James Sowole in Abeokuta

A renowned artist, collector and philanthropist, Dr. Yemisi Shyllon, has challenged governments at all levels to do more on education in order to solve many of the problems confronting the country.

Shyllon made the call at the unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of the late Tai Solarin, which he donated to the Ijagun Campus of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASUED) in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The unveiled statue was one of the two donated by Shyllon to Nigerian universities as legacy projects in honour of who they were named.

The second statue is what was described as a larger-than-life bronze monument of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and would be unveiled on December 5, 2025 during a three-in-one event at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.

Also in the field of art, the ‘Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Exhibition Hall’ will be unveiled at the Nigerian Unity Museum of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Jericho.

According to Shyllon, the likes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo did much to promote education in their time, which he said is why he was doing something to immortalise him. 

He said, “On December 5, I am unveiling a bronze sculpture like this for the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He built Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State in 1962 and became the Chancellor in 1967. I observed that people have graduated from the university and they never left a legacy for him. 

“That is why I am doing this. The Holy Book said that we should embrace charity as it is written in I Corinthians 13 verse 13 in the Bible and Holy Quran Chapter 18 verse 46. If you read them, you will see why you should show love and leave a legacy for others.      

On Tai Solarin, Shyllon said the late educationist was one man he cherished so much and whose life influenced many.

He said, “When I was with my paternal grandmother, one man that I valued so much was the late Tai Solarin. 

“When I was just 12 years of age, I read Tai Solarin article ‘May Your Road Be Rough’ that was about 1965. I read that article and said woah, how can somebody curse that anybody’s road should be rough? That was the intuition that made me read that article and that influenced my life. In fact, when I was with my paternal grandmother, she used to talk a lot about the late Tai Solarin. She used to talk about one man that comes to Lagos to pick dead bodies that would have been abandoned on Lagos streets and pick them to go and bury. And of course, as time went on, I got to know more and more about him.

The philanthropist said that those donations he was making were based on his principle about life, which he said started a long time ago.

Shyllon said that he has done similar projects for the University of Ibadan, University of Lagos and Pan Atlantic University, where he said he established the biggest art museum in Nigeria.

He said, “My purpose in life is very different and my purpose in life is to give and not to receive and that is what Winston Churchill meant when he said, ‘you live when you get but when you give you give life’. I believe in giving.

“One of the ways I give is to give a lasting legacy about my life. There are people who are in this world who are very rich but they never left a lasting legacy, once they are dead, they are forgotten. But my intention is that I don’t want to be forgotten about my contributions to life. 

“I don’t want to believe that life is vanity. Life is full of many things you can do that can make sure that life is not vanity.

“I have helped many people to get PhDs through my foundation. I have helped many artists to become somebody great in the world and I will continue to do more. I try to leave lasting legacy wherever I go.

“It is not in universities alone that I leave legacies, go to Freedom Park in Lagos, I donated 18 sculptural works like this to the public park to encourage tourism in Nigeria. If you go there you will see them there. I have donated them since 2010. 

“It is not only in universities. In Abeokuta, through Prof. Funke Ifeda, I donated 20 feet High Sodeke. It is not in universities, we are everywhere.”

Shyllon said the “younger generation needs to learn more beyond ordinary sculpture or what I am donating. I am currently writing a book, which I have finished but just editing. It is titled ‘Lifetime Reflection for Building Lasting Wealth’. The purpose is that I want generations yet unborn to read that book and get inspiration on how they can make success in their lives without embezzling and without dipping their hands in anybody’s wealth.

In his comment, Chairman of TASUED Governing Council, Professor Rahman Bello, thanked Shyllon for the statue donation, noting that the donor had been a great philanthropist that has affected many lives.

Also speaking, the 5th Vice Chancellor of the university Professor Oluwole Banjo, commended Shyllon for his gesture, saying he was noted for philanthropism.

​