Adieu boss! Prof Amusa was my teacher, supervisor and mentor especially in my formative years, and lately a father figure. May his soul continue to rest in peace, Amen. Prof Gbenga Jegede .
People /
In Memoriam
1940 – 2026
Rank: Professor
Professor Ademola (Adé) Amusa was a distinguished nuclear physicist, teacher, and academic leader whose career spanned teaching, research, and service to the scientific community in Nigeria and beyond. He served as Head of the Department of Physics at Obafemi Awolowo University from 1 August 1989 to 31 July 1992, and was widely respected for his scholarship, intellectual discipline, and commitment to the advancement of physics education and research.
Professor Amusa was born on 7 July 1940 in Okorogbin. He began his academic formation at Molusi College, Ijebu-Igbo, where the influence of Dr Tai Solarin helped shape his values of diligence and academic excellence. He later attended Government College, Ibadan, for his A-level studies, and proceeded to the United States on scholarship under the ASPAU programme. There, he earned a B.Sc. degree in Engineering from Columbia University, followed by an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1971. During his early academic career, he served as Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at the University of Illinois, contributing to instruction in theoretical mechanics and classical electrodynamics, while also helping to build experimental apparatus for research in Mössbauer spectroscopy and low-temperature physics.
On returning to Nigeria, he held academic appointments at the University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and later the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, where he spent most of his career. At Ahmadu Bello University, he contributed to the development of the Modern Physics Programme. At Obafemi Awolowo University, he taught widely across the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum, including Modern Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Physics, and Mathematical Physics, and supervised a number of postgraduate students who went on to make meaningful contributions to the discipline.
By October 1982, he had risen to the rank of Professor in nuclear physics. His research earned international recognition through fellowships with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, as well as his work as a Research Associate at Argonne National Laboratory in the United States. His scholarly contributions, particularly in Mössbauer spectroscopy, Hartree-Fock calculations, and two-nucleon transfer reactions, were published in respected journals such as Nuclear Physics A, Zeitschrift für Physik A, Nuovo Cimento, and Journal of Physics C. He also co-edited important scientific works, including the Directory of Research of Physical Scientists in Nigeria and Physics Education in Nigerian Secondary Schools, reflecting his broader commitment to national scientific development.
Beyond teaching and research, Professor Amusa rendered notable service to the academic and professional community. He introduced innovative ideas during his tenure as Head of Department at Obafemi Awolowo University, encouraged broad participation in academic decision-making, and oversaw important developments including the hosting of the first Nigerian Institute of Physics conference at the university. He also served as Vice-President of the Nigerian Institute of Physics, Editor of its Bulletin, and Secretary of the Physical Science Section of the Science Association of Nigeria. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded Fellowship of the Nigerian Institute of Physics and Fellowship of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. He is remembered as a scholar of integrity, rigour, and quiet excellence whose influence endures in the lives of his students, the institutions he served, and the body of knowledge he helped to build.
Adieu boss! Prof Amusa was my teacher, supervisor and mentor especially in my formative years, and lately a father figure. May his soul continue to rest in peace, Amen. Prof Gbenga Jegede .
Tribute to Late Prof. Ademola Amusa I write with a heavy heart, yet with deep gratitude, as I reflect on the life and impact of Ademola Amusa - a teacher who shaped not just my academic journey, but my understanding of discipline, dignity, and quiet compassion. Prof. Amusa taught me Quantum Mechanics and Astrophysics, two of the most demanding yet beautiful areas of physics. But beyond the equations and abstractions, he taught something far more enduring: the discipline of the mind and the character of a scholar. He was a man of order. Every student was addressed with formality and respect, “Mr. Sunmonu,” “Miss so-and-so”, a simple gesture that carried with it a profound message: that we were individuals worthy of recognition and responsibility. His classroom was governed by strict rules. Once he entered, no one else was permitted to come in. To enjoy Prof., you had to be disciplined. Yet, beneath that firm exterior was a deeply humane and attentive soul. One memory stands out vividly. On a particular day, some of us were lingering in the corridor when we saw Prof. heading toward the lecture room - PY 239. My classmates, quicker on their feet, dashed ahead and made it into the class before him. I, not being much of a sprinter, realized that attempting the same would mean colliding with him at the door. I accepted my fate and quietly positioned myself by the window to listen from outside. Then, in the midst of the lecture, I heard his voice: “Mr. Sunmonu, please come in.” That moment has stayed with me ever since. It was more than an invitation, it was a revelation. Behind the discipline was love. Behind the structure was understanding. He saw us, not just as students to be instructed, but as individuals to be guided. I have many more fond memories of Prof., but I will keep them for another time. Prof. Ademola Amusa was truly a teacher of teachers, one whose legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the standards he upheld, and the silent lessons he imparted. To enjoy Prof., you had to be disciplined. To remember him now is to appreciate that discipline was his language of care. Adieu, Prof. Ade Amusa. Sleep on. ‘Niyi Sunmonu