Kole Omotoso: An African literary colossus

Professor Bankole Ajibade Omotoso, popularly known as Kole Omotoso, was born in Akure, present day capital of Ondo State in 1943. He died recently in his South African home on the 19th of July, 2023 at the age of 80 years. He was a professor of drama, a novelist, playwright, literary critic and former lecturer […]

Professor Bankole Ajibade Omotoso, popularly known as Kole Omotoso, was born in Akure, present day capital of Ondo State in 1943. He died recently in his South African home on the 19th of July, 2023 at the age of 80 years. He was a professor of drama, a novelist, playwright, literary critic and former lecturer in Arabic Literature. He was also a columnist.

Kole Omotoso was educated at Kings College Lagos and Oyemekun Grammar School Akure. In 1964, he was admitted into the University of Ibadan to study Arabic in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. He graduated in June 1968 with a Second class Upper Honours. He taught briefly at Ansar-Ud-deen Grammar School, Ikare, Ondo State and then gained admission into the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He later bagged a Ph.D in 1972. He specialised in Arabic Drama of Ahmad Ba-Kathir.

As a Ph.D student in the UK, Kole Omotoso published two novels in English through the Heinemann’s African Writers Series. The novels were ‘The Edifice’ and ‘The Combat’. He also published other novels and short stories in English. His greatest novel was ‘Just Before Dawn’ published by Specton in 1988 which was a historical drama in Nigeria. In it, he displayed his deep knowledge of Nigeria’s history, Arabic/Islamic culture in Nigeria and his literary skills. Many critics of the book who have no knowledge of Arabic have displayed their ignorance of Nigeria!

The literary colossus was employed at the University of Ibadan where he taught Arabic literature for about three years. It was at Ibadan he taught the present writer classical Arabic literature between 1974 and 1976 and made some impact on him. The slim, soft spoken bearded radical scholar was very kind, philosophical and moralistic in his approach to issues.

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In 1976, Kole Omotoso moved to the University of Ife to teach African drama                                                                            which was his specialization. At Ife, he was able to expand his horizon in research, creative writing and publications. I remember that I visited him once in OAU and he introduced me to Prof. Wole Soyinka at the time in the late 1980s.

Kole Omotoso later migrated to South Africa where he made a great mark as the most popular Nigerian in that country. At the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, he lectured in drama and continued his penetrating literary activities until his death recently on 19th July, 2023.

This great African literary giant, novelist, short story writer, philosopher, playwright, dramatist and kind-hearted man has returned to his God.

He made indelible marks and would be remembered for a very long time through his literary marks. It is reassuring that his first child, Akim Omotoso, is already blazing the trail as a film-maker, actor and novelist.

Zakariyau Oseni, who sent in this tribute, is a retired Professor of Arabic, poet, playwright, historian and Chief Imam/Waziri of Auchi Sacred Kingdom