Three (3) Dons of the University of Lagos were celebrated by the University Senate at its meeting held on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, ahead of their retirement from active government service in March, 2025.
They are: Professor Gregory Osas Simire (Department of European & Integration Studies); Professor Catherine Oyenike Oke (Department of Science Education) and Professor Ndukaeze Nwabueze (Department of Sociology).
In her remarks, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Folasade Ogunsola, OON, FAS, congratulated the trio for their illustrious service to the university and contributions to the body of knowledge. Prof. Ogunsola, on behalf of management, staff and students, wished them well and prayed that they would enjoy the fruits of their labour in good health.
In their separate responses, Professors Simire, Oke and Nwabueze traced their professional journey as academics, and offered recommendations for the advancement of tertiary education. They also expressed gratitude to their families and friends as well as the University Senate and community for the opportunity to serve and contribute their quota to the development of Education in Nigeria.
Professor Gregory Osas Simire was born on March 21, 1955 in Benin City, Edo State. He attended Arinze Primary School, Benin City; Immaculate Conception College, Benin City; College of Education, Abraka (now Delta State University, DELSU) and University of lbadan where he obtained the Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in French.
He won the French Government Scholarships on several occasions and attended ‘’Université de Montpeillier 2, Montpeillier, Université de Grenoble 2, Grenoble as well as the Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Nice’’ (France) obtaining in quick succession, the Higher Diploma in the Pedagogy of French, B. A (Hons) in Linguistics, B.A (Hons) in Applied Linguistics, Masters in Sociolinguistics, MPhil. in African Linguistics and Ph.D. in Linguistics/Sociolinguistics. Thereafter, he was recruited as a Lecturer 1 in 1997 at the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos State; where he rose to the position of a Senior Lecturer in 2000.
In 2010, Professor Simire transferred his services to the University of Lagos, as an Associate Professor in the Department of European Languages & Integration Studies, and was appointed a Professor of French with specialization in Applied Linguistics in 2012. He was appointed the Head of Department, European Languages & Integration Studies from August 1, 2017 to July 31, 2020.
Professor Simire is happily married to Dr. Alice Bamidele Simire, an Associate Professor in the Department of Arts and Social Sciences, Faculty of Education, UNILAG and their union is blessed with a daughter.
Professor Catherine Oyenike Oke was born in Abeokuta, Ogun State on March 25, 1955. She started her primary education in Abeokuta and later proceeded to Baptist High School, Iwo, Osun State between 1965 and 1969 where she sat for the West African School Certificate Examination in December 1969 and came out in flying colours.
In June 1981, she obtained her first degree in Education Biology (2nd Class Upper) and a Master’s Degree (M.Ed.) in Curriculum Studies (Science Education Biology) in November 1983 from UNILAG. Her academic accomplishments came to a peak with a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies (Science Education Biology) in July 1999.
She started her lecturing career at the Lagos State College of Education (LACOED), later Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and now Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Ijanikin, Lagos State. At Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, she rose to become a Chief Lecturer, Head of Department, Dean, School of Education before joining the services of University of Lagos on September 23, 2004. She was appointed Lecturer I in 2004, Senior Lecturer in April 2009, Associate Professor in October 29, 2015 and became a Professor in October 2019.
Professor Catharine Oyenike Oke is married and blessed with three children.
Professor Ndukaeze Nwabueze was born on March 26, 1955. He began his early education in St. Joseph Catholic School, Akumazi-Umuocha making his First School Leaving Certificate with Distinction in 1967. He gained admission into St. Pius Grammar School, Onicha-Ugbo in the Mid-West Region, now in Delta State. In 1973 he was admitted into Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha, now in Osun State for the two-year Higher School Certificate (HSC) programme, Arts option.
He gained admission into the University of Ibadan in 1975 to study Sociology and graduated in 1978 with Second Class Upper Division. He had his M.Sc. Sociology in 1980/1981 academic session as well as Second Class Upper Division in the LL.B. degree in 1997 both at the University of Lagos. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1999.
In December 1979, Professor Nwabueze secured appointment as Social Development Officer II in the Federal Ministry of Social Development, Youth, Sport and Culture, Victoria Island, Lagos. He was on that job for a little over a year when late Professor Olatunde Oloko invited him to take the position of Graduate Assistant in the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos. On completion of the M.Sc. programme he was appointed Lecturer Grade II in 1983 and rose through the rank to become a Professor of Sociology in 2017 and inducted Fellow of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Practitioners Association in 2002. He has served as Ag. Head, Department of Sociology from 1999 to 2001, and 2013 to 2015.
He has co-edited 4 books, published over 45 peer reviewed journal articles and chapters in books at home and abroad. He has presented papers in over 20 Conferences, Workshops and Expert Round Tables in Nigeria, in Maynooth, Republic of Ireland, Kwaluseni in Eswatini (formally Swaziland), in Lisbon, Portugal, and in Legon, Ghana.
Professor Ndukaeze Nwabueze is a family man with children.
