President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned Professor Idowu Akanbi Sobowale, eminent mass communication scholar, journalist and former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, who died at the age of 85….
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has mourned Professor Idowu Akanbi Sobowale, eminent mass communication scholar, journalist and former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, who died at the age of 85.
Tinubu described Sobowale’s death as a major loss to Nigeria, particularly the academic community, the media profession and the generations of students whose lives and careers he influenced through teaching, scholarship and mentorship.
The President also commiserated with the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) over the death of its Board of Trustees Chairman.
He acknowledged Sobowale’s contributions to mass communication education and his lasting influence on journalism and media studies in Nigeria.
“Professor Sobowale was committed to intellectual excellence, professional ethics, and the training of young Nigerians. His life’s work helped strengthen the foundations of media education and professional journalism in the country,” Tinubu said.
The President recalled Sobowale’s emphasis on empirical evidence in journalism, noting that he led the first nationwide opinion poll to predict the outcome of the 1979 elections.
“ As a journalism educator, he emphasised empirical evidence over opinion. It was therefore no surprise that he led the first nationwide opinion poll to predict the outcome of the 1979 elections,” he said.
Tinubu also recalled Sobowale’s service in Lagos State, where he served as Special Adviser before becoming Commissioner for Education.
“He served my administration in Lagos State as special adviser and later education commissioner, performing creditably well in both roles,” the President said.
He condoled with Sobowale’s family, colleagues, former students and the wider academic and media communities, urging them to draw comfort from his legacy.
“May his soul rest in perfect peace,” Tinubu said.