The death has been announced of Professor Folagbade Olajide Aboaba, a senior pastor and Assistant General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Professor Aboaba reportedly died on Saturday, January 21, 2023, following a brief illness. He was 90.
A respected academic, administrator and church leader, Aboaba was also regarded as one of the senior figures within the RCCG and a close associate of the General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye.
Born on March 8, 1933, in Lagos to the late Mr and Mrs J.B. Aboaba, he began his education at CMS Grammar School, Lagos, before pursuing higher education in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.
He studied at the University College, Ibadan, between 1955 and 1959, and later attended King’s College, University of Durham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where he obtained his master’s degree. He subsequently earned a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States.
His professional career began in agricultural engineering and public service before he joined the University of Ibadan, where he spent more than two decades.
Aboaba rose through the academic ranks to become Professor of Agricultural Engineering and served as the pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Technology between 1975 and 1982.
He also served as Chairman of the Committee of Deans and held several other responsibilities within the university. During his academic career, he delivered an inaugural lecture in 1976 and a University Lecture in 1988.
Beyond the University of Ibadan, Professor Aboaba served in several public and private institutions.
He was Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), from 1976 to 1979, and served on the Governing Council of Yaba College of Technology.
He was also involved with the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta, the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization in Ilorin and other institutions connected with Nigeria’s agricultural and educational development.
Between 1992 and 1998, Aboaba served as Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.
He also played a role in the development of Nigeria’s banking sector, serving as Chairman of Global Bank Plc between 1998 and 2005. Following the bank’s merger with Intercontinental Bank, he became Chairman of Intercontinental Finance Ltd.
His relationship with the Redeemer’s University became particularly significant when he was appointed its pioneer Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council in 2005.
He served in that position for two terms until 2013 and was credited with contributing to the institution’s early development and consolidation.
In recognition of his contributions to education and academia, Aboaba received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Redeemer’s University in 2015.
The University of Ibadan also conferred an honorary Doctor of Science degree on him in November 2019.
Within the RCCG, Aboaba served as a pastor and elder and was a member of the church’s Board of Trustees.
His involvement in the church extended beyond pastoral duties, with his experience in education, administration and institutional leadership contributing to his responsibilities.
Professor Aboaba was married to the late Pastor (Mrs) Olabisi Aboaba, and their union was blessed with children and grandchildren.
His death marks the passing of a prominent academic, administrator and church leader whose career spanned education, public service, business and Christian ministry.
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