Ayodele Awojobi

He married Iyabode Mabel Awojobi and had children.

He died on September 23, 1984, at the age of 47. He was buried at the Ikorodu Cemetery, Lagos

He was born on March 12, 1937, in Oshodi, Nigeria, to Chief Daniel Adekoya Awojobi, a stationmaster at the Nigerian Railway, and his wife, Comfort Bamidele Awojobi, a minor trader.

From 1942 to 1947, he attended St. Peter's Primary School, Faji, Lagos. Then he got enrolled at the CMS Grammar School, Lagos, where he achieved academic excellence and also earned the nickname ‘Macbeth’.

Ayodele Awojobi was gifted in mathematics and the sciences, and also developed a particular interest in the arts, becoming a member of the school's literary and debating society. In 1955, he earned straight-A's passing with a record eight distinctions.

Later, he attended the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan, for his General Certificate of Examinations, GCE (Advanced Level) and in 1958, he obtained distinction in all the subjects.

In 1962, he obtained his graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria. The same year, the federal government awarded him a scholarship to study further at the University of London. In 1966, he completed the course and earned a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

In 1966, Ayodele Awojobi returned from England and was appointed as a professor in the Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos. His teaching methods earned him the respect of his engineering students and he soon became quite famous around the campus.

He quickly rose through the ranks and became the Head of Mechanical Engineering Department at the university.

Later, Ayodele Awojobi went back to London to study for his Doctorate and returned in 1974. Upon his return, he was appointed as associate professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Lagos.

One week after he was appointed as associate professor, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Science (DSc). This prompted the university to immediately appoint him as the professor of Mechanical Engineering.

His natural tendency to educate motivated him to become a quiz-master on national television in the early 1970s. He hosted the quiz-show, ‘Mastermind’, which consisted of weekly contestants facing questions on a variety of topics.

Ayodele Awojobi was an inventor par excellence. He converted his own family car from right-hand drive to a left-hand drive. He also made a hybrid vehicle which was able to move in both forward and backward directions with all four pre-existing gears. He named the vehicle ‘Autonov 1’..