Education
From Okeho Ahoro to Okeho Ile: A Review of the Okeho Exodus
By Mutiat Titilope Oladejo
Title: Okeho Exodus: Regicide, Revolt, Relocation: A Historical Play
Playwright: Olutayo Irantiola
Publisher: Peo Davies Communications
Year of Publication: 2022
Reviewer: Dr Mutiat Titilope Oladejo
As a historian, I find it interesting to read Olutayo Irantiola ‘s book on The Okeho Exodus. I reviewed the book, and I am pleased to say that we have our story, and it is good that we can recreate them for our pleasure and for the future.
While lecturing at Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, I had the cause to visit Okeho to supervise students in teaching practice. I also visited other towns in Oke-Ogun. In my travels around Oke-Ogun, I am distraught by the level of development in that region of Oyo State. I even wonder if Ibarapa and Oke Ogun regions are ever on the map of development in Oyo State.
Okeho, a typical Yoruba town, maintained its identity to survive the nineteenth-century turmoil tensioned by the transition from the illegitimate commerce of the slave trade to the legitimate commerce of the Bible and plough.
Olutayo Irantiola’s play fiction, the Okeho-Iseyin uprising of 1916 to narrate the everyday realities of major events that aggravated the chaos. It is pertinent to note that it coincided with the period of the first World War. Britain, at this time, used colonial laws to encapsulate the colonies.
The book gave the impression that encounters with the Fulani and Dahomey already influenced the internal security issues of the town and its environs. This can’t be downplayed because the Fulani and even Nupe have years of integration into the Oke-Ogun region. Of course, Prof. Babatunde Ayeleru’s inaugural lecture gives us the impression that the Dahomey/French influence remains relevant in some parts of the Oke-Ogun region. Some doctoral students are also investigating the cross-border trade between Nigeria and Benin Republic via Oyo north.
The threats, then, made Oba Arilesire call for a common political identity between Okeho and the towns around. There was a merger that enabled cooperation against enemies. However, the death of the king and the emergence of Onjo Owolabi Olukitibi as the new king changed the status quo. Although the book gave the impression that the Ajele created havoc at this time, I disagree a bit because the Ajele was a revenue collection institution that existed since the eighteenth century. Little or nothing can the Onjo do to stop it. It is only the British policy of indirect rule that reinforced the Ajele. Taxation should not be the issue; the people were just estranged from the colonial influence on everyday life.
The uprising also emanated from rancour and mischief among the Baale. Pointedly, Baale Olele, Balogun Atilola, Alasia and Ba’Ogan were fingered as opposition to the reign of Onjo Owolabi Olukitibi. They wanted him out because he was considered an agent of colonial imposition.
The schema headed by Baale Olele was possible because the citizens preferred the traditional lifestyle. The book gave the impression that there was opposition to colonial rules against open defecation, thus compelling them to build toilets in their homes. Vaccination of children was also considered taboo as it was believed that it would affect their brains.
Courts were established, and it was considered a big threat to the existing gender relations. Women used the courts to snap out of oppression as they sought a divorce. To men, oppression is normal and should not be questioned. Statistics from the archives I used in my book: The Women Went Radical: Petition Writing and Colonial State in Southwestern Nigeria, 1900-1953, attest to this because Okeho and Iseyin had high rates of divorce in the 1940s.
Furthermore, Christianity was a threat as the custodian of traditional religion believed that the missionaries were causing havoc to the belief system. Men worked as labourers to survive the colonial economy, and the scope of authority that gave powers to the police angered them. The policemen (Akoda) were considered traitors.
Scholars have opinions on the issues, but the book sets us into an interesting fiction. Mofeyisara Oluwatoyin Omobowale, in “Okeho Uprising” in the International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest, concluded that the uprising was brutally suppressed. Prof. J. A. Atanda, in the article: “The Iseyin-Okeiho Rising of 1916: An Example of Socio-Political Conflict in Colonial Nigeria,” published in the Journal of Historical Society of Nigeria, 1969, affirms that taxation was not the problem but just a revolt against colonial imposition to all spheres of life.
The schema extended to Iseyin as the uprising was jointly executed to wipe out Onjo Olukitibi, the queen and the prince. Captain Ross responded swiftly by mobilizing the colonial army to capture Baale Olele and cohorts. They were sentenced to death by hanging.
The chaos led to the disruption that made colonial rule more pronounced. The people were compelled to move from Okeho Ahoro, the site of the uprising, to Okeho Ile to ensure effective monitoring by the colonial state.
I appreciate my friend for his patriotism in writing this book, the playwright and I attended Abadina College, the University of Ibadan, the University of Ilorin for undergrads and back to the University of Ibadan for postgraduate programmes.
I will like to mention that I appreciate my friends at the University of Ilorin who chose to return home after their studies. A number of them insisted they would be back home to teach, farm or work with the local government. I appreciate their patriotism! It also dawned on me that I also feel the same way about Ibadan city as my home.
Long live Oyo State!
Dr Mutiat Titilope Oladejo is of the Department of History, University of Ibadan
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has approved the renaming of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) College of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Kaduna, in honour of the late statesman, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, in a move aimed at preserving his legacy while strengthening Nigeria’s specialised energy education framework.
The PTDF announced that, following a presidential directive, the institution will now be known as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
In a statement, the Fund said the renaming reflects the federal government’s recognition of Yar’Adua’s contributions to national unity and Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
The late statesman, who died in 1997, was a prominent Nigerian soldier, politician, and businessman. He served as the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military administration from 1977 to 1979. He was the elder brother of former Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“This historic renaming honours the enduring legacy of the late statesman, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, celebrating his profound contributions to national unity and the democratic journey of Nigeria,” the PTDF stated.
The institution, established to develop high-level manpower and technical expertise for Nigeria’s petroleum and energy industries, is expected to continue its academic and research activities without disruption despite the name change.
According to the PTDF, the university will maintain its focus on delivering advanced education, research and technology-driven solutions for the country’s oil, gas and emerging renewable energy sectors.
“The institution remains firmly committed to its mandate of delivering world-class research, specialised training, and cutting-edge engineering technology solutions to power Nigeria’s oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors,” the statement added.
The Fund further assured students, academic partners, industry stakeholders and development institutions that all existing programmes, collaborations and operational activities would continue seamlessly under the university’s new identity.
“All ongoing academic programs, partnerships, and operations continue uninterrupted under this new institutional identity,” PTDF said.
The renaming comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to build local capacity and technical expertise to support energy transition goals, deepen indigenous participation in the petroleum industry and strengthen research-driven innovation across the energy value chain.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A sustainability-focused programme known as Airtel Green Schools has been launched by Airtel Africa Foundation, as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 World Environment Day, themed Climate Action.
The initiative will create environmental learning spaces in primary and secondary schools, with the spaces to be branded Airtel Garden.
Already, the company’s 10 adopted schools, located in nine states across the country’s six geopolitical zones, have been onboarded as Green Schools.
Each of the schools now features an Airtel Garden, with dedicated sections for edible crops, fruit trees and shade trees, enabling pupils to learn firsthand about food cultivation, biodiversity and the importance of increasing green cover to help mitigate the effects of climate change.
The gardens also incorporate composting stations where organic waste generated within the school environment can be converted into nutrient-rich compost. To boost circular economy practices, plastic recycling segments have also been built into repurpose common wastes such as plastic bottles and tyres.
The beneficiary schools of the programme include St. George’s Nursery and Primary School, Ipaja, Lagos; Yahaya Primary School, Zaria; Iyeru-Okin Primary School, Iyeru-Okin, Kwara; St. John Primary School, Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State, and Community Primary School, Amumara, Imo State.
Others are Presbyterian Primary School, Ediba, Cross-River; Migrant Farmers Community Primary School, Umuahia, Abia State; Gwange III Primary School, Maiduguri, Borno State; Mayflower Secondary School, Ikenne, Ogun State; and Government Day Primary School, Gombe State.
“We are excited to inaugurate Airtel Green Schools, which are designed to go beyond awareness and create real behavioural change within Nigeria’s school communities.
“Through the Restore, Reduce and Educate pillars, we are equipping young people with practical tools such as gardens, recycling awareness, and environmental learning resources.
“Our goal is to create a replicable Green School model that can be scaled and sustained over time, ensuring that environmental education becomes part of everyday learning for the children in our adopted schools,” the chairman of the foundation, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, stated.
Also speaking, the chief executive of Airtel Nigeria, Mr Dinesh Balsingh, said, “Climate action becomes meaningful when awareness is translated into action. Through the Airtel Garden, we are creating living classrooms where pupils can learn practical lessons about environmental stewardship, sustainable agriculture, waste management and the importance of protecting our planet.
“We believe that empowering young people with these experiences today will help shape a more environmentally responsible generation tomorrow.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof Oluwatoyin Temitayo Ogundipe, has been appointed as the chairman of the governing board of the National Universities Commission (NUC).
He was chosen for the role by President Bola Tinubu, according to a statement on Monday by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
Prof Ogundipe succeeds Professor Olufemi Raphael Aina, who resigned his appointment after less than one year in office.
President Tinubu appointed Professor Aina in July last year, and the board members were inaugurated in November 2025.
As NUC Chairman, Prof Ogundipe will oversee the regulatory body of the Nigerian university system, focusing on funding, global competitiveness and academic stability.
He is expected to provide visionary leadership at the NUC and sustain the credibility of the Nigerian university system by advancing quality, access, and integrity in the education sector.
Prof Ogundipe headed the University of Lagos between 2017 and 2022. He is a professor of Botany with expertise in molecular plant taxonomy, biosystematics, ethnobotany, cytogenetics, forensic botany, and ecological conservation.
He holds a PhD in Botany from Obafemi Awolowo University and an MBA from the University of Lagos.
Currently, Prof Ogundipe, 66, serves as Pro-Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State.
He is a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Academy of Science, the Linnaean Society of London, and the Royal Society of Biology, London. He has also served as President of the Botanical Society of Nigeria and Chairman of the Lagos State Science, Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
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