One of the five authors of Nigeria’s National Anthem, Professor Babatunde Ogunnaike, is dead.
He was 65.
Ogunnaike was born on March 26, 1956 and hailed from Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State.
A notable Nigerian educationist and publisher, Gbenro Adegbola confirmed his death to our correspondent.
“Yes. Very sad, . He’d been very ill and sadly passed on Monday. He was my brother’s very good friend and classsmate”, Adegbola said.
Gbenro Adegbola described the late Ogunnaike as one of the five, whose words and phrases were combined to form the anthem.
The others were: John A. Ilechukwu, Eme Etim Akpan, Sota Omoigui, and P.O. Aderibigbe.
Ogunnaike attended the University of Lagos for his bachelor’s degree, graduating with First Class Honours in chemical engineering in 1976.
He furthered his studies and earned an M.Sc. degree in statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a PhD in chemical engineering also from the same University in 1981.
The Nation/Olutola Daramola
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