Professor Emeritus E. A. Olofin: A humble intellectual giant at 80-Murtala Muhammad

By Dr Murtala Muhammad

On this day (9th August) in 1941, an intellectual giant was born. This child was to become an acknowledged educator, academic, philosopher, philanthropist, humanist, and dedicated public servant.

He was named Emmanuel Ajayi Olofin who later in life becomes a man of action and at the same time an embodiment of kindness. He is a mentor and a friend to generations of intellectuals and students.

He played a great part in the initiation and the making of Bayero University, Kano a reputable citadel of learning for close to 50 years.

Olofin taught as if teaching and learning is art. He inspires generations of students to follow him to the rigorous heights of the human intellect. Many are professors today because of him. He is a man so brilliant, with an encyclopedic memory, and an exuberant personality in the profession of imparting knowledge.

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The world becomes so much richer, when that child born 80 years ago, teaches to make the world a better place. He is both a humble and a very modest man. Olofin’s philanthropy was proverbial.

It is said that most of his salary used to be spent in helping the distressed and the disadvantaged. He is an embodiment of simplicity, an extremely cerebral man with an extremely generous heart.

The man had all his life struggled relentlessly against all forms of divisiveness, ethnic and regional identity, corruption and malpractices.

We are celebrating this selfless and unmatched champion of Nigerianism and Afrocentrism for really making a substantial difference in the lives of thousands of us academically and personally.

He is an inimitable intellectual gladiator who graduate with many PhDs, hundreds of master degrees and an uncountable number of first-degree holders. Through his copious writings, engagements in numerous forums, and teaching, he provokes and animates minds generations after generations.

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Born in Idao, Ijero Ekiti, Olofin grew up in a household where teachings and morals chaffed collided.

He studied at the both University of Ibadan – Nigeria, University of Malaya, Malaysia and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – Nigeria from where he obtained a BSc, MSc and PhD in Geography respectively.

He was a teacher in Voluntary Agency Schools, 1960-1963; 1967-1970; Geography teacher, Oshogbo

Grammar School, 1973; lecturer, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 1963-66, the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) 1966-67, University of Malaya, 1970-1972.

Also, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, 1976-1981; teacher, St. John’s’Modern School Ushi-Ekiti, 1960-1961;

St.Augustine’s College Oye-Ekiti, 1962-1963; St. Joseph’s College Ondo (vacations 1964-1966 and 1967-68;

Annunciation College, Ikere-Ekiti, 1969-1970; Visiting Associate Professor of Hydrology and Water Resources

Management, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, 1987-1988; permanent lecturer and later Professor Emeritus, Department of Geography, Bayero University, Kano, 1974-2018.

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He is a member, International Geographical Union; member, Malayan Geological Society, 1970-72; member British

Geomorphological Research Group 1985-date; member, American Geographical Union, since 1990; Student Member, Geological Society of Malaysia; President, Idon Ekiti Catholic Community.

He won Commonwealth Scholarship Malaysian Award, 1970-1972; USAID Grant for Interfaith Dialogue, 1991; British Council Visitorship to England, 1987.

In 2015, he along with other four distinguished professors at Bayero University were recognised as Professors Emeritus.

Given his intellectual thoroughness, hard work, principles and unparalleled courage, he is ever willing to learn from anybody no matter how young.

He will always be a shining intellectual light for many generations to come of committed, progressive African academics, researchers, thinkers and philanthropists. Worthy of note, submission of this nature could not be enough to describe the interminable sterling qualities of the ‘angel’ Olofin!

Dr Muhammad, lectures at Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil and could be reached via thisismurtala@yahoo.com