Olu Emmanuel Alana, a seasoned professor of New Testament Studies, is set to deliver the 36th Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.
A statement by the Chairman of the Ceremonies Committee and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin.), Prof. Adebisi Daramola, informed that the 36th Inaugural lecture will be held on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
The lecture, “Decolonizing the New Testament’s Portraits and Narratives in Africa,” will commence at 2:00 PM in the University Multipurpose Hall. Guests are expected to be seated by 1:30 PM. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, will chair the lecture.
Prof. Alana earned a Diploma in Religious Studies with distinction; B.A degree in Religious Studies with First Class (Hons.); M.A. degree in New Testament Studies in 1978, 1982, and 1984, respectively from the University of Ibadan. In 1993, he was awarded a Ph.D. in Religious Studies – New Testament, from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.
He started lecturing as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Ilorin in 1987 and became a Senior Lecturer at the same university in 1995. In 2006, he was at the Kogi State University, Anyigba where he was appointed a professor.
Alana, who previously served as a visiting lecturer at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, between the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 academic sessions, was reappointed a professor by the University on March 27, 2015.
At AAUA, Prof. Alana has held several leadership roles, including Head, of the Department of Religion and African Culture, Dean, of the Faculty of Arts, Managing Editor, AMU: Faculty of Arts Journal, Editor-in-Chief, Akungba Journal of Religion and African Culture
Prof. Alana has published two books and contributed chapters to 15 others. He has edited six books and over 30 journals, and published over 50 articles in recognised journals globally. He has supervised 23 postgraduate students part of whom were eight Ph.Ds.
Prof. Alana has served as an External Examiner to 17 Nigerian universities covering over 150 Master dissertations’ oral examinations, over a hundred Ph.D. oral examinations, and 70 professorial reviews at both Universities and Seminaries in Nigeria.
His professional affiliations include memberships in the Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions (NASR), Nigerian Association for Biblical Studies (NABIS), Nigerian Association for Christian Studies (NACS), and New Testament Society of South Africa (NTSSA).
Prof. Alana is a recipient of many awards and fellowships, including Best Graduating Student and Best Long Essay Student of the year 1981/82, Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan, Fellow of the Academy of Religion (FAR) by the Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions, Post–Doctoral Fellowship at University of Pretoria, South Africa, and Meritorious Service Award from the Ondo State Students’ Union, University of Ilorin.
