Adenike Osofisan
First Female Professor of Computer Science
Adenike Osofisan (born 11 March 1950) is a Nigerian professor of Computer science, who specializes in data mining and knowledge management. She is the first Nigerian woman to hold a Ph.D in Computer science, a feat she accomplished in 1989. In 2006, she became a full professor at University of Ibadan, a promotion that made her the first African woman to become a Computer Science professor.
Quotes
edit- There are many things that make Lord’s Schools unique. They give the students holistic education and teach them the fear of the Lord. The children are trained to be good citizens of Nigeria. They also have a cattle ranch, poultry, farm, among others.
- [1] Professor Adenike talked on Lord's School in 2019.
- As for Kudirat too, the heroine of democracy, I felt so highly elated that I am being honoured along with those two heroines. I feel proud about it.
- [2] Professor Osofisan in an exclusive chat on the honor given to her in 2019.
- A lot of people get it wrong. The facilities available today are more than what was available in our days. During our time, General Science was only introduced in our final year. However, today, even from primary school, children are exposed to computing, science and the like.
- [3] Professor Adenike compared Standard of Education then and now in 2019.
- I don’t know. Well, I was happy. You know that kind of feeling, a couple of mixed feelings. I was very happy and joyful. At the same time, I just wished my dad was still alive to witness it.
- [4] Professor Adenike expressed how she felt when she was inducted into Nigerian Women Hall of Fame in 2019.
- I was called Iron Lady for being a successful woman.
- [5] Professor Osofisan in punch news in 2019.
- There is no invention that doesn’t bring good and bad. However, it depends on which aspect you want to adopt.
- [6] Professor Adenike on effect of social media in the upbringing of children in 2019.
- To train a student in the university is a lot of money. We play too much politics with education, and as long as you play politics with education, things will not go well. That is the truth.
- [7] Professor Adenike give advice on improvement of education in 2019.
- For me, mathematics is the simplest and most interesting subject that does not require cramming but understanding from basic principles. I guess the love for mathematics is natural for me. General Science was first introduced to my set at Fiwasaiye in 1966. I loved the physics portion of the general science so much and decided to convert to science from arts.
- Our guardian and counsellor in Aiyetoro, Mr Olumide Kuti, encouraged me to read computer science. He asked me to go to the library to read about it because I had no idea what the discipline was about then. Aiyetoro, being an American school then, had a very good library. So I read a book on computer science and fell in love with it instantly.
- I went to Georgia Tech because it was listed among the 10 best colleges for computer science education. Yes, computing education was relatively new but I studied computer science/economics at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and was among the first set of students that graduated in 1976. One of our lecturers then, Dr Odeyemi, already had a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Manchester as the first PhD holder in computer science in Nigeria.
- I had no culture shock. Many of my teachers in Fiwasaiye Girls’ Grammar School in Akure were foreigners from Britain, US, India and Trinidad and Tobago. I also had a pen pal. But I experienced it when I was at Comprehensive High School. One of our female teachers called me and I said yes, Mrs XYZ (not the real name).
- I had to learn patience and to think outside the box. I was given a lot of nicknames like ‘Iron Lady’, ‘Hard-wired electronics’, etc.
- Of course yes. It was not an easy thing in the past for men to accept women in authority. Even women at the time were to not as supportive as they are today. I learnt to separate motherhood from ‘workhood’, if you know what I mean. I was a completely different person in the office from who I was at home.
- Our stories are very interesting. He was a science pupil who became an arts pupil because of Principal D. J. Bullock. I was an arts pupil and I became a science pupil by providence. We are both familiar with the two terrains.
- We met in my hometown – Akure – when he was commissioned by the Akure Students’ Union to stage a play. The play was about politicians and my father, Chief J. O. Adedipe, was a politician. He was a lawmaker between 1954 and 1959 and I was curious and wanted to see how the likes of my father behaved. The play was a masterpiece. So I congratulated him at the end of the play. I was not aware that we had met earlier at the park when he arrived in Akure. He later told me that I did not answer him when he greeted me earlier.
- The first two are into social sciences while the last two read computer science. However, they all have creative abilities.
- I am his first critic. He is my editor. I have read and watched all his plays. I even attend his rehearsals.
- I am grateful to God for all. Each has had its own impact in different ways, so it is difficult to identify one as being the most memorable.
- It was very difficult but not impossible. I learnt time management and multitasking from home and from my secondary school. These came in handy.
- I still multitask. I am involved in many activities that have to do with my home and being a wife, mother and grandmother. I work as a professor (teaching and researching), and engage in social engagements and professional and church activities. I do not have a dull moment.
- Sunday is the only different day; it is the day to rest.
- I have no idea. Officially I am retiring from the University of Ibadan next March. I am on accumulated leave leading to retirement. But I am not on leave in the real sense.
- Doing what I enjoy doing.
- I would have loved to do certain things differently but no regrets. At the beginning I fought all battles that came my way, but with hindsight, I’ve realised that not all battles are worth fighting because you will just dissipate energy on needless battles. Don’t ask me for an example of such battles; they are personal and may cause embarrassment to some people.
- We have always lived life to the full. We will continue to do the same.
- Give and take! Forgive each other because nobody is perfect.
- We should go back to Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s plan. With respect to Chief Awolowo, his definition of education was that ‘it is the right of every child to be educated’ and he gave children quality and free education. The education they gave me at Ife was solid, so I was able to fit into Geogia Tech. Awolowo gave scholarships across the board to students who did very well. Some scholarships for science students included book allowance. Awolowo had a blueprint for free education before it was introduced. He was well prepared for free education compared with nowadays that people (politicians) promise free education without being fully prepared for it.
- In fairness, I didn’t come across anything like sex- for-marks but I did come across discrimination that was gender and racial-biased. Some people believe that if you are a woman or black, you cannot be really good (intelligent).
Quotes about Adenike Osofian
edit- Prof Adenike Osofisan is a pioneer and role model in the field of computer science. She has taught computer science at the University of Ibadan for well over two decades now and she has successfully supervised many PhD candidates in her discipline.
- [8] The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, UI, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka acknowledged Adenike Osofisan in 2019.
- Some academics had been honoured with one of the annual national awards and the NNOM. So, it would not be unusual if apart from the annual award l had recommended, if Professor (Mrs) Osofisan is also considered for the NNOM award.
- [9] Suggestion on how Professor Adenike should be given the national award in 2020.
- But of all of our old man’s offspring Nike is the first among equals in brilliancy and academic achievements.
- [10] One of the sibling to Professor Adenike speak on her brilliancy in 2020.
- This is more than the fact that she was the first female graduate and pioneer woman professor of computer science in Nigeria.
- [11] Professor Adenike was applauded in 2020.
- But also because as stated in my earlier articles on her, she is an inventor and an academic who had brought honour to the country.
- [12] Alhaji Saka, an author praises Professor Adenike in 2020.
