Dr. Abiola Monisola Olatokunbo Ogunsola was born on November 2nd, 1953 to the late Emmanuel Olayiwola Ogunsola and Folasade Grace Ogunsola (née Adelaja) in London.
She had her secondary education Highbury Hill High School for Girls in North London and at the International School of the University of Ibadan. In the early seventies, Abiola returned to London and later gained admission to the London School of Economics where she took her B.Sc. in Sociology. From 1980 to 1986, Abiola read for her Ph.D. in Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Liverpool. As part of the research for her thesis, which was titled: Religious Change and the Reconstruction of ldoani (A Yoruba Community in South West Nigeria), Dr. Ogunsola spent a year teaching social studies at the Federal Government College at Idoani in the Ondo State of Nigeria. In 1999 Dr. Ogunsola obtained a PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning from the University of East London (UEL).
After working in health education and community development for the Foundation for Women's Health and Development Research (FORWARD) and Lambeth Women's and Children's Health Project, Dr. Ogunsola worked as a Research, Development and Training Consultant to a wide variety of institutions and organisations, ranging from the British Market Research Bureau, through the Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham Health Commission, the Inner London Probation Service, the Attitudinal Healing Connection of Oakland in California (USA), the King's Fund Centre, Southwark Vietnamese Refugee Association, Lewisham Black Young Men's Counselling Project and the Adun Society of Deptford.
Having started teaching at UEL on its Communications Studies Course in 1996; at the time of her death Dr. Ogunsola was a Senior Lecturer at the Sir John Cass School of Education and Communities of the University of East London. She also lectured at the London Centre of Ithaca College, an American institution. It is a measure of the regard in which Dr. Ogunsola was held by her colleagues and students alike, that UEL has decided to institute an annual award in her memory.
During her life, Dr. Ogunsola received other honours and awards, such as being made a Winston Churchill Fellow by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and being named a Black Woman Achiever by the Camden Black Sisters. This is a reflection of the fact that Dr. Ogunsola was not only extremely hard working, she was tirelessly committed to the communities in which she found herself. She worked on pan-African initiatives among the African Diaspora in the UK and Europe, and was a Board member of Africa Foundation for Development (AFFORD). She was also a member or volunteered for a number of organisations such as Kings College Hospital Research Ethics Committee, the Children's Rights Office, the Working Group Against Racism in Children's Resources where she chaired the Management Committee, the UK Black Women and Europe Network, the Friends of New Initiatives Youth and Community Association where she chaired the Management Committee, as well as the Sojourner Housing Association, National Community Health Resource, and the Community Development Journal.
Dr. Ogunsola was a popular resource for radio and television both in England, where she appeared as a guest speaker or panelist on the BBC World Service, Carlton TV London and the BBC Caribbean Service; and in Nigeria where she appeared on the Morning Ride and On Point television programmes.
Although she had made her life and career in the United Kingdom, Dr. Ogunsola maintained strong connections with Nigeria to which she returned regularly. She was a passionate advocate for the county, particularly during the difficult days of military rule and is remembered as a source of comfort and support to Nigerian exiles at that time. She remained committed to Nigeria's progress, and was a Board member of Development Impact for Nigeria (DIFN) and participated in educational initiatives in Nigeria in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and Adamawa State. She was a member of the Band of Grace society of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral where she worshipped whenever she was in Nigeria.
A devoted mother and daughter, Dr. Ogunsola was blessed with a son, Niilante Olujimi Jolaolu Temba Ogunsola-Ribero who was born on the 1st of October 1985, who lives in London. She made it a duty of love to visit her aged mother in Nigeria as many times as she could each year, and to speak to her almost every day from London. She was loved by her mother, son, sister, brothers, cousins, nephews, nieces and other relations, friends, colleagues and students. She will be sorely missed. As we bid farewell to Dr. Abiola Ogunsola, our daughter, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, we thank God for her life and for the many blessings that He saw fit to bestow on her during her life.
Nubiart Diary - Obituaries
She had her secondary education Highbury Hill High School for Girls in North London and at the International School of the University of Ibadan. In the early seventies, Abiola returned to London and later gained admission to the London School of Economics where she took her B.Sc. in Sociology. From 1980 to 1986, Abiola read for her Ph.D. in Sociology & Anthropology at the University of Liverpool. As part of the research for her thesis, which was titled: Religious Change and the Reconstruction of ldoani (A Yoruba Community in South West Nigeria), Dr. Ogunsola spent a year teaching social studies at the Federal Government College at Idoani in the Ondo State of Nigeria. In 1999 Dr. Ogunsola obtained a PG Certificate in Teaching and Learning from the University of East London (UEL).
After working in health education and community development for the Foundation for Women's Health and Development Research (FORWARD) and Lambeth Women's and Children's Health Project, Dr. Ogunsola worked as a Research, Development and Training Consultant to a wide variety of institutions and organisations, ranging from the British Market Research Bureau, through the Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham Health Commission, the Inner London Probation Service, the Attitudinal Healing Connection of Oakland in California (USA), the King's Fund Centre, Southwark Vietnamese Refugee Association, Lewisham Black Young Men's Counselling Project and the Adun Society of Deptford.
Having started teaching at UEL on its Communications Studies Course in 1996; at the time of her death Dr. Ogunsola was a Senior Lecturer at the Sir John Cass School of Education and Communities of the University of East London. She also lectured at the London Centre of Ithaca College, an American institution. It is a measure of the regard in which Dr. Ogunsola was held by her colleagues and students alike, that UEL has decided to institute an annual award in her memory.
During her life, Dr. Ogunsola received other honours and awards, such as being made a Winston Churchill Fellow by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, and being named a Black Woman Achiever by the Camden Black Sisters. This is a reflection of the fact that Dr. Ogunsola was not only extremely hard working, she was tirelessly committed to the communities in which she found herself. She worked on pan-African initiatives among the African Diaspora in the UK and Europe, and was a Board member of Africa Foundation for Development (AFFORD). She was also a member or volunteered for a number of organisations such as Kings College Hospital Research Ethics Committee, the Children's Rights Office, the Working Group Against Racism in Children's Resources where she chaired the Management Committee, the UK Black Women and Europe Network, the Friends of New Initiatives Youth and Community Association where she chaired the Management Committee, as well as the Sojourner Housing Association, National Community Health Resource, and the Community Development Journal.
Abiola Ogunshola: Community Activist and Freedom Fighter
A devoted mother and daughter
Dr. Ogunsola was a popular resource for radio and television both in England, where she appeared as a guest speaker or panelist on the BBC World Service, Carlton TV London and the BBC Caribbean Service; and in Nigeria where she appeared on the Morning Ride and On Point television programmes.Although she had made her life and career in the United Kingdom, Dr. Ogunsola maintained strong connections with Nigeria to which she returned regularly. She was a passionate advocate for the county, particularly during the difficult days of military rule and is remembered as a source of comfort and support to Nigerian exiles at that time. She remained committed to Nigeria's progress, and was a Board member of Development Impact for Nigeria (DIFN) and participated in educational initiatives in Nigeria in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory and Adamawa State. She was a member of the Band of Grace society of Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral where she worshipped whenever she was in Nigeria.
A devoted mother and daughter, Dr. Ogunsola was blessed with a son, Niilante Olujimi Jolaolu Temba Ogunsola-Ribero who was born on the 1st of October 1985, who lives in London. She made it a duty of love to visit her aged mother in Nigeria as many times as she could each year, and to speak to her almost every day from London. She was loved by her mother, son, sister, brothers, cousins, nephews, nieces and other relations, friends, colleagues and students. She will be sorely missed. As we bid farewell to Dr. Abiola Ogunsola, our daughter, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, we thank God for her life and for the many blessings that He saw fit to bestow on her during her life.
Through the ages: Abiola Ogunsola
Nubiart Diary - Obituaries
Get involved and help change our world