Few have left footprints as lasting as those of Professor Siyan Oyeweso. Scholar, historian, leader, mentor — he wore many hats, yet remained humble, committed and wise. His sudden departure on December 2, 2025 has deprived many of a guiding light.

His passing has left a vacuum not merely in the institutions he taught, but in the collective memory of a people whose past he helped preserve and illuminate. And this is reflected in the tributes that have continued to pour in since his death from high, mighty and the not too high who have encountered him.

Former first lady of Ekiti State, Bisi Fayemi, even wrote a poem titled: ‘A warrior goes home’. In it, she described Oyeweso as a true Omoluabi. “It has been said that when a Griot dies. It is the same as a whole library burning down. Siyan was one of the great Griots of our time.His stories will however endure. You will be sorely missed dear friend.”

That Oyeweso was a bridge between high and low is captured in the testimony of Adeola Adejokun, a former student of Lagos State University where the professor once taught.

Adejokun, said: “As young undergraduates, we were trying to raise money for the second edition of Ogbon, the Philosophy Department magazine at LASU. The first edition was printed in black and white on newsprint. Babafemi Adeosun introduced me to Professor Abdulgafar Siyanbola Oyeweso, thanks to an old connection— his grandfather had once been Professor Oyeweso’s primary school teacher or headmaster.

“Professor Oyeweso listened and understood that our goal was to create a more reader-friendly second edition in magazine format that is durable. He took us to the Vice Chancellor, the late Professor Fatiu Ademola Akesode. The university supported the project, which made it possible for the second edition of Ogbon to be published in a magazine format with a full-colour cover page.Looking back, that moment did more than just get the second edition of Ogbon published. Applause Magazine, which I later published on my own, might never have existed. Some of us may never have found the courage to fully enter the media world. He opened a door for us that we didn’t even know existed. The effects of his actions are still being felt today.”

Similarly, Osun State University, where he was a lecturer till his passing, described his death as a monumental loss to the institution, the academic community and the nation at large.

In honour of the revered historian, administrator and intellectual giant, the university has directed that all academic and administrative activities across its campuses be closed by noon today, Tuesday, to mourn the departed icon.

Speaking on behalf of the University community, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye noted that Professor Oyeweso’s contributions to scholarship, institutional development, and national discourse remain indelible.

“Osun State University is deeply pained by the sudden departure of Professor Siyan Oyeweso. He was not only a pillar of our academic structure but also a mentor, a builder, and a shining example of scholarly excellence. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this moment of grief,” Professor Adebooye remarked.

The University also extended heartfelt condolences to the Oyeweso family, colleagues, associates and the entire academic community, praying for comfort and strength during this difficult period.

Also, the Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT) said his departure leaves a profound void in the academic community and within NASFAT, where his intellectual depth and unwavering dedication were greatly valued.

It noted Oyeweso’s role in shaping the NASFAT History Book, which was marked by brilliance, passion, and an inspiring commitment to accuracy and excellence.

His contributions illuminated the organisation’s journey and enriched its legacy with scholarly clarity. His passing is indeed a monumental loss to Nigeria’s intellectual landscape and to all who benefited from his wisdom.

Reacting, the President of NASFAT, Alhaji Ayodeji AbdulWahid AbdulRauf, expressed shock and deep grief, describing the late professor as “a rare gem whose expertise and humility elevated every project he touched.”
He extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for strength and comfort during this difficult period.

The Chief Missioner of NASFAT, Imam Maroofdeen AbdulAzeez Onike, offered prayers for the repose of the scholar’s soul, asking Almighty Allah to grant him forgiveness, mercy, and a peaceful resting place among the righteous. He also prayed that Allah comforts the family he has left behind.

A media veteran, Mr Dare Babarinsa, titled his tribute as a giant flies away. He said: “Few weeks ago, l requested my friend Professor Siyan Oyeweso, one of our country’s leading historians and the Pro Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, to contribute a chapter in a book we are doing to commemorate the 10th coronation anniversary of our father, the Ooni, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Eniitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II. He acted quickly and sent his essay. I called his phone this morning only to be informed that Oyeweso died today, Tuesday December 2, 2025! Oyeweso was a decent human being whose humility and charm cloaks his genius and prodigious energy and productivity. He will be sorely missed. May his soul rest in peace!”

For the revered international scholar, Professor Toyin Falola reacting the news of Oyeweso’s death said:”Morning came heavy, like ancient drums soaked in rainwater. A morning that refused to rise, a dawn that dimmed its own light, as if the sky knew a custodian of memory had gone. News travels fast these days, yet some messages still land slowly, softly, like the fall of dried leaves on old verandas. So was the news of the transition of Professor Abdulgafar Siyan Oyeweso, the historian whose voice nurtured generations and whose scholarship irrigated fields abandoned long by forgetful minds.

“This morning carried his name, whispered through telephones, released in texts, and posted across digital and physical spaces. But before fingers could type out the words, he was gone; the soul of our intellectual community had already heard them. The forest of scholars shook, and the calabash of memory cracked. A scholar is gone, yes. But more so, a bridge of memory, an archival river, a living chronicle voice of history fluent in the past of empires, culture, conflict, and reconciliation.

“Writing on Oyeweso is writing about the stubbornness of remembrance in a world addicted to forgetting. He was not only a historian; he was History walking around in human form, a man for whom dates, places, people, and circumstances flowed with ease. Born of a lineage where learning was inheritance, not chance, he rose early into the world of books. Even in youth, his voice carried the calm assurance of one who knew well that scholarship is not noise but presence, not speed but depth.

“In classrooms and conferences across Nigeria, Africa, and the wider world, he was uniquely a blend of clarity and persuasion. Students did not just attend his classes; they sat at his feet. Policymakers did not just invite him; they listened. Colleagues did not just collaborate with him; they admired him. The challenge of governance was a question of extended historical responsibility: great institutions needed to remember their origins to plot their futures, and his approach as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council at Obafemi Awolowo University reflected this.

“Many historians write history. Some interpret it. But Oyeweso translated history into living wisdom. His works, from those on the Nigerian Civil War to Yoruba political history to Islamic intellectual traditions in Southwestern Nigeria to the histories of institutions, are not just books but maps to navigate our fractured national memory. To read him was to make one’s way through corridors carved by the past yet lit by the urgency of the present. He was civil, even when combating evasions. He handled facts like a craftsman handles his tools- firmly, but never roughly. In a time of noisy opinion, he gave quiet knowledge.

“In a season of shallow sound bites, he provided considered insights. Oyeweso lived his life as a Yoruba man, proudly and fully. He married culture and faith with enviable grace: a Muslim by piety, a Yoruba by tradition, and a Nigerian intellectual by a broader call. In him, Islam found a scholar who understood its place in Yoruba history. Thus was Yorubaland to see a son unafraid to defend its traditions. In Nigeria, it found a historian committed to the truth of its becoming. He never viewed culture as an ornament but as an inheritance; he viewed religion not as a weapon but as a compass.

“Death never sends an invitation; it just appears. But some deaths reshape the landscape of knowledge, and this morning’s loss is one of them. We grieve because we needed more time with him. More books. More lectures. More debates. But the ancestors have called.
“But he who lived a life of scholarship does not die. He becomes an archive in the sky, a reference point in the cosmology of memory. The dead do not sleep but go to join their ancestors. The great hall of Yoruba scholars welcomes another giant: Samuel Johnson rises to greet him. Ade Ajayi nods with a knowing smile. Tekena Tamuno, Adeagbo Akinjogbin, Obaro Ikime, Ayo Ogunseye — the full council of the departed historians opens its gates. He walks in as tranquil as ever, carrying history in his palms.

“How do we conclude a tribute to a man whose life was a long conversation with time? Professor Siyan Oyeweso taught us that memory is a duty. He did not just pass through the world. He left footprints deep enough for others to follow.”
Born on February 1, 1961, a distinguished alumnus of University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), he holds B.A. (Hons) Degree in History (Second Class Upper Division), M.A. History and Ph.D Intellectual History.

Oyeweso started his academic career in 1985 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of History, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos State. He attained the rank of Lecturer II in 1987, and was promoted to Lecturer Grade I in 1989 and Senior Lecturer in 1992. He was appointed an Associate Professor in 2001 and Professor in July 2004.

Oyeweso was a member of several professional associations such as the Historical Society of Nigeria; Nigeria Folklore Society; African Society of International Affairs; Lagos Studies Association; Africa Peace Research Association; Society for International Relations and Strategic Studies; Legal Studies Association; Council for the Advancement and Support for Education, African Studies Association (USA), among others.

In August 2017, he was conferred with the highly prestigious Fellowship of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), the apex organization for all academic associations in humanities scholarship in Nigeria.