Olu Obafemi announced as Professor Emeritus by Unilorin Senate

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The Senate of the University of Ilorin has conferred the distinguished title of Professor Emeritus upon Professor (Chief) Olu Obafemi (FNAL, NNOM), the Asiwaju of Kiri Kingdom and the longest-serving Grand Patron of the Bunu Students’ Union. This esteemed recognition underscores his exceptional contributions to English and Dramatic Literature and his profound influence on Nigeria’s literary and intellectual landscape.

Born on April 4, 1950, in Akutukpa Bunu, Kabba, Kogi State, Professor Obafemi pursued an illustrious academic journey, studying English at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, before earning a master’s degree at the University of Sheffield and a doctorate at the University of Leeds in the UK. In 1981, he returned to Nigeria to embark on a career in academia, serving as a Professor of English and Dramatic Literature at the University of Ilorin from 1990 until his recent retirement.

Professor Obafemi is celebrated as a multi-talented and versatile individual—playwright, poet, novelist, scholar, teacher, translator, and much more. His academic career, spanning over five decades, has inspired countless students, writers, and academics. He is a laureate of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) award and a former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.

Among his literary works, Professor Obafemi’s published plays include Nights of a Mystical Beast (1986), The New Dawn (1986), Suicide Syndrome (1993), Naira Has No Gender (1993), The Love Twirls of Adiitu-Olodumare (2016), and Iyunade (2016). As a poet, he published a volume of poems, Songs of Hope, with two poems selected for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) syllabus. His scholarly works include Nigerian Writers on the Nigerian Civil War (1992) and Contemporary Nigerian Theatre: Cultural Heritage and Social Vision (1996).

Beyond his literary contributions, Professor Obafemi has held numerous leadership positions, including National President of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments. He served as Director of Research at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) and is currently Chairman of the Nigerian Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG).

Professor Obafemi’s visionary leadership extends to his roles as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMINNA), and Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara (CUSTECH), in Kogi State. His dedication to fostering literary and cultural heritage in Nigeria is exemplified by his contribution to the establishment of the Nigeria Prize for Literature and his appointment to its Advisory Board in 2021.

As the 76th recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) award in 2018, Professor Obafemi’s legacy of excellence and intellectual rigor continues to resonate within academic and literary circles. His appointment as Professor Emeritus is a fitting recognition of his lifelong dedication to education and culture in Nigeria.

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