Felicia Adeyoyin

{{Short description|Nigerian professor and author of the National Pledge (1938–2021)}}{{Infobox academic|name=Felicia Adeyoyin|birth_date=6 November 1938|death_date=1 May 2021|nationality=Nigerian|occupation=Academic|known_for=Author of the Nigerian national pledge|workplaces=University of Lagos|alma_mater=Birkbeck University;

University of Lagos|awards=Order of the Niger|thesis_title=The Dynamics of Teaching Social Studies at the Grade Two Teachers' College Level in Lagos State|thesis_url=http://196.45.48.59:8080/bitstream/handle/123456789/2988/THE%20DYNAMICS%20OF%20TEACHING%20SOCIAL%20STUDIES%20AT%20THE%20GRADE%20TWO%20TEACHERS%27%20COLLEGE%20LEVEL.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|thesis_year=1977|doctoral_advisor=J. U. Aisiku; A. I. Asiwaju|image=Felicia_Adeyoyin.png}}

Felicia Adebola Adeyoyin (6 November 1938 – 1 May 2021) was a University of Lagos professor and a princess from the Iji ruling house of Saki, Oyo State. She was the author of the Nigerian national pledge.{{Cite web|date=2019-10-01|title=Nigeria @ 59: Interesting facts about Nigeria's National anthem, Pledge|url=https://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-59-interesting-facts-about-nigerias-national-anthem-pledge/|access-date=2021-05-06|website=The Nation|language=en-US}}

Early life

Felicia Awujoola was born on 6 November 1938 in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.{{Cite book|last=Lawoyin|first=Oyeronke Alake|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xtNp2lUM8KUC&q=Felicia+Adeyoyin&pg=PA127|title=IDI-ABA|date=2007|publisher=Xulon Press|isbn=978-1-60477-072-8|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eq8ZAAAAYAAJ&q=felicia+adeyoyin|title=Who's who in Nigeria|date=1990|publisher=Newswatch|isbn=978-978-2704-12-2|language=en}} She attended Idi-Aba a Christian Baptist School from 1953 and graduated in 1957 from its teacher programme. In 1965 she married Solomon Adedeji Adeyoyin, who had attended Idi-Aba's brother school, the Baptist Boys' High School.

Education

She received her Bachelor's Degree with honors in Geography from Birkbeck, University of London in 1968 and then her Diploma of Education at the same university in 1976,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbk.ac.uk/about-us/notable-birkbeckians |title=Notable Birkbeckians: Graduates In Academia |author= |date=2021 |website=bbk.ac.uk |publisher=Birkbeck, University of London |access-date=2021-05-10}} followed by an M.A. in Social Studies from Columbia University, New York in 1977, before finally earning her PhD in 1981 from the University of Lagos.{{Cite web|date=2021-05-05|title=Author Of Nigeria's National Pledge, Felicia Adedoyin, Is Dead|url=https://niyitabiti.net/2021/05/author-of-nigerias-national-pledge-felicia-adedoyin-is-dead/|access-date=2021-05-06|website=Gistmaster|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Adeyoyin|first=Felicia|date=1977|title=The Dynamics of Teaching Social Studies at the Grade Two Teachers' College Level in Lagos State|url=http://196.45.48.59:8080/bitstream/handle/123456789/2988/THE%20DYNAMICS%20OF%20TEACHING%20SOCIAL%20STUDIES%20AT%20THE%20GRADE%20TWO%20TEACHERS%27%20COLLEGE%20LEVEL.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y}}{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Career

Adeyoyin was Professor of Education at the University of Lagos and a consultant for the United Nations.

In 1976, she wrote the pledge published in the July 15 edition of the Daily Times in an article titled "Loyalty to the Nation, Pledge". Then-Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo modified the pledge and introduced it as the national pledge, decreeing that school children should recite it during assembly.{{Cite web|title=Author of Nigeria's National Pledge, Felicia Adebola Adedoyin, is Dead|url=https://www.nationalmirroronline.net/author-of-nigeria-s-national-pledge-felicia-adebola-adedoyin-is-dead-7319.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510184227/https://www.nationalmirroronline.net/author-of-nigeria-s-national-pledge-felicia-adebola-adedoyin-is-dead-7319.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 10, 2021|access-date=2021-05-10|website=National Mirror}}{{Cite web|last=Joshua|first=Temi|date=2021-05-05|title=Author of Nigeria's National Pledge, Prof. Felicia Adedoyin, dies at 83|url=https://thedailypage.ng/author-of-nigerias-national-pledge-prof-felicia-adedoyin-dies-at-83/|access-date=2021-05-10|website=The Daily Page|language=en-US}}{{cite web |last1=Mbamalu |first1=Socrates |title=Prof. Felicia Adeyoyin, Author of Nigeria's National Pledge, Dies at 83 |url=https://fij.ng/article/prof-felicia-adeyoyin-author-of-nigerias-national-pledge-dies-at-83/ |publisher=Foundation For Investigative Journalism |date=3 May 2021}}

Adeyoyin was also Deaconess of Yaba Baptist Church, Yaba.

Death

Adeyoyin died on 1 May 2021 after a brief illness.{{Cite web |last=Akinselure |first=Wale |date=2021-05-09 |url=https://tribuneonlineng.com/saki-indigenes-ask-fg-oyo-govt-to-immortalise-late-national-pledge-composer/ |title=Saki Indigenes Ask FG, Oyo Govt To Immortalise Late National Pledge Composer |website=Nigerian Tribune}}