Sunday Oluwole Otokiti
Sunday Oyewole Otokiti (1965–2016) was a Nigerian academic who was a professor at Kwara State University, Malete, Kwara State.
Early life and education
Otokiti was born on Sunday 15 February 1951 in Ilupeju-Ekiti, Ekiti state of Nigeria to Chief & Mrs Samuel One Otokiti. He attended N3 Baptist school, Inalende, Ibadan, between 1959 -,1964. Between 1963–1965, Otokiti had to engage in manual labor as house boy at the instance of his parents with the family of late Chief Famoriyo (the first Nigerian bread Baker), later to late chief Ademiluyi of ife dynasty, a renowned cocoa merchant; then Engineer Sijiwade of Federal ministry of works, (a founding member of the Cherubim and Seraphim movement). He was later seconded to his Royal Highness Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Oni of Ife Kingdom (before he became an Oba).
Otokiti, in 1965 returned to Ibadan from Lagos and later secured manual employment at the then Federal Department of Forestry, Ibadan. This took him to many forestry plantations at Idi Ayunre, Olokemeji, Ore, Aromoko, Ibadan, etc. - a basic exposure to forestry resource availability of Nigeria, the theme of Hus professional inaugural lecture later in life.
Having being tested by he forestry overseers, he was later seconded to western Region Department of Forestry, as Assistant Guard. Through these manual efforts he saved "enough money" to embark on a secondary school education. In 1969 precisely, he took the advantage of another aid eventually, through the grave of God, secured admission into the Ogbomosho Grammar School, Ogbomosho where he obtained his west African School certificate in 1973.
At Ogbomosho, God endowed him with a miraculous and unimaginable skill of fine Art. The skill enabled him to (i) represent Ogbomosho Grammar School at all western Region Secondary school students painting competition at Ibadan and (ii) all Nigerian secondary school paintings competition, Lagos where he emerged the best Nigerian Fine Art student in 1971, a feat he repeated for another two years consecutively. He captained the Nigerian contingent in 1971, 1972 and 1973 to world students painting competition in Monrovia, Paris,and Japan respectively. He won several awards and these fear won him state and federal government scholarships that enabled him complete his secondary school education under the watchful eyes of late educationist, chief (Mrs.) Akintunde-Ighodalo and late Art – Alade, the then Federal controller of arts.
Immediately after his secondary school education, Otokiti was enlisted in the Nigerian Navy and was at the signal school for one year between 1974–1975 from where he obtain the Nigerian Navy signal certificate. He was sent to HMS Portsmouth in England for Tactical Operators course in 1975. Sunday Otokiti also joined a corp of naval officers and men sent to INS Vendurity Cochin, India for advanced Tactical Operators course in 1976. Again, he was the first non-India to give "passing-out" parade in Hindi language. Within his years of service at the Nigerian navy, Otokiti thereafter went on several national ships refit exercises at (i) Wilson Fijernood Shipyard, Amsterdam, Holland, (ii) HMS Portland England (iii) HMS Mercury, England and was on the popular Captain. Aduwo team that successfully crossed Bay of Biskay in 1976. In the military he served the person of Admiral Akhigbe, Admiral Ahikomu, Admiral Aduwo and General Yakubu Gowon, just to discover from these Generals the need to further his education and decided to proceed for higher University education at all cost. He became discontented with the regimentary nature of the military and he decided to go back to school, hence his sojourn for further education in India.
At India, Otokiti obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (B. Com. Honours), (MA) Economics, (M.Com.Honours), PGDip. In International Law and Diplomacy, M.Phil. International Business in India, consequently the first Nigerian to obtain a Ph.D as destiny would have in international Business. For this Ph.D he received the Federal government of Nigeria and Commonwealth scholarship which enabled him to attend many international programmes in export management, Trade fair administration, entrepreneurship Development and project and process management, and nine months study program me on "high technology in small scale industries" in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea Republic of China, Brazil, Australia and Mexico. He was awarded Times (New Delhi) third world fellowship of the Commonwealth to spend ten weeks in Malaysia to study the working of joint industrial and business ventures.
On his return to Nigeria in 1988, he joined Lagos state University, Ojo as a lecturer grade 2 where he served in various capacities. In LASU he was the foundation Acting Head of Department of Economics, Acting Head department of Accounting, Banking and Business administration. Under him these three departments with some other new five departments were transformed to the Faculty of management Sciences. He was the foundation Coordinator of the famous LASU-MBA programme, Foundation Head, department of business administration, foundation deputy director of LASU school of part-time studies (now LASU external system). He was responsible for management of over 100,000 part-time and regular students. His academic areas of interest includes; Managerial Economics, Industrial and Project analysis, feasibility report and project evaluation, international business, world resources and Trade, entrepreneurship development and employment generation.
He was promoted to lecturer grade one in 1993, and became a senior lecturer in 1998, all in the department of economics. Upon the creation of the faculty of management sciences of Lagos state university in 1999 Otokiti moved to head the department of business administration. In 2003, Otokiti became an associate professor of international business. He was offered a chair at covenant university in 2006,to become the first Professor if International Business in Nigeria.
With about 28 years teaching, research and consultancy experience, Otokiti has served as consultant to national and international organizations and developed apprenticeship in small and medium enterprise of many developing economies with close association with national directorate of employment, Lagos mega city committee and FIRRO, Nigeria weight and Measure, Export processing council, Hong Kong, Developing Agencies of Pakistan, India, South Korea, Australia and Japan. He is a fellow of India institute of international business, fellow Nigeria institute of data processing, fellow chartered institute of administration Nigeria, just to mention a few.
To covenant university, Ota he first went on Sabbatical in 2004 and returned in 2006 to pick a full-time appointment as professor of international business.
Otokiti was a professor IG international business and head of department of business studies, chairman, entrepreneurship taught courses, member center for research and development committee,chairman college of business and social sciences post graduate committee, member school of post graduate committee. In 2010, professor Otokiti was transferred from Covenant University, Ota to Landmark University, Omu Aran as one of the few professors moved to start the new university. at landmark university, Otokiti was the dean if the college of business and social sciences. He was the director of the entrepreneurship development studies of the University, chairman of landmark university, omu aran. Professor Otokiti sits on the editorial of the following publications: Financial standard, a daily business and financial newspaper, Lagos organization review, Lagos journal of business, Lagos business review, management discoveries, covenant university journal of business and social sciences, decision review, Kwareve news amongst others. He has served as external examiners to department of business administration, Unilag, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa university, Bauchi, University of Ilorin, Babcock University, Ilishan remo, Ajayi Crowther University Oyo.
Professor Otokiti retired from landmark university in 2014 and was practically begged to join the service of Kwara state University, Malete to assist in the actualization of the dream of the business and governance where he served as the head of the department of business and entrepreneurship of kwara state University until August 2016. At KWASU, Otokiti was chairman of environmental beautification committee.
He supervised successfully 18 Ph.Ds at both LASU and conenant university over 100 M.Sc postgraduate students and more than MBA students to the glory of God.
He has published in several local and international journals and has to its credit over 50 publications some of which include; Manager in international marketing and export management, world resources and business, theoretical concepts and scope of management, fundamental of business management, project analysis and evaluation, international business and managerial economics.
Survived by his lovely wife Mrs Comfort Olubisi and Seven Children. Tayo, Dayo, Bisayo, Rolayo, Bayo, Ayo and Ife-Oluwase.