By Dare Adekanmbi
Today, we must pause—deliberately—from whatever else may beckon for our attention. Let associates, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers, from far and near, dust off their dancing shoes and, bedecked in their finest apparel, make their way to Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan. There, we the participants converge to celebrate the archpriest as he marks his diamond anniversary.
Three scores, as street lingo would have it, no be joke—especially against the backdrop of the 2025 UN data that places Nigeria’s average life expectancy at 54.6 years.
Who is today’s archpriest? He is a man with clean hands and a pure heart; one who does not put his trust in idols; blessed by God with a sound mind in a healthy body: Professor Lateef Babatunde Ayeleru, a fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, FNAL, and immediate past Director/Chief Executive Office of the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos State.
I met Professor Ayeleru during my journalism career, specifically in the build-up to the 2015 governorship election in Oyo State. As an investigative journalist with a penchant for exclusives, I engaged political grandees across party lines within the state’s ever-shifting political terrain. At that time, two dominant schools of thought shaped Oyo politics: the Rashidi Ladoja Bodija School and the Abiola Ajimobi Marines. Prof, as the celebrant is fondly called, was one of the leading eggheads of the Bodija School.
We bonded almost instantly—drawn together by our shared Humanities background and our common roots in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, that fiery furnace where many of us were forged.
Several encounters stand out. At the height of preparations for Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s second-term bid, his spokesperson published an article in the Tribune containing what many considered outlandish claims against Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who had emerged as the sitting governor’s most formidable nemesis. Prof and I held a virtual meeting to dissect the piece. Before dawn the next day, an intellectually robust response had germinated from his fecund pen.
It was my professional duty to ensure Ladoja’s right of reply, and Prof’s article was consequently deployed—lavishly—by the paper. The rejoinder not only rattled Governor Ajimobi but reportedly compelled him to instruct his media team to temporarily sheath their swords against Ladoja. Such was the force of Prof’s reasoned intervention. His writings elevated political discourse in Oyo State and resonated even on the national stage.
Yet his contributions extended far beyond polemical writing. Professor Ayeleru convened like-minded academics in his office to engage Ladoja in rigorous intellectual sessions—cross-fertilising ideas and preparing him for the gubernatorial debate organised by Splash FM, the state’s pioneering private radio station.
In celebrating my diamond mentor, we are not merely marking the passage of time; we are honouring six decades of excellence, service, and inspiration. A distinguished scholar, Prof firmly believes that knowledge without humility leads only to ruin. Outside the arena of intellectual engagement, one could scarcely guess that he has attained the summit of academic pursuit.
Students and close associates admire his humility, quiet strength, and unwavering commitment to fairness and truth. His principled stance has always been clear: true achievement is not measured solely by the volume of publications, but by the lives enlightened, enriched, and transformed along the way.
At 60, the life of this Professor of French, Applied Linguistics and African Literatures reminds us that greatness is sustained not by position, but by consistency of values and depth of purpose. He has mentored generations with patience, discipline, and generosity. Many of his former students are now professors, professionals, leaders, and scholars who embody the ideals he modelled—explaining why his influence remains potent far beyond the classroom. Professor Ayeleru stands as a moral exemplar—demonstrating that leadership is best expressed through service, wisdom, and ethical clarity.
My family and I join numerous well-wishers to celebrate Professor Ayeleru and this remarkable milestone with gratitude and admiration. It is my earnest prayer that his pitcher will not break at the fountain, and that the Almighty God will continue to strengthen and confirm him in all goodness. Félicitations et joyeux anniversaire, mon chef.
Adekanmbi, one of Professor Tunde Ayeleru’s numerous mentees, wrote in from Ibadan, Oyo State.
