Born on April 5, 1945, Professor Emeritus Titiloye Ademola Oyejide, an illustrious son of Ikire—the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State—has led an exemplary life in academia, public service, and mentorship.
He began his academic journey at Aiyedaade Grammar School, Ikire, where he obtained the West African School Certificate with distinction. Driven by responsibility and selflessness, he took up a clerical job to support the education of his younger brother who had gained admission into the prestigious Government College, Ibadan. Simultaneously, he studied privately and passed the General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level).
In 1965, he was admitted into the University of Ibadan to study Economics. He graduated in June 1968 with a First Class Honours Bachelor of Science in Economics—the first ever in the department. He came under the mentorship of the late Professor Ojetunji Aboyade, a towering figure in Nigerian economics who championed graduate training in top global universities.
Oyejide was initially offered admission into the M.A. Economics program at Princeton University, USA, but due to delays, Professor Aboyade arranged a temporary placement at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he earned an M.Sc. in Economics in 1969. He proceeded to Princeton, obtaining an M.A. in 1970 and a Ph.D. in 1972. During his time at Princeton, he also served as a teaching assistant.
Armed with two Master’s degrees and a Ph.D., he returned to his alma mater as a Lecturer in 1972. He rose to the rank of Professor in 1979 at the age of 34. He retired in 2010 and was appointed Emeritus Professor in 2013. Since then, he has continued to contribute to the Department of Economics through teaching, research, mentorship, and leadership.
Our paths crossed in the late 1980s during my Ph.D. proposal seminar. His deep insights—alongside support from my supervisor, Professor Akin Iwayemi—led to a revised proposal that earned me a thesis grant from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC). That grant became a launchpad into the international community of economists.
Professor Oyejide is an economist who defies categorization. With the benefit of exposure to both English and American traditions of economic thought and a strong foundation in development economics, he has published extensively across multiple fields including trade, trade policy, regional integration, banking, finance, public finance, industrial economics, and governance.
He has authored over 250 publications in top national and international journals, books, book chapters, technical reports, and seminar papers. A versatile teacher, he helped design the MBA program at the University of Ibadan in 1980 and taught various courses across levels.
Through the AERC, he led landmark collaborative research programs such as:
Regional Integration and Trade Liberalisation in Sub-Saharan Africa – involving over 60 researchers, published in four volumes by Macmillan, London.
African Imperatives in the New World Trade Order – a similarly impactful project.
He also chaired the Trade, Trade Policy, and Regional Integration thematic research group of AERC for over two decades, mentoring young economists who now lead in trade negotiations across Africa.
As Head of the Department of Economics (1981–1985), he initiated the Master of Science in Banking and Finance (MBF) program in 1982 with funding from the then International Bank for West Africa (IBWA). This grant supported the building of the “Afribank Building” annex and helped sustain the MBF program.
In 1990, he established the Trade Policy Research and Training Programme (TPRTP) and served as Director until 2010. In 2011, he co-founded the Centre for Trade and Development Initiatives (CTDI).
His international engagements include:
Visiting Scholar, Institute for International Economic Studies, University of Stockholm (1978–1979).
Visiting Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C. (1985–1987).
Managing Editor, African Journal of Economic Policy (AJEP) (1994–2010).
Editor-in-Chief, Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences (2003–2007).
He supervised over 25 Ph.D. students, many of whom have gone on to become leading economists. His open-door policy, love for academic discourse, and commitment to mentorship are legendary.
In recognition of his contributions:
He was appointed in 2001 to a 9-member advisory panel on WTO affairs by WTO DG Mike Moore.
He became a Fellow of the Nigerian Economic Society (FNES) in 2005.
Outside academia, he has served as:
Chairman/Director, Trans Intercontinental Bank (1989–2005).
Chairman, Ikire Microfinance Bank (2008–2020).
Chairman, National Economic Intelligence Committee (NEIC), Presidency (2009–2012).
Vice-Chairman, National Focal Point on Trade Matters, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (2008–2012).
Professor Oyejide is a genius and a role model, always engaging with open-mindedness, humility, and intellectual integrity. I thank him for his enduring mentorship and sacrifices that helped shape my academic journey.
At 80, we celebrate a scholar, teacher, institution-builder, and mentor to generations. I wish him continued good health and many more years of fruitful impact.
●Prof. E. O. Ogunkola
Professor of Economics
[email protected]
