South West is home to highly revered traditional monarchs. Only a few of them are Professors.

These monarchs went through the rigours of earning their PhDs from various academic institutions. They are distinguished academics who have transcended intellectual boundaries.

They stand out not only for their royal status but also for their impressive academic credentials and commitment to contributing to the educational landscape.

They also stand out for their cultural authority, historical prestige, royal status, and role as custodians of tradition.

Here are the six Yoruba monarchs who are professors in Nigeria:

1. Prof. Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege, PhD, Lanlege Ekun II, the Olota of Ota-Awori Kingdom

Prof. Obalanlege is the 13th Olota of Ota in Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State. He succeeded the late Oba Moshood Alani Oyede, who joined his ancestors in 2016.

He has a PhD in Communication Studies from the University of Antwerp, Belgium; a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of Leicester, England; a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Journalism from Independent Colleges; and a Higher National Diploma from Ogun State Polytechnic, now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta.

He also attended Ansar-ud-Deen College, Isolo, Lagos State and Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, Ogun State.

Obalanlege had teaching experience as a lecturer at the School of Arts and Digital Industries, University of East London, England (2008 – 2009), Lincoln School of Journalism, Lincoln University of Lincoln, England (2009 – 2012), Department of Mass Communication, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos (2012 – 2013), Department of Mass Communication, Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta. (2012 – 2013) Department of Mass Communication, Crescent University, Abeokuta (2014 – to date).

2. Prof. John Akinola Akintola – The Alapa of Okin-Apa

Alapa of Okin-Apa, Oba John Akinola Akintola, succeeded his father, Oba David Akinloye Akintola.

He began his education at Are Ago District School. From there, he attended Ogbomoso Baptist Modern School and later Anglican Grammar School. Thereafter, he attended Ogbomoso Grammar School for his HSC (Higher School Certificate).

He was the senior boy at OGS between 1985 and 1987. He later gained admission into the University of Ilorin, where he bagged a BSc in Botany.

He returned to the school for his Master’s in Crop Production, specialising in Entomology. Still in UNILORIN, he did his PhD in Zoology. He became a Professor as a senior lecturer at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTHEC), Ogbomoso.

3. Prof. Samuel Oni – Oba Odo of Ilesa

Professor Iyiola Samuel Oni was installed as the High Chief Oba-Odo of Ilesa in October 2025 by the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, His Imperial Majesty Oba (Dr.) Clement Adesuyi Haastrup (Ajimoko III).

He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Ibadan, followed by Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Geography from the University of Lagos.

Professor Oni, a distinguished academic, is a Professor of Geography at the University of Lagos with over three decades of teaching, research, and mentorship.

He specialises in Transportation, Inland Waterways Management, Coastal Zone Management, Physical Distribution and Logistics, and Spatial Planning.

He began his academic journey at the University of Ibadan, where he earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Geography between 1980 and 1983, before proceeding to the University of Lagos, where he earned his M.A. and PhD in Geography with a specialisation in Transportation in 1985 and 1992, respectively.

Over the course of his career, Prof. Oni has supervised 10 PhD candidates and over 100 Master’s degree holders who today occupy respected positions in academia and professional practice.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics, London; Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping (NIS); Fellow of the Certified Institute of Shipping; a member of the Association of Nigerian Geographers (ANG); and a member of the American Association of Geographers (AAG).

Prof. Oni’s scholarly distinction has also earned him prestigious fellowships and awards, including recognition from the Institute of Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA, in 2005.

4. Prof. Abdur-Raheem Mustapha Adejoro, Asoroowo II – The Alafin of Afin-Akoko Community.

Prof. Abdur-Raheem is a Professor of Islamic Studies and Director, Ado-Ekiti Study Centre at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).

The late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu approved his selection as the new Alafin in 2021 after 15 years without a substantive Oba in Afin-Akoko, following the demise of Oba Dirisu Olohuntegbe in 2006. He is married to Olori Modinat Omolola Mustapha.

5. Prof. Adekunle Adeogun Oyedeji II, Eburu of Iba

Oba Adeogun-Okunoye is the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Atiba University, Oyo State. He was born to Prince Joseph Adeboye Okunoye of Oyedeji Alamu Ruling House of Iba in Osun State. He was coronated and presented with the Staff of Office on June 4th, 2016.

He worked with the defunct Credit Bank in Lagos, Nigeria, and Quantum Associates in Banjul, The Gambia and in the United Kingdom. He was at the Medical Research Council Laboratories (MRC) in Fajara, The Gambia, when he was appointed the Eburu of Iba in 2016.

Oba Adeogun-Okunoye is being honoured in appreciation of his giant strides in the education sector, particularly his contributions to the growth of information and communication technology, rural integration and development and his brainchild, Eburu Cultural Renaissance, which has consistently been galvanising frontline academics, media gurus, traditional rulers and culture connoisseurs in reawakening the Yoruba culture and tradition, using the Oriki Yoruba as a veritable tool.

Oba Adeogun-Okunoye is an endowed professor of ICT, Education and Community Development at ICT University, Yaounde, Cameroon, and Associate Professor of Business Analytics and Information Systems (BAIS) at Williams College of Business, Xavier University, Cincinnati, USA.

He has received several competitive fellowships, including the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Fellowship, Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship, O’Connor Fellowship and many other awards of excellence.

He is happily married to Princess Abidemi Tadese Okunoye, and they are blessed with many children.

6. Prof. Saka Adelola Matemilola (Oluyalo Otileta VII) – Olowu of Owu Kingdom

Oba Saka Matemilola holds B.Sc. (1st Class honours) and M.Sc. Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan, as well as a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. Saka has been active in both the practice and academic sectors of the petroleum industry for the past 20 years.

He is the Chief Petroleum Engineer at FIRST Exploration and Petroleum Development Company, Lagos. He has been a visiting scholar at the Institute of Petroleum Studies, University of Port Harcourt, since 2009, where he coordinates the PhD degree programme, conducts research, supervises postgraduate students, and develops and teaches courses in Advanced Petroleum Engineering.

He once served as Coach and Consultant for Reservoir Engineering at Shell Petroleum Industry in Port Harcourt from 2009 to 2011, having studied as a Reservoir Engineer at Shell International Exploration and Production BV, Rijswijk, the Netherlands.

He was involved in the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin in 2011 and has since been a visiting lecturer at the institute.

Saka has also served as a visiting Associate Professor at African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, since 2013 and, more recently, as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Petroleum Engineering, University of Ibadan.

Saka’s interests and experience span hydrocarbon resource evaluation, petroleum field development studies and management, and strategic planning.

He regularly delivers training courses on specialised topics in Oil & Gas, including at Society of Petroleum Engineers conferences. Saka has published widely on Oil & Gas subjects, as well as in Applied Mechanics, where he originally started his career. He is a visiting scholar at the Centre of Excellence in Geosciences & Petroleum Engineering, University of Benin.

He is the Regional Resource Volume Coordinator, Sub-Saharan Africa, for Shell Upstream International on Hydrocarbon Resource Volume Management from January 2012 to date, having worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton and the University of Cambridge, UK.

He has authored (including co-authored) 13 technical papers in international academic journals or conference proceedings. He is happily married with Children. (The Nation)