Oládèjo Afoláyan: A national treasure at 71, by Abiodun Komolafe
On December 15, 2025, Professor Michael Oládèjo Afoláyan celebrated his seventy-first year on the Planet Earth.
No doubt about it, Afoláyan has led a life of profound meaning, a life defined by discipline and a steadfast commitment to the “straight and narrow”. His sterling contributions to linguistics and education are not merely academic milestones, they are essential blueprints for Nigeria’s national development.
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Born in the cocoa-growing community of Oke-Awo, Aba Irẹsi – fifteen miles east of Ile-Ife – Afoláyan remains deeply defined by his roots. The eighth of eleven children born to James Ogunremi and Abigail Adenihun Afoláyan, he was raised in the rich tradition of his father, a farmer and the village Head Hunter. This dual heritage of terrestrial labour and intellectual curiosity remains his bedrock.
Afoláyan was educated early in life through indigenous Yoruba worldview at the feet of village elders before attending the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Yale University. In a remarkable feat of academic continuity, he eventually taught at every institution where he once studied.
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After a distinguished forty-year career teaching Yoruba, Linguistics, and Anthropology, he retired as a Professor of Education and Linguistics from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. His administrative expertise further led him to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, where he served as Assistant Director overseeing 613 degree-awarding institutions.
Currently, as an independent scholar and President of M & P Educational Consulting International, the erudite professor shuttles between Osogbo, Nigeria, and Springfield, Illinois, with his wife, Dr. Precious Afoláyan. His recent 350-page translation of Joseph Odumosu’s Iwe Iwosan (Book of Healing) reflects his enduring commitment to cultural preservation.
More importantly, in this era of global educational tide turning back toward the mother tongue, events have shown that students absorb complex concepts more deeply when taught in their native language. Indeed, this makes Afoláyan’s expertise more relevant now than when he first entered the profession. In the age of Artificial Intelligence and Coding, the ability to teach Mathematics and STEM subjects through initial deductions in the mother tongue is no longer a luxury, it is a competitive necessity.
Whereas it’s a strategy that has propelled countries like India and China to the forefront of global innovation, one of Nigeria’s historical missteps was failing to introduce Science and Technology in indigenous languages. So, while Afoláyan may be retired, his intellect must not be allowed to ‘tire’. Instead, the government should bestow upon him one of the highest national honours and enlist him as a Special Adviser, Consultant, or Roving Ambassador.
Language is the decisive battleground of the next century. Nigeria must deploy its finest ‘generals,’ like Afoláyan, to lead the charge. This involves embedding mother-tongue instruction into the foundational first six years of schooling across all levels of government. Anything less would be a national tragedy.
May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!
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