At a time when higher education was largely a male preserve, Professor Adetowun Ogunsheye broke barriers that would shape the course of Nigerian academia.
Born in Benin City in 1926 to a missionary teacher and an Ijebu-Ode-born mother, Ogunsheye grew up in a family where education was treated as essential, including for girls. Her academic journey soon took her into territory few Nigerian women had entered before.
Her academic journey began with a challenge. When Yaba Higher College refused to admit her because it had never enrolled a female student, her father challenged the decision, arguing that nothing in the institution’s founding charter prohibited women from attending. Ogunsheye subsequently sat for the entrance examination, gained admission and began a career that would make her one of Nigeria’s most distinguished female academics.
Her achievements soon extended beyond Nigeria. She became the first African woman admitted to Cambridge University after learning Latin within a year to satisfy the institution’s entry requirement.
After completing her studies, she returned to Nigeria instead of remaining abroad. She initially taught geography before moving into library science, a field in which she would make some of her most enduring contributions.
In 1973, Ogunsheye became the first Nigerian woman appointed a university professor. She also became the first woman to serve as Dean of a faculty at the University of Ibadan.
During her tenure, she helped strengthen library education in Nigeria. Under her leadership, the University of Ibadan became the first library school in the country to offer a doctoral programme, producing professionals who went on to contribute to library development across Nigeria.
Her influence also extended beyond academia.
Ogunsheye was involved in the establishment of what later became Nigeria’s National Council of Women Societies and held leadership positions in women’s organisations across West Africa. In 1974, she founded the Abadina Media Resources Centre, an initiative designed to make books and other learning resources accessible to children from families who could not afford them.
Her life also carries the weight of personal loss and Nigeria’s turbulent history.
Her brother, Victor Banjo, a senior Nigerian military officer, was executed during the Nigerian Civil War after becoming involved with the Biafran side. Ogunsheye later documented the experience and its impact on her family in her book, A Break in Silence.
Age has done little to diminish her commitment to scholarship and writing.
At 95, she published a coffee-table book on the history of Aso Oke textiles. Her body of published work now runs to more than 50 titles, extending a scholarly and literary career that has spanned decades.
Ogunsheye’s story is defined by a succession of historic achievements. She broke barriers in higher education, became Nigeria’s first female professor, helped build institutions and promoted access to books and education for children.
Yet, despite decades of academic and public service, she has not received a national honour from Nigeria.
At 99, Professor Adetowun Ogunsheye remains a writer, scholar and institution builder. Her story is one of barriers challenged, opportunities created and a lifetime spent expanding the possibilities available to others.