Dr. Samuel Olusegun Osoba, chairman of the Yusufu Bala Usman Institute, died at the age of 92. He passed away peacefully on Wednesday at his residence in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The Yusufu Bala Usman Institute announced the death on Thursday through a statement. Director Norma Perchonock signed the statement. She expressed the institute’s grief but gratitude for his life of service.
Dr. Samuel Olusegun Osoba built a career as a prominent Marxist scholar and economic historian. He dedicated his life to teaching and research on capitalism and neo-colonialism in Nigeria. His work focused on pathways to national development and liberation from exploitation.
Moreover, Dr. Osoba produced numerous scholarly books, papers, and newspaper columns. These writings reached both academic audiences and the general public. He also served as a member of the 1977 Constituent Assembly.
Dr. Samuel Olusegun Osoba collaborated closely with the late Professor Yusufu Bala Usman. Together, they authored The Minority Report and Draft Constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1976. The institute described this document as influential in Nigeria’s constitutional and governance debates.
Furthermore, his contributions to economic history stood out as groundbreaking. He examined the structures that hindered development in the country.
Director Norma Perchonock stated that Dr. Osoba was a rare scholar. She added, “His whole life was dedicated to teaching and research that was designed to educate his students, colleagues and the general public about the nature of the capitalist system and the structures of neo-colonialism that dominate the Nigerian state.”
She concluded, “Segun is gone but he has left an enduring legacy and a shining example for patriotic Nigerians to emulate.”
