OAU PRO-CHANCELLOR, PROF. SIYAN OYEWESO, DIES AT 63

By Ademola Adekusibe
3rd December 2025

Professor Siyan Oyeweso, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is dead. He died at the age of 63.

Born on February 1, 1961, Oyeweso distinguished himself early in life, emerging as the best graduating pupil of St. Peters Anglican Primary School, Sekona-Ede, in 1972. He continued his academic excellence at Oke-Iragbiji Grammar School, where he obtained Grade One Distinction in the 1978 West African School Certificate Examination.

He studied History at the University of Ife (now OAU) between 1978 and 1982 under the Timi Oyewusi Agbonran II Scholarship, graduating with a Second Class Upper Division. After his National Youth Service at the University of Ilorin, he taught briefly before returning to Ife for his master’s and later PhD work, supervised initially by Dr. Segun Osoba.

Oyeweso began his academic career in 1985 at Lagos State University (LASU), rising through the ranks to become a Professor of History in 2004. At LASU, he served as Head of Department, Dean of Arts, Director of the Centre for General Studies, Deputy Director of the School of Part-Time Studies, and member of multiple Governing Councils between 1995 and 2006.

In 2007, he became the pioneer Provost of the College of Humanities and Culture, Osun State University (UNIOSUN), where he also held several top administrative roles and contributed to the institution’s development. He later served on Governing Councils, Senate committees, strategic planning teams and as University Orator. He was a central figure in numerous national and international academic conferences.

Professor Oyeweso was also a Visiting Professor and Executive Director at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, where he helped establish key cultural museums, archives and partnerships. He worked extensively on documenting oral histories and producing documentaries on Yoruba history and traditional institutions.

A prolific scholar, he authored and co-edited numerous books and over 200 academic publications on Nigerian history, including works on the Nigerian Civil War, Yoruba political history, cultural heritage and higher education. He supervised generations of scholars, many of whom now serve as vice-chancellors, professors, senior civil servants and security chiefs.

Professor Oyeweso was a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Academy of Letters, where he served on major committees. He also contributed to the governance of institutions such as the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, and the Institute of African Culture and International Understanding.

Until his passing, he was the Provost of the Post-Graduate College at Osun State University and the Pro-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, a role he assumed on July 4, 2024. He was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s leading historians and cultural scholars.

Details of his burial arrangements are expected to be announced by his family and the university community.