University of Ibadan and University of Lagos Pay Enduring Tribute to Nigeria's Pioneer Geography Professor, Prof. Akin Mabogunje
UI and UNILAG Pay Tribute to Nigeria's Pioneer Geography Professor
Faith Orji 
The Trenchard Hall at the University of Ibadan in Oyo State buzzed with activity on the 18th of October, 2023. This gathering was a tribute to the late Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje, Nigeria's inaugural Professor of Geography, who had passed away. Family members, relatives, students, friends, associates, and prominent figures from various fields had come from near and far to commemorate the first anniversary of his passing.
During the ceremony, the attendees fondly recollected the life and achievements of Professor Mabogunje, who was not only Nigeria's first Professor of Geography but also the first African to be elected as the President of the International Geographical Union. He was known for his tireless efforts to promote improved urbanization in Nigeria and across Africa.
The inaugural memorial lecture was delivered by Professor Taibat Lawanson from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Lagos. Her lecture was titled "Pathways to Sustainable Urbanization in Africa: Leaning on Akin Mabogunje’s Intellectual Legacy." In her address, Professor Lawanson praised the late Professor Mabogunje, describing him as a visionary and trailblazer in the field of Geography. She highlighted his significant contributions to urban development, including his role in shaping Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and the transformation of Lagos into a megacity. Professor Lawanson also emphasized his advocacy for land reforms, poverty alleviation, community development, traditional governance, and industrialization.
Furthermore, Professor Lawanson lamented the consistent failure of stakeholders to implement research findings from academics, stressing that Professor Mabogunje's work underscored the importance of decolonized thinking, interdisciplinary approaches, and the prioritization of social considerations in urbanization research.
She argued that through his research and intellectual accomplishments, Professor Mabogunje had laid a solid foundation for addressing contemporary urban challenges and preventing future issues.
The event was attended by the entire management team of the University of Lagos, as well as the College of Medicine at Idi Araba. It also featured the public presentation of two publications: special issues of the Benin Journal of Geography, Planning, and Environment, and Professor Mabogunje's final book, "Egba Palimpsest."
A Cross-Section of Attendees
Professor Folasade Ogunsola, the late Professor Mabogunje's daughter and the current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, unveiled the Akin Mabogunje Foundation, which aims to honor and preserve her father's intellectual legacy.
Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, sent a pre-recorded message in which he praised Professor Mabogunje's virtues and recounted their close friendship. Chief Obasanjo also highlighted the late professor's contributions to the Centre for Security and Dialogue at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library. In his absence, former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola, represented Chief Obasanjo at the ceremony.
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo
The first Professor Akin Mabogunje Memorial Lecture, as explained by the event's host and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, along with Professor Dickson Ajayi, Head of the Department of Geography, and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi, who served as the chairman of the occasion, was conceived to honor the late professor as a thinker, an exemplar of intelligence and leadership, and a distinguished achiever with a legacy of excellence.
Born on October 18, 1931, Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje held a unique place in history as Africa's first Professor of Geography and the first African scholar to be elected as an International Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences. He passed away on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at the age of 90+, just shy of his 92nd birthday on October 18, 2023.
