THE Senate of Lagos State University, Ojo on Monday elected Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University.
Prof. Afisi, who competed with the Director of the LASU Museum and Chairman of LASU IIVC, Prof. Maruf Suraqat Animashaun, won by 198 to 2 votes to emerge the winner.
Prof. Afisi, a Professor of Philosophy, will assume office on Thursday, January 30, 2025, succeeding Prof. Olufunsho Abayomi Omobitan, whose tenure will end on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi was born on July 15, 1974, to the Afisi-Shokun-Agbajegoriite-Onilegbale Royal House of Isale-Eko, Lagos Island, Lagos State, Nigeria.
He started his early education at Ajenifuja Primary School, Ilupeju, Odi-olowo, Mushin, Lagos State in 1980, He proceeded to Ilupeju College, Ilupeju, Odi-olowo, Mushin, Lagos State, Nigeria, where he obtained his West African School Certificate in 1992.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi had his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 1998. He had his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Lagos State Model College, Obadore, Lagos State, from 1998 to 1999, then had his Master of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2002. He later proceeded to the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, where he obtained a Ph.D. degree in Philosophy in 2014.
He joined the services of Lagos State University as an Assistant Lecturer in March 2007. He became an Associate Professor of Philosophy in 2020 and a Professor of Philosophy in 2023. He specialises in philosophy of science, logic, and critical rationalism. Prof. Afisi is the first indigenous professor of philosophy in the Department of Philosophy at Lagos State University.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi was Head of the Department of Philosophy at Lagos State University, from March 2019 to October 2021. He was appointed as the first Director of Special Interventions in October 2021 by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello.
He was also appointed as Coordinator of LASU Ventures Ltd in March 2024. Both positions he held until he was elected Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Lagos State University.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi has authored and co-authored over 60 scientific papers and journal articles, including over 20 chapter contributions in books. He is the editor of the book: Karl Popper and Africa: Knowledge, Politics and Development, published by Springer in 2021.
He has won several academic awards and grants, including the 2023 Institutional Based Research (IBR) Grant awarded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND); the 2021 Hannah Arendt Humanities Network (HAHN) Annual Text Seminar Award at the Bard College, New York in 2019.
He was a conference grant recipient to organise a UNESCO (MOST) Syndicated Workshop awarded by the UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Nigeria. In 2018, he received a conference grant to organise a Karl Popper for Africa International Conference, awarded by the Karl Popper Charitable Trust, United Kingdom.
In 2018, he was a conference scholarship recipient for the Karl Popper and the Philosophy of Mathematics Symposium, awarded by the Karl Popper Foundation, University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria. In 2018, he was also a workshop scholarship recipient for the 2nd Lagos Summer School in Digital Humanities (LSSDH), awarded by the LSSDH Volkswagen Foundation Partial Scholarship. In 2016, he received a Teaching Excellence Award (Best in Faculty of Arts), awarded by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi has chaired many University committees, among which include the Lagos State University Strategic Plan Review Committee and the LASU-LASG Sectorial Advisory Project. He is a member of the LASU Special Committee on Ranking, Board of Lagos State University School of Basic and Advanced Studies (LASUSBAS), 2023-till date, amongst others. He has held several administrative positions at the University.
Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi is a member of the Philosophical Association of Nigeria (PAN). He has been nominated as a resource person several times to participate in the National University Commission accreditation and resource assessment exercises to different Nigerian Universities. He has attended conferences, workshops, and technical meetings in many countries, including New Zealand, Australia, USA, Brazil, United Kingdom, Austria, Tanzania and Ghana. Prof. Oseni Taiwo Afisi is married with children.
He is currently the Director of the Directorate of Special Interventions and Coordinator of LASU Ventures.
