Former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and the Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, is dead.
The Nation learnt he died of COVID-19 complications.
Ibidapo-Obe’s death came as a shock to the academic community as friends and associates described it as regrettable.
Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) and a Distinguished Professor of the Lagos State University LASU, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said he was with the deceased at the 2020 convocation of the Crawford University, Igbesa last month and he was a picture of good health.
“I am not able to come to terms with this news; because the two of us were together two weeks at the Crawford University convocation and he was bubbling with health,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said Ibidapo-Obe retired from the University in 2019 as the longest-serving academic staff after over 40 years.
He said the university would play a prominent role in Ibidapo-Obe’s burial.
Ibidapo Obe would have turned 72 in July.
Prof Ibidapo-Obe was President of the Nigeria Academy of Science.
He attended both Ilesa Grammar School and Igbobi College from 1962 to 1968 and the University of Lagos from 1968 to 1971.
He obtained a first-class degree in Mathematics in 1971; a Master of Applied Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science in 1973 and a PhD in Civil Engineering with specialisation in Applied Mechanics/Systems in 1976, both from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
He was born on July 5, 1949; married to Olusola and has four children.
Prof Ibidapo-Obe was a Western Nigeria Government Scholar at UNILAG from 1969 to 971 and was the overall best graduating student in 1971.
He was the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
He was a two-time recipient of the Best Vice-Chancellors Prize (2004, 2005).
With over 150 research articles and publications to his name, Prof Ibidapo-Obe was elected a Fellow of the African Academy of Science (AAS) as well as that of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in 2010 and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2015.
He was conferred with the national honour as Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2004.
