Toyin Falola to deliver commencement speech at Adeleke University

Toyin Falola, Africa’s most decorated Historian and Humanity Scholar, will deliver the commencement speech at Adeleke University on July 21, 2024.

The renowned professor requires no introduction. A multi-talented scholar at home in History and Political Science and a master’s in literature in Religious Studies, Falola is the leading African historian and the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States. Falola is also a Distinguished Teaching Professor with over 40 years of experience teaching a variety of courses. An author and editor of over 200 books, chapters in books, and journal articles, he has given lectures in over 65 countries. 

In an interview done by phone with him in his current base in Tanzania, Professor Falola disclosed that he will be talking about the relationship between spirituality and success. When asked about his motive for that choice of topic, he said, “I am intrigued by the self-proclamation of Adeleke University as a faith-based university with an educational system founded on the theology of Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Upon receipt of the invitation from the Registrar, Mr Caleb Oye Oyerinde, to deliver the commencement speech, I began to ponder on how our shared beliefs as Africans about God, faith, and the place of spirituality and religion in a person’s life have influenced our worldview about personal success, fulfilment of purpose and true accomplishments. My meditation led to my choice of the topic, ‘Spirituality and Success’”.

Professor Falola also mentioned that he wishes “to explore the complex relationship between spirituality and success. Using some of the key dimensions of spirituality, such as purpose, inner peace, ethical grounding, healthy living or creativity, I will show how embedding spirituality into successful pursuits will lead to a more fulfilling and satisfying pursuit and true accomplishment in life. I will also be speaking on how to think of success in spiritual terms in daily life.” 

When asked what his advice to the students would be, Professor Falola mentioned that he intends to remind the graduates of how far they have come, the principles that have guided their lives thus far, and how spiritual principles have led them to attain their graduation from the school with an accomplishment and success of their own. He promised to remind the graduating students of the powerful words of one of the pioneers of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Ellen G. White, who once said, “We have nothing to fear for the future except we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teachings in our past history.” They must not have the fear for the future, Falola said. I will ask them to remember that there is no gain without pain.

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