Tribute to Professor Badejo, leader and diplomat, at 70

I studied a natural sciences course in the university. Nonetheless, I have always been fascinated not just about happenings in the international arena, as I believe whatever happens in the global community affects a developing country like Nigeria but also about the domestic political environment – I still recall with so much fondness how me and my classmates and friends – Emeka Oranye (Mekus), Segun Aluko (Sege) and Folusho Obajemu (Orbarsh) were amongst thousands hanging around the Jos Township Stadium during the Social Democratic Party convention where political dexterity was on display and at its best as the trio of MKO Abiola, Baba Gana Kingibe and Abubakar Atiku jostled for the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the June 1993 election. The eventual outcome of that political grandstanding, which albeit ‘took the wind out of the sails’ of many people who gathered, did not affect the brotherliness and love that filled the air around the arena.

In the mid-80s, as a teenager, two eminent Nigerian academics and diplomats of international repute stood out and caught my fancy in the way they communicated and analysed issues – both on the domestic and international fronts. Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi and Prof. Ibrahim Agboola Gambari were two brilliant, well-respected scholars who knew their onions as far as political science and international relations were concerned and showcased this knowledge vastly. Both had a resounding influence on me and sharpened my interest in international affairs at that tender age. I daily looked forward to reading whatever they had to say in the Concord Newspaper and the New Nigerian Newspaper – my father’s two most loved newspapers back then- and on NTA Kaduna.

Little did I know that my path in life would eventually cross with an awesome man that can be described to be in the mould of the octogenarian diplomats referenced above – if not better. Exceptionally dazzling, who for me, for all intents and purposes, is presently one of the best in his field locally and internationally.

Professor Babafemi Adesina Badejo, born on March 4, 1955 in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state is a man warmly referred in many quarters as a ‘Pracademics’, being a legendary academic who, in his field, skilfully mixes research with practicality particularly on major subject matters like comparative and international political economy, humanitarianism, and international development. He is a professor of Political Science and International Affairs who has contributed significantly to the academia with over 48 publications, chief among which is the best seller book on politics in Kenya, and Nigerians’ Views on National Turmoil: A Situational Quadruple Nexus Analysis. He has had his fair share of what life has got to give – a mix of the good, bad and ugly.

Interestingly, he developed a firm character right from his pre-teenage days, building phenomenal qualities that have defined who he is to date – refusing to succumb to life’s whims and caprices but instead seeing opportunities in every challenge he has faced in life. His life journey is one full of intrigues. His achievements through the help of God even in the face of adversity and the preponderance of challenges that came his way is not unconnected to his never-say-die attitude which can be perfectly summed up with the popular ‘ageless metaphor’, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”.

Born to a couple who though very poor and unexposed to Western education, which deprived them of so many privileges, were resolute and united with a solid determination that their son, Adesina, would not follow their path of illiteracy no matter what it would cost them. Though unschooled, one thing his parents did not fail to do at every chance they got was to constantly drill down his consciousness, the culture of ‘Omoluabi’ which simply means good character garnished with integrity and honour and that parental message stuck till date. Their prayers and yearnings for him to acquire academic skills and qualifications finally paid off with the introduction of free education by the Premier of the Western region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Through the free education policy, he eventually enrolled for his secondary and A-levels at one of the foremost schools in Nigeria during his time; Ijebu-Ode Grammar School popularly known as JOGS. Similarly, through the Western State Bursary and Federal Government Merit Scholarship, Prof. Badejo was able to see through his academic pursuits in Political Science at the University of Lagos, where he finished with a Second-Class Upper Division, a position which also earned him the Chancellor’s Award in 1976.

Unsurprisingly, Prof. Badejo was very dynamic in Student Unionism on campus and was elected the University of Lagos Student Union Public Relations Secretary for the period 1974/75. He attained his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) at the age of 27. His time at UCLA was nothing short of memorable and eventful because in spite of all the competing academic duties, he still found time to satisfy his appetite for student unionism by actively supporting the worldwide anti-apartheid campaign that was prevalent in UCLA and continued driving this agenda after exiting UCLA. He had a bouquet of opportunities to make him remain in the United States, but he chose to return to Nigeria in 1982 to give back and help build a culture of excellence at his alma mater, the  University of Lagos. By 1986, he was already a Senior Lecturer and was equally actively participating in politics at the University of Lagos. He was, at different times, an elected member of the senate and assistant secretary/de facto secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Lagos branch. He became a legal practitioner in 1990 after completing his law degree at the University of Lagos, where he won the Abiola Ojo Best Student Award and Teslim Elias Award for Jurisprudence, thereafter proceeding to the Nigerian Law School.

When Chief Olusegun Obasanjo declared his bid to run for the prestigious post of the UN Secretary-General in 1991, he turned to Prof. Badejo and brought him in as one of the key personnel to coordinate the process which led to his appointment as his Special Assistant. In 1992, Prof. Badejo was the first African invited to function in the team which was set up by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on its flagship annual Human Development Reports. He had the rare privilege of being part of the team that assembled the UNDP International Human Development Reports for the year 1993 and 1994. This team also consulted on the South African Human Development Report in 1995.

In 1993, and on leave of absence from the University of Lagos, he started work at the UN Operation for Somalia (UNOSOM II). However, in 1996, he resigned from the University of Lagos to pursue a career with the UN, a meritorious service which lasted for about a quarter of a century and saw him serve the UN at peace support operations in Somalia, Kenya, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Dafur-Sudan. He retired in 2017 as head of the political affairs section of the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

I must say that Prof. Badejo has cut a unique path to his profession. In the course of his exemplary and purposeful service at the UN, he refined his mediation and leadership skills which he deploys effortlessly in his current duties and interactions. His experience in the academia cuts across UCLA, the University of Lagos, the University of Maiduguri and currently at Chrisland University, Abeokuta, where he was appointed the first Professor and leads the Department of Political Science.

Prof. Badejo is a public speaker of global repute. Bold and strong, he expresses his views without reservations. He has spoken at different times at the UN General Assembly, Oslo Peace Centre, Norway, Bled Strategic Forum, Slovenia, etc. He constantly shares his thoughts across various platforms and grants interviews in electronic and print media where he relishes the opportunity to speak truth to those in power and to call out political leaders in Nigeria, the continent of Africa and the world at large whenever he notices hypocrisy and failure, to pursue the mandate for which such leaders were given by the people – if ever given. He has redefined simplicity. His humility, dependability, extraordinary intellect and spartan living style, which abhors any form of fractured integrity, take centre stage and have made him a dear friend of so many youths – men and women alike.

Many see him as the bridge between the youth and the older generation. The positive energy he gets from the youths is not in short supply. Many of us – especially in the residential estate we both share – a community of about two thousand people, naturally gravitate towards him because of his sincerity of purpose and has a simple-down-to-earth personality who never looks down on us. He is a delight to hang around with because he genuinely cares – not lip service or pretences. Never a dull moment with Prof. Badejo as he brings positive, logical and realistic tones to every discourse and practically knows very little about everything, which is a huge attribute of a great leader.

Far be it, Prof. Badejo, who is ‘aging like fine liquor’, does not match the description of someone who ‘maintains a position without a presence’ because you literally see, hear and feel him at every instance whether it’s on a personal relational level or official. The beauty of his character is that he doesn’t leave you guessing where he stands on issues. Once he takes a position regarding an issue, he communicates it and holds dearly to his established position regardless of interferences – no matter how boisterous they may be, except there is a superior argument.

By all accounts, Prof. Badejo is a man who loves what he does and believes that corruption is terribly screwing up our nation and if not tackled definitively, may eventually rupture our sovereignty. Equally, he thinks that the unfolding of each new twist of corruption and lack of rule of law in this country seems to be more complex as there appears to be a kind of sophistication in the way corruption is being carried out in Nigeria, which has assumed a startling dimension. Over the years, Prof. Badejo has proven to be a good listener who values the opinions of others. He can go on for several minutes listening to what you have to say without ever interrupting your flow, and you can be assured that he would not miss any part of what you say.

Whenever he earns time off to travel for vacation or on official trips, he has you in mind. He would typically bring gifts for me – this may sound mundane, but those things which seem inconsequential oftentimes matter in life. The amazing thing about those gifts was the manner in which I received them. As an elder, one would expect that he would ask me to come over to his house to pick them up, like a number of elders or even one’s peers would do – rightly though, but no! He drove to my house to deliver them, and in one of those deliveries, I had the honour of his son, Adebola, drive him to my house just to deliver a gift an elder got for a youth. If that is not humility and matchless leadership at their best, I honestly do not know how to characterise it.

As Prof. Badejo, a get-it-done and compassionate leader, who is enormously dutiful and never abdicates his responsibilities, celebrates this significant milestone in his life by joining the elite club of the septuagenarians, I sincerely wish him a happy birthday in sound health and mind and many more years of active service to humanity and our nation. I specially want to thank him for his impact on my personal and professional life, especially with respect to the successful completion of my postgraduate degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy where the loads of materials he shared with me and constantly requesting me to give my thoughts on his interviews (imagine a Professor asking a postgraduate student to critique his media interviews and to freely provide observations) had such a telling effect on my overall performance which culminated in me being the best student in my set – a class of around 200 students.

Ande, a financial and political economy analyst, writes from Lagos and can be reached via [email protected]