On 25 November, I will be a guest of Babcock University to deliver a “send-forth” lecture in honor of Professor Ademola, who is concluding his term as Vice-Chancellor of the renowned institution of academic learning and development. I consider this a privilege. In a four-part essay for the media and the Babcock community, I will be explaining my involvement and engagement with the university. And what better way to start than with one of its own, someone I once referred to as the plenus and potens of Babcock University, Professor Jumoke Yacob-Haliso. I have yet to find someone who loves Babcock more than this value-driven and service-oriented academic. She speaks of the university as a committed church member and defender. I recall a conference where private universities were being criticized, and Professor Yacob-Haliso lionized the fight to exclude Babcock from such critique.
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Without Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso, I would not have discovered Babcock. Babcock transformed Ilishan and the entire region. The strategy worked. I am now part of Babcock! Professor Alalade, the school’s first Vice-Chancellor, knew my late friend, Philip Abiola. I first visited Babcock when my friend Philip Abiola (of blessed memory) was at the seminary. At that time, Ilisan looked like a village, with the roads untarred. Years later, Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso introduced me at the Awolowo lecture I delivered in Lagos. In a spacious hall filled with a large audience, her introduction was met with a thunderous ovation. However, we didn’t speak that day. I had no reason to greet her.
I later met her with Professor Oni in Lead City during TOFAC, a conference named after me. Thereafter came her invitation for me to deliver a lecture titled “Adopt Babcock as Your University.” She gently but persistently kept up the pressure until I agreed. Together with Professor Bola Sotunsa, she hosted three major conferences that drew important figures, including former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, commissioners, Bishop Matthew Kukah, and Omooba Yemisi Shyllon, a preeminent and leading art collector in Nigeria.
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Nigerians, I would like to properly introduce to you Her Excellency, Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso, the Babcock Ambassador. She is one of the most distinguished African scholars of this era. Her work and leadership exemplify her dedication to Africa’s intellectual and social transformation. She is one of the few African female scholars to redefine intellectual boundaries and help expand the reservoir of knowledge about Africa and its diaspora. Her academic career spans more than two decades at the international level, extending beyond African borders into Europe and North America. With her influence, she has made numerous scholarly contributions to discussions on gender, politics, human rights, and post-conflict resolution.
With BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Political Science from the prestigious University of Ibadan, Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso advanced through the academic ranks, becoming a Graduate Assistant in 2002, received her PhD in 2011, and became a professor in 2020. This trajectory reflects the educational journey of a resolute and resilient woman who has not only survived but also thrived in the complex academic realm. Her intellectual influence extends from the classroom to the global scholarly community, where her scholarship, built on originality, has led to the production of pioneering works on African women in post-conflict contexts, gender and democracy, refugees, and African politics. These works have fostered a greater focus on issues that have been marginalized in African studies and political science.
Her editorial roles have also amplified her intellectual efforts. She served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of International Politics and Development and co-editor of the Journal of Contemporary African Studies. She is also a member of the editorial boards of African Affairs, the International Feminist Journal of Politics, and the Journal of International Women’s Studies. These platforms served as avenues for her scholastic contributions to challenge European positions and advance Afrocentric and feminist ideologies. With an academic career characterized by teamwork and intellectual generosity, Professor Yacob-Haliso’s leadership skills are demonstrated through mentorship and collaboration. As the Dean of the Veronica Adeleke School of Social Sciences at Babcock University, she demonstrated collegiality and interdisciplinary dialogue, serving as a bridge between faculty and students. She exhibited a participatory leadership style, creating spaces for innovation, mutual respect, and learning.
Professor Yacob-Haliso serves as co-chair of the Feminist Theory and Gender Studies Section of the International Studies Association, where she collaborates with scholars worldwide to advance the study of feminism, politics, and international relations, further demonstrating her conviction that knowledge production is a transnational endeavor. Her contributions are not limited to the academic sphere; they also extend into the social realm, serving as evidence of her commitment to society and her belief that scholarship should drive societal transformation. Her advocacy for women in post-conflict and refugee contexts has informed policy discussions on gender justice and human rights. Also, her work on displaced populations in Liberia and Nigeria has contributed to the generation of scholarly insights and the development of practical reforms in humanitarian and developmental programs.
Over the years, Professor Yacob-Haliso developed the ability to create an intellectual profile distinguished by depth, clarity, and originality. Her work on gender and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa exemplifies rigorous analysis and a mastery of comparative political methodologies. Her analytical and critical thinking skills are evident in her ability to connect empirical research and challenge assumptions about gender, democracy, and development. Her numerous publications, whether authored, co-authored, or edited, serve as a testament to these skills.
Remarkably, Professor Yacob-Haliso’s hard work has not gone unnoticed, with recognitions, research grants, and awards from institutions such as the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the African Studies Association (ASA), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), among others. These grants and awards were all made to support her groundbreaking research on women, refugees, and post-conflict reconciliation in places such as Nigeria, Liberia, and Geneva. Her international recognitions add further credence to her position as one of the foremost contemporary African scholars. Professor Yacob-Haliso’s legacy, however, is not measured by the number of her awards, grants, or publications, but by her service to future scholars, women, colleagues, acquaintances, Africa, and the world.
Professor Yacob-Haliso operates with an innovative mind and approaches challenges creatively, whether social or intellectual. At Babcock University, she had tenures as head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, where her ability to manage complex organizational challenges while creating an environment of academic excellence was key to the smooth running of affairs. She is also a recognized advocate for reforms that enhance research culture, faculty development, and curriculum development. To be candid, Professor Yacob-Haliso’s effectiveness in academia and leadership cannot be overstated – she embodies intellectual clarity and emotional intelligence.
The culmination of Professor Yacob-Haliso’s accomplishments in the intellectual and social fields reveals her commitment to advancing knowledge and humanity. She has published over ten books and numerous articles in academic journals. She has served on the editorial boards and in leadership roles within scholarly associations — all of which reveal her career as one of purpose. She represents the idea that African intellectualism is deeply rooted in the continent’s realities, yet globally connected.
Aside from being a world-class researcher, Professor Yacob-Haliso has lectured at prestigious universities worldwide, including Yale University, Iowa State University, and the University of Texas at Austin. In this regard, she stands out as an effective teacher, combining intellectual excellence with exceptional communication skills to translate complex theories into clear and comprehensive classroom lectures. Furthermore, she excels in administrative leadership and research management as an active contributor who enhances the global academic discourse of Africa. She currently lectures at Brandeis University as an Associate Professor of African and African American Studies, where she continues to contribute her intellectual insights to new sectors of international discourse. There, she remains a committed mentor, researcher, and exemplary teacher, keeping the stories and struggles of women alive and at the core of global discussions on justice and equality.
In the course of my work with her over the years, Professor Yacob-Haliso has consistently proven herself to be an honest and astute individual, which are qualities that are becoming increasingly rare to find in a world where one is not considered totally smart or intelligent until they have been able to use their position and intellect to perpetrate some kind of dubious activities for personal and financial gains. But not Professor Yacob-Haliso! Give her a blank check and the freedom to spend as she wants, and she will take notes, keep receipts, and account for every kobo, cent, and shilling. Her honesty has earned her the respect and trust of her colleagues and students, as well as the affection of those in her small social circle. Professor Yacob-Haliso is a model of character, leadership, and service, standing firm as an iconic figure in both African and global academia.
Through her work as a teacher, as well as her visionary and morally inclined intellect, she has proven herself as a mind builder and an institution builder; she is a mentor to the next generation of scholars and a bridge between Africa and the rest of the world. Her groundbreaking research and achievements position her as a luminary for individuals who aim to be emphatic, purposeful, and excellent in their dealings. Professor Olajumoke Yacob-Haliso is a model that every African scholar should aspire to emulate. She is a bold thinker, socially dedicated, and unapologetically human.
Toyin Falola, a professor of History, University Distinguished Teaching Professor, and Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at The University of Texas at Austin, is the Bobapitan of Ibadanland.
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