Fate appeared to have played a fast one on
Bayinah and her father, Dr. Bashir Tijani-
Alawe. While Tijani-Alawe laboured for 20
years to earn his Ph.D, his daughter graduated
at 20 years of age with a First Class honours.
He had planned for his daughter’s convocation
but destiny decided otherwise. Bayinah
narrated what she called an unforgettable twist
of fate in this report to Isioma Madike of New
Telegraph newspaper.
The convocation of the University of Lagos on
Wednesday, January 25, was a day that will
remain in the memory of Bayinah Tijani-Alawe.
She was one of those who received their
certificates on that day. Not only that Bayinah
is beautiful, she is equally brainy.
She shone like a million stars in the
department of Business Administration where
she graduated with First Class honours.
That was what she promised her father, Dr.
Bashir Tijani-Alawe. And she did it in style; at
20 years of age. Tijani-Alawe also graduated
from the same department years back with a
Second Class Upper honours; one of the best
in his class that year.
When Bayinah got admitted into the same
department and university, her father
challenged her to better his result with a First
Class. Bayinah promised and went on to
deliver on the promise.
“That challenge made me to work very hard
because I didn’t want to disappoint a man
that gave me everything I needed to grow up
as a child.
I was happy when he came home on that
fateful day to break the news that I made him
proud. “A friend from the university had called
to congratulate him over my result.
He was so happy and rushed home to
announce to the whole family that I made First
Class. But, that was how far the joy could go.
He left us unceremoniously, unannounced,”
Bayinah sniveled as she narrated the pathetic
story to this reporter.
Perhaps, this may be the reason Bayinah was
sad on her momentous occasion. She said:
“My dad had planned big for the event.
Though, he was not the flamboyant type, but
he wanted to bend his rigid rules on
ceremonials just to show how happy and
proud he was as a father whose daughter
graduated at not only 20 but with a First Class
honours.
He even promised to put on his Ph.D gown to
take a memorable photograph with me. He was
such a lovely and admirable father.
He was, indeed, a dad in a million. He was my
role model. I’ll forever miss him.” The death of
Tijani-Alawe, according to his daughter, was
so sudden.
“No one saw it coming. He was not sick. He
just collapsed and died while eating.” Tijani-
Alawe was born on March 12, 1959, in Ejigbo,
Osun State.
He ventured into academics immediately after
his masters’ degree. His brilliance got him a
job at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Eruwa campus,
as a lecturer.
He left Eruwa for the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.
He was also at City University before joining
Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.
Some of his former students and others who
knew him described Tijani-Alawe as an
epitome of humility both in his thoughts and
appearances.
He never, his schoolboys said, indulged in the
notorious but booming sale of “hand-outs”
because “he saw it as a way to further
impoverish the already famished students.”
Tijani-Alawe was also said to be a religious
person. He knew the holy Quran inside out as
much as he knew the Bible.
“He was a prayer warrior as he did not play
with his solat (five times daily prayer) and
Tadjud (midnight) prayers. He believed that all
powers belong to Almighty Allah.
He did not discriminate based on tribe, religion
or under whatever disguise,” said Abiola
Ayankunbi, who is one of those Tijani-Alawe
mentored.
Tijani-Alawe was a thoroughbred academic.
He was planning to join his alma mata, the
University of Lagos, when he answered the last
call.
He enrolled for his Ph.D at the University of
Lagos more than two decades ago. He was
nearly frustrated out of the programme but
remained committed to the cause he believed
in.
Tijani-Alawe eventually graduated and had his
convocation in June, 2016, but died on Friday,
December 2, of the same year.
That was barely six months after bagging the
Ph.D he laboured so hard to earn and a week
after his daughter, Bayinah, graduated with a
First Class honours in same department and
university. It looked as though fate planned
the academic journey for father and daughter.
Some have termed it an irony of sort. Tijani-
Alawe spent 20 years to obtain his Ph.D and
his daughter, Bayinah, graduated with First
Class honours at the age of 20 years.
He led seminar sessions, facilitated
management lectures to different categories of
managers, and consulted for many companies
in Nigeria. He was the author of three books
and a research fellow of the Industrial Science
Centre (FIS).
Tijani-Alawe was also a member of Nigerian
Institute of Management (MNIM), as well as
an associate member of Certified Institute of
Marketing (ACIM), now National Institute of
Nigeria and a graduate member of the Institute
of Personnel Management (GIPM) of Nigeria.
He had 25 learned journal articles, four
research monographs and over 40 conference
papers to his credit. He also served on the
Research Board of Advisors of the America
Biographical Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina,
USA.
Tijani-Alawe main research interest was in the
area of African Business Philosophy, Strategy
and Entrepreneurship.
Fate appeared to have played a fast one on
Bayinah and her father, Dr. Bashir Tijani-
Alawe. While Tijani-Alawe laboured for 20
years to earn his Ph.D, his daughter graduated
at 20 years of age with a First Class honours.
He had planned for his daughter’s convocation
but destiny decided otherwise. Bayinah
narrated what she called an unforgettable twist
of fate in this report to Isioma Madike of New
Telegraph newspaper.
The convocation of the University of Lagos on
Wednesday, January 25, was a day that will
remain in the memory of Bayinah Tijani-Alawe.
She was one of those who received their
certificates on that day. Not only that Bayinah
is beautiful, she is equally brainy.
She shone like a million stars in the
department of Business Administration where
she graduated with First Class honours.
That was what she promised her father, Dr.
Bashir Tijani-Alawe. And she did it in style; at
20 years of age. Tijani-Alawe also graduated
from the same department years back with a
Second Class Upper honours; one of the best
in his class that year.
When Bayinah got admitted into the same
department and university, her father
challenged her to better his result with a First
Class. Bayinah promised and went on to
deliver on the promise.
“That challenge made me to work very hard
because I didn’t want to disappoint a man
that gave me everything I needed to grow up
as a child.
I was happy when he came home on that
fateful day to break the news that I made him
proud. “A friend from the university had called
to congratulate him over my result.
He was so happy and rushed home to
announce to the whole family that I made First
Class. But, that was how far the joy could go.
He left us unceremoniously, unannounced,”
Bayinah sniveled as she narrated the pathetic
story to this reporter.
Perhaps, this may be the reason Bayinah was
sad on her momentous occasion. She said:
“My dad had planned big for the event.
Though, he was not the flamboyant type, but
he wanted to bend his rigid rules on
ceremonials just to show how happy and
proud he was as a father whose daughter
graduated at not only 20 but with a First Class
honours.
He even promised to put on his Ph.D gown to
take a memorable photograph with me. He was
such a lovely and admirable father.
He was, indeed, a dad in a million. He was my
role model. I’ll forever miss him.” The death of
Tijani-Alawe, according to his daughter, was
so sudden.
“No one saw it coming. He was not sick. He
just collapsed and died while eating.” Tijani-
Alawe was born on March 12, 1959, in Ejigbo,
Osun State.
He ventured into academics immediately after
his masters’ degree. His brilliance got him a
job at The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Eruwa campus,
as a lecturer.
He left Eruwa for the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro.
He was also at City University before joining
Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.
Some of his former students and others who
knew him described Tijani-Alawe as an
epitome of humility both in his thoughts and
appearances.
He never, his schoolboys said, indulged in the
notorious but booming sale of “hand-outs”
because “he saw it as a way to further
impoverish the already famished students.”
Tijani-Alawe was also said to be a religious
person. He knew the holy Quran inside out as
much as he knew the Bible.
“He was a prayer warrior as he did not play
with his solat (five times daily prayer) and
Tadjud (midnight) prayers. He believed that all
powers belong to Almighty Allah.
He did not discriminate based on tribe, religion
or under whatever disguise,” said Abiola
Ayankunbi, who is one of those Tijani-Alawe
mentored.
Tijani-Alawe was a thoroughbred academic.
He was planning to join his alma mata, the
University of Lagos, when he answered the last
call.
He enrolled for his Ph.D at the University of
Lagos more than two decades ago. He was
nearly frustrated out of the programme but
remained committed to the cause he believed
in.
Tijani-Alawe eventually graduated and had his
convocation in June, 2016, but died on Friday,
December 2, of the same year.
That was barely six months after bagging the
Ph.D he laboured so hard to earn and a week
after his daughter, Bayinah, graduated with a
First Class honours in same department and
university. It looked as though fate planned
the academic journey for father and daughter.
Some have termed it an irony of sort. Tijani-
Alawe spent 20 years to obtain his Ph.D and
his daughter, Bayinah, graduated with First
Class honours at the age of 20 years.
He led seminar sessions, facilitated
management lectures to different categories of
managers, and consulted for many companies
in Nigeria. He was the author of three books
and a research fellow of the Industrial Science
Centre (FIS).
Tijani-Alawe was also a member of Nigerian
Institute of Management (MNIM), as well as
an associate member of Certified Institute of
Marketing (ACIM), now National Institute of
Nigeria and a graduate member of the Institute
of Personnel Management (GIPM) of Nigeria.
He had 25 learned journal articles, four
research monographs and over 40 conference
papers to his credit. He also served on the
Research Board of Advisors of the America
Biographical Institute, Raleigh, North Carolina,
USA.
Tijani-Alawe main research interest was in the
area of African Business Philosophy, Strategy
and Entrepreneurship.
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