Prof Afisi: When The Philosopher becomes king

It was in the heat of the day’s activities that the news filtered in that a new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) had emerged at the Lagos State University (LASU); and it was no other person than the cerebral Prof Oseni Taiwo Afisi. The first person I called was Dr Adeolu Oyekan, my lecturer turned bosom friend. “It’s true,” he confirmed to me, disclosing that he had just ended a phone conversation with the second most senior official in LASU hierarchy.

I rang Prof to congratulate him but he was on another call. After reading my WhatsApp message much later, he called back. “George!” to which I replied, “DVC, sir, Congratulations!” The conversation was brief but it left me inspired. Prof Afisi has broken a record and set a standard. In the history of LASU, no lecturer from Philosophy department has risen to this enviable height. The new DVC was one of the lecturers who taught me in my undergraduate days. We were in our sophomore year when our paths first crossed. One thing that stood him out back then was his demeanour and approach to life. A six-footer, the youthful lecturer would joke while teaching us Logic. My friend, Osho Ayodele Benedict, who later became President of our Department, was closer to Prof than I; and together we would joke about who would get a higher grade in the course, which we previously loathed. Philosophers are wrongly perceived as boring people, perhaps because of the ascetic nature to life. However, Prof changed that perception among his students through his admirable dress sense. I can honestly say that the relationship with lecturers was not so cordial in my time, or to paraphrase one of my lecturers who in a recent tribute to a deceased student said he had never “been lucky with ex-students”. In my own case, I have not been lucky with my lecturers, save for the likes of Prof Afisi, Dr Oyekan and a select few.

That reminds me of a sad episode that would only leave my mind the day I leave this world. As a legacy, Osho put together a symposium to mark the end of his tenure as Departmental President but rather than commend him for the laudable initiative, he almost landed in trouble. Here was a programme that brought renowned names within and outside Philosophy such as Prof Jim Unah; Prof T U Nwala; Femi Adesina, then Managing Director of The Sun Newspaper, among others, but we were told that we didn’t secure enough approval to host such event – the first and only of its kind in the department in the four/five years I spent, but Prof was one of the few persons who interceded on our behalf and assured us that all would be well.

More than a decade later, Dr Olajide Obi, also a fantastic lecturer at the Department of Philosophy, LASU, linked me up with some current students there. I took interest in the election that threw up Zainab Adeola Bakare, the incumbent Departmental President, and one of the names she kept mentioning in terms of encouragement and support was Prof Afisi.

It didn’t come as a surprise for he has proven over time to be a man who values his students and keeps relationship with them. In 2019 when my wife and I welcomed our first child, I was off to work the next day. Although the joy of becoming a father wanted to make me sit back at the hospital, reality dawned on me that I was to preside over an editorial meeting. I was in the middle of that meeting when my wife sent a message that Prof Afisi and Dr Oyekan were at the hospital. I was touched. How many lecturers would show such care to former students, especially in a setting when the knife and yam is perceived to be in one hand? An incident which happened last week showed that, certainly there are lecturers like Prof Afisi out there. Some Obafemi Awolowo University students took time to celebrating a lecturer, Dr Ezekiel Olagunju, and they posted the video online. Amid the outpouring of love, Dr Olagunju broke down in tears. In an interview he granted after that incident, the lecturer opened up on why he treats his students the way he does.

“I believe students are like blank sheets of paper. As a lecturer, it’s my duty to fill those sheets with knowledge. If you don’t teach them, they won’t learn. It’s a collaborative process. What they learn from one lecturer combines with what they learn from others to shape them into successful individuals.

“My principle is to ensure I teach my portion of the curriculum thoroughly so there are no gaps in their learning. I also focus on creating an environment conducive to learning. For instance, in primary school, if you teach Mathematics with a cane in your hand, students are more likely to give wrong answers out of fear.

“Similarly, in language teaching, I make sure my students are relaxed and happy in the classroom. When they’re comfortable, their minds and hearts are open, and they’re more ready to learn. Some students may come in with the mindset that the subject is difficult, but by interacting with me and experiencing a positive atmosphere, they develop the readiness to succeed.”

Someday. Prof Afisi would tell us his own story too. The task before the new DVC is daunting and I have no doubt that he would succeed. As Head of Department, he attracted so many benefits to the department including organizing a UNESCO (MOST) Syndicated Workshop which put not just the department in the spotlight but LASU as well. In 2018, he also organised a Karl Popper for Africa International Conference at the university. I had the opportunity to attend that programme supported by the Karl Popper Charitable Trust, United Kingdom. It was at that programme anchored by Prof Henry Hunjo, who I have fond memories of, that I heard the slogan, “We are LASU, We Are Proud.” In our days on campus, the slogan was “Greatest gba gba”

WHO IS PROF AFISI?

Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi was born on 15th July, 1974, to the Afisi-Shokun-Agbajegoriite-Onilegbale Royal House of Isale-Eko, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria. Prof. Afisi grew up in Mushin, Lagos, Nigeria and started his early education at Ajenifuja Primary School, Ilupeju, Odi-olowo, Mushin, Lagos State in 1980, He proceeded to Ilupeju College, Ilupeju, Odi-olowo, Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria, where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1992.

Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi had his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 1998. He had his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Lagos State Model College, Obadore, Lagos State, from 1998 to 1999, then had his Master of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2002. He later proceeded to the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he obtained a Ph.D. degree in Philosophy in 2014.

Prof. Afisi joined the services of Lagos State University as an Assistant Lecturer in March 2007. He became an Associate Professor of Philosophy in 2020 and a Professor of Philosophy in 2023. He specialises in philosophy of science, logic, and critical rationalism. Prof. Afisi is the first indigenous professor of philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Lagos State University.

Prof. Oseni Afisi was Head of the Department of Philosophy, LASU from March 2019 to October 2021. He was appointed as the first Director of Special Interventions in October 2021 by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello. He was also appointed as Coordinator, LASU Ventures Ltd, in March 2024. Both positions he held until his election as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Lagos State University.

Prof. Afisi has authored and co-authored over 60 scientific papers and journal articles, including over 20 chapter contributions in books. He is the editor of the book: Karl Popper and Africa: Knowledge, Politics and Development, published by Springer in 2021.

He has won several academic awards and grants among which were the 2023 Institutional Based Research (IBR) Grant awarded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND); the 2021 Hannah Arendt Humanities Network (HAHN) Annual Text Seminar Award at the Bard College, New York.

A member of Philosophical Association of Nigeria (PAN), he has been nominated as a resource person at several times to participate in the National University Commission accreditation and resource assessment exercises to different Nigerian universities.

Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi has attended conferences, workshops, and technical meetings in many countries, which include New Zealand, Australia, USA, Brazil, United Kingdom, Austria, Tanzania and Ghana.

The last time someone I knew from the Faculty of Arts became DVC was about two decades ago when Prof T A Amosu of French Department occupied that office. Prof Amosu carried himself with so much dignity and admiration. I remember dedicating a column to him in my space on Campus Wick, a defunct publication that exposed me to the world of journalism back in school. Prof Afisi has the opportunity to take it a notch higher and I am confident that he would succeed.

In The Republic, one of the most important dialogues of Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, said the best form of government is that in which philosophers rule. Plato was less concerned about people sitting on thrones wearing glittering crowns, but was talking more about people who prioritize rational reflections occupying important positions that affect the society. May your tenure bring good fortune to LASU, Prof. May your enemies fail as they have always failed during your journey to the top. Ejire arai sokun, akaba Ogo oni se mo e lese. Omo Aromi sa legbe legbe. Mo yo fun e, mo yo fun ara mi. Bi oju o ba ti ehin igbeti, oju o ni t’eko ile.

George, a graduate of the Department of Philosophy, LASU, is one of the Editors at Daily Trust Newspaper.