FIRESIDE CHATS: My Life in IBADANCITY with Professor Dawud Olatokunbo Shittu Noibi
Ibadan Lifestyle: How long have you been living and working in Ibadan?
A: I have been living in Ibadan since 1952. I was born in 1934 in Sapele.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Why did you choose to live in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I was born at a place called Sapele. I went to school there and along the line I was withdrawn and put in apprenticeship as a tailor. My father wanted me to do that for 5years, but he died when I entered the 3rd year. As a result of that, we left Sapele. I’m from Ijebu Mushin in Ogun state.
After my father’s death, I was taken to Lagos to learn cabinet making by my brother, but I didn’t like it, so I came to Ibadan in 1952, to continue my apprenticeship in tailoring. According to my uncle, I was advised to look for a job as a clerk, and I liked the decision cos I don’t like tailoring. In 1955, I later got a job as a teacher.
The government of the then western region had established free education, so I was asked to go and open a school in a village called Akinware in Ido local government. I liked the decision, I opened the school but 9 months into the job, I was told that I did not have standard 6, which was the basic requirement you need to be a teacher. I had skipped standard 6. From standard 5, I went straight to a commercial secondary school, form 2, so I did not have the primary standard 6, so I could not continue my job as a teacher.
I decided to go back to primary school to do my standard 6, I went to a school in Oyo. But before resumption, there was an advert for people who wanted to train as teachers and I applied. Before I paid for the form, I told them I don’t have standard 6, but I have something higher which is my form certificate, and I was told to sit for the exam. By the grace of God, I passed and that was how I returned to education again in 1956.
When I passed the teacher’s grade 3 exam, I was sent back to Akinware to become the headmaster of the school I started.
The only period I spent outside Ibadan was the 2 years I used in Lagos, and it was from Lagos that I went abroad for my undergraduate studies and my other studies, and I came back in 1976. But I’ve always seen Ibadan as my home.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Tell us one good or bad unforgettable experience you’ve had in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: One thing I can remember as bad was when I was an apprentice in tailoring. One morning, I had to go and fetch water, and a vehicle came behind and knocked me down from the main road into the gutter with a bucket of water on my head. I thought it was the end for me then.
It was not a happy event for me to remember especially because I never liked having to learn the trade.
On the other hand, one thing I was happy about was that I was able to pick up my religious studies here in Ibadan. Although my father was an Imam, I had little or no knowledge about my religion. But, at the age of 20 exactly, I was introduced to a Muslim missionary and that enabled me to pick up my interest in my religion.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Which area did you dread most in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I can’t think of one.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Which area do you like the most in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: University of Ibadan.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Do you go to gym in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: No, although I liked to, maybe because I like swimming. I used to swim a lot when I was a young child, but I had a nasty experience, so I swore to myself never to swim again.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What are the things you like about Ibadan?
A: I like the availability of education. I’m talking from my own personal experience because it was here that I had the opportunity of catching back on education. I also like the fact that in Ibadan, there are different people living together, there’s no discrimination. If you’re someone contributing to the development of the city, you’ll be recognized regardless of your ethnicity.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What are the things you don’t like about Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I can’t think of any.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What are those things you’ve seen in other cities that you would like to see in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: Every city, even the urban ones, have their suburbs that are yet to be developed, maybe because people want to keep their traditional environment. But I think something should be done about those kinds of areas in Ibadan. I think there’s need for development in some areas in Ibadan and that is not going to be easy to do.
Ibadan Lifestyle: When you’re outside Ibadan, what are those things you miss about Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I miss my home environment.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Do you have any favorite shopping mall or spot in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: What if I told you that my favorite shopping mall is Troy pharmacy. As you get older, you’re bound to have health challenges.
Why I go to pharmacy more frequently than hospital is because my physicians are mainly abroad. My wife and I have health insurance there, so our doctors often call us and do video consultancy for us and prescribe our drugs. Our son sends the drugs, but when the drugs get exhausted, we get it here in Nigeria at Troy pharmacy because we’ve been using this pharmacy for very long time. Troy pharmacy is at Iwo Road. And we sometimes visit ShopRite in Dugbe too.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What do you think about social life?
Prof. Dawud: The thing is that one’s social life is dictated by their interest. I wouldn’t say there’s no social life in Ibadan because I found my own interest here which is my faith and way of life – Islam.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Where is your favorite restaurant in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I don’t even know any of them. I don’t eat out, except if I travel out of Ibadan and I must stay in a hotel.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Tell us your favorite radio and TV station in Ibadan
Prof. Dawud: It used to be NTA and BCOS. Back in 1977, NTA called me to come and engage in a dialogue with a professor, I was not even a professor then. But I think they saw my perspective on sharia and the constitution, so they invited me for a one-hour debate, and that was my first appearance on TV here in Ibadan.
Later, I was invited to give a weekly talk on NTA which was paid for by someone I would not like to disclose.
Recently, for about 3 years until last year, I used to have a five-minute talk every Friday on splash FM on a subject I call “The hereafter”.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Do you know under the local government your residence is?
Prof. Dawud: Yes, it’s Ibadan North.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What is the most expensive thing you’ve bought in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: This question is a bit difficult because there are certain things I’ve bought in the past that didn’t cost like they are now but are more precious.
I’ve bought lands and properties in Ibadan, but they didn’t cost as much as the car I bought about 3 years ago but the properties and land have a greater value than the car.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What is your best food?
Prof. Dawud: Before I answer this question, I’ll let you know that I’m diabetic, so that determines the kind of food I eat.
The one food I eat everyday as my lunch this day is wheat because the carbohydrate in it is minimal.
It has been decades ever since I tasted Eba, because of the contents in it.
I like moimoi very much, I take it for my breakfast, then in the evenings, I take fruit.
I like Amala too, but I eat it occasionally because of my health. My son used to order Amala for us from abroad every Friday. He’ll order it from a restaurant in Bodija and they will come and deliver it to the house here. I like Abula
Ibadan Lifestyle: What’s your favorite sport?
Prof. Dawud: It’s football.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Who is your favorite artiste?
Prof. Dawud: There was a time when I was interested in the songs of Salawa Abeni. That was before she became what she is. When she started, she wanted to be part of the Muslim youth organization that started with singing to promote Islam, long before she got married.
Ibadan Lifestyle: Do you have any favorite fashion or business celebrity in Ibadan?
Prof. Dawud: I can’t think of any.
Ibadan Lifestyle: What do you think is the unique selling point of Ibadan, Micra? Amala? or Tourism?
Prof. Dawud: I’ll go with Amala.
Ibadan Lifestyle: When is your birthday?
Prof. Dawud: January 9, 1934.
