Former Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, has inducted Professor Toyin Falola into the “septuagenarian circle”.
Speaking at the 70th birthday celebration of the revered professor of History, the ex-president, who was the special guest of honour at the virtual event, gave his speech in “the tradition of a letter writer.”
One of the anchors of the event, Tunji Olaopa, at the beginning of the event introduced the former president, saying he (Obasanjo) would perform the induction of Professor Falola into the septuagenarian circle.
Obasanjo, who read his letter of congratulations and tribute to Falola at the event, said he had a hard time choosing what format through which he would deliver his speech before settling for letter writing, adding that the letter was the second he wrote on the day of the event — Sunday, January 1, 2023.
Reading his congratulatory letter, the former president said, “My dear professor, brother, friend, Toyin Falola, a big congratulations to you on your 70th birthday today. As someone who has gone ahead of you in chronological time span, let me welcome you to the septuagenarian circle.”
Obasanjo, who saluted Falola for his contributions to national development, saying that Nigeria meant a lot to him as a country, told the new septuagenarian that “the 70-year-mark is an age of reckoning,” adding that “it is a moment to take stock of where one is coming from and what lies ahead.”
He noted that the age of 70 bestows upon the septuagenarian the responsibility of becoming a custodian of the nation’s cultural value at a time when “our sociocultural values…are almost becoming a relic in the context of the revaluation of values the present generation champions.”
The former Head of State commended the celebrant’s courage in contributing to national discourse, thanking him for not remaining silent in the face of the country’s challenges, and prayed for the professor (and himself) to finish well and strong and “to witness the greatness of Nigeria in our lifetime. I will be with again, by the grace of God, when you are 80.”
The event, which featured tributes from friends, students and mentees of the prominent scholar, had eminent personalities in attendance, including: Former Governor and former First Lady of Ekiti State, Kayode and Bisi Fayemi; Dosumu Awolowo; Richard Joseph; Michael Vickers; Professor Ayo Banjo, and several other dignitaries and scholars.
Unveiling the revered scholar’s profile prior to the event, the organisers had written, “Toyin Omoyeni Falola was born in Ibadan in 1953, a historian and professor of African Studies. He earned his BA and PhD (1981) in history at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) in Nigeria. He is a Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin, where he has taught since 1991.
“Among young researchers, Mr Falola is widely regarded as an outstanding mentor committed to nurturing young scholars by facilitating their professional viability and growth.
“He has received several awards for his teaching commitment to African studies, including the 2010 Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award, the Jean Holloway Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Texas Exes Teaching Award.
“Falola is an editor for many book series and serves on the editorial boards of more than twenty journals. He is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.
“In 2011, He received the prestigious African Studies Association Distinguished Africanist Award “to recognise and honour individuals who have contributed a lifetime of outstanding scholarship in African Studies combined with service to the Africanist community.
“A professor in several universities, Mr Falola is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and has served as the president of the African Studies Association. He is also 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, while his geographic areas of interest include Africa, Latin America and the United States. His thematic fields include Atlantic history, diaspora and migration, empire and globalisation, intellectual history, international relations, religion and culture.”
Responding to the various accolades and tributes poured on him, Professor Falola thanked the organisers of the event and its attendees, which he said only came to his knowledge on the morning of the event when he read Professor Abimbola Adelakun’s writeup on The PUNCH.
Falola counselled Nigerians that there was nothing wrong with the country but leadership, saying, “You can be disappointed in the leaders, but you cannot be disappointed in our country,” adding that Nigerians must continue to believe in the country.
