria’s independence anniversary and Professor Falola did wonderfully well as the lecturer.
“After that, I also invited him to deliver one of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation lecture series. He also did very well. He remains one of the individuals to fix Nigeria. He has wisdom and gravitas. Thank you Professor Falola for being who you are and mentoring so many. I wish you very many more birthdays.”
Also speaking at the celebration, former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi described Professor Falola as the Yoruba exemplar. “I consider myself an indirect student of Professor Falola. He taught my wife as a student.
“When I went to the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo University for my Master’s degree, he was there as lecturer. He is warm and willing to share his knowledge. He is never judgmental. He is a Yoruba exemplar. We owe a duty to him in celebrating him as a father and a mentor. His commitment to pan-Africanism is unequal,” he said.
Former vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Ayo Banjo said Professor Falola remained a remarkable scholar. “He is one who demonstrates that all knowledge is one. He engages in more than history, though a historian. I see him as a model for young Nigerians,” he said.
Wife to former governor Fayemi, Erelu Bisi Fayemi thanked Professor Falola for being an inspiration to young minds. “As history students at Obafemi Awolowo University, you told us that we could be whatever we wanted to be in life,” she recalled.
Reacting to the accolades showered on him, a delighted Professor Falola thanked the organisers of the event as well as the various speakers. “I am very grateful to everyone for their kind words. I am grateful to President Obasanjo.
“He is still strong and has the optimism that he would still be with us. We can be disappointed with leadership but not with our communities. Your vision must be big. Make your projects bigger. Don’t be minimalist in trying to skew your future. It is very difficult to grow beyond your vision. I am very grateful to you all,” he said.
Guests at the event included Professor Niyi Osundare, Chief Femi Owoseni, Professor Olu Obafemi, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola, Professor Olu Obafemi, Professor Tanure Ojaide, Professor Richard Joseph, Dr. Abiodun Bello, Professor Michael Vickers, Professor Akinjide Osuntokun, Professor Olabode Popoola, among many others, both within and outside Africa.
Professor Falola is a prolific educator, and has sparked fresh interest in African history studies with his never-ending quest for knowledge.
In academia, Falola has collaborated with over twenty African university presses and overseen over seven monograph series in his never-ending mission to expand the boundaries of knowledge, aiding in disseminating scholarly works throughout the continent.
These academic works have significantly contributed to Africa’s intellectual and solution-based discourse. He played a significant role in the revitalization and dismantling of colonised educational curricula as well as the introduction of cutting-edge courses in various African universities.
Falola served in the field during a time when the teaching of history was under attack and made sure that it was not only sustained but also taught without undermining the African perspective.
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