THE STORY OF MY LIFE

I am Idowu (Idohou) Ayinde Agunbiade Emmanuel BIAO; although my birth certificate and many of my official documents bear only the following two names: Idohou BIAO.

My personal name (as distinct from my family name) is a Yoruba name; the Yoruba ethnic group is found on the West African coastal region with its highest concentrations in Nigeria and Benin Republic. Among the Yoruba, the name “Idowu” is  given to any person who was born immediately after a set of twins. Wherever the French have the privilege of writing this name, they wrote it as “Idohou”; however in Yoruba language, the name is written “Idowu” with the necessary tone accents on the “I”, “o” and “u”.

Birth Circumstances

I was born to Alexandre, a carpenter, and Yeba, an illiterate itinerant trader in Sabe (a village standing astride on the border line between Oyo State of Nigeria and Republic of Benin) in 1955. I was born in a Native Doctor’s cottage while my mummy waited for my twin  brothers who had been taken there a few days earlier, to get well.

Soon after my birth, I was taken to the Maternity in Sabe but the Doctor in charge of the maternity would have nothing to do with either me or my mother. The French Colonial Law at the time of my birth was that any woman who gave birth outside the maternity in a town or village where at least one maternity existed was liable upon conviction to pay a variety of severe fines. In order to wriggle out of this difficult situation, my mother told the authorities of the maternity that she resided in Djabatta (a hamlet a few kilometres away from Sabe) and that she gave birth to me by the side of the road on her way to the maternity; this story was found acceptable and the circumstances surrounding my birth, pardonable and my mother  was allocated a maternity bed space.

Schooling  

Being the last born of my mother’s 6 children, my mummy would not let go of me easily; consequently, it took the sudden angry decision of my father to get me into primary school at the age of 7. My progress through the various levels of the formal school system was devoid of major hitches; consequently, having reached the French Higher School Certificate Classes at the age of 17, I left for Nigeria where, after 2 years of teaching French in various parts of Nigeria, I entered the  prestigious University of Lagos to read for the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Bachelor degree in Arts and Adult Education, Masters degree in Adult Education and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Adult Education.

While still at the University of Lagos and concurrently with my Bachelor degree study, I took a correspondence Diploma course in Journalism from the London School of Journalism; this course was completed in 18 months.

I entered the University of Lagos in 1976 and left in 1989 after I was awarded a Ph. D. in Adult Education. I was appointed to the position of Graduate Assistant at the University of Lagos in 1987 and was offered appointment to join the staff of my department on a full time basis on completion of my Ph.D. I however, opted to change milieu and I rather took up appointment in 1990 with Bayero University Kano from where I moved to the University of Calabar after a 10-year teaching activity in the former. 

Professional Ascension  

Although I trained as journalist and teacher, teaching was the profession I practised.

I bagged my Bachelor degree at the age of 28 years, obtained my Masters degree at the age of 29 and my Ph.D. at the age of 34. I was appointed Professor of Adult Education when I clocked 46 years.

Work in Universities  

I have thought the discipline of Adult Education mainly in 4 Nigerian universities including University of Lagos, Bayero University, Kano, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and University of Calabar.

I have visited many other universities in my capacity as external examiner or examiner of Post-Graduate students; I have equally assessed for Professorial appointment, many candidates from many universities.

Travels 

I have visited the following countries: Republic of Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Cote-d’Ivoire, Mali, South Africa and United Kingdom.

Consultancy works 

I worked and continue to work as consultant to the following organizations: USAID, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNDP, Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN),           Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission.

Languages 

I speak fluently Yoruba, French and English languages; while I am able to write well in French and English languages, my writing of Yoruba language can be said to be only fair.

Religion 

I am  Christian of Methodist denomination.

Philosophical School 

I enrolled as student of the Rosicrucian Philosophy in 1984, while I was still a Post-Graduate student at the University of Lagos. Having shown keen interest in demonstrating and discoursing many aspects of Rosicrucian Teachings, I was appointed in 1999 into the International Research Council of the Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC). The Rosicrucian Order AMORC is an International School in which men and women investigate, study and apply natural laws for the purpose of furthering health, happiness and harmony with and among all beings and nature.

Specifically, the curriculum of the Rosicrucian Order AMORC includes Purpose of Life, Development of willpower, Reincarnation, Mental creation, Soul, Mind and Matter relationship, human aura, Nature’s mysteries and other interesting topics.