Friends honour Falola at 70

• Published date: 22 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

On January 1, this year, Professor Toyin Falola turned 70 years. It was a moment when his friends, close associates, colleagues and former students chose to surprise him. They put together a vibrant birthday celebration on zoom for him. About 445 people that participated, and they made the birthday conference a very memorable and glorious one. From all over the world, his people, those who have been his pals from ages converged on zoom. For more than two hours, they poured encomiums on him, telling the world who Falola is and what he has done to make History, indeed African historical studies one of the most enviable topics of study world over.

Falola is no doubt Nigeria's foremost, most celebrated and most revered history scholar both home and abroad at the moment. Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, in 1953, he had his degrees in History from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). He taught in the Faculty of Arts, OAU, for years, but in 1991 he left Nigeria for United States of America. Now at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches Africa Studies. There, he also holds the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker chair in Humanities.

A fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria, Falola is noted to have written more books than he himself can even remember. He once confessed that he has lost count of the number of books he has written or edited or co-authored. Counting in hundreds, Falola therefore remains Nigeria's most prized, decorated, recognized and appreciated scholar in Humanities. All over the world his academic accomplishments and contributions reverberate with unbridled aplomb and accolade.

From Nigeria's former president General Olusegun Obasanjo to others who graced the zoom occasion, the ovation for him was loud and clear. Each speaker attested to his love for African affairs which remains uppermost and unbeatable. For Tunji Olaopa and Ijaola S.O who handled the proceedings, Professor Falola is an enigma, always and constantly full of fresh and new ideas to enrich scholarship. No wonder therefore that he is randomly sought after all over the world on basic issues of African historical affairs.

Speaker after speaker dwelt on a man whose whole life has been full of researches...