Samuel Segun Osoba, the Marxist historian and activist known for reshaping African historiography, died at his home in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, in the early hours of Thursday. He was 92 years old. Born on 9 January 1935, Osoba was a long-serving academic at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), where he taught from 1967 to 1991. His scholarly work centred on class and socioeconomic analysis, challenging dominant narratives that focused on individual "great men" in African history.
Osoba's intellectual foundation was shaped by his education at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, University College Ibadan, and Moscow State University in the former Soviet Union, where his Marxist orientation crystallised. This worldview guided his activism and scholarship, positioning him as a leading figure in Nigeria's Left movement. He mentored generations of students and intellectuals committed to using education as a tool against capitalism and neocolonialism.
Despite his academic stature, Osoba declined the award of a professorship, a decision reflecting his critique of institutional corruption within the university system. He was actively involved in constitutional reform, serving on the 1977 Constituent Assembly and the 1979 Constitution Drafting Committee. Alongside historian Yusufu Bala Usman, he co-authored the Minority Report and Draft Constitution during those engagements.
Osoba is survived by his children. His family will announce funeral arrangements at a later date.
Osoba rejected a professorship despite decades of academic leadership, exposing a tension between institutional recognition and ideological integrity. His life's work challenged elite narratives in history and education, yet the system he critiqued continues to honour figures on its own terms. Nigerian scholars who follow his path must navigate the same contradiction: excel within institutions they believe are fundamentally compromised. The refusal of the title remains a quiet rebuke to academic and political establishments that co-opt dissent without changing.
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