Ò tí ó! (Yorùbá: "It can’t possibly be!") was my immediate reaction to the unexpected and delightful news of my selection as an AfOx Visiting Fellow, in September 2023. It looked too good to be true - to be offered the opportunity to conduct research at the world’s best university. Colleagues and students at my home institution, the University of Ibadan, Nigeria could not hide their profound joy at the news. Incredible! - but I later considered this great recognition as a dividend of hard work and my scholarship. Above all, it is the greatest honour of my career so far. I arrived at Oxford during the Trinity term and in the "warm" spring of April, 2024 with temperatures dipping to 9°C. It was a stark contrast to the intense heat I had left behind in Nigeria. I had grossly underestimated British weather- it was always freezing cold, with frequent light showers all through May and early June. In fact, I almost froze to death on my first night! After settling in, AfOx welcomed us with an induction event where I was excited to meet other fellows of the 2023-2024 cohort, who instantly felt like longtime friends. Following the great talks, we were hosted to a sumptuous lunch. On my way home, I witnessed a bit of the colourful May Day celebration on Broad Street.
Upon arrival, Oxford immediately reminded me of the ancient “brown rooftop city” of Ibadan where tradition and modernity also seamlessly coexist. With a truly global community, it is always open to receiving visitors from far and wide. The relationship between the city's ‘town’ and ‘gown’ – the non-academic and the academic community - like a great choral performance, is remarkably harmonious and pleasantly cooperative, contrasting with the often distant enclosures of many of the colonial era and post-independence universities in African countries. The architectural and scenic beauty of Oxford is one to behold. Memorable sights of the medieval Oxford Castle, picturesque All Souls College, the iconic Radcliffe Camera, the charming Bridge of Sighs, the towering University Church of St Mary the Virgin, the impressive Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers Museums, and the majestic ducks of Cherwell River were simply breathtaking!
Read the full story on TORCH website.