By Stella Odueme
The Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAF) has elected and approved new fellows including overseas nominees fellows of the academy.
Professor Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani; Professor Abiodun Salawu
and Professor Emerita Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka have been elected and approved as
overseas nominees fellows while
10 others were elected and approved as fellows of the academy.
Theses include; Professor Anthony Esijolomi Afejuku; Professor Florence Orabueze; Professor Akinkunmi Alao; Professor Olukoya Ogen;
andvProfessor Olatunji Alabi Oye Shirley.
Others are; Professor Olusanjo M. Daramola; Professor Emmanuel Calvin Emasealu; Professor Cecilia Amaoge Eme; Professor Ladzemo Constantine Yuka; and Professor A�is Ayinde Oladosu.
While announcing the approval, Professor Olakunbi Olasope, MNAL Secretary of Nigerian Academy of Letters said; “At its meeting today, 04 July, 2024 the College of Fellows approved the recommendations
of the screening committee for the election of the following members as Fellows of the
Nigerian Academy of Letters:
“The investiture of the new Fellows will take place on 8 August 2024 at this year’s
convocation.
Congratulations.”
Professor Hakeem Ibikunle Tijani served as the Founding Deputy Vice Chancellor, Dean Faculty of Arts and Education at Adeleke University between 2011 and 2017. He was the Founding Director, Centre of Excellence in Migration and Global Studies, National Open University of Nigeria, where he is currently a visiting professor supervising three PhD. students. He had been in academia since 1988 and had taught at the College of Education, Jalingo, Gongola State, Lagos State University, Baylor University, Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
He was tenured as a professor at Morgan State University in 2009 before returning to Nigeria for almost a decade to assist in the transformation and building of world-class universities in Nigeria. He serves as a chairman or member of the Nigerian Universities Commission accreditation panels.
A Commissioner on the State of Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, Professor Tijani is currently the Founding Executive Director, Office of Glibal Partnerships-Africa, Morgan State University. In addition to being elected as a Fellow by the Board of Fellows during its July 4th meeting, Prof. Tijani, in June, won the coveted US Fulbright Specialist Program as the Founding Fellow to Afro-American University of Central Africa, Oyalla, Equatorial Guinea. He is a mentor, a distinguished academic, father known for his selfless service to humanity. He is also a Fellow, Royal Historical Society, United Kingdom, and the Society for Peace Studies and Practice. Born at the Lagos Island Maternity hospital with both paternal and maternal roots in Lagos Island, he is married with children.
