Academic Biography
The life, career, and academic journey of Professor Oladiipo Ajiboye
Contact Information
Early Life & Education
Oladiipo Ajiboye was born to the family of Late Mr. James Ajíbóyè and Mrs Abigail Àyánpọnmilé Májóyègbé Ajíbóyè on November 3, 1956, in Alọ́bẹ̀ compound, Ìlálẹ̀, Òkè-ẹ̀rọ́ LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. He obtained his primary education from January 1961 to 1967, and secondary education from 1970 to 1974, and proceeded to Ilorin Teachers College in 1975 to 1976 for a one-year Pivotal Teachers Training course.
In 1978, he went to Kwara State College of Technology for his Cambridge A-level certificate, after which he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics at the University of Ilorin in 1983. In 1989, Ajiboye obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Ilorin and earned his master's degree in Yoruba Language in 1992 at the same university. He travelled to Canada in 1999 for his doctoral degree in Linguistics, which he obtained in 2006 at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Academic Career
Oladiipo Ajiboye started his academic career at the University of Ilorin in May 1995 as an Assistant Lecturer and was promoted to Lecturer II in 1997. Upon completion of his doctoral degree, he was appointed Lecturer I, first at the University of Abuja in 2006, and second at the University of Lagos in 2007. He was appointed an Associate Professor in 2011 due to his exceptional research output and teaching excellence, and finally rose to the position of Professor of Linguistics and Yoruba Language in October 2015.
Academic Positions
1995-1997: Assistant Lecturer, University of Ilorin
1997-2001: Lecturer II, University of Ilorin
2001-2005: Graduate Teaching Assistant, University of British Columbia
2006-2007: Lecturer I, University of Abuja
2007-2010: Lecturer I, University of Lagos
2010-2011: Senior Lecturer, University of Lagos
2011-2015: Associate Professor, University of Lagos
2015-Present: Professor of Linguistics and Yoruba Language, University of Lagos
Research Focus
Oladiipo Ajiboye's research is in the mainstream of theoretical linguistics and African language documentation. His work focuses on:
Syntax-Semantics Interface
Investigating how sentence structure and meaning interact in Yoruba and related West African languages.
Phonology-Syntax Interface
Reflecting on how phonology interacts with syntactic structure in language and their implications for linguistic theory.
Language Documentation
Preserving endangered African languages through comprehensive documentation and analysis.
Academic Leadership
Beyond research and teaching, Professor Ajiboye has served in various leadership roles:
Production Editor: Ihafa: A Journal of African Studies (2010-2012)
Editor: Ihafa: A Journal of African Studies (2012-2014)
Acting Head: Department of Linguistics, African & Asian Studies (2012-2014)
External Examiner: Several Nigerian and international universities
Chairman: Faculty of Arts Language Laboratory (2015-2023)
Head of Department: Department of Linguistics, African & Asian Studies (August 2018-July 2022)
Editor-in-Chief: Láàńgbàsà: Jọ́nà Iṣẹ́ Akadá ní Èdè Yorùbá, University of Lagos (August 2023-Present)
Awards & Honors
• 1980-1981 Kwara State Government Scholarship for Undergraduate degree Program.
• 1981-1982 Kwara State Government Scholarship for Undergraduate degree Program.
• Research Assistantship Fellowship (From SSHRC grant of Rose Marie-Déchaine, Department of Linguistics, Vancouver, Canada,1999-2005).
• Research Assistantship Fellowship (From SSHRC grant of Douglas Pulleyblank, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada).
• Teaching Assistantship Fellowship (Department of Linguistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2003-2005).
• Traveling Grant Fund of #5000 Canadian Dollars, Canadian Government.
• 2009-2010: Fellow, African Humanities Program of the American Council of Learned Societies (AHP/ACLS)
• March 19 to October 2022: Yorùbá Indigenous Advertising: A Socio-linguistics Perspective (with Dr. Abisoye Eleshin), University of Lagos.
• August 11, 2022. Member, Nigerian Academy of Letters
• January 14, 2025. Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Mentorship Award for Successfully Supervising the Best Ph.D. Thesis in Humanities (Ph.D. Yoruba Language) by the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Lagos.
• November 22, 2025. Distinguished Award of Outstanding Achievement, Okeode Grammar School.
• December 13, 2025. Best Lecturer of the Year Award, Institute of Continuing Education, University of Lagos.
Teaching Philosophy
Oladiipo Ajiboye believes in creating an inclusive learning environment where students can interact and discover the beauty of language structure. His teaching emphasizes:
"I strive to show students that linguistic theory is not abstract formalism, but a tool for understanding human cognition and cultural expression, posing the question: what do you know when you know language?"
Personal Life & Community Engagement
I engage in a number of activities which include but are not limited to the following:
I engage in community programs such as fund raising for developmental projects e.g. rehabilitation of roads, provision of pipe borne water, counselling of youths on how to build their careers among others.
I also give support to indigent students to realise their ambition. I equally take delight in other matters, creating a lot of awareness on the cultural heritage of the people.
Specifically, I have been mentoring younger members of my community in participating in initiatives that promote language preservation, especially the speech form of my immediate community.