The University of Lagos Senate, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, honoured two of its members, Professor Oko Okoro and Professor Gabriel Kayode Babawale, as they take a bow out of the university service.

The retirement date of Professor Oko Okoro of the Department of English, is September 1, 2025 while that of Professor Gabriel Kayode Babawale of the Department of Estate Management, is September 14, 2025.

In her remarks, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, congratulated the duo for their illustrious service, in various capacities, to the University in particular and Nigeria, in general.

The duo, in their separate responses, expressed gratitude to the University Senate for the honour. They also thanked the UNILAG community for providing a platform for them to be able to find career fulfilment while contributing to the body of knowledge and grooming future leaders.

Below are the citations of the two illustrious academics:

Professor Oko Okoro was born on September 1, 1955. He holds a BA, MPhil and PhD degrees in English from the University of Lagos.

He was appointed Assistant Lecturer in 1985 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2019.

Professor Okoro has served the University of Lagos in various capacities ranging from: Departmental Examinations Officer; Coordinator of Use of English Programme; Faculty Examinations Officer; Departmental Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies; Member of the Post Graduate School Academic Programmes Committee; Member, University Students’ Disciplinary Board; Ag. Head of Department; Member, Editorial Board of University of Lagos Journal of the Humanities; Member, University of Lagos Quality Assurance Committee and Chairman, Faculty of Arts Quality Assurance Sub-Committee.

He has numerous scholarly publications in recognised local and foreign journals. He is a member of the Nigerian English Studies Association (NESA).

Professor Okoro has successfully supervised Fifteen (15) PhDs, One hundred and eighty one (181) Masters, and over Four hundred (400) Undergraduate projects. He has also been a Visiting Professor and External Examiner to several tertiary institutions, including Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo; Lagos State University; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.

He has also firmly established a link between town and gown as a formidable resource person in business communication in the organised private sector, and at various times for the British Council, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPMN), Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management (WAIFEM).

Professor Okoro is married and blessed with children and grandchildren.

Professor Gabriel Kayode Babawale was born on September 14, 1955. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Estate Management (First Class Honours) from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University); MSc. (Urban Land Appraisal) from the University of Reading, UK; and a PhD. (Estate Management) from the University of Lagos.

He joined the services of the University of Lagos as Lecturer II on March 1, 1999 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor in 2019.

He held several administrative posts: Head, Department of Estate Management; Sub-Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences; Course Adviser/Class Teacher, Post Graduate Studies Coordinator, Examination Officer; Foundation Program Coordinator for Faculty of Environmental Sciences, and Faculty of Environmental Sciences Students Association Staff Adviser. He supervised eight PhDs, four as the main supervisor and four as co-supervisor.

Professor Babawale served as an External Examiner at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in several universities and Polytechnics in Nigeria, including the School of Business in the Netherlands. He served as an external assessor for twelve PhD defences and three professorial appointments in different Nigerian universities.

He is a certified Estate Surveyor and Valuer and duly registered with the Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registration Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON) and the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV). He carried out his professional practice under the business name: Kayode Babawale & Co., Estate Surveyors & Valuers.

Professor Babawale is a Pastor with the Living Faith Church/Winners’ Chapel and together with his wife runs the Christ Relief Ministry, a ministry to widows and fatherless.(UniLag News)