Emeritus Professor Ayo Banjo, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, has passed away at the age of 90. A source from the university confirmed his death to The Nation. Professor Banjo died early on Friday, May 24, having celebrated his 90th birthday on May 2nd.

Renowned for his significant contributions to the development of the English Language curriculum in Nigeria and the promotion of Nigerian varieties of English, Professor Banjo also served as the Chairman of the Board of the National Universities Commission. He was Pro-Chancellor of the Universities of Port Harcourt, Ilorin, and Ajayi Crowther.

Professor Banjo’s scholarly contributions include over 50 publications and widely used textbooks in primary and secondary education. He was born into the family of the late Pa. Reverend Samuel Ayodele Banjo, an educationist and teacher at St. Andrew Primary School, Oyo. He was a native of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State.

His education began at St. Andrew Anglican Primary School, followed by Christ Cathedral Primary School in Lagos, where he completed his primary education. He attended Igbobi College, Lagos, for his secondary education from 1947 to 1952.

Due to his excellent academic performance, he was awarded the British Council Scholarship in 1959 to study for a Master of Arts in English Language at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. He further pursued a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education and English Studies at the University of Leeds, England, graduating with distinction. In 1966, he received a scholarship from the American State Department to study for a Master of Arts in Linguistics at the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his Ph.D. specializing in English Language from the University of Ibadan in 1969. His work experience spanned several countries.

During summers, he frequently traveled to Oxford University Press in England to write English course books and dictionaries for primary and secondary education. He served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan in 1981 and later became Vice-Chancellor, a position he held for seven years, making him the longest-serving Vice-Chancellor in the university's history.

Upon completing his term as Vice-Chancellor in 1991, Professor Banjo returned to teaching and retired from the University of Ibadan in 1994 at the age of 60.