University of Ibadan Pays Tribute to Emeritus Professor Gabriel Kayode Falade, Africa's First Professor of Petroleum Engineering

The University of Ibadan on Friday, 25 September 2026, held a lying-in-state ceremony in Trenchard Hall in honour of Emeritus Professor Gabriel Kayode Falade, the first Professor of Petroleum Engineering in Africa.

Delivering his oration, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale, described Professor Falade as a distinguished scholar, mentor, pacesetter and a founding father whose name is written into the foundation of petroleum engineering in Nigeria and Africa.

Professor Adebowale noted that at a time when Nigeria's petroleum industry was still in its infancy, Professor Falade was already building the first generation of indigenous petroleum engineers for the nation.

Born on 8 August 1942 in Ado-Ekiti, Professor Falade attended Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti, and the Federal School of Arts and Science, Lagos, before proceeding to the University of Edinburgh where he obtained a BSc Hons in Chemical Engineering in 1967. He later earned an MASc from the University of Toronto in 1969, and MSc and PhD degrees in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University in 1970 and 1973 respectively, with his PhD research leading to the development of Pulse Testing technology.

He joined the University of Ibadan as Senior Lecturer on 27 July 1975 and was promoted to Professor in 1981, becoming Africa's first Professor of Petroleum Engineering. He retired in 2007 and was appointed Emeritus Professor in 2021.

During his service, he served as Head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering on several occasions, Faculty Adviser of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, pioneer occupant of the Shell Professorial Chair in Petroleum Engineering, and pioneer Director of the University of Ibadan-Schlumberger Learning Centre. Under his leadership, the Petroleum Engineering programme became the first in Nigeria to be accredited by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria in 1979.

The Vice-Chancellor highlighted Professor Falade's role in attracting major grants and partnerships, including from Texaco, NNPC, PTDF, Shell, Schlumberger, and international universities, which elevated the department's global standing. The department received the World Oil Award in 2005 and the University was selected as one of 40 global Schlumberger Ambassador Universities in 2002.

Professor Falade also served nationally as a member of the Committee on National Energy Policy and internationally as visiting professor to universities in Oman and Abu Dhabi, where he helped develop petroleum engineering curricula. He received numerous awards, including the Society of Petroleum Engineers Distinguished Lecturer Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nigerian Institute of Petroleum Engineers in 2023.

Professor Adebowale described him as an exceptional teacher who instilled discipline, critical thinking and ethical practice in generations of engineers, noting that his legacy lives on through his students, research and impact on the oil and gas industry.

Emeritus Professor Falade is survived by his wife, Professor Catherine Olufunke Falade, four children and many grandchildren.