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The Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan, Oyo State was agog for several hours on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, as family members, relatives, mentees, friends, associates and dignitaries from all walks of life converged from far and near to celebrate the first posthumous anniversary of Nigeria’s first Professor of Geography, Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje.
The ceremony saw fond memories and intellectual milestones of the deceased who is also the first African to be elected as President, International Geographical Union, taking the fore of advocacies for better urbanization in Nigeria and Africa.
The debut memorial lecture was delivered by Professor Taibat Lawanson of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Environmental Science, University of Lagos.
Titled: “Pathways to Sustainable Urbanization in Africa: Leaning on Akin Mabogunje’s Intellectual Legacy”, Professor Lawanson particularly paid glowing tributes to late Prof. Akin Mabogunje, adjudging him a blessing, leading light and a pathfinder in the field of Geography.
The Professor of Urban Management and Governance highlighted some of the many milestone contributions of late Prof. Akin Mabogunje especially in the development of Abuja as Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory and the Lagos Megacity, his advocacy for land reforms, poverty alleviation, community development and traditional governance as well as industrialization among other areas.
Prof. Lawanson who built her presentation on the research legacies of late Prof. Akin Mabogunje, decried the consistent failure of stakeholders to engage, adopt and implement research findings and recommendations by academicians.
According to her, the deceased has, through his research works, established the imperativeness of decolonized thinking, multidisciplinary and mixed methodologies in urbanization-related research, co-production and transdisciplinary method in urbanization knowledge production as well as prioritization of social consideration for development.
Prof. Lawanson posited that late Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje has, through research and intellectual milestones, laid a solid foundation and cleared the path for urbanization which, if well explored, will address many contemporary challenges and forestall several other urbanization challenges.
The ceremony which was graced by the entire management team of the University of Lagos and the College of Medicine, Idi Araba, also featured the public presentation of 2 (two) other publications; Special issues of Benin Journal of Geography, Planning and Environment as well as the late Prof. Akin Mabogunje’s last book titled, Egba Palimpsest.
Daughter of the deceased who is also the incumbent Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, also presented the Akin Mabogunje Foundation, a project which she said, is intended to immortalize, preserve and sustain the many intellectual milestones and legacies of their father, Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje.
Former Nigeria’s President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo sent in a pre-recorded goodwill message through which he personally extolled the many virtues of the Late Professor Mabogunje who served as Coordinator, Centre for Security and Dialogue of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library.
Represented physically at the ceremony by former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Peter Okebukola, Chief Obasanjo described the late Prof Mabogunje as a friend, confidant and a true compatriot who gave his best in service to his community, his profession and humanity at large.
The first Professor Akin Mabogunje Memorial Lecture according to the host and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Kayode Adebowale, the Head, Department of Geography, Professor Dickson Ajayi and Dr. Yemi Ogunbiyi who was chairman of the occasion, was borne out of the need to celebrate the virtues of the deceased as a thinker, an embodiment of intelligence and leadership and a distinguished achiever with sterling legacies.
Born on October 18, 1931, Professor Akinlawon Ladipo Mabogunje holds a place in history as Africa’s first Professor of Geography and the first African scholar elected an International Member of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
He breathed his last on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at the age of 90+ and would have clocked 92 on Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
Source: https://unilag.edu.ng
