Osigbesan, The Dream Daily Publisher, Takes Ph.D. At ABU
Publisher/Editor-In-Chief, The Dream Daily Newspaper Group, Osigbesan Sultan Luqman Osinowo, has earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Literary Studies at the Department of English and Literary Studies, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.
Osigbesan bagged the doctorate degree on Wednesday, 10 May, 2023 following a successful oral defence of his thesis titled, Canon Formation, Marginalisation and Resistance: A Study of Kolawole Ogungbesan at ABU, Zaria (1969-1979).
The 470-paged thesis was supervised by a panel of three senior professors in the Department of English and Literary Studies, ABU. They are a former Deputy Vice Chancellor at the Gombe State University, Prof. Sani Abba Aliyu, who chaired the Supervisory Committee; immediate past Dean, Faculty of Arts, ABU, Prof. Abubakar Aliyu Liman and Prof. Ezekiel Solomon Akuso.
External Examiner for the thesis was Prof. Asabe Kabir of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS). Prof Edwin Abah and Dr. Isah Ibrahim, both of the Department of English and Literary Studies, ABU and Prof. A. Balarabe of the Department of African Languages and Cultures were the Internal Examiners for the thesis. Prof. Balarabe was represented by Dr. Ayuba Abubakar from the Department of African Languages and Cultures.
Osigbesan’s research examined the seldom-studied role of the Teacher-Critic in Canon Formation through the historical context and career of Prof. Kolawole Ogungbesa, first Nigerian employed to lecture at the Department of English and Literary Studies, ABU, first Nigerian professor in the Department as well as the first indigenous Head of Department in the Department of English and Literary Studies, ABU.
Ogungbesan, who passed on at just 38, was a colossus of the Department of English and Literary Studies, ABU whose students in the Department included such famous names in African Literature and academia as Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. (Amb.) Iyorwuese Hagher and late Prof. David Ker, all of who served as sources to Osigbesan in the course of researching the thesis.
Prior to taking the Ph.D. at ABU, Osigbesan studied Mass Communication at then Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta (now Moshood Abiola University of Technology). Also, he bagged a BA and MA degree from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), where he studied under such colossi in Literary Studies like Profs. Theo Vincent, A.E Eruvbetine, FBO Akporobaro, Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo, Karen King-Aribisala, Hope Eghagha, the late Dr. Ebenezer Babalola, as well as Prof. (Mrs.) Ogungbesan, Dr. Balashova and Mrs. Zoya Nikolaevna Ogundowole.
Osigbesan dedicated the thesis to the Glory of God and the memories of all members of the Osigbesan Family of Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State who had passed on – including his own father, Pa. Saliu Osibayo Osigbesan, who died on 12 May, 1983 and whose 40-year anniversary comes up in two days’ time.
