For ‘Sade Ogunbiyi at 80, Let’s Dance at the Square

The article paints a vivid picture of a vibrant evening at Yemi Ogunbiyi's residence in Ife, Nigeria, where pulsating calypso music filled the air and the aroma of fine food and wine created an atmosphere of opulent release from academic rigor. The gathering defied the usual spartan modesty of university life, reflecting Ogunbiyi's free spirit and his ability to bridge the worlds of academia and public affairs.

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The atmosphere defied the austere and often suffocating spartan modesty of a typical academic environment. But Yemi was a free spirit. Free always to mingle town and gown without missing the essence of his cardinal mission as a scholar.

Ogunbiyi had invited colleagues and friends to honor two sets of guests: a friend, Yemi Adefulu, who had been appointed a commissioner in Ogun state, and a select group of prominent Lagos media figures, including the late Dele Giwa. The presence of luminaries like Stanley Macebuh and members of the Newswatch collective contributed to an electric atmosphere, with fine cognac and Cuban cigars readily available.

For the academics, accustomed to the "monastic contentment" of campus life, such occasions were a rare and refreshing escape. Meeting and mingling with opinion leaders from the high-stakes world of journalism offered a stimulating departure from the humdrum of research and seminars. Ife, in the 1980s, was described as a cocoon of intellectuals, while Lagos was the hub of military rule and the burgeoning "new journalism."

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For those of us literally jailed in the secluded intellectual aloofness of campus life, occasions such as this were a refreshing rarity, an escape to exhale from the boring embrace of ideas.

The piece touches upon the pioneering figures of this "new journalism," such as Stanley Macebuh, Patrick Dele Cole, Dele Giwa, and Doyin Abiola, who were infiltrating the intellectual and literary circles. However, the university at Ife, founded on the principle of free flow of ideas, fostered a generous infusion of "scholars of the world" among younger lecturers. Ultimately, the true stars of the evening were Yemi Ogunbiyi and his wife, Sade, who brought a spark of life and animated their humdrum academic existence.

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The new journalism was pioneered by the likes of Stanley Macebuh, Patrick Dele Cole, Dele Giwa, Doyin Abiola and a few others.