It is definitely not unusual for resilience, hard work, sense of focus and belief in God to yield positive results, and in some of the times, another quality that is need for resounding success to be achieved is experience and contacts gathered over the years.
It can be said that the man behind the Lead City project, Professor Babajide Owoeye’s enviable life fits into the above submissions.
As a matter of fact, his admirable life also serves as a shining example that youngsters must always be allowed to pursue their dreams, those vocations they passionately have flair for.
Professor Owoeye never concealed his love for education and all it stands for. Today, he has his products all over the world and he has, via this ‘connection’ been reaping the fruits of his hard labour directly and/or indirectly.
Yes, the journey has not been precisely smooth, but with God and that required strict sense of perseverance, the Ijesha born educationist has been able to create a niche for himself especially with the establishment of the high flying Lead City University that has practically created another city within the sprawling Ibadanland in Oyo State, Nigeria.
To date, his interactions with the National University Commission, other statutory bodies including those in charge of Legal Education, Medical Registration Council and others, have further strengthened his resolve to always strive to keep his head above the waters.
Formerly Professor of International Relations at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife where he did a pioneering work on Japan’s Policy in Africa and bagged his Ph.D in International Relations in 1987, Prof Owoeye rose through the ranks, from Graduate Assistant to become a Professor in 2002.
He was Head, Department of International Relations and representative of Congregation in the University Senate and was for seven years, the Editor-in-chief of Africa’s most prestigious Quarterly Journal of Administration.
PJO, as he is fondly called by admirers was also Visiting Fellow, Academy of Korean Studies, August/Sept 1990 and June to October 1992; Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, Seoul, South Korea; Senior Research Fellow, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos 1992 – 1993; Visiting Fellow, Africa Institute of South-Africa, June/July 1994; Associate Lecturer, Foreign Policy Academy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lagos 1994 – ’97; Associate Lecturer, Dept. of Political Science, University of Ibadan 1995 – 97. He was an external examiner for the Masters in International Relations Programme of the University of Ilorin. Also a one-time Secretary-General and later, National President of the Nigerian Society for International Affairs. Professor Owoeye has to his credit, eight books and forty-eight articles in highly reputed scholarly Journals. In 1981, he founded the African Journal of International Affairs and Development which is currently in its 37th volume. He was part of the prestigious Oxford Round Table at the University of Oxford in December, 2008; African Leaders in Education Summit, University of Hull, 2010. He bagged the Distinguished Award for Educational and Community Leadership by the University of Texas at Austin 2015; the Kwame Nkrumah Award for Scholarly contribution to Pan Africanism at University of South Africa-UNISA (2016) and Lifetime Achievement & Commitment to Service, award of the University of Ibadan 16th Nov. 2018
Beyond teaching and research, Professor Owoeye has had very deep involvement in international diplomacy. For instance, he was a member of the Nigerian Delegation to the First Nigeria-South-Africa Dialogue Seminar in Johannesburg in June 1994; appointed by the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity as Consultant on the OAU Reparations project in 1992, he produced the relevant documentation backing the establishment of that mission and also drew up the Terms of Reference for the OAU Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Reparations to Africans in the motherland and in the Diaspora. He was Secretary to the EPG which was then co-chaired by the late Chief MKO Abiola and Matter Mbow. He later served in the Civil Society Consultative Group of the African Union. He retired voluntarily from the services of the Obafemi Awolowo University in February 2005, following the founding of Lead City University, Ibadan.
Prof Jide Owoeye is Chairman, College Press & Publishers Ltd., Jericho Ibadan (established in 1986); Chairman, Eduserve Consult – an educational consultancy firm; Chairman Board of Governors, Lead City International School, Jericho Ibadan (established in 1998). Chairman, Governing Council of Lead City University, Ibadan (established in 2005). The need for educational loan for students and staff welfare services also necessitated his establishment of the Lead City Microfinance Bank Ltd. in 2008. He is also Chairman, Lead City Micro-finance Bank ltd (2010), Chairman, Lead City FM Radio 89.1 (2015) and Lead FM 106.3 (2017). These activities have created immense opportunities for training, skill acquisition, career and job opportunities for many people.
He has also extended philanthropic gestures through provision of scholarships for both tertiary & non-tertiary education. These contributions to socio-economic development has prompted several awards which includes Award of Professional excellence by the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) in 2009; and five traditional chieftaincy titles – the Obafunminiyi of Ibokun; the Aare Ona-Eko of Oke-Ila Orangun, both in Osun State in 2008, The Aare Gbobaniyi of Ugboland, Ilaje, Ondo State in 2010, the Olootu of the Source, Ile Ife in 2011 and the Agbaakin Atayese of Ibadanland in 2013.
A sociable and community minded person, Professor Owoeye is a Trustee and member of Ibadan Polo Club, Ibadan Golf Club, Ibadan Recreation Club and Youth Xtian Circle of St James’s Cathedral, Oke-Bola Ibadan. Highly principled with very strong Christian and family values, He is happily married to highly resourceful, Taiwo Tolulope Owoeye (nee Emuleomo) a publisher and School Administrator.
Today, as we celebrate the 70th birthday anniversary of this iconic Nigerian scholar, businessman, philanthropist, humanist and ‘spiritman’, all we can do is pray to our Maker to continue to grant him sound health, more inspiration, divine protection and peace of mind in all ways.
Happy birthday PJO!
(This piece was published in ParrotXtra Magazine last week)
Packaged and adapted by Olayinka Agboola
