Adieu, Dr. A. S. Adebola of Unilorin, erudite historian, teacher of professors
pannigeriannews
3 min read
By Sunday Ogunkuade
The Nigerian academic community lost a prominent member on July 12, 2025. He is Dr. A. S. Adebola, formerly of the University of Ilorin before his retirement many years back. Indeed, the demise of Dr. A. S. Adebola, an erudite scholar, has created a vacuum in the academic arena that will be difficult to fill.
Baba, Dr. A. S. Adebola, as he was fondly called, was a senior lecturer at the University of Ilorin. He was a thorough-breed academic. Baba Adebola specialised in East African History, which he taught with relish. What made students develop interest in Dr. Adebola was the mastery of his area of specialisation.
Students marveled at Baba’s brilliance in those days. Baba Adebola was, indeed, a role model, a historian of high esteem. He did not discriminate on gender basis or victimise students, nor engage in illicit affairs with the ladies among the students in order to favour them unjustly. Baba taught students to imbibe knowledge inherent in their courses, and not just to pass examinations.
Dr. Adebola belonged to that generation of historians who were proud of their profession and dominated the academic community they found themselves. Baba, with other leading historians, dead or alive, whose dedicated contributions erected a solid academic foundation and scholarly tradition of History Department now History and International Studies Department, University of Ilorin – the likes of Saka Balogun, R. J. Gavin, Boniface Obichere, Gloria Emeagwali, Ade M. Obayemi, Ehiedu E. G. Iweriebor, Ade Dosunmu, Hakeem Danmole, Zachaeus Apata, Rasheed Oladoja Lasisi, B. M. Eyinla, O. D. Akinwumi, C. O. O. Agboola, R. A. Olaoye, E. J. Ige, P. F. Adebayo, A. O. Banwo, A. O. Y. Raji, S. O. Aghalino, B. O. Ibrahim, I. A. Jawondo, Lemuel E. Odeh, Afolabi Abiodun S., Aboyeji O. Solomon, Aboyeji A. Justus, Odeigah N. Theresa among others. The least we can do in memory of those among them who have gone to the great beyond, and in honour of those of them still around, is to continue to keep the History and International Studies Department at the University of Ilorin academically strong and intellectually virile, at least the way they left it, if not stronger, for it to continue to serve Nigeria and the entire world of scholarship as a sound training ground for future historians. May the labour of these dedicated crop of scholars who have passed through the portals of this department never be in vain! At the same time, I owed the above named historians, either dead or alive a lot of gratitude for drinking from their fountain of knowledge.
With the death of Dr. A. S. Adebola however, one hope that historians, especially History and International Studies Department, University of Ilorin, would celebrate him by calling a conference of historians in conjunction with our traditional institutions, who are arch custodians of histories, corporate bodies and policy makers to chart a new course of history, not as an academic discipline only but a verifiable tool for national development.
Adieu, Dr. A. S. Adebola.
Sunday Ogunkuade
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