Obafemi J. Awolowo

Chief Awolowo in academic gown

I used to think that a hero is a male character who acted a role of attraction throughout the story. But when our teacher told us and also discovered from the DVD and the My Hero book sent to us, I now know that a hero is not only a person who is admired by many for his noble qualities, or bravery but also one who has positively touched one’s life directly or indirectly. There is no other person that I would say is my Hero than Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He was born in Ikenne South West of Nigeria on 6th March, 1909. His father was a peasant farmer but was able to register Chief Awolowo in Anglican primary school in Ikenne. When his father died, it was difficult for him to continue his education; but being a brave man, he served many masters to continue his education.

Chief Awolowo

He registered for part time studies and after his matriculation in 1939, he completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1944. He co-founded the trade union congress of Nigeria in 1943. He graduated as a lawyer in London in 1947. While in London; he founded the “EGBE OMO ODUDUWA” a Yoruba tribal society. Coming back to Nigeria, he set up a legal practice and in 1950 he organized other Yoruba leaders and formed the Action Group, which won the western Region elections in 1951. He became the leader of the banned Action Group and the leader of the Yoruba’s of Western Nigeria.

My hero became the Minister of Local Government from 1951-54 and later became the prime minister of Western Nigeria with the headquarters in Ibadan. He was able to achieve the following goals, which made the Western Region developed more than other regions.
(1) He built the first stadium of international standard in Nigeria (Liberty Stadium Ibadan)
(2) He built the first skyscraper in Nigeria (Cocoa House)
(3) He created the first television station in Nigeria known as the Western Nigeria Television Station (WNTV)
(4) He established the first radio station.

He resigned the premiership of Western Nigerian 1959 to contest for federal election but failed and he became the leader of opposition in the Federal House of Representative. He consolidated the Action Group to become the “best political party south of Sahara”. After his death, Chief Ojukwu said, "Awolowo was the best President Nigeria never had"

Chief Awolowo on Nigerian currency note

Federal Government named one of the premier universities after him. Former University of Ife in South West was changed to Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria's one hundred naira currency note carries his image and a street in Federal Capital Territory is named to immortalize his name.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo

I have chosen Chief Awolowo as my hero because I am not only a living being today but an educated person. This is because he:
• Fought for free health care, which gave my father the chance to survive during a disease out break at that time.
• Fought for free education at all levels, which gave my parents the opportunity to attend school at that time.
He also fought for other things in order to benefit the masses, which made him (Chief Obafemi Awolowo) and the Federal Government to be at opposing sides. Chief Awolowo was survived by Hannah his wife and three children. He lost one child in a car accident when he was young. For these and many others, Chief Awolowo has made me what I am and I have made him my hero, which he will always be because I don’t know where I would have been if he had not helped my parents.