Grace Akanbi
Dr. Grace Oluremilekun Akanbi was born into the Arowolo family of Ode-Omu in Osun State, Nigeria.
She had her elementary education in the African Church Primary School, Ode-Omu between January 1966 and December 1971 and her Secondary Modern education in the same town between January 1972 and June 1974. She then proceeded to the United Missionary College (UMC), Ibadan where she had her Grade II Teachers’ Certificate in 1978.
She attended Oyo State College of Education, Ila-Orangun (now Osun State) between 1980 and 1983 for her National Certificate in Education (NCE) where she won a prize as the student with outstanding overall academic performance in the final N.C.E examination. As a result of this, she was admitted to the University of Ilorin for a two-year degree programme between 1985 and 1987. She obtained her Master’s degree in History and Policy of Education in 1994 and defended her Ph.D., also in History and Policy, on November 25, 1999, from the same university.
In London, on July 24, 2014, Dr. Akanbi won a keenly contested election, clinching one of the two vacant seats to become an Executive Member of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE).
Recognitions
- Award of School of Arts Prize – Student with outstanding overall academic performance in the final N.C.E. (Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun, 1983).
- Certificate of Merit in Academic Staff Unionism Awarded by COEASU, St. Andrew’s College of Education, Oyo – March 1996.
- Letter of commendation from the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education Management for painstaking efforts and the good job done as a member of the Investigation Panel on the involvement of some College Staff in the premature release of some students’ results, June 2008.
- Fellow, History of Education Society of Nigeria (HOESON), December, 2009.
- Award of Excellence in recognition of service and contribution to human and national development by Women in Colleges of Education (WICE). November 9, 2011.
- Award in recognition of contributions to the International Standing Conference for the History of Education (ISCHE), July 20, 2017.
- Justice of Peace (JP) of Oyo State, May 2019
Distinguished Lecture
Other Useful Information
- Member, ISCHE 2015 Academic Board, Istanbul University, Turkey
- Member, ISCHE 2016 Scientific Committee, Loyola University, Chicago, USA
- Member, ISCHE 2017 Scientific Committee, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Member, Scientific Committee, International congress on Transfer, Transnationalization and Transformation of Education Policies (1945-2018), University of Laguna, Spain
Here are my thoughts on academic and contemporary issues affecting Nigeria and the world as a whole.
Undoubtedly, you came in at the peak of the process of re-engineering the DLC and you were a perfect fit. It is no doubt that you have made an indelible impact in all aspects of our activities during your stay and to me, you are a role model in all ways. Your comportment, passion, commitment, dedication, and more importantly, your high sense of duty, attendance, and level of participation in all our activities in Ibadan and Lagos especially during interactive sessions and examinations; at meetings and in the Editorial unit (including your leadership up to the last minute on the production of the Handbook) are uncommon especially from a scholar on sabbatical. To me you were a strong and towering pillar in all ways and a rare benefit to DLC and the University.
