Akinjide (Jide) Osuntokun | |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 April 1942 (age 82) Ilawe, Ekiti State, Nigeria |
| Occupations | Historian, Academic, Diplomat, Author |
| Known for | Professor Emeritus of History, Nigerian Ambassador to Germany (1991–1995) |
| Spouse | Pastor Mrs Abiodun Osuntokun (nee Adekoya) (married 23 October 1969 until her death 3 May 2003) |
| Children | 4 (Folasade, Oluwatosin, Oluwaeyi, Yewande) |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Ibadan, Dalhousie University |
Akinjide Osuntokun, commonly known as Jide Osuntokun, (born 26 April 1942) [1] [2] [3] is a Nigerian historian, academic, and diplomat. [4] [5] He is a **Professor Emeritus of History and International Relations** at both the University of Lagos (since 2012) and Redeemer's University (since 2017). [1] [6] [3]
Osuntokun served as Nigeria's first **Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the unified Federal Republic of Germany** from 1991 to 1995. [4] [1] [2] [7] [5] He has over **100 publications** to his credit, and has maintained regular newspaper columns for many years. [6] [2] [8] He is a recipient of the Nigerian National Honour of **Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON)**. [1] [6] [2]
Akinjide Osuntokun was born in Ilawe Ekiti on 26 April 1942, [1] [2] [3] as the last child of his mother. [2] [3] He is an indigene of Okemesi, Ekiti State. [1] His family lineage, the **Aro Ogeregere clan**, migrated from Ajase-Ipo in Kwara State to Okemesi Ekiti. [2] [5] Notable relatives include his eldest brother, Joseph Oduola Akintola, a pioneer educationist and minister in the Western Region government of the First Republic, [1] [2] [3] and his late brother, Professor Kayode Osuntokun, a renowned neurologist. [1] [2] [3]
He began his primary school education at Holy Trinity School, Ilawe, before transferring to Emmanuel Primary School in Ado-Ekiti. [1] [2] [3] [5] He attended Christ's School, Ado Ekiti, and Ibadan Grammar School for his secondary school education. [1] [2] [5]
Osuntokun initially intended to study Law, but was dissuaded by the mother of his close friend (Goke Adeniji), who described Law as a profession for "crooks and liars". [2] [3] He gained admission to the **University of Ibadan**, where he studied History, graduating in 1966 with a B.A. Hons. in History, Second Class Upper Division (*Magna cum laude*). [1] [2] His decision to pursue History was influenced by Professor J.F. Ade-Ajayi. [2] [5]
He pursued advanced studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Queen Mary's College, University of London (1964–1965); the Institute of Commonwealth Studies and SOAS (April 1968–February 1969); Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Sorbonne University, Paris (February 1969–April 1969); and the Historite Seminar, University of Hamburg, Germany (April 1969–October 1969). [1] [6] He acquired mastery of the French and German languages. [6] [8] Osuntokun obtained his **PhD in History from Dalhousie University**, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1970, [1] [6] [2] [5] having followed his supervisor, Professor John Flint, there as a Killam Scholar. [2] [3] His doctoral research focused on Nigeria in the First World War. [9] [5]
Osuntokun's academic career started as an assistant lecturer at the University of Western Ontario in Canada in the 1970s. [1] [6] Before becoming an associate professor at the University of Lagos, he had stints at the University of West Indies and the University of Ibadan. [1] [6] At the University of the West Indies, he **pioneered the teaching of Commonwealth and African History**, projecting Africa's contribution without over-stressing the British cultural legacy. [6] [2] [3] [5] He was among the young lecturers sent from the University of Ibadan to establish the Jos Campus, which later became the University of Jos. [6] [2]
He became a professor of History at the University of Maiduguri. [1] [6] [2] He has been a professor of History at Redeemer's University, Ede, Osun State, since 2005, where he helped set up the Faculty of Humanities and the Department of History and International Relations. [1] [2] [7] [6] He retired from the University of Lagos in 2005, but was retained as Professor Emeritus at the University of Lagos in 2012 and at Redeemer's University in 2017. [1] [6] [3]
Osuntokun served as Director of the Nigeria Universities Office (later Nigerian Universities Commission—NUC) in Washington, D.C., USA (1972–1982), and the NUC office in Ottawa, Canada (1978–1979). [4] [1] [6] [2] [3] During this tenure, he helped recruit and train staff, source equipment, and establish international academic linkages for Nigerian universities, securing foreign scholarships for many Nigerian students. [1] [6] [3]
He served as the **Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Ekiti State University (EKSU)**. [6] [10] [2] He successfully coordinated the seamless merger of three state universities (University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD), University of Science and Technology, Ifaki Ekiti (USTI), and The University of Education, Ikere Ekiti (TUNEDIK)) into Ekiti State University. [10] [2]
Osuntokun served as **Special Adviser to the Minister of Foreign Affairs**, General Ike Nwachukwu, from 1988 to 1991. [4] [2] [7] He contributed significantly to the campaign for reparations and the successful election of Chief Emeka Anyaoku as the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. [2] [7] [5]
He was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nigeria to a united Republic of Germany (1991–1995) under the General Ibrahim Babangida regime. [4] [1] [7] Following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, election, he **refused to compromise the truth or defend the succeeding General Sani Abacha dictatorship's actions**. [1] [2] [7] This stance earned him the label of the "**NADECO Ambassador**" [2] and led to his recall by the end of 1995. [2]
His diplomatic service was followed by turbulence: he was arrested on February 10, 1998, upon returning from Canada, [2] and detained for approximately six months (or almost two years, according to some sources) without trial or interrogation at the Apapa Military detention centre. [1] [2] He stated that he was treated "like a common criminal" despite his recent role as an ambassador. [1]
He served for eleven years (1999 to 2015) as an **Honorary Presidential Adviser on International Affairs** with Chief Emeka Anyaoku and four others, a role for which he received no salary, demonstrating his patriotic selflessness. [1] [2]
He was a member of Nigeria's delegation to the **United Nations General Assembly seven times** between 1988 and 2012. [1] He also served on the Governing Council of Lagos State University (1987–1989), the Board of the National Directorate of Employment (1987–1988), and the Presidential Commission on the National Question (1986–1987). [1]
Osuntokun has held varied leadership roles in professional bodies: [6] [8]
Osuntokun has authored several books focusing on Nigerian politics, history, and foreign policy. [1] He is noted for his critical contribution to biographical knowledge as a historian. [2] [3] [11]
Professor Osuntokun has received numerous national and international recognitions: [1] [6] [2] [3] [8]
He was honoured with a Festschrift, *Africa and the Challenge of Underdevelopment*, which was launched during his 80th birthday celebration in December 2022. [7]
Akinjide Osuntokun married Abiodun Adekoya in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1969. [3] She was a pastor in the Redeemed church. [2] They had four children: Folasade (finance professional), Oluwatosin (cardiologist), Oluwaseyi (engineer), and Yewande (strategy director). [3] Mrs. Abiodun Osuntokun died in 2003 at the age of 55. [1] [2] Osuntokun has not remarried since her death. [1]