Nigeria’s academic community is mourning the passing of Emeritus Professor Ayo Bamgbose, the country’s first Professor of Linguistics and one of Africa’s most respected language scholars, who died on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the age of 94.

The distinguished academic reportedly passed away at about 6:45 a.m. at a Christian-owned private hospital in the Akobo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, where he had been receiving medical care following a domestic accident a few days earlier. Family sources said his condition worsened on Friday, requiring oxygen support before he died the following morning.

News of his passing was announced by his son, Femi Bamgbose, in a brief Facebook post and was later confirmed by family members, including his first son, Professor Kayode Bamgbose, a Professor of Environmental Management and Toxicology at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), as well as other relatives at the family’s residence in Bodija, Ibadan.

Born on January 27, 1932, in Odopotu, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, to the late Reverend Sangodipe Bamgbose, Professor Bamgbose would go on to become one of Nigeria’s most influential scholars. He received his early teacher training at St. Andrew’s College, Oyo (now Emmanuel Alayande University of Education) between 1948 and 1951, where he obtained his Grade II Teachers Certificate before proceeding to higher education.

His academic journey later took him to the University of Ibadan, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, before pursuing postgraduate studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In 1963, he completed his doctoral thesis titled “A Study of Structures and Classes in the Grammar of Modern Yoruba,” a landmark work that would become one of the foundational studies in Yoruba linguistics.

The same year, Professor Bamgbose joined the University of Ibadan as a lecturer. His brilliance and scholarly contributions saw him rise rapidly through the academic ranks, becoming a Professor at the age of 36, making him one of the youngest professors of his generation. Upon his retirement, the university honoured him with the prestigious title of Professor Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding contributions to teaching, research and scholarship.

Beyond the University of Ibadan, Professor Bamgbose played a pivotal role in the development of linguistics across West Africa. He was the first Nigerian Professor of Linguistics and served as the pioneer Secretary-Treasurer of the West African Linguistics Society, contributing significantly to the promotion of African languages, language policy and multilingual education.

His lifelong dedication to scholarship earned him numerous honours, including the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), Nigeria’s highest academic distinction, which he received in 1990 for his exceptional contributions to knowledge and education.

Despite his global academic reputation, Professor Bamgbose remained closely connected to his roots in Odopotu, where he served as a respected community leader, following in the footsteps of his father. According to family members, he left instructions that he should be buried in his hometown, reflecting his enduring attachment to his ancestral community.

He was married to Mrs. Adenike Bamgbose, a respected teacher at Abadina Primary School, University of Ibadan, who passed away in 2006. He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who have continued to receive sympathisers at the family’s residence in Ibadan, where a condolence register has been opened.

Tributes have continued to pour in from universities, academics, professional bodies and former students across Nigeria and beyond, many describing Professor Bamgbose as a pioneering linguist, mentor and visionary scholar whose work elevated the study of Yoruba and African languages to global recognition.

His passing marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Nigeria’s intellectual history, but his legacy will continue to live on through the countless students he taught, the scholars he inspired and the enduring body of research that transformed the study of African linguistics.