Historian and Professor of African studies at the University of Texas, Austin, professor Toyin Falola has been confirmed to deliver the first-ever Olubadan Coronation Lecture in honour of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.
The lecture, titled “Ibadan in History: Issues in Modernity and Tradition”, will be delivered on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan by 11a.m.
Professor Falola, a Prominent Ibadan son
Professor Falola, a distinguished academic and holder of the Jacob and Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, USA, is expected to bring his vast expertise on African history and culture to bear in examining the interplay of tradition and modernity in the story of Ibadan.
He was born in the Ode-Aje Quarters of Ibadan. He attended Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife and also worked in the institution as a lecturer before moving to the University of Texas, Austin in 1991.
The lecture will not only celebrate Oba Ladoja’s enthronement but also provide a platform to reflect on the city’s rich history, evolving identity, and its role in Nigeria’s socio-political development. Falola is coming to speak about the significance (and centrality) of Ibadan to the history and survival of Yorubaland.
The coronation lecture is expected to attract dignitaries, scholars, cultural enthusiasts, and residents of Ibadan, serving as both a tribute to the monarch and an intellectual contribution to the discourse on Yoruba tradition in contemporary society. The event is expected to underscore the significance of Ibadan’s heritage while engaging pressing questions about its future in a rapidly modernising world.