Akin Mabogunje

Akinlawon Ladipo "Akin" Mabogunje is a Nigerian geographer.[1] He was the first African president of the International Geographical Union.[2] In 1999, he was the first African to be elected as a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences.[3] In 2017, he was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[4] and received the Vautrin Lud Prize.[5]

Akin Mabogunje.
Akin Mabogunje receiving the Vautrin Lud Prize in 2017.

In 1968, Mabogunje wrote Urbanization in Nigeria, about urbanization and state formation. In the book, Mabogunje argued that the existence of specialists is not sufficient to cause urbanization. Mabogunje describes three "limiting conditions" which are additionally required: a surplus of food production, a small group of powerful people to control the surplus and maintain peace, and a class of traders or merchants who can provide materials to the specialists.[1] He is the Chairman of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy and mentor to its founder Tunji Olaopa.[6]

Early life and education

Mabogunje was born in 1931 in Kano and lived in Sabongari during his primary school years. He then attended Mapo Central School for one year before passing the entrance examination for Ibadan Grammar School. He won the Egbe Omo Oduduwa scholarship to study at the University College, Ibadan, now University of Ibadan, where he later worked as a lecturer.[7]


Awards and recognition
  • He was African president of the International Geographical Union.
  • In 1999, he was the first African to be elected as a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences.
  • In 1968, Mabogunje wrote Urbanization in Nigeria, about urbanization and state formation.
  • In 2017 he received the Vautrin Lud prize.
  • He was the Chairman of Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy
  • He was a member of the Western Nigerian Economic Advisory Council (1967-71);
  • Member, Federal Public Service Review Commission (1972-74);
  • Consultant, National Census Board (1973-74);
  • Chairman, Nigerian Council for Management Development (1976-79);
  • Consultant, Federal Capital Development Authority (1976-84);
  • Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye (1982-91);
  • Member, Board of Directorate of DFRRI (1986-1993);
  • Member, Board of Trustees Nigerian National Merit Award Endowment Fund (1983-1989) later Chairman of the Fund (1989-94)
  • Executive Chairman of the National Board for Community Banks (1991-94).
  • Member of the Board of Directors, Nigerian Agricultural Products Co. Ltd. (1975-76);
  • Vice-Chairman, Pai Association International (Nig.) (1974-1989);
  • Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors Pi, International Co. Ltd. (1990-date);
  • Chairman, Board of Directors, Fountain Publications (1990-date); Member, Board of Directors, Shonny Investments and Properties Ltd. (1994-date)
  • Chairman Board of Directors, First Interstate Merchant Bank (Nig.) Ltd. (1995-date).


Publications

He has published many book chapters, journal articles, conference papers, solicited papers, technical reports, books and monographs in locally and internationally outlets among which includes:

  • Urbanization in Nigeria
  • The development process: a spatial perspective
  • Regional mobility and resource development in West Africa
  • The state of the earth: contemporary geographic perspectives
  • Yoruba towns : based on a lecture entitled "Problems of a pre-industrial urbanization in West Africa" given before the Philosophical Society on 12 April 1961
  • Shelter provision in developing countries : the influence of standards and criteria
  • Owu in Yoruba history


References
  1. Connah, Graham (1987). African Civilizations: Precolonial cities and states in tropical Africa: an archaeological perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521266661.
  2. "Hallmarks of Labour". hallmarksoflabour.org. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  3. "The Nigeria Academy of Engineering :: promoting excellence in technology and engineering training and practice to ensure the technological growth and economic development of Nigeria". www.nae.org.ng. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
  4. "2017 Fellows and Foreign Honorary Members with their Afflications at the time of the Election". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  5. "Akin Mabogunje awarded this year's Vautrin-Lud Prize". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  6. http://isgpp.com.ng/about-us/
  7. Atoyebi, Olufemi (19 November 2017). "Equating devolution, restructuring with breakup is stupid — Mabogunje". The Punch newspaper. Retrieved 2020-03-07.

Further reading
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