Kunle Adelabu
Prof. Olanrewaju Shitta – Bey, a Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Maryland Global Campus, United States of America (USA), has attributed his doggedness which has seen him navigated the turbulence of life, to his late mother, Mrs Shakirat Enifeni, whom he said that he inherited the trait from.
The former lecturer of Philosophy, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo campus, also stated that the impacts of his late mother on his life and that of others inspired the establishment of Shakirat Enifeni Foundation, named after her and aimed at assisting young people to realise their dreams, as well as supporting others in the society.
Shitta – Bey spoke with THE IMPACT at an outreach program where the foundation gave out bags containing food items and household wares to elderly people and others in need. The event was held at the Ariya Hotel, Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), Ikorodu, on Thursday, December 29, 2022.
“Shakirat Enifeni Foundation is named after my late mother. The foundation was conceived initially to celebrate her while she was alive, unfortunately, death overtook that and unfortunately, we are now celebrating her after death”, Prof. Shitta – Bey said.
“It’s quite unfortunate for me because I really plan to celebrate her in her lifetime. I am actually not a fan of celebrating people while they are late. When we celebrate them while alive, it makes them also appreciate the fact that we recognize their efforts and contributions to the individual and societal developments.
Speaking on the roles his mother played in his life, Prof. Shitta – Bey said that the doggedness that he inherited from her, has been his strength and the major factor that has made him realise his dream.
“Concerning my mother, one thing l inherited from her is the doggedness that she instilled in me, which she also exhibited to navigate the difficult terrain called life. That doggedness has brought me this far, and earned me what I am today. It is not pride, but the doggedness that my mother instilled in me has made me come this far”, he said in fond memory of his late mother.
“Here I am, a Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, and I didn’t achieve the feat in any Nigerian University, but in the United States, and you know what that means. It’s all about merit, integrity and scholarship.
“To attain such a level considering where I was coming from, you will understand that the foundation is very important because without the foundation, the building will collapse. I am just talking about the impact that my mother had on me, and the foundation that she laid for me and my other siblings. We were all given seeds to decide what to do with them, this is what I chose to do with my own seed that my mother gave me; to attain this height and level in life”, Prof. Shitta – Bey emphasised.
“She gave me such a foundation to build myself upon and here I am today. I am so proud of that foundation and that is why she deserved to be celebrated even more than what we are having now, and I hope to do so moving forward in the name of the foundation”.
Prof. Olanrewaju Shitta – Bey, was confirmed as a full Professor (Philosophy and Humanities) in September 2021, by the University of Maryland Global Campus, United States of America (USA).
He bagged his PhD at University of Ibadan, Department of Philosophy in 2014.
His areas of specializations are Epistemology, Philosophy of Action, Social and Political Philosophy and African/Africana Philosophy.
Until his promotion as a Professor, the university don was an associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Humanities, University of Maryland, USA.
Before his confirmation as a Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Shitta-Bey was an adjunct in the Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences, Howard University and Prince George’s Community College, USA , Faculty and Researcher: Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, Lagos State University.
A 2004 Philosophy graduate of the Lagos State University, Ojo, Shitta-Bey later bagged a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos.
He was an alumni of the premier college in Ikorodu Division, Oriwu College Ikorodu (now, Oriwu Junior and Model Colleges, Ikorodu).
In 2016, he was on a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Programme in the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Uludag University, Bursa – Turkey.
Shitta-Bey has over 16 publications to his credit in reputable local and international journals and has attended well over 14 conferences in Nigeria, Ghana and USA.
He is a Member of the American Philosophical Association, Nigerian Philosophical Association, International Social Ontology Society, Association for Political Theory, Society for German Idealism and Romanticism and Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa.
