Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal university in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife by the regional government of Western Nigeria, which was led by Samuel Ladoke Akintola. It was renamed "Obafemi Awolowo University" on 12 May 1987, so by the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida led military administration, in honour of Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987), the first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria, who initially thought of the idea of establishing the university.
Chief Ògúnwán̄dé "Wán̄dé" Abím̄bọ́lá is a Nigerian academician, a professor of Yoruba language and literature, and a former vice-chancellor of the University of Ife. He has also served as the Majority Leader of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Chief Abimbola was installed as Àwísẹ Awo Àgbàyé in 1981 by the Ooni of Ife on the recommendation of a conclave of Babalawos of Yorubaland.
Oladele Adebayo Ajose was a Lagos prince who was the vice-chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University. He was an early advocate of primary health care in Nigeria and the first tenured African professor at the University of Ibadan and in Nigeria. He was one of the earliest Africans to hold a professorial chair.
Toyin Omoyeni Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. Falola 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.
Olajumoke Olufunmilola Adenowo is a Nigerian architect. She started her own architecture and interior design firm, AD Consulting, in 1994.
Akinwumi "Akin" AdesinaCON is a Nigerian economist, who is currently serving as the President of the African Development Bank. He previously served as Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. Until his appointment as Minister in 2010, he was Vice President of Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). He was elected as the President of the African Development Bank in 2015 and re-elected for a second term in 2020. He is the first Nigerian to hold the post.
Victor Adenuga Oyenuga, CFR was a Nigerian Professor Emeritus of Agricultural science and pioneer President of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He was the first Emeritus Professor of the University of Ibadan.
Cyril Agodi Onwumechili was a Nigerian physicist, academic administrator, and professor of geophysics at the University of Ibadan and later University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was the fourth Vice Chancellor of the University of Ife from January 1979 to December 1982 and the former President/Vice Chancellor of the Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu, Nigeria, from January 1983 to December 1986. He delivered the Ahiajoku lecture on 20 November 2000. He was the first Nigerian geophysicist and the second president of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He was elected as president of the Academy in 1979 to succeed Professor Victor Adenuga Oyenuga, the first emeritus professor of the University of Ibadan and the first African professor of Agricultural science.
Oluremi Comfort Sonaiya, is a Nigerian politician, educationalist and writer. She was Nigeria's only female presidential candidate in the 2015 general election under the platform of the KOWA Party. But recently lost her bid to Dr. Adesina Fagbenro Byron in representing the party again in 2019 election.
Christopher Bankole Ndubisi Ogbogbo is a Nigerian lawyer and professor of history. He is a former head of the University of Ibadan's Department of History, and the former President of the Historical Society of Nigeria.
Tayo Lamidi is a Nigerian academic. He is the professor of Generative Syntax and Contact Linguistics at the Department of English, University of Ibadan. He is one of Nigeria's notable generative syntacticians.
Abiodun Alao is a Nigerian academic and professor of African studies at King's College London and the programme director of the African Leadership Centre. He is also the chair of the King's College London Africa Community of Practice and between December 2013 and August 2015 held a visiting professorship position at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria. He is the author of A New Narrative for Africa: Voice and Agency, which "examines the perception of Africa in the global system, tracing Africa's transition from a "problem" to be solved into an agent with a rising voice in the world."
Adenike Osofisan, is a Nigerian professor of Computer science, who specializes in data mining and knowledge management. She is the first Nigerian woman to hold a Ph.D. in Computer science, a feat she accomplished in 1989. In 2006, she became a full professor at University of Ibadan, a promotion that made her the first African woman to become a Computer Science professor.
Thomas Adesanya Ige Grillo, was a son of J. Aina Osaoba and V. Adenike Omolara (Serrano) Grill. He was the First professor of Anatomy in Nigeria.
Lateefah Durosinmi is a Nigerian chemist and academic. She is a Professor at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ilé-Ifẹ̀, Nigeria.
Adebayo Simeon Bamire is a Nigerian academic and professor of agricultural economics who is the 12th substantial Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, since 2022. He previously served as deputy vice chancellor academics.
Gbemisola Adeoti is a Nigerian Academic and poet. He is a professor of literature in the English Department at Obafemi Awolowo University. He is the author of Naked Soles which was at a time recommended by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board. Between 2011 and 2015, he served as the Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies, and he was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts from 2015 to 2019 at OAU.
Olubola Babalola is a Nigerian quantity surveyor and academic and researcher. She is a professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, where she has taught since 1993. She is the first female professor of quantity surveying in Africa. She served as the Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Design and Management at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
Akanmu Gafari Adebayo is a Nigerian professor of history at Kennesaw State University. He specializes in African economic history with emphasis on production and distribution of wealth. Adebayo has published widely on various topics on African economy.
Kabiru Aderemi Adeyemo is a Nigeria Professor of Management & Accounting at Lead City University Ibadan. Oyo State, Nigeria. He is the Vice chancellor of Lead City University.
