This African historian is a professor of African Studies. He has written over 100 books and is one of the preeminent researchers of Yoruba history and culture.
Dr. Toyin Falola was born in Ibadan, Nigeria on January 1, 1953. Located in Oyo State, south-west Nigeria, Ibadan is the 3rd most populated city in the country.
By 1970, Dr. Toyin Falola became a school teacher in the nearby town of Pahayi. He started his career as a lecturer in 1981 at the University of Ife. The university was renamed Obafemi Awolowo University in 1987 in honour of the first premier of the Western Region of Nigeria.
In 1991, Dr. Toyin Falola joined the faculty at University of Texas at Austin in the United States of America. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the university. He has also worked at several other universities such as York University in Toronto, Canada, the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom, and others in the United States, Australia, and Nigeria.
An avid researcher, Dr, Toyin Falola earned his Doctor of Letters (D.litt) in humanities from the University of Ibadan on December 31, 2020. He has earned 8 honours and awards around the world including the Cheikh Anta Diop and Lincoln awards in addition to honorary degrees of doctors from 13 universities. He is also the General editor of the Cambria Africa Studies series at Cambria Press.
I recently purchased several books written by Dr. Toyin Falola. One of the greatest books on Yoruba history and culture is called The Yoruba from Prehistory to Present. I highly recommend this book to anybody who seeks to learn about our history.
I currently own the following books written by this great African historian:
- The Yoruba from Prehistory to the Present
- Understanding Modern Nigeria
- The Yoruba Diaspora in the Atlantic World
- Igbo in the Atlantic World: African Origins and Diasporic Destinations
- Encyclopedia of the Yoruba
- A History of Nigeria
These books may be purchased from Amazon Kindle or Google Play Books.
This only marks the beginning of my journey to acquire knowledge of African history. I plan to purchase many more books written by Dr. Toyin Falola. Some of his lectures and interviews are also available online.
Websites
The Toyin Falola Interviews – YouTube