Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunseye (née Banjo) holds the historic distinction of being Nigeria’s first female professor. A pioneer in Library and Information Science, she built a career that permanently transformed opportunities for women in higher education across the country.
Early Life and Education
Born on December 5, 1926, in Benin City, Ogunseye began breaking barriers early in life.
In 1946, she became the first female student admitted to Yaba Higher College, an institution then overwhelmingly male.
By 1948, she graduated with a teaching diploma, becoming its first female graduate.
Her academic journey continued abroad at the University of Cambridge, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Geography (1952) and later a Master of Arts (1956). She became the first Nigerian woman to receive a degree from Cambridge.
In 1962, she obtained a Master’s in Library Science from Simmons College (now Simmons University), equipping her for a distinguished career in librarianship, scholarship, and institutional development.
Academic Milestones
In 1973, Ogunseye was appointed Professor at the University of Ibadan, making her:
Nigeria’s first female professor
The first Professor of Library and Information Science in Nigeria
Between 1977 and 1979, she served as Dean of the Faculty of Education, becoming the first woman to hold a dean’s position in any Nigerian university. She retired in 1987 after decades of mentoring students and shaping Nigeria’s academic landscape.
Advocacy and National Impact
Beyond the university, Professor Ogunseye championed:
Women’s access to higher education
School library development nationwide
Children’s literacy initiatives
She founded the Abadina Media Resources Centre in Ibadan and worked as a consultant for international organisations including UNESCO and the World Bank. Her work consistently emphasized the connection between information access, education, and national development.
Family Background
Professor Ogunseye came from a family marked by remarkable achievement and historical tragedy.
Her younger brother, Victor Adebukunola Banjo, was a senior officer in the Biafran Army during the Nigerian Civil War. He was executed on September 25, 1967, on allegations of plotting a coup against Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.
Another brother, Ademola Banjo, excelled academically—graduating with a first-class degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester in 1952 and later becoming the first Nigerian to earn a doctorate in Metallurgical Engineering in 1954.
Legacy
Now in her late nineties, Professor Felicia Adetowun Ogunseye remains a living symbol of courage, intellect, and perseverance. Her life story reflects the journey of a woman who entered institutions not originally designed for her, reshaped them through excellence, and left doors permanently open for generations of Nigerian women scholars.
Honors
Ogunsheye has received numerous accolades, including the Ford International Fellowship (1961), the Honorary D.L.S. from Simmons College (1969), the Fulbright Fellowship for Senior African Scholars (1980), and the Decade of Women Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Achievement (1985). She was named a Fellow of the Nigerian Library Association (1982) and the Nigerian Academy of Education (1985). In 1990, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) from the University of Maiduguri. She was also given the chieftaincy title of Iyalaje of Ile-Oluji in 1982. The University of Ibadan honored her by naming a female postgraduate hall after her.
Works
Ogunsheye’s academic publications include:
“The Role and Status of Women in Nigeria” (1960)
“A Preliminary Bibliography of the Yoruba Language” (1963)
“Library Education in Nigeria” (1968)
“Problem of Bibliographic Services in Nigeria” (1969)
“The Future of Library Education in Africa” (1976)
“Abadina Media Resource Centre: A Case Study in Library Service to Primary Schools” (1979)
She also edited Nigerian Women and Development (1988) and authored A Break in the Silence: A Historical Note on Lt. Colonel Victor Adebukunola Banjo (2001).
Children’s Books
My Alphabet Reading Book (1993)
My First Alphabet Book: A B C (1996)
My First Number Book: 1 2 3 (1996)
Lara and Kariba (2003)
Archives
Her archives are now accessible to researchers, and the finding aids are available online.
Source
University of Ibadan archival records
Punch newspapers
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