Meet Felicia Adetowun Ogunseye Nigeria’s First Female Professor

Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunseye (née Banjo) holds the historic distinction of being Nigeria’s first female professor.

A pioneer in Library and Information Science, she built a career that permanently transformed opportunities for women in higher education across the country.

Early Life and Education

Born on December 5, 1926, in Benin City, Ogunseye began breaking barriers early in life.

In 1946, she became the first female student admitted to Yaba Higher College, an institution then overwhelmingly male.

By 1948, she graduated with a teaching diploma, becoming its first female graduate.

Her academic journey continued abroad at the University of Cambridge, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography (1952) and later a Master of Arts (1956). She became the first Nigerian woman to receive a degree from Cambridge.

In 1962, she obtained a Master’s in Library Science from Simmons College (now Simmons University), equipping her for a distinguished career in librarianship, scholarship, and institutional development.

Academic Milestones

In 1973, Ogunseye was appointed Professor at the University of Ibadan, making her:

Nigeria’s first female professor

The first Professor of Library and Information Science in Nigeria

Between 1977 and 1979, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Education, becoming the first woman to hold a dean’s position in any Nigerian university. She retired in 1987 after decades of mentoring students and shaping Nigeria’s academic landscape.

Advocacy and National Impact

Beyond the university, Professor Ogunseye championed:

Women’s access to higher education

School library development nationwide

Children’s literacy initiatives

She founded the Abadina Media Resources Centre in Ibadan and worked as a consultant for international organisations including UNESCO and the World Bank. Her work consistently emphasized the connection between information access, education, and national development.

Family Background

Professor Ogunseye came from a family marked by remarkable achievement and historical tragedy.

Her younger brother, Victor Adebukunola Banjo, was a senior officer in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War. He was executed on September 25, 1967, on allegations of plotting a coup against Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Another brother, Ademola Banjo, excelled academically—graduating with a first-class degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester in 1952 and later becoming the first Nigerian to earn a doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering in 1954.

Legacy

Now in her late nineties, Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunseye remains a living symbol of courage, intellect, and perseverance. Her life story reflects the journey of a woman who entered institutions not originally designed for her, reshaped them through excellence, and left doors permanently open for generations of Nigerian women scholars.