Pioneer vice-chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria, Prof. Gabriel Jimoh Afolabi Ojo, has passed on at the age of 90.
According to a statement, the pioneer VC transited in his sleep on the afternoon of August 30, 2020 at his Ikeja residence in Lagos State.
The brains behind distance learning in Nigeria, Prof. Ojo was a teacher all his life and authored over 140 books and academic articles.
He was Chairman, Presidential Planning Committee on the Open University System in Nigeria (1980-81) and was then appointed as pioneer Vice Chancellor of the National Open University (1981-1984).
Away from academics, Ojo was an active member of the Catholic Church, as well as the local communities in Ado-Ekiti (Ekiti State), Ife (Osun State) and Lagos.
He held the traditional chieftaincy titles of Asiwaju of Ado-Ekiti, Balogun of Imesi-Ekiti and Otun Maye of Ile-Ife.
Ojo was the foundation National Secretary of the Catholic Laity Council of Nigeria from 1973 to 1981.
He later became the National President of the Laity Council from 1986-1994, and, thereafter, a National Life Patron from 1995.
Ojo was also a foundation member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity in the Vatican from 1983, a post he occupied for seven years.
He later became Chairman of the Provisional Governing Council of the Catholic University of Nigeria, Abuja from 2005 to 2008, and served the Catholic Church in Nigeria in various capacities, especially as author of several religious publications.
