Oloye Lekan Alabi was an iconic journalist, author, columnist, publisher and public intellectual whose remarkable life and career left an indelible imprint on Ibadanland, Oyo State and the wider Yoruba world.
He was, in every meaningful sense, an encyclopaedia of the history, people, culture and traditions of Ibadanland and Yorubaland. His extraordinary reservoir of knowledge, memories and experiences made him a valuable repository of the past and a bridge between generations.
Oloye Alabi was not merely a journalist who reported events; he was a chronicler of history and a passionate interpreter of society. Through his writings, publications, public engagements and conversations, he documented personalities, traditions, institutions and defining moments that might otherwise have faded from collective memory.
His life also reflected an uncommon intersection of journalism, scholarship, public service, traditional leadership and statesmanship.
He served as Press Secretary to four governors of the old Oyo State, giving him a rare and privileged perspective on governance, politics and public administration. That experience, combined with his long career in journalism and public relations, enriched his understanding of the evolution of Oyo State and the Nigerian political landscape.
As a distinguished senior traditional chief of Ibadanland, he was equally committed to the preservation and promotion of Yoruba culture. He understood that traditional institutions were not merely ceremonial establishments but custodians of identity, history, values and communal memory.
Oloye Lekan Alabi was therefore much more than a journalist or traditional chief. He was a scholar of Yoruba civilisation, a custodian of culture and tradition, a chronicler of history and a statesman of considerable experience and stature.
His departure created a void, but it did not erase his contribution. The books he authored, the columns he wrote, the histories he preserved, the people he documented and the institutions he served remain part of his enduring legacy.
In the language of our elders, “Agba ki i wa loja, ki ori omo tuntun wo.” When an elder is present, the younger one does not lose his way.
Oloye Lekan Alabi has now joined the ancestors, but the wisdom he gathered and shared continues to guide those who care about the history and future of Ibadanland and Yorubaland.
He lived as a custodian of memory; he departed as a repository of history; and he remains in the collective memory of those whose lives and heritage he documented.
May his memory remain blessed, and may his enduring works continue to illuminate the path for generations yet unborn.
Baami Abese, o di gba o se!
Chief Abiodun Lasile DL MnbR
Orunto Baalufe Owu Kingdom Abeokuta
Founder/Coordinator, The SixthSense Initiative and Sixth Sense Series Publications
Chairman, Association of Nigerian Authors (Ogun Chapter)
