By Faith Ajewole
In the early hours of Saturday, October 25, 2025, Prof. Aituaje Irene Pogoson, the University of Ibadan’s trailblazing first female professor in the Department of Political Science, passed away at the age of 65. Before her passing, she was reportedly ill and received treatment at a private specialist hospital in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The University of Ibadan community is in mourning, with many paying tribute to her remarkable legacy as a scholar, mentor, and pioneer in her field. The current Head of Department, Prof. Dhikru Adewale Yagboyaju, expressed deep sorrow over her passing, attesting to her impact on the academic community.
Prof. Pogoson’s academic credentials include, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History (1981) from the University of Ibadan, followed by Master’s (1984) and Doctoral (1994) Degrees in Political Science from the same institution. She went on to become the first female lecturer and professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ibadan, leaving an indelible mark on the institution.
She is survived by her husband, Prof. Ohioma Ifounu Pogoson, a professor of Arts at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, and their three children.
