Former OAU VC, The Guardian Editorial Board Chairman, Omole, dies at 84

Former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor Adebowale Omole, popularly called Professor Wale Omole, has died at 84.

Omole, who also served as Chairman of the Editorial Board of The Guardian Newspapers, was a distinguished academic and university administrator whose career spanned several decades. He died in the early hours of today, according to family sources.

He served as Vice-Chancellor of OAU, then known as the University of Ife, from November 1991 to November 1999, becoming the first alumnus of the institution to occupy the position. Born on August 13, 1939, Omole attended Ilesha Grammar School before proceeding to the University of Ife, where he obtained degrees in Agriculture and Animal Science. He later earned a doctorate in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of Alberta, Canada, in 1973.

He rose through the academic ranks at OAU, becoming a professor of Animal Science in the early 1980s and subsequently Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture. Beyond academia, Omole was actively involved in public affairs, intellectual development and journalism, serving as Chairman of The Guardian’s Editorial Board.

Born to Pa Emmanuel Adedeji Omole and Mama Beatrice Aarinola Omole, Adebowale attended Ilesha Grammar School (1956-1962); he had a stint as a civil servant at the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ibadan, before his tertiary education at the University of Ife, an institution that shaped his life, times and remarkable career.

Omole commenced his brilliant academic career at the University of Ife, bagging a Bachelor of Agriculture degree and an MPhil in Animal Science in 1968 and 1970, respectively. Thereafter, he proceeded to the University of Alberta, Canada, where he obtained a doctorate in Nutritional Biochemistry in 1973. He paid his dues at Great Ife, learning the ropes as an Assistant Lecturer, to become a Lecturer and Professor of Animal Science in the early 1980s. He became Dean, Faculty of Agriculture at the same alma mater between 1983 and 1985.

He had a brief stint at Alabama A & M University, U.S., in 1986-1987 as a professor of Food Science and Animal Industry. His academic career was capped by becoming Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, between 1991 and 1999. Thereafter, Omole became a citizen of the world, bagging several awards and playing different roles in different fields.