Tribute to the Iroko of African historical scholarship: Late Emeritus Prof J. F Ade Ajayi “Say not in grief that he is no more; but live in thankfulness that he was” says a Hebrews proverb Emeritus professor Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi was born on May 26, 1929. He had his early education at St. Paul’s School, Ikole-Ekiti and Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti in 1940. He attended Igbobi College and was one of the pioneering students of Nigeria’s premier University College, Ibadan when it was established in 1948. He graduated in 1952, obtaining the Bachelor of Arts (general) in History, Latin, and English. Between 1952 and 1955, Ajayi attended University College, Leicester, where he earned another bachelor of arts (first-class honours) in history. He proceeded to the University of London for a doctoral degree, which he obtained in 1958. He started his career as a lecturer at the University College, Ibadan in 1958, and became a full professor of history in 1963. Prof held visiting teaching and research appointments at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Stanford University among others. He was head of the Department of History from 1966 to 1969, and Dean of the Faculty of Arts between 1964 and 1966 at the University of Ibadan. Between 1972 and 1978, he was later promoted DVC. Prof. was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos. He retired from the University of Ibadan in 1989. Ajayi was an authority in the post-independence anti-colonial scholarship that successfully countered the Trevor Ropers of this world and established the fact that Africa had a history, which pre-dated the arrival of the Europeans. Ajayi as well as Professors Dike, Biobaku, Ogot, Alagoa and Webster successfully made the point that events that occurred in the colonial and post-independence era were and continue to be affected by developments in the period before Europeans. It was under Ajayi that the Ibadan History School based at the Department of History, University of Ibadan became the dominant school in the study of History of Nigeria and Africa. The school was characterised by its overt nationalism and was geared towards forging a Nigerian identity through publicising the glories of pre-colonial Nigerian and African society. Much use was made of oral history and throughout, the school took a strong inter-disciplinary approach to gathering information. The Eminent Historian was the first to write on the Yoruba in the 19th century. “His Yoruba warfare in the 19th century” was the first major study of professional warfare among the Yoruba. The importance of the ‘Yoruba warfare in the 19th century’ is best evaluated in terms of the methodical breakthrough that would remain the hallmark of Ajayi’s scholarship and that of his academic disciples. In his appraisal of sources for the re-construction of 19th century Yoruba history, he asserted that oral tradition remain the major non-written source. Ajayi’s most valued and acknowledged contribution to African Historiography is the successful assertion of the continuity of African institutions under colonial rule and beyond. His 1961 essay titled ‘Colonialism: An Episode in African History’ was path breaking. Ajayi successfully presented a philosophy of history that countered pseudo-intellectual position of euro-centric scholars, who in an effort to justify colonialism declared that Africans as a result of their lack of history could not govern themselves and therefore had to be governed by a “superior race”, he pointed out that the partition of Africa and the impact of colonial rule and even post-independence environment cannot be properly understood without the knowledge of pre-colonial African history. African history existed before colonialism. Colonialism was no more than an episode in African history. Like the history of all humanities, the history of Africa is a continuum. Colonialism was merely an episode but not the totality of African experience. African values, culture, and sentiments though dynamic, continue to be enduring and shaped events even in contemporary times. Ajayi therefore established a philosophical as well as a theoretical basis and an enduring foundation, which guided his students and contemporaries in the process of doing research and writing on Africa. As Head of History Department, University of Ibadan, Ajayi strove to make the Department not only the Centre of Nigeria, but also African studies. He encouraged younger scholars and students including this writer to do their PhD research on communities outside Nigeria before the arrival of the Europeans. This was how Benson Mojuetan worked on Morocco, Alfred Unoma on Nyamwezi in Tanzania, Gabriel Akinola on Zanzibar and Ade Adefuye on Uganda. The aim was to prove that African societies had a history before the arrival of colonialists. Ajayi’s brand of historical scholarship attracted scholars from outside Nigeria among whom were J. D. Omer Cooper from South Africa, Bertin Webster from Canada, AFC Ryder and Michael Crowder from UK, J. R. Garvin from France and Ralph Austin from the USA. The intellectual icon and historian per excellence received accolades from within and outside. He got Honorary Doctorates from Universities of Ibadan, Birmingham, and Leicester. The African studies Association in the United States awarded him the title of Distinguished Africanist. He is a Foundation Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and the most Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Ibadan. The Emeritus Professor won the Nigerian National Merit Award in 1986 Robert Frost once said “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Indeed the intellectual colossus, a man of letters, and a fountain of knowledge who blazed the trail in establishing the validity of African history as an academic discipline is no more but his “life goes on” in his great works and students. In the words of Irving Berlin, “the song is ended, but the melody lingers on.” Ajayi’s legacy lingers on… It is a pity I never met you, farewell sir Credit: Prof. Ade Adefuye, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States of America Akinniyi, Omobolanle Joseph Dept. of History and Strategic studies University of Lagos
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 15:18:30 +0000