Ajayi Crowther University (ACU), Oyo, mourns the passing of Professor Emeritus Ayo Bamgbose, Nigeria’s first Professor of Linguistics.
Prof. Bamgbose, whose death occurred on July 25, 2026, at the age of 94, was a renowned scholar whose groundbreaking work laid the foundation for modern linguistic studies in Nigeria and across Africa. His passing marks not only the loss of a towering intellectual figure but also the departure of a foundational pillar of Ajayi Crowther University itself.
In a heartfelt letter of condolence addressed to the family of Prof. Bamgbose and the National President of the St. Andrews College Old Boys Association (SACOBA) on behalf of the University, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ebunoluwa Oduwole, described Prof. Bamgbose as “a titan whose influence spanned generations and continents.”
In her vivid description of the academic icon, Prof. Oduwole said: “As the first Professor of Linguistics in Nigeria, he did not merely occupy a chair – he built the discipline itself. His works remain timeless classics that continue to illuminate the structural beauty of our indigenous languages.”
Beyond his global academic stature, Prof. Bamgbose played an instrumental role in the very establishment and development of Ajayi Crowther University. His involvement began in 1999 when, as a representative of the St. Andrew’s Old Boys’ Association (SACOBA), he served as a member of the Governing Council of St. Andrew’s College of Education from 1999 to 2003. This early service laid the groundwork for the institution’s eventual transition into a full-fledged university.
He subsequently served on the Implementation Committee, particularly the Planning and Technical Committee, where he worked tirelessly on the Academic Brief until a licence was secured for ACU on January 7, 2005. When the inaugural Governing Council of ACU was appointed, he continued his service as a Member of Council from 2005 to 2014 under the Chairmanship of Professor Emeritus Ayo Banjo. His contributions to the university’s academic foundation, governance structure, and institutional identity were immeasurable.
As SACOBA President, Prof. Bamgbose led the Association in generously donating the SACOBA House and National Secretariat to the St. Andrew’s Campus of ACU – a gesture of profound significance that underscored his lifelong commitment to educational development. In recognition of his developmental contributions and historical ties to the university, Ajayi Crowther University honoured him by naming a street after him on Campus.
Prof. Bamgbose’s academic journey began at St. Andrews College in Oyo, where he was admitted in 1948 and qualified as a grade-two teacher in 1951. This institution, which later became part of ACU, remained close to his heart throughout his life. Throughout his illustrious career, Prof. Bamgbose accumulated honours unprecedented for an African linguist.
As tributes continue to pour in, Prof. Oduwole urged the academic community to remember that Bamgbose’s legacy “is not merely in the books he wrote or the honours he received, but in the scholars he inspired, the departments he built, the disciplines he institutionalised, and the students who now carry his torch.” At Ajayi Crowther University, his legacy is further etched in the very foundation of the institution – in the academic programmes he helped design, in the governance structures he helped establish, and in the campus grounds where his name remains a permanent reminder of his enduring contributions.
Prof. Bamgbose, described as a titan of African linguistics, died leaving behind a legacy that has shaped the continent’s intellectual landscape for over six decades – and a university that stands as a living testament to his vision and dedication to educational excellence.
