The exit of Akinwunmi Isola

ON February 17, one of Nigeria’s finest writers, Professor Akinwunmi Isola, joined his ancestors, aged 79. A writer and culture activist, Isola was a household name in the Yoruba genre of Nigerian literature.  Born in Ibadan, Oyo State, in 1939, Isola attended Labode Methodist School and Wesley College, both in Ibadan. For his tertiary education, he attended the University of Ibadan, where he obtained the Bachelor of Arts degree in French. Switching over to Yoruba Literature in his postgraduate programme, Isola earned an M.A. in Yoruba Literature from the University of Lagos in 1978 and thereafter joined the Obafemi Awolowo University, where he rose to become Professor of Yoruba Literature in 1991. He was a visiting professor at a number of universities in the West.

In his tribute to the icon, President Muhammadu Buhari lauded his steadfastness and dedication to the promotion of the native language as a means of sustaining the culture and tradition of Africans.  And as noted by a foremost pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), Isola dedicated his entire life to the promotion and preservation of Yoruba culture.  According to the YCE in a press statement signed by its Secretary-General, Dr. Kunle Olajide, “he wrote Yoruba with dexterity and spoke the language with relish.”

A fair summation of Isola’s scholarly pursuit was provided by two eminent scholars, Niyi Akinnaso and Oyeniyi Okunoye, in their respective tributes to his memory. According to Akinnaso, “in his academic writings published in various journals and book collections, he examined the features of Yoruba oral poetry, discussed the characteristics of the modern Yoruba novel, critiqued Yoruba theatre and wondered aloud about the future of Yoruba language and culture in an increasingly globalising world.” Okunoye, on his part, noted that  “as a scholar, he brought cosmopolitan rigour to the study of Yoruba literature. This is what he has in common with the likes of Wande Abimbola, Ayo Bamgbose, Adeboye Babalola, Olatunde Olatunji, Oludare Olajubu and others who pioneered Yoruba studies. His book-length study of the craft of Yoruba novelists is a ground-breaking scholarly effort which proves his proper grounding in formalist critical practice. Most people who did not encounter his written works would have watched him in Saworoide and Agogo Eewo, both of which project his commitment to the use and promotion of Yoruba language.”

• Renowned Yoruba playwright, Prof Akinwunmi Isola, is dead

An unblemished exponent of Yoruba language and literature, Isola wrote his first play, Efunsetan Aniwura, while still a student at the University of Ibadan. He wrote five plays and three novels. He is the author of the popular novel, O Leku, and the popular play, Ko see gbe, both of which have also thrived as film adaptations. Isola also forayed into broadcasting, with his production company turning a number of his plays into television dramas and films. Isola, although always targeting a Yoruba audience, also wrote in English, and undertook the translation of two masterpieces of African literature, Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Ake: The Years of Childhood, from English into Yoruba. In 2000, in recognition of his immense contributions to the arts, Isola, a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL),  was decorated with the National Merit Award.

Isola was a great family man, and a powerful glimpse into his personality was provided by his wife, Mrs. Adebola Ishola, while narrating the circumstances of his transition. According to her, on Saturday, February 17, Isola took only a spoonful of Custard pap at 9 a.m but repeatedly said: “Thank you, my wife” before breathing his last shortly thereafter. With Isola’s passing, Nigeria, in particular the literary community, has lost an icon. However, it would be a disservice to patriots like him if their efforts to preserve and promote the nation’s cultural heritage were allowed to come to nought. In this regard, we urge governments at all levels, the academia, the media and other stakeholders to ensure a renewed dedication to the promotion of indigenous languages and cultures.