By Waziri Isa Adam Gwantu
For many academics, the professorial rank marks the end of a long academic pursuit. For Professor Tayo Popoola, newly promoted at the University of Lagos, it is more than a personal milestone. It is a testimony to faith, mentorship, persistence, and the discipline required to thrive in a system that rewards excellence and hard work.
In an interview with _UnilagSun_, Professor Popoola spoke on his journey to this great milestone.
“Every academic that is privileged to get to this rank will always appreciate God,” he said, smiling through the weight of the moment. At the University of Lagos, the University of First Choice and the Nation’s Pride, the journey to the top is deliberate. From the start, academics are expected to aim high. “If you cannot aspire to get a chair, it’s better you don’t come on board as an academic in this university,” he explained. Age and timing matter too; the university may not favourably engage an academic above 50, because of the years still needed to reach the top. For him, that reality only deepened his gratitude. “God has been so gracious to me, getting to that level.”
His path began in the familiar rhythm of Nigerian schooling, but at university, the direction shifted. Starting out in Political Science, he discovered a different calling. “That was where the defining moment came. I started contributing to newspapers; before graduation, I was already a columnist. I knew then that God had prepared a job for me in journalism.”
That conviction led him to Mass Communication, a move he describes as formalising his romance with journalism. He was shaped by renowned professors such as Ralph Akinfeleye, Idowu Shobowale, and others who gave him confidence and guidance. One lecturer’s advice proved pivotal: “During your NYSC, pick the MSc form so you can come back for your master’s.”
Even after settling into Mass Communication, his Political Science roots remained. At his PhD interview, colleagues asked whether he would return to Political Science or remain in Mass Communication. His witty reply borrowed from Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola: “When we get to the bridge, we shall cross it.”
Today, he said, “I have two homes: Mass Communication and Political Science.” That dual identity shapes his view of academia: “The age of depending on one academic background alone is over. Diversify, collaborate, and network.”
He does not treat challenges as interruptions but as integral to growth. Transitioning disciplines required discipline and patience. “For you to imbibe the muscle and bones of Mass Communication, it takes time,” he said. He likened it to Nigerians abroad who must first learn the local language to survive academically and socially. His lesson: only those who are hardworking and prayerful rise above challenges.
Now at professorial rank, his focus has turned outward. As a professor of political communication, he noted that without political communication, this democracy cannot survive. He is therefore the convener of the National Political Communication Movement, working to establish the discipline formally in Nigerian universities. He envisions undergraduate and postgraduate programmes beginning in first-generation institutions such as UNN, UNILAG, UI, ABU, and UNIBEN.
His concern is practical as well as academic. Some too many political reporters lack a deep understanding of politics. He added, “Through scholarly research, I have established that they don’t know anything about politics; we must raise journalists who can cover politics effectively.”
To explain the kind of journalism Nigeria needs, he offered a striking image: “The python is a hunter. When pursuing prey, it calculates carefully. Once it grabs the prey, it surrounds it until the prey’s pulse is gone. Then it swallows the prey. If media professionals must hold power to account, they need that same precision, patience, and depth.”