Speeches

D.O. Fagunwa Third Memorial Lecture

Dec 7, 2009 - Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that one of the hallmarks of a genius is the power to inspire and strike responsive cords in the hearts of generations through the ages with his/her works. It may localize itself in a place and in a name, but the message and spirit is global. Mr. Daniel Olurunfunmi Fagunwa belongs to this world of global thinkers who use language to express ideas and convey important messages to inspire those who come in contact with their works.

It is my pleasure to join you all in celebrating this literary genius, I believe that our gathering here today on this occasion of this 3rd D.O. Fagunwa memorial lecture organized to perpetuate his works is on purpose. It is indeed coincidental. Lately, there has been renewed call for the use of indigenous languages not only as a form of expression but in transmitting knowledge in our schools in Africa. Some Houses of Assemblies in the country, including Lagos State have been toying with the idea. A foremost African novelist from Kenya, Professor Ngugi Wa’ Thiongo has formally taken up his decade long campaign by writing novels in Kikuyi, his native tongue. Our own Professor Babs Fafunwa, internationally-acclaimed educationist, has been in the forefront of this campaign. What is more? The National Policy on Education makes the use of indigenous languages mandatory in our schools.

As the first recorded African to write novels in an indigenous language, Fagunwa blazed the trail and set the trend others have followed. That is genius. An educationist himself who founded schools, taught in colleges in Owo, Lagos and Benin-City before becoming a Senior Education Officer in the Western Region Ministry of Education, Fagunwa practised what he preached. Given its intrinsic value in assisting people to comprehend and understand basic concepts of nature and their surroundings and thereby apply them for development purposes, language enables people to function properly and creatively and contribute to civilization. And when used in the business of literary creativity it becomes a vehicle from transmitting and preserving a people’s culture as embodied in Fagunwa’s works.

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, my brief remarks cannot sufficiently exhaust the virtues, creativity and literary prowess of this great literary icon of all time. Little wonder then that some of his original novels in Yoruba have now been translated into English for the benefit of a large audience across the world. May be if he had lived longer and produced more, we would have been celebrating another special Nobel Laureate in Literature. Unarguably, D.O. Fagunwa captures and projects Yoruba philosophy, world view and cultural heritage in his novels. He preaches the virtues of courage, love and family values through his heros and heroines. Literature then became a tool for moral reawakening, social justice and compassion for others. These are issues that are timeless and universal, and they are what make the kind of people that can build a great nation.

Let me stop here and allow the guest lecturer, the erudite Professor of linguistics at the University of Ado-Ekiti, Bisi Ogunsina to do justice to the topic: Yoruba Philosophy in The Novels of D.O. Fagunwa: Implications for Indigenous Language Teaching In Nigeria, which I believe promises to be intellectually stimulating and informative. I crave the indulgence of the audience to be attentive, particularly for those of us who may be encountering Fagunwa for the first time through this discourse.

But before I conclude, let me commend the 10- man Board of Trustees of the D.O Fagunwa Foundation under the Chairperson of Mrs. Ibukun Sijuola, nee Fagunwa for their efforts to foster the use of indigenous Yoruba language and literature and culture in our schools, particularly in the South-West geo-political zone through Fagunwa’s inspiring books. This is indeed patriotic! You are not only immortalizing Fagunwa but also contributing to the development and growth of the country through the perpetuation of literature that educate, inspires and entertains.

The Lagos State government is pleased to be associated with this project and would be willing to give any form of assistance when asked.

Once again, I thank you for inviting me to this occasion and wish you all happy deliberations.

I thank you for listening and God bless you.

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN
GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE