By Eniola Akinsipe
A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Kingsley Obiora; immediate past President of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Prof. Adeola Adenikinju; and several senior academics and public officials have congratulated former NES President, Prof. Sam Olofin, on his 80th birthday.
The group, made up largely of his mentees, also includes the Dean, Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Abiodun Folawewo; Oyo State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Prof. Musibau Babatunde; Vice Chancellor, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo, Prof. Olawaleju A. Olaniyan, among others.
In a congratulatory message titled “The Scholar Who Shaped a Generation — And the Next and the Next,” the mentees praised Olofin for what they described as decades of transformational impact on economics scholarship and national development.
Part of the message reads:“At 80, we celebrate a mind that has illuminated countless others and a mentor whose guidance has shaped some of the nation’s finest economists. Your life’s work, rooted in discipline, clarity, and service, continues to ripple across classrooms, institutions, and national policy. May this milestone reflect the depth of your impact and the legacy you have built in the lives you transformed. Happy 80th Birthday, Sir.”
The congratulatory advert was jointly sponsored by Prof. Adenikinju; Dr. Udoma A. Afangideh; Dr. Oluyole Akinnibge; Dr. Babatunde Aliyuandde; Prof. Musibau A. Babatunde; Prof. Abiodun Folawewo; Prof. Abdul-Ganiyu Garba; Prof. Akehsiena Jerome; Prof. Ndubisi I. Nwokoma; Prof. Ben Obi; Dr. Kingsley Obiora; Prof. Olawale E. Ogunkola; Prof. Olawaleju A. Olaniyan; Dr. I. D. Daopinna; Dr. Mufutau I. Raheem; Prof. Jimoh O. Saka; Prof. Afees Salisu; Dr. Olutunji Sobodu; and Prof. Stephen A. Tombofa.
Prof. Samuel Oladapo Olofin, a distinguished economist, is an alumnus and longtime professor at the University of Ibadan. A scholar of macroeconomics, development economics and econometrics, he served on the Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria and was a member of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). He is also a fellow and past president of the Nigerian Economic Society.
