By Christian George
Africa’s first female Doctor of English Literature, Beatrice Aboyade, has died at the age of 87.
The literature icon who was born on August 24, 1935 to the family of Omoba T.A Johnson Odubanjo, the grandson of Jagun Alausa of lmupa, Ijebu-Ode, who became the first Olowu of Owu Ijebu, passed away on March 3.
According to ThisDay, The funeral programme of the late consummate academic was contained in a statement her family formally released at the weekend, reeling out programmes that would mark her journey to eternal rest.The statement said the late matriarch “is survived by her children, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Odia, Ms Olufunke Aboyade (SAN), Mr. Ojekunle Aboyade, Dr. Ojetunde Aboyade, several grandchildren and great grandchildren.”
The funeral programme would commence with a Christian Wake keep at the Chapel of the Resurrection Hall, University of Ibadan.The statement also said funeral service would hold at the Chapel of the Resurrection, University of Ibadan on Friday, March 31 at 10.a.m.
According to the statement, this would be preceded by a lying-in-state at Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan from 8.30am to 9.30am.Aboyade, a professor of Library and Information Studies, made history as one of the first five female professors in Nigeria, alongside Professors Adetowun Ogunsheye (the first female professor), Bolanle Awe, Dayisi Oduntan and Oyin Olurin.
The late Professor set a record when she became the first Nigerian or African Woman (South of the Sahara) to obtain a Ph.D. in English Literature in 1970. Odubanjo, her father, was the grandson of Jagun Alausa of lmupa Ijebu-Ode, who became the first Olowu of Owu Ijebu. Jagun Alausa was a descendant of Oba Osimore of the last Ijebu-Ode, one of the first three founding Obas of Ijebu-Ode – along with two other Obas of wade and Porogun areas of Ijebu-Ode.
Before her demise, she was the Chairman of the Development Policy Centre in Ibadan, an international think–tank and research centre for capacity-building in formulating development policies and training in development projects, a project founded by her late husband and renowned economist, Prof. Ojetunji Aboyade, with the support of the World Bank.
