Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL) has inducted Prof. Anthony Afejuku, Prof. Afis Oladosu and 15 others as fellows. New members were also inducted into the academy at its 26th convocation and investiture ceremony.

The Academy, which is an organisation of academics in the liberal arts, language and linguistics and the broad discipline of Humanities was founded in Ibadan on November 14, 1991, with Prof Ayo Bamgbose, Chinua Achebe, J.F. Ade Ajayi, A.E. Ajigbo, Adeboye Babalola, J.P. Clark-Bakederemo and Wole Soyinka as founding fellows.

The ceremony, themed: ‘Demagoguery and Democracy’, had Prof. Alkasum Abba deliver a paper on: ‘The Challenge of Nigerian Democracy: Problem of the System or its Managers’ at the University of Lagos, yesterday.

Afejuku is a columnist, while Oladosu writes for Friday Worship in The Guardian.

The 14 other fellows, which include Overseas, Honorary and Awards of Excellence of Humanistic Practice are: Profs Asabe Usman,  Florence Orabueze, Olukoya Ogen, Olatunji Oyeshile, Olusanjo Daramola, Emmanuel Emasealu, Cecilia Eme, Lendzemo Yuka, Abiodun Salawu, Omofolabo Ajayi-Soyinka and Hakeem Tijani. Drs Buka Usman and Wale Okediran were awarded honorary for their exemplary contributions to the arts and humanities, while Zeb Ejiro was equally honoured with NAL award of Excellence of Humanistic Practice.

In his remarks, Oladosu expressed gratitude to the Academy for finding his contribution to humanity worthy of recognition.

According to him, a fellow of NAL is the peak of scholarly endeavour for academics, which is beyond merely the title as it combines lots of effort, which include being a professor in the last ten years, among others.

Also in his remarks, Afejuku thanked NAL for the recognition, saying the honour was a testament that hard work pays.