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Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike (1917–1983): Nigeria’s First Professor of History (PHOTOS)
Kenneth Onwuka Dike stands tall in Nigeria’s academic history as the nation’s first professor and a pioneering figure in African historiography.
Born in Awka, Anambra State, in 1917, Dike studied at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, before proceeding to the University of London, where he earned his Ph.D. in History. His scholarly brilliance gained him international recognition, including a period as a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University.
In Nigeria, Dike reached the pinnacle of his academic career as the founding Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, where he nurtured an entire generation of African scholars and reshaped the study of history from an African perspective. His scholarship emphasized African agency in history at a time when colonial narratives dominated.
Among his influential works is Origins of the Niger Mission, 1841–1891 (co-authored), a landmark study in the history of Christianity in West Africa. His writings and leadership established the foundation for modern African historiography.
Professor Dike’s vision extended beyond academia. He served as the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, setting the tone for excellence in higher education in Nigeria. Through his leadership and scholarship, he laid the intellectual groundwork for reclaiming African history from Eurocentric perspectives.
He passed away in 1983, leaving behind a legacy of rigorous scholarship, pioneering leadership, and a commitment to Africa’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
Sources:
University of Ibadan Archives, Institute of African Studies.
The Guardian (UK), Obituary (1983).
J.F. Ade Ajayi, Nigerian Universities and the History of Higher Education
African Studies publications.
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