Associates of radical historian Samuel Olusegun Osoba convene to define his legacy

Friends and colleagues of the late Samuel Olusegun Osoba, a prominent Nigerian social historian, gathered to commemorate his intellectual legacy after his passing at the age of 92. Osoba, known for his critical approach to history, died in his home in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

Osoba was celebrated as a radical academic who challenged conventional historical narratives. He eschewed the study of "great men" and instead focused on the dynamics of class struggle and the impact of colonial extraction on Nigerian society. His work emphasized the ongoing conflict between the laboring populace and the political and economic elite.

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Osoba was a foremost patriot, social historian, committed socialist, exemplary teacher, and humanist.

His former comrades and admirers, including Professor Toye Olorode and political scientist Jibrin Ibrahim, lauded Osoba's unwavering commitment to his socialist principles. Ibrahim specifically pointed to Osoba's essays, such as "Ideological Trends in the Nigerian National Liberation Movement" and "The Nigerian Power Elite, 1952–65," as essential reading for understanding Nigeria's post-independence political economy. They noted his dedication to intellectual rigor and public purpose, contrasting it with a pursuit of personal status.

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Mr Osoba belonged to a generation that measured itself by conviction rather than by what it accumulated, and worried openly that Nigeria is running short of young intellectuals cut from the same cloth.