Duro Oni
Duro Oni | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 December 1952 Minna, Niger State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Occupation(s) | Academic, writer |
| Known for | Former President of the Nigerian Academy of Letters |
| Title | Professor of Theatre Arts |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Ibadan, California Institute of the Arts |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Theatre arts |
| Institutions | University of Lagos |
| Main interests | Theatre design and aesthetics, stage lighting, cultural studies, Nollywood |
Duro Oni (Yorùbá: Dúró Òní; born on 15 December 1952) is a Nigerian professor of Theatre Arts at the University of Lagos.[1] He served as president of the Nigerian Academy of Letters.[2][3] His research interests include theatre arts design and aesthetics, stage lighting, dramatic literature and criticism, cultural studies, and the Nigerian film industry/Nollywood.[1][4]
Early life
Oni earned a diploma in drama from the University of Ibadan in 1973. He later completed Bachelor's and Master's of Fine Arts degrees in Performing Arts Design and Technology from the California Institute of the Arts. He achieved his Ph.D. in Theatre Arts at the University of Ibadan.
Career
Oni worked as a theatre stage technician at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1973 and 1975. He was nominated for the British Council Artists Fellowship programme in 1975.[5][6]
Public service
- Special adviser to the Nigerian Minister of Culture and Social Welfare from 1990 to 1991
- Adviser to the Minister of Youth and Sports from 1991 and 1992.[7]
University of Lagos
At the University of Lagos, Oni served in several key academic and administrative roles:
- Director, Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Lagos from 1992 to 1997
- Initiated and developed the bachelor's degree programme in Creative Arts in 1997 (expanded in 2013) Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization from 2000 to 2006[1]
- Pioneer Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Lagos from 2008 to 2009
- Head of the Department of Creative Arts 2006–2009
- Dean of the Faculty of Arts 2009 to 2013
- Deputy Vice Chancellor (Management Services) 2013–2017
Nigerian Academy of Letters
Oni retired from the University of Lagos on 15 December 2022, upon reaching age 70.[9]
Publications
Oni published monographs and edited volumes, including:
- Striking Expressions: Theatre and Culture in National Development (2017)
- The Soyinka Impulse: Essays on Wole Soyinka edited with Bisi Adigun (2019)
- Larger than His Frame II: Critical Studies and Reflections on Olu Obafemi (2021)
He wrote articles in peer-reviewed academic journals such as African Performance Review and Social Dynamics.[10]
In 2012, a festschrift, Fireworks for a Lighting Aesthetician: Essays and Tributes in Honour of Duro Oni @ 60, was published in honour of Oni's scholarship.[11]
References
- ^ a b c "Professor Duro ONI". Staff Profile. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "About the Nigerian Academy of Letters". Nigerian Academy of Letters. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Professor Duro Oni is New President of Nigerian Academy of Letters". University of Lagos. 20 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Duro Oni". Nigerian Academy of Letters. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Professor duro oni department of creative arts, university of lagos". sckool.org. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ British Council Nigeria (20 January 2020). "Thanks to you Professor Duro Oni - Cultural guru and distinguished scholar". British Council Nigeria.
- ^ Udo, Mary (7 March 2017). "ONI, Prof. Duro". Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ Afejuku, Tony (5 August 2022). "On 24th convocation of Nigerian Academy of Letters". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Professor Duro Oni Clocks 70, Bows out of Active Service in Blaze of Glory". unilag.edu.ng. University of Lagos. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2023.
- ^ Omoniyi, Tope; Scheld, Suzanne; Oni, Duro (2009). "Negotiating youth identity in a transnational context in Nigeria". Social Dynamics. 35 (1): 1–18. doi:10.1080/02533950802684678. ISSN 0253-3952. S2CID 144105216.
- ^ Ododo, Sunday Enessi (2012). Fireworks for a Lighting Aesthetician: Essays and Tributes in Honour of Duro Oni @ 60 (PDF). Lagos: Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC). ISBN 9789785115659.