Prince Yemisi Shyllon.

By Nehru Odeh

Prince Yemisi Shyllon, philanthropist, engineer, lawyer and Nigeria’s leading art collector, was on Saturday 19 October honoured with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy (DSc Honoris Causa) Business Administration at the Crescent University Abeokuta.

Shyllon also upgraded and donated an E-Library to the Faculty of Law of the university, named Yemisi Shyllon E-Library, BACOLAW, which he commissioned at the convocation ceremony. The honoree also donated all his law practice books to the faculty of law library at the institution.

Shyllon, the Grand donor and Chairman Council of the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Pan African University and founder/ CEO, of Omooba Adedoyin Shyllon  Art Foundation, was honoured alongside two other distinguished individuals. They are  Aare Tomori Williams and Kabir Ajibola  Gbemisola at the 16th convocation ceremony of the university, which was held at the Bola Ajibola Auditorium.

“I must say that we are happy that you gave us this award,” Shyllon said while responding on behalf of the honorees. “But one thing that comes to mind on receiving this award is the fact that the founder of this university, Prince Judge Bola Ajibola, lived a life of meaningful living, meaningful living in selflessness.

“We are sitting down here, celebrating somebody who died some time ago, who has planted seeds that are giving happiness through promoting selflessness, selfless service to society even in the graveyard.

“Prince Bola Ajibola represents everything about meaningful living. Meaningful living is about deriving happiness from providing selfless services to society. It is a lifestyle. It involves living a life of giving and planting seeds for trees that will someday give shade and food to people that we may never meet again during our lifetime. It is a lifestyle of deriving happiness from joining others to promote the welfare of so many others, ” Shyllon maintained.

The E-Library

Shyllon, while thanking Ajibola’s children and the Vice Chancellor of Crescent University, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila for their humility in greatness, tasks everyone to emulate Ajibola’s good works. He also expressed his life-long commitment and dedication to the university.

“The Chancellor and Vice Chancellor are calling on us to do something. We need to do something to honour this great man who lived a meaningful life of service.

” I can tell you that Prince Judge Bola  Ajibola has secured his own good in heaven. And his children are continuing in his footsteps. I respect them and I commit myself to looking towards this university for the rest of my life.

“We should therefore always try to touch the lives of others outside our family irrespective of our endowments like Prince  Bola Ajibola. The Vice Chancellor left a lucrative job in Ife to come here to work for this university. Your labour shall not be in vain. Let us work together to do what the late Prince Judge Bola Ajibola did, ” Shyllon enjoined.

Prince Yemisi Shyllon

Shyllion’s remarkable achievement is no mean feat and is indeed a testament to his dedication, hard work and significant contributions to society, as well as sterling services to art, culture and philanthropy.

However, the remarkable thing about Shyllon’s feat is that it is the addition of another feather to his much-decorated cap, having won several local and international awards.

Shyllon also holds an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Port Harcourt (2012) and the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos (2022)

Still, academic and professional excellence has always defined Shyllon’s life. When the university orator read Shyllon’s citation, he referenced the fact that he graduated in Engineering from the University of Ibadan with Second Class Upper division (1977). He also has a Master’s degree with distinction in Business Administration (MBA), specializing in Marketing and Finance from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, 1980).

L-R : Kabir Ajibola Gbemisola, Aare Tomori Williams and Prince Yemisi Shyllon

Shyllon also obtained a second-class upper-division degree in law from the University of Lagos(1990) and a second-class upper-division from the Nigerian Law School(1990).

At 31, Shyllon was appointed the first African Director of Marketing, within the ETEX Group of Belgium, at Nigerite Ltd. Shyllon has also contributed to the development of art and culture through numerous philanthropic interventions and sponsorship.

While commissioning the E-Library, Shyllon, who spoke on behalf of himself and his wife, Oloori Funmilayo Shyllon, said it was a privilege to be of service to the university, adding that he had been of service to other universities and other institutions, both private and public.

Prince Yemisi Shyllon

He also said the institution is very dear to his heart because of the greatness of Prince Bola Ajibola, the founder of Crescent University. He thanked the Vice Chancellor and the sons of Prince Bola Ajibola for their humility. “They are so humble in greatness, ” he said.

“I hope this E-Library will be useful to humanity yet unborn in line with what Prince Bola Ajibola would like to have. I am so happy to have donated all my law practice books.

“This E-Library is for the good of children yet unborn that will come to this university. I have made my commitment to the Vice Chancellor that I’m going to be seeing him again and again because this dream must be allowed to flourish this dream of somebody who out of selflessness decided to build this university.

“Such greatness must never be allowed to die. And I hope others will emulate this. This is how to grow society,” Shyllon maintained