Choboi Hub empowers UI students as literary icon Femi Osofisan hits 80

In a beautiful demonstration of passing values to the next generation, Choboi Hub celebrated the 80th birthday of Emeritus Professor Femi Osofisan by awarding major tuition grants to final year students.

The milestone event, held in Ibadan, was conceptualized and produced by the Lead of Choboi Hub, Oluwasegun LAFUP Ogundipe, the popular comedian and actor who graduated from the UI Theatre Arts Department.

Determined to institutionalize the legendary playwright’s history of helping less privileged students, Choboi Hub raised funds internally to launch the Choboi Many Colours Award.

The initiative directly supports final year students who maintain a First Class standing or demonstrate outstanding community character.

 The history-making first recipients announced at the event were Ifeoluwa Oluwaniran, Lekan Ogunsuada, Grace Ovu, and Aminat Olanrewaju, who each received a 75 percent tuition fee sponsorship.

The night was a vibrant mix of academic excellence and theatrical celebration. The staff, management, and current theatre students of the University of Ibadan joined secondary school children to stage energetic campus gyrations and performance excerpts from Osofisan’s plays.

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 The peak of the artistic showcases was a riveting performance of Medeeya, delivered by a stellar cast and crew under the direction of Dr Tunde Awosanmi, following an earlier showcase of Who Tiff Monalisa? directed by Debola Ogunsina at the Odunlade Centre.

To inspire the younger generation, awards inspired by Osofisan’s plays were given to distinguished alumni thriving in the creative sector, such as Thomas Odia (TV director, The Johnsons), Olanike Bennet Onimisi (UI Lecturer), Yemi Adebo (UI Tech Director), Jeje Ibukun (Radio Station Manager), and Folake Owolabi (Pan Atlantic University).

The organizing team behind the seamless event included LOC members Olanike Bennet Onimisi, Folakemi Owolabi, Thomas Odia, Basirat Jinadu, Michael Odejimi, Alawonle Akanbi, Biodun Akinshiku, and others. Dr Monsuru Olajide served as the Master of Ceremonies, with Femi Sofowora steering the production team.

Odia Thomas closed the evening by thanking Professor Mrs Osofisan for being the steady hand keeping the celebrant stable to guide generations of students, while extending appreciation to UK-based Dr Jide Adeyemi and key funder Tuke Ọ̀ṣínáìkè and the entire University of Ibadan Theatre Alumni.

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