Alexander Babatunde Akinyele
Encyclopedia
Alexander Babatunde Akinyele, CBE
(September 5, 1875 – October 1, 1968) was the first Anglican Diocesan Bishop
of Ibadan
, Nigeria. He was the first indigene of Ibadan to obtain a university degree, and the founder of the first secondary school
in Ibadan.
and herbalist
of repute in the years of Ibadan militocracy, had Josiah Akinyele as his first son. Josiah was one of the early converts under the auspices of David Hinderer, the German
leader of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and his team of six missionaries that first brought Christianity
to Ibadan in 1851. Josiah Akinyele took Abigail Lapeno, the daughter of Kukomi, another powerful Ibadan pagan warrior, who also was converted to Christianity through Hinderer; as his second wife in 1870. She gave birth to her first son; Alexander Babatunde Akinyele. He had four siblings, but only one of them compared to him favorably in eminence and prominence; Isaac Babalola Akinyele
. Between the brothers, they bestrode the environment of Ibadan
in the fields of education
, religion, social
responsibility and politics
, each like a colossus as from the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
, was still in vogue in Ibadan, therefore the fear of child kidnapping and ritual murders pervaded the social atmosphere. Given the stated scenario, the few school boys of the time were led to school by warriors. In Alexander's case, the leader of his security
escort was a warrior called Babamboni; who always carried the future bishop on his shoulders, for safety to school. He attended St. Peter’s school Ibadan around 1880, and later completed his primary school education at Abobade school, Aroloya Lagos
. He graduated first in his class, and was admitted the following year to the famous CMS Grammar School
in Lagos, founded by the Church Missionary Society.
The Bishop would recall in later life how he was jeered, taunted and ridiculed by his schoolmates in Lagos as “that boy with tribal marks”. He then left to attend St. Andrews College, Oyo
for teacher training. Subsequently, he became a teacher, and combined teaching with the duties of a catechist, organist
and choirmaster. Bishop Tugwell in his Episcopal visit to Abeokuta
in 1903, was so impressed with Alexander Akinyele’s expertise as the organist at a church in Ake, particularly his flawless rendition of the visiting European Bishop’s favorite hymn
; that he ordered Alexander to sit for the entrance examination to Fourah Bay College
, Sierra Leone
. He entered the college on January 25, 1904. In 1906 he was awarded Licentiate in Theology
(LTh), and later he obtained his Bachelor of Arts
(Dunelm
) in 1912, thus becoming the first Ibadan indigene to obtain a University degree.
, and posted to Ibadan as an assistant priest
. He got married to Miss Marian Davies on January 12, 1911, and together had four children. He put pressure on the Church Missionary Society to establish a grammar school
in Ibadan, consequently on March 31, 1913, Ibadan Grammar School was established; with Alexander Akinyele, as its first principal. During his administration of the school, a tenure that spanned twenty years (1913 – 1933), he employed a non-discriminatory admission policy, and catered for all sections of Nigeria south of the Niger
and Benue rivers. Alexander Akinyele became a Canon
on May 17, 1931, and was consecrated as Assistant Bishop on July 25, 1933 at a solemn ceremony at Lambeth Palace
Chapel, London
. On March 24, 1952 at St. James Cathedral
Church Ibadan, at the age of 77; he was enthroned
as the first Bishop
of the new Diocese
of Ibadan. It was a crowning glory to a life of dedicated service to God. Because of his inestimable contribution to the progress and development of Ibadan, he was honored with the Chieftaincy title of “Are of Ibadanland".
His younger brother HRH Isaac Babalola Akinyele
later ascended the throne
of Ibadan, becoming the first educated Olubadan
of Ibadan. They both passionately loved Ibadan. In 1949, Alexander Akinyele was conferred with the honor of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the British Colonial
Government. The Bishop who lived a life of purity and uprightness enjoined all Christians - as in his famous sermon delivered on February 12, 1956, when HM
Queen Elizabeth II
on state visit
to Nigeria; worshiped at St. James Cathedral, Oke bola, Ibadan - to use their eyes, heads, hands, voices and hearts for uplifting Jesus Christ. Alexander Babalola Akinyele was later called to join the Church triumphant in 1968 at the ripe age of 92.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(September 5, 1875 – October 1, 1968) was the first Anglican Diocesan Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
, Nigeria. He was the first indigene of Ibadan to obtain a university degree, and the founder of the first secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Ibadan.
Early beginnings
Bolude, a pagan Ibadan warriorWarrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
and herbalist
Herbalist
An herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
of repute in the years of Ibadan militocracy, had Josiah Akinyele as his first son. Josiah was one of the early converts under the auspices of David Hinderer, the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
leader of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) and his team of six missionaries that first brought Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
to Ibadan in 1851. Josiah Akinyele took Abigail Lapeno, the daughter of Kukomi, another powerful Ibadan pagan warrior, who also was converted to Christianity through Hinderer; as his second wife in 1870. She gave birth to her first son; Alexander Babatunde Akinyele. He had four siblings, but only one of them compared to him favorably in eminence and prominence; Isaac Babalola Akinyele
Isaac Babalola Akinyele
Isaac Babalola Akinyele, OBE, KBE was the first educated Olubadan of Ibadan, and the second Christian to ascend the throne.-Family:...
. Between the brothers, they bestrode the environment of Ibadan
Ibadan
Ibadan is the capital city of Oyo State and the third largest metropolitan area in Nigeria, after Lagos and Kano, with a population of 1,338,659 according to the 2006 census. Ibadan is also the largest metropolitan geographical area...
in the fields of education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, religion, social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
responsibility and politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, each like a colossus as from the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Education
Since Alexander Akinyele was born during the height of Ibadan military exploits, to be sent to school in those days in Ibadan was merely to please the European missionaries and it was often a perilous endeavor. It was a period when slavery, though officially outlawed by the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, was still in vogue in Ibadan, therefore the fear of child kidnapping and ritual murders pervaded the social atmosphere. Given the stated scenario, the few school boys of the time were led to school by warriors. In Alexander's case, the leader of his security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
escort was a warrior called Babamboni; who always carried the future bishop on his shoulders, for safety to school. He attended St. Peter’s school Ibadan around 1880, and later completed his primary school education at Abobade school, Aroloya Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
. He graduated first in his class, and was admitted the following year to the famous CMS Grammar School
CMS Grammar School, Lagos
The CMS Grammar School in the Bariga district of Lagos is the oldest secondary school in Nigeria, founded on 6 June 1859 by the Church Missionary Society...
in Lagos, founded by the Church Missionary Society.
The Bishop would recall in later life how he was jeered, taunted and ridiculed by his schoolmates in Lagos as “that boy with tribal marks”. He then left to attend St. Andrews College, Oyo
Oyo, Nigeria
Oyo is a city in Oyo State, Nigeria, founded as the capital of the Oyo Kingdom in the 1830s and known to its people as 'New Oyo' to distinguish it from the former capital to the north, 'Old Oyo' ) which had been deserted as a result of rumors of war. Its inhabitants are mostly of the Yoruba people...
for teacher training. Subsequently, he became a teacher, and combined teaching with the duties of a catechist, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
and choirmaster. Bishop Tugwell in his Episcopal visit to Abeokuta
Abeokuta
Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria and is situated at , on the Ogun River; 64 miles north of Lagos by railway, or 81 miles by water. As of 2005, Abeokuta and the surrounding area had a population of 593,140....
in 1903, was so impressed with Alexander Akinyele’s expertise as the organist at a church in Ake, particularly his flawless rendition of the visiting European Bishop’s favorite hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
; that he ordered Alexander to sit for the entrance examination to Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College
Fourah Bay College is the oldest university college in West Africa. It is located atop Mount Aureol in Freetown, Sierra Leone...
, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. He entered the college on January 25, 1904. In 1906 he was awarded Licentiate in Theology
Licentiate in Theology
The Licentiate of Theology or the Licence in Theology is a theological qualification commonly awarded for ordinands and laymen studying theology in the United Kingdom, Malta, Canada, Australia and New Zealand...
(LTh), and later he obtained his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(Dunelm
Dunelm
Dunelm is an abbreviation of the Latin word Dunelmensis. It is also the name of various things.Dunelm or dunelm may refer to:* The post-nominal abbreviation for Dunelmensis , indicating a degree awarded by the University of Durham...
) in 1912, thus becoming the first Ibadan indigene to obtain a University degree.
Pastoral work
On June 6, 1909, he was ordained a DeaconDeacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
, and posted to Ibadan as an assistant priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
. He got married to Miss Marian Davies on January 12, 1911, and together had four children. He put pressure on the Church Missionary Society to establish a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Ibadan, consequently on March 31, 1913, Ibadan Grammar School was established; with Alexander Akinyele, as its first principal. During his administration of the school, a tenure that spanned twenty years (1913 – 1933), he employed a non-discriminatory admission policy, and catered for all sections of Nigeria south of the Niger
Niger River
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about . Its drainage basin is in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea...
and Benue rivers. Alexander Akinyele became a Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
on May 17, 1931, and was consecrated as Assistant Bishop on July 25, 1933 at a solemn ceremony at Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace is the official London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury in England. It is located in Lambeth, on the south bank of the River Thames a short distance upstream of the Palace of Westminster on the opposite shore. It was acquired by the archbishopric around 1200...
Chapel, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On March 24, 1952 at St. James Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
Church Ibadan, at the age of 77; he was enthroned
Enthroned
Enthroned is a black metal band formed in Charleroi in 1993 by Cernunnos. He soon recruited guitarist Tsebaoth and a vocalist from grindcore/black metal band Hecate who stayed until the end of December 1993. Then bassist/vocalist Sabathan joined. The band released a 5-track demo tape in mid-1994...
as the first Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the new Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Ibadan. It was a crowning glory to a life of dedicated service to God. Because of his inestimable contribution to the progress and development of Ibadan, he was honored with the Chieftaincy title of “Are of Ibadanland".
His younger brother HRH Isaac Babalola Akinyele
Isaac Babalola Akinyele
Isaac Babalola Akinyele, OBE, KBE was the first educated Olubadan of Ibadan, and the second Christian to ascend the throne.-Family:...
later ascended the throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
of Ibadan, becoming the first educated Olubadan
Olubadan
The Olubadan is the royal title of the king of Ibadan land in Nigeria, now a largely symbolic role. Ibadan was founded in the 16th century, but the present Yoruba people only took control around 1820...
of Ibadan. They both passionately loved Ibadan. In 1949, Alexander Akinyele was conferred with the honor of Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by the British Colonial
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
Government. The Bishop who lived a life of purity and uprightness enjoined all Christians - as in his famous sermon delivered on February 12, 1956, when HM
HM
HM may refer to:* HM , a Christian hard rock magazine* HM , pseudonym of Henry Molaison, a man with anterograde amnesia* HM, the IATA airline code for Air Seychelles...
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
on state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to Nigeria; worshiped at St. James Cathedral, Oke bola, Ibadan - to use their eyes, heads, hands, voices and hearts for uplifting Jesus Christ. Alexander Babalola Akinyele was later called to join the Church triumphant in 1968 at the ripe age of 92.
Old Student
- Mr Adekiite Adewunmi-Abobade: (1998-2004) Currently at the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom studying Business Studies