The University of Ibadan (UI) has mourned the passing of its first female professor in the Department of Political Science, Professor Aituaje Irene Pogoson, who died at 65 in a private specialist hospital in Ibadan over the weekend. Prof. Pogoson was a distinguished scholar in international relations and governance studies and a former Head of the Department of Political Science at UI.
Prof. Pogoson’s academic journey began at UI, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in History in 1981, followed by a Master of Science in Political Science in 1984, and a Ph.D. in Political Science in 1994, all from the same institution. She made history as the first female lecturer and later professor in the department.
Before joining UI’s faculty in 2000, she contributed significantly as Research Fellow and Administrative Secretary to the Presidential Panel on Nigeria Since Independence History Project between 1981 and 2000. From 2005 to 2007, she served as a Policy Analyst on Governance with the Independent Policy Group (IPG) in Abuja, a think tank supported by UNDP, Ford Foundation, and Soros Foundation, established during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.
Prof. Pogoson was an active member of several academic societies including the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), and served on the Advisory Council of the Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Her research interests spanned international relations, foreign policy analysis, strategic studies, governance, and gender studies. She was also a prolific researcher, policy analyst, and educator, who consulted for many national and international organizations and served as a guest lecturer and external examiner at several institutions.
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In March 2024, she delivered UI’s 545th Inaugural Lecture titled “The World in Transition: Understanding Power in the International Political System.” Her passing was described by Prof. Dhikru Adewale Yagboyaju, the current Head of the Political Science Department, as a great loss to the department, the university, and the wider academic community.
Prof. Pogoson is survived by her husband, Prof. Ohioma Ifounu Pogoson, a professor of Arts at the Institute of African Studies, UI, and their three children. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the family.
