The creator of the Yoruba Alawiye, a textbook commonly used in Southwest Nigerian schools, is Chief Joseph Folahan Odunjo. In addition to being an accomplished scholar, Chief Odunjo was also a teacher, a composer, a dramatist, a novelist, a historian, an administrator, and a statesman. The famous writer was born in 1904, 120 years ago, in what was then Nigeria’s Western Region. He started his schooling at Abeokuta’s St. Augustine’s Catholic Primary School. In 1952, the late Odunjo served as Western Nigeria’s Minister of Lands and Labor, reporting to Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Premier of the Region.
He served in that capacity until 1956, when he was named Executive Director of Agriculture for the Western Nigeria Development Corporation, a position he held from 1957 until 1962. He served as the Ibadan Catholic Diocesan Council’s president in the 1960s and the first part of the 1970s. Though he was a strict disciplinarian, the late Odunjo was always fair to everyone. His devotion to learning and passion of the subject kept him from rising to prominence in politics. He wrote a number of instructional book series during his free time. The books 1–6 in his Alawiye Yoruba Language series were the official Yoruba textbooks used in Western Nigerian elementary schools to teach the language.
It is truly astounding to consider that every Western Region elementary school pupil was given a copy of his 1943 first Alawiye book, Iwe Kini ABD Alawiye. During his life, Late Odunjo belonged to a several organizations. From 1942 till 1951, he served as the Nigeria Union of Teachers’ assistant secretary. Additionally, in 1936, he established the Federal Association of Catholic Teachers in Lagos and Yoruba Province. Up until 1951, he served as the association’s president. From 1941 till 1951, he served as the secretary of the Egbado Union in Lagos. The Pope made him the knight of St. Gregory in 1966.
In addition to the books written in Alawiye, Odunjo wrote several more literary works.
J.F. Odunjo stated in the collection’s introduction that it had become essential to compile a collection of Yoruba poetry and proverbs in order to preserve and advance the culture and customs of the people. Some of the well-known poems included in the collection are Iwa rere ni eso eniyan, Ise ni Oogun Ise, Omo beere Osi beere, Owo Apekanuko, Bi ori liapa se pa, and Kini wun o fole se. For decades, moral education in schools has been influenced by this collection. The late Odunjo was instrumental in the establishment of Longman Publishing House in Nigeria.
It is truly amazing to think that copies of his 1943 debut Alawiye book, Iwe Kini ABD Alawiye, were distributed to every elementary school student in the Western Region. The late Odunjo was a member of numerous organizations throughout his lifetime. He was the assistant secretary of the Nigeria Union of Teachers from 1942 till 1951. In addition, he founded the Federal Association of Catholic Teachers in Yoruba Province and Lagos in 1936.
He presided over the association as its president until 1951. He was the secretary of the Egbado Union in Lagos from 1941 until 1951. In 1966, the Pope knighted him of St. Gregory.
