The Global President of Great Ife Alumni Association, Barrister Bunmi Falode has extended his felicitations to three members of the alumni who have been elected as Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), the highest body of humanities scholarship in Nigeria.
The honorees are:
Professor Gbemisola Aderemi Adeoti, elected as a Regular Fellow,
Professor Akinwumi Ogundiran, elected as an Overseas Fellow and Dr. Lasisi Olagunju, elected as an Honorary Fellow.
Adeoti is a distinguished Nigerian scholar, poet, dramatist, literary critic, and cultural advocate whose work spans literature, performance, media, and cultural studies.
Born in Iseyin, Oyo State, he began his education at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Koso Community Grammar School.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in 1989 and a Master’s degree in Literature in English in 1995. He obtained a PhD in English from the University of Ibadan in 2003, focusing on the aesthetics of democratization in modern Nigerian drama—a reflection of his commitment to literature as a tool for social and political commentary.
He remains one of the most influential literary voices in Nigeria today.
Professor Akinwumi Ogundiran is a globally renowned archaeologist, historian, and anthropologist whose pioneering work has deepened the understanding of Yoruba civilization and Atlantic Africa. Born in Ibadan in 1966, he earned a First-Class degree in Archaeology from OAU in 1988, followed by an M.Sc. in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Ibadan and a Ph.D. in African Archaeology from Boston University in 2000.
He is President of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists and was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2025.
Dr. Lasisi Olagunju is a celebrated journalist, cultural thinker, and fearless columnist. With a first-class degree in English from OAU, he went on to earn a Master’s degree in Communication Arts and a Ph.D. in Political Communication from the University of Ibadan. His dissertation on political mobilization via social media during the 2014 elections in Ekiti and Osun states remains widely cited.
He also holds a Law degree, which enriches his commentary with ethical and legal insight. As Editor of Saturday Tribune and author of the Monday Lines column, Dr. Olagunju has published over 500 essays renowned for their bold, elegant, and culturally rooted analysis.
He has received numerous awards, including the Nigeria Media Merit Award (2016) and multiple Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME) for Informed Commentary (2019–2024).
Dr. Olagunju served as Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to a former Governor of Osun State.
In a congratulatory statement by Global Publicity Secretary, Abdur-Rahman Balogun said Falode described the trio as worthy ambassadors of Great Ife and accomplished academic giants in their own right.
” I hereby felicitate with these distinguished scholars who are worthy ambassadors of our great citadel of learning.
“As you joined the league of eminent personalities who are shaping the world with their innovative ideas, I implore you to use your well endowed knowledge to have positive impact on the society ” Falode said.
