Tunde Adeniran @ 80 And The Power Of Intellect

I woke up a fewer days agone to a substance connection that simply read: “Uche, telephone maine arsenic soon arsenic you spot this message.” It was from nary little a property than Professor Tunde Adeniran, erstwhile Minister of Education. In the bully aged days, we often saw each different to sermon Nigeria, politics, and specifically the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But the past clip I saw him was 2 years agone successful a alternatively sad, sober environment—at the Service of Songs astatine the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Jabi, Abuja, organised for the precocious Professor Fred Onyeoziri, my boss, and a adjacent person of Professor Adeniran.

Before you wonderment wherefore an intelligence fortress and powerhouse similar Professor Adeniran would beryllium texting this “poor journalist,” fto maine rapidly authorities that I was his pupil astatine the University of Ibadan.

I was elated to reconnect with my aged teacher, arsenic we utilized to bash successful those bully days—before President Buhari turned Nigeria upside down. Everyone who has lived successful this state since earlier 2015 understands what that means. And adjacent if you don’t, your pouch volition punctual you. On a much superior note, erstwhile I rang him arsenic requested, his effect was that unmistakably coded, humorous banter: “Uche, however are you doing; wherever person you near Nigeria?” Vintage Tunde Adeniran!

The large takeaway from our speech was his disclosure that, successful a substance of days, helium would beryllium marking his 80th birthday. Precisely connected Monday September 29, 2025. That is nary tiny feat, fixed the declining beingness expectancy successful this portion of the world, particularly among men. What is singular is not conscionable that Adeniran is turning 80, but that helium is doing truthful successful good fettle—still squash-fit, with a caput arsenic crisp arsenic ever, similar vino inactive astatine its best.

There are much than capable reasons to convey God for this large acquisition to Nigeria and humanity. As a loyal lad of Ekiti State—a authorities helium played a large relation successful its creation—the drumbeat of solemnisation volition surely beryllium loud, and glasses volition clink successful joyous tribute to this fountain of cognition from whom galore person drawn for astatine slightest six decades.

As a teacher, Professor Adeniran has been, and remains, a root of inspiration to countless students—many of whom are present professors successful their ain close oregon excelling successful divers fields of quality endeavour. A surviving encyclopedia of International Relations and Strategic Studies, his pedagogical brilliance—especially successful teaching Theories of International Relations—was legendary. I cannot callback him ever missing a class, whether astatine undergraduate oregon postgraduate level. In contrast, a fewer lecturers successful those days would play truancy for astir of the semester, lone to unreserved students done 2 weeks earlier exams. Adeniran was chopped from a antithetic cloth—professional, disciplined, and consistent. Little wonderment that earlier retiring from the University of Ibadan, helium served arsenic Head of the Department of Political Science, among different cardinal positions.

As a researcher and scholar, helium has remained highly fecund, productive, prolific, and innovative. Beyond mentoring and supervising scores of PhD candidates, his intelligence contributions are reflected successful galore articles successful reputable journals, league papers, presumption papers, monographs, and seminal books—including Introduction to International Relations (1983), International Violence (with Yonah Alexander, 1983), Politics of Wole Soyinka (1994), Fate and Faith (2015), Africa’s Security Challenges successful the 21st Century (2020), Policy Making and International Security (2023), among galore others. Those who person been pursuing his trajectory would not beryllium amazed that helium has written 2 caller books to people his 80th Birthday Anniversary. We are besides alert that a publication successful his honour, titled Intellection and Global Governance (a postulation of essays written by assorted scholars successful Nigeria and abroad) has been published to people the occasion.

Yet Professor Adeniran’s luminous intellect and administrative acumen were ne'er confined to the classroom. Before returning to Ibadan to teach, helium worked astatine the United Nations aft completing his PhD astatine Columbia University successful the United States. He went connected to lend enormously to Nigeria’s nationalist development. As Secretary of the Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER), the landmark organisation acceptable up by General Ibrahim Babangida, Adeniran crisscrossed virtually each section authorities successful Nigeria, mobilizing citizens for a caller governmental civilization and nationalist rebirth. While his friend, Professor Jerry Gana, was the look of MAMSER, the administrative motor was powered by Adeniran’s brilliance.

He besides served arsenic a subordinate of the Committee connected Nigerian National Defence Policy for the twelvemonth 2000; a subordinate of the Advisory Committee connected Foreign Affairs (1983–1985); and a subordinate of the Politica...