A Woman of Substance and of Many Firsts: Tribute to Professor Precious Kassey Garba by Idowu Olayinka

My Memoirs is still work in progress, but there is a paragraph devoted to an esteemed colleague at the University of Ibadan, a fellow card-carrying member of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). I talk of Professor Precious Kassey Garba who is taking a voluntary retirement in the coming days. There was an election in Congregation to elect 153 members of the Congregation who were not yet Professors to represent that body on the University Senate during the first quarter of 2000.  There  was much enthusiasm by many of us to serve, so much so that the total number of valid nominations received was much higher than the number of available slots; hence an election had to hold. Nonetheless, I took the campaign seriously and I eventually had the highest number of votes, while Dr Kassey Garba (as she then was) of the Department of Economics coming a close second. She told me after the votes were tallied that she was surprised that anyone could have had more votes than herself. Her optimism was not misplaced as she was a highly respected leader of the local branch of ASUU. She was subsequently elected by Senate to serve on the University Council in 2003 in a keenly contested election involving many professors, at a time when her promotion to the grade of a full Professor was still been processed but yet to be announced. This was a rare feat, and confirmed her popularity and acceptance within the community. She served dutifully and diligently in Council from 2003 to 2007 with the highly referred Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, now of blessed memory, as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council. She has been a member of the University Senate for the past 29 years.

Professor Kassey Garba obtained her First Degree in Health Administration from Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Xavier University in Cincinnati Ohio, USA and a PhD in Economics from the University of lbadan. 

She joined the Department of Economics at the University of Ibadan as Assistant Lecturer in 1984 and rose through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Professor of Economics in 2002. 

At the University of Ibadan, Professor Garba made history as the first female Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences (2009–2010); the first female Head of the Department of Economics (2014–2017), paving the way for future female leadership in the Faculty and Department. 

In year 2010, Professor Garba was appointed the First Female Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She is a life member of the Nigerian Economic Society, where she served as National Vice President from 2003 to 2006.

She has been a Pastor since 2017 after graduating from the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso with a Master of Divinity in Theology. She is currently a member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso.

She is the Co-Coordinator of the Centre for Growth and Development, a Christian Non-Governmental Organization. 

Professor Kassey Garba is a Christian. She is a member of Orita-Mefa Baptist Church, Total Garden, Ibadan. She is a deep lover of the Word of God and a gospel Artist. She is happily married to Pastor Professor Ajani Garba, also a Professor of Economics. They are highly blessed to belong to God and be so fruitful.  

As you retire from the University of Ibadan after 41 years of dedicated service to our institution and country, we wish you strength, joy and good health and peace of mind.  It has been a blessing to have known you. I trust you will continue to invite me and my household to your usual end-of-the-year Thanksgiving. 

Prof. Olayinka is a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan