UI hosts conference to celebrate Falola at 65 | EduCeleb
Abdussalam Amoo
23rd January 2018
The University of Ibadan will on Monday, January 29 and Tuesday, January 30, 2018 host a conference to celebrate the 65th birthday anniversary of erudite history professor, Oloruntoyin Omoyeni Falola.
With the theme, “African Knowledges and Alternative Futures”, the conference will be chaired by the Pro Chancellor, Lead City University, Professor Jide Owoeye.
According to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the institution, Ademola Dasyla, Falola deserved the honour based on his unparalleled contributions to knowledge production in Africa.
Toyin Falola, as he is popularly known, turned 65 on 1st January, 2018. He was recently appointed honorary professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa and also serves as the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities and Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.
Among eminent personalities expected at the event are the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III,  Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his Oyo State counterpart,  Abiola Ajimobi, and that  of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu.
Professor Dasylva noted that “Two keynote addresses will be delivered by Professor Gloria Emeagwali, Professor of History and African Studies, Central Connecticut State University, USA, and Professor Chris BN Ogbogbo, President of the Historical Society of Nigeria. The conference will be declared open on the first day by the Alaafin of Oyo”.
A public presentation of Professor Falola’s latest book entitled The Toyin Falola Reader would also be a part of the event. The book published by Pan African University Press, USA, will be given out for free by the author to conference participants.
In a related development, Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun state would on January 31, 2018 award Falola with a honorary doctorate.
A letter to Falola, its Vice Chancellor, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde said; “Your profundity in academics is rare and valuable. We at Olabisi Onabanjo University are very proud of your outstanding achievements which have endeared you to people.”
According to the university Senate and Council, the award is in recognition of his contributions to scholarship, globally preeminent stature,  unparalleled mentoring of thousands of scholars, and generosity.