After Adekilekun's Lecture, Amoloye-Adebayo mounts the podium as Queen of Islamic Law. by Mubarak Oladosu

Date: 2025-02-13

A fortnight after the the Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin, captured the imagination of lovers of knowledge and elocution with the two hundred and seventy-third Inaugural Lecture delivered by the distinguished Professor of Business Law; Mubarak Tijani Adekilekun, who espoused his contributions as an academic at the zenith of the academic ladder in a Lecture entitled, " Devils and Saints in the Legal Landscape of Public-Private Partnership in Africa ", another intellectual feast is ready at the home Faculty of the Vice Chancellor; Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN. He is again inviting the Public to join the University Community at another festival of knowledge this evening, Thursday, ( February 13,2025) at 4:45 p.m for the two hundred and seventy-fourth Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin.

At the last Inaugural Lecture, Adekilekun brought home, how his research was not just left to gather dust on shelves, but his findings were activated into government policies in Malaysia ,where he obtained his Ph.D, and in China.

This time, an erudite Professor of Shariah, Azizat Omotoyosi Amoloye-Adebayo, the first woman to be so recognised in her field at the University of Ilorin, will be mounting the rostrum to deliver her lecture, which is entitled, "Islamic Law and the Woman's Agency. "

Apart from being from the same Faculty, the two dons were appointed as Professors last year, and both practice(d) their legal careers throwing fireworks from the Ghalib Chambers of Yusuf Olaolu Ali and Co.

Since her younger days, Azizat Amoloye-Adebayo had been a star girl and role model. As a teen back in 1996, when she completed her secondary school education at the Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, she etched her name in the annals of Queens' School by securing a permanent place for herself on the school's hall of fame. Today, she is the Queen of Islamic Law at the University of Ilorin.

Ever since then, she has never stopped gathering academic garlands. To sample but a few of her laurels, Azizat Amoloye-Adebayo was not only the best student in the Law of Inheritance at the end of her Bachelor's degree at Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, she was the best graduating student of her Faculty. Similarly, she was the best student in International Law and Human Rights at her Master's degree programme obtained from the University of Ibadan. As for her Ph.D, it was funded with a Commonwealth scholarship; the degree was awarded by the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, in 2012.

From South Africa to the United States and beyond, Amoloye-Adebayo has won several grants around the world.

This evening, Azizat, a daughter of an Adebayo and spouse to another Adebayo, will be giving us an insight on her journey to earning her professorial chair, where she sits at the table of legends: A table of legends indeed, because, she is a Professor at the Department where Professor Zubair AbdulQadir researched and taught as the first Professor of Shariah in West Africa; she is a Professor at the department where academic heavyweights like Prof. AbdulQadir Abikan and Professor Abdulrazaq A. Alaro ply their trade as University dons. Again, she is the first woman to join the exclusive professorial club in her Department.

It is however no surprise that she has come this far to those who have always known her as the scion of two distinguished scholars. The Inaugural Lecturer is daughter to my teacher; Dr. Bilqis Ajoke Amoloye, and to Dr. Abduljelil Adebayo Amoloye, a departed academic gem who once taught at the Department of Religions, University of Ilorin, and who was a Commissioner for Education in Oyo State. I remember him fondly as a modest and a warm cleric gentleman.

Azizat Adebayo-Amoloye therefore carries on the torch of knowledge and righteousness handed to her by her parents as she continues to keep minds illuminated.

Professoe Azizat Amoloye-Adebayo once wrote about her father's legacy of "living, loving and learning ". That legacy keeps shinning bright from across different academic disciplines such that the year 2024 became a year of epochs for the Amoloyes as two more members of the family ; Dr. Mubarak Adewale Amoloye and Dr. Taofeeqat Amoloye-Abu also bagged their Ph.Ds. They transitioned into what I call titled scholars. In that family, everyone is a doctor.

The legacy of loving along with that of learning is also very much alive and I have an anecdote in that direction. A few years back, Dr. Mubarak was my guest at the office. His visit was at a period during which I had to ambulate with the aid of a walking stick. Mubarak wanted to help pick my support stick but he would rather refer to it as a 'staff' than a 'stick'. I smiled without making comments as I read the warmth in his choice of word.

As part of the applause which greeted the elevation of Amoloye-Adebayo as Professor of Islamic Law was a reception hosted by Professor of Law Practice, Yusuf Olaolu Ali SAN; a renowned patron of scholarship, on the second day of June , 2024.

Upon sighting the new Prof. at the event, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, was beside himself with emotion. He went poetic as he declared his pride in the younger Professor. Oloyede reacted with "a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings", just as Willaim Wordsworth described poetry.

That reaction embodied the collective feelings of many wiho have some institutional memory of the University's mini campus, especially the Department of Religions, its lecturers and their abodes, in the eighties . That memory holds a lot of cherished past and dreams.

The young and the old dons once lived at very close quaters, and both had become Professors of Islamic Law, albeit, at different Faculties. The older was about to retire in 2024, while the younger had just arrived at the destination of elite scholars-hence the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.

For a long time before her ultimate elevation, Prof. Amoloye-Adebayo has been offering a lot of community services by mobilising and facilitating knowledge transfer at both formal and informal forums.

In the depth of Prof. Amoloye-Adebayo's knowledge, in the wisdom of her propositions and in the eloquence of her unspoken words, even in her gaze, we often encounter a lot more than we often sought. In them, we are again privileged to encounter Dr. Abduljelil Adebayo Amoloye who remains with us preaching, teaching, guiding and assuring through this phenomenal Professor, who is herself another examplary cleric-don.

The Inaugural Lecture therefore comes highly recommended for all lovers of wisdom, knowledge and purposeful existence.

Oladosu writes from the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin.

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Shuaib Boni Aliyu     Iqra Books     Abubakar Usman Jos     Sam Okaula     KWAFFA     Hakeem Idris     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Kwara North     Sarah Jubril     Okala Baba     Agbarigidoma     Lai Gobir     Ahmed Ayinla Jimoh     Mufutau Olatinwo     V.O. Abioye     ASUU     Kwara Hotel     Tayo Alao     Shade Omoniyi     Nurudeen Mohammed     Kwara South     New Naira Notes     Halimah Perogi     Yakubu Shaaba     Ibrahim Abikan     UNILORIN Alumni     Abdulrazaq Magaji     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Abubakar Kawu Baraje     Paul Odama     Oke-Kura     Gbenga Adebayo     National Information Technology Development Agency     Toyosi Thomas     Mumeen Lah     Christopher Ayeni     Bolaji Abdullahi     Share-Tsaragi     Saraki     Nigeria Governors\' Forum     Ayekale     Ahmed Bolaji Nagode     Awoye     Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency     IEDPU     Lanre Aremu     Senior Ibrahim Suleiman     Photo News     JMK Construction Company Limited     Ayedun     United Nigeria Congress Party     Olusin Of Ijara Isin     Fatimat Saliu     Ajayi Okasanmi     Shururat Olatinwo     Rasaq Jimoh     Jumoke Monsura Gafar     Abdul-Rahoof Bello     Olaiya Zuberu     Aro Yahaya     Senate Presidency     Eleja Taiwo Banu     Aishat Mohammed Lawal     Olabode Towoju     Kwara NIPR     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Aisha Gobir     Saidu Kawu     Zara Umar     High Court     Senate     Shagari     A.E. Afolabi     Yinka Aluko     Onilu     NTA Ilorin    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kunle Suleiman     AbdulHamid Adi     Kazeem Oladepo     Tafida Of Kaiama     Lawyers Unite Against Corruption     Idris Garba     Umar Saro     Saheed Akinwumi     Women Radio     Sam Okaula     Mohammed Alabi Lawal     Lai Mohammed     Musa Alhassan Buge     Moses Salami     Laolu Saraki     Kwara 2015     Alaro     Yekeen Alabi     Emir Of Yashikira     Adamu B. Yaqubu     Femtech     Tuesday Assayomo     Bayo Ojo     Ijakadi     Public Holiday     Bisi Kristien     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Ayoade Akinnibosun     Radio Kwara     Agbarere     Bureau Of Lands     Colleges Of Education Academic Staff Union     Garba Dogo     Kwara 2023     Abdul-Rasheed Na\'Allah     FERMA     Ajuloopin     Gobir     Isiaka Rafiu Mope     Bello Taoheed Abubakar     Dumagi     Iyabo Adisa Ibiyeye     Joseph Alex Offorjama     Sherif Sagaya     Apaola     Air Peace     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Raji AbdulRasaq     Ibrahim Sulu Gambari     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Yahaya Muhammad     Saka Aleshinloye     Okin Group     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Tsado Manman     Afonja Descendants Union     Kwara State Television     TIC     Kwara South     Ishaq Salman     Okiki     Ganiyu Abolarin     Olokoba     Oba Of Jebba     Kayode Ibrahim     Shettima Of Ilorin     Road Transport Employers Association Of Nigeria     Local Government     Oyin-Zubair     NTA Ilorin     Abraysports FC     Yahaya Jibril Usman     Ramadan     Abdul Jimoh Mohammed     Sayomi     Wahab Femi Agbaje     Onilu