Jacob Ade Ajayi
| J. F. Ade Ajayi | |
|---|---|
| Born |
26 May 1929 Ikole-Ekiti, Ekiti State |
| Died | 9 August 2014 (aged 85) Ibadan, Oyo State |
| Citizenship | Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Fields | African History |
| Institutions | University of Ibadan, University of Lagos |
| Known for | Historiography in Africa |
Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi, commonly known as J. F. Ade Ajayi, (26 May 1929 – 9 August 2014) was a Nigerian historian and a member of the Ibadan school, a group of scholars interested in introducing African perspectives to African history and focusing on the internal historical forces that shaped African lives. Ade Ajayi favours the use of historical continuity more often than focusing on events only as powerful agents of change that can move the basic foundations of cultures and mould them into new ones. Instead, he sees many critical events in African life, sometimes as weathering episodes which still leave some parts of the core of Africans intact. He also employs a less passionate style in his works, especially in his early writings, using subtle criticism of controversial issues of the times.
Ajayi was born in Ikole-Ekiti on 26 May 1929, his father was a personal assistant of the Oba of Ikole during the era of Native Authorities. He started education at St Paul's School, Ikole, at the age of five. He then proceeded to Ekiti Central School (now Christ's School Ado Ekiti) for preparation as a pupil teacher. However, after hearing from a friend about Igbobi College in Lagos, he decided to try his luck and applied. Thereafter, he gained admission into the college, and equipped with a scholarship from the Ikole Ekiti Native authority, he went to Lagos for secondary education. After completing his studies at Igbobi, he gained admission to the University of Ibadan, where he was to pick between History, Latin or English for his degree. He chose History. In 1952, he travelled abroad and studied at Leicester University, under the tutelage of Professor Jack Simmons, a brilliant Oxford-trained historian. In 1956 he married Christie Ade Ajayi née Martins. After graduation, he was a research fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, London from 1957–1958. He later returned to Nigeria and joined the history department of the University of Ibadan.
In 1964, he was made Dean of Arts at the University and later promoted a deputy Vice-Chancellor. After his stint as deputy Vice-Chancellor, he was made the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos in 1972. During his tenure, several buildings were constructed and improvements were made to student accommodation. King Jaja hall was built in 1973 and extensions were made to Queen Amina and Queen Moremi halls respectively. The twilight of his career as Vice-Chancellor was a controversial one, the then Obasanjo regime had introduced some student fees to the dismay of the students, who demanded free education. Students then decided to riot, a situation which was termed Ali must go. During the protest and riots, a student named Akintunde Ojo was shot by the police. At the time his mother was rumoured to be a mistress of Obasanjo. The ensuing protest by students against the killing led opportunists to seize the situation and cause mayhem. In 1978, he was arbitrarily relieved of his position and returned to Ibadan, where he continued his effort in historical scholarship.
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