The stage is now set for the Titi Adegolu-Oniyesan Essay Prize Award with the announcement of judges for the event.
Below is the profile of the panelists:
Tosin Ayo, Law Teacher, Author, Biographer, Serial Entrepreneur, Energy Law Specialist, Real Estate Lawyer, Public figure and Social Commentator is a man of many parts.
He was born into the family of Elder Dr. and Reverend Mrs. Simeon Ayo of Ikere-Ekiti in the 80s. He began his educational pursuit at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Nursery and Primary school, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State of Nigeria where he obtained his primary school leaving certificate and proceeded to the then Unity Secondary School, Ikere-Ekiti, now Ekiti State Government College, Ikere-Ekiti (1996-2001). He won the prize as the best English Student in Ekiti State in September, Year 2000.
He secured admissions into the then University of Ado-Ekiti the same year as a full-fledged science student and changed gear in the year 2004 to pursue a career in Law even as a pure scientist. For someone who never formally attended a Literature-in-English class, he wrote the GCE for Literature-in-English as a self-tutored candidate to enable him study Law and he passed. He graduated from the prestigious Faculty of Law of the then University of Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti where he equally won the Prof. C. S Ola’s prize for the best academic performance in Environmental Law for the 2008/2009 academic session. He then proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, Abuja, Bwari campus and was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in October 2011. He thereafter underwent his mandatory National Youth Service at the Corporate Services’ Department of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Warri, Delta State, Nigeria where his interest in oil and gas law was galvanized and stimulated.
He thereafter proceeded to the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom in September 2012 where he received a pioneer LLM with Commendation), having obtained a Distinction Grade in His LL.M Dissertation and emerging with the result of the overall best performance in the Energy Law, LL.M program of the University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom in September 2013.
He has worked in many notable Law offices including Bola Omoyeni & Co, Effurun, Warri, Delta State (September 2011-March 2012), Obafemi Adewale & Co, Ado-Ekiti (January 2014- June 2015), Veronica Wigwe & Co (June 2015- March 2016) before deciding to follow his passion by becoming a Law Teacher in his alma mater, the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti in April 2016 in order to contribute his modest quota to the worthwhile training of legal minds for the next generation.
Tosin Ayo is a passionate Lecturer of repute at the Department of Public Law, he was equally once at the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria where he teaches Oil and Gas Law, Introduction and Application of Computer to Law, Legal Research Methodology, Clinical Legal Education, Environmental Law and Criminology. He became the Faculty Staff Adviser in October 2016 and handed over in 2019. He left EKSU on 5th December, 2019 due to the mass disengagement and went into active legal practice. He was reinstated in July 2022 vide a backdated letter of re-engagement dated 5th December, 2019 as though he never left.
He is equally the Principal Partner at Castlers- a leading Law firm that majors in corporate, energy, remote, commercial, tech and property law practice with offices in Lagos and Ado-Ekiti. He is reputed to hàve supported many charitable causes and sponsorship of academic programs within and outside the University community to encourage academic excellence including initiating cash prizes for best performance in his course and academic debates at several times and fora as part of his youth empowerment strides. He was the GST Coordinator for the Faculty of Law and the Coordinator of the Diploma-in-Law program of the Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria in the year 2019.
He has advised on several power and energy proposals in private legal practice and has a flourishing property law practice, publishing and editing hubs. He is currently the Deputy Editor and African Investment Columnist of the Catalyst International Magazine, Baltimore, United States of America. He has written several books and biographies including the Biography of Former President Goodluck Jonathan, Goodluck Goodwork.
Tosin Ayo has attended several national and international conferences including the Offshore Europe, Aberdeen, United Kingdom in September 2013 and Dubiox De Gaulle International conference in Paris, France in May 2013. He is widely traveled across Europe, Africa and Asia, having visited 26 countries across 4 continents to date. He led the delegation of students of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti to their first ever international competition in Kenya (22nd-28th April, 2019) for the John H. Jackson International Moot Competition on International Trade Law and WTO Law where they performed creditably in the African sub region.
He is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Association of Law Teachers, NALT and the European Energy Institute, EEI. In the year 2012, he became the President of the Association of African International Postgraduate students, United Kingdom chapter.
He is a recipient of several awards including but not limited to ‘Distinguished Egbe Omo Ikere Award’ by the National Association of Ikere Students, 15th May, 2003, ‘Award of Excellence’ by T.O Elias Chambers, University of Ibadan, 26th October 2018, Award of Distinguished Leadership as the Staff Adviser of the Law Students’ Society, Press Law Teacher of the Year, 2019, Award of the Most Popular Lecturer in EKSU at the ESUCA Awards 2019, Award of Distinguished Leadership (Kings and Queens, 2019), Award of Recognition of the Law Students’ Society, EKSU 2020, One of the 2020 Most Influential Ekiti Young Persons, (Ekiti State Youth Parliament Awards), National Youth Congress Awards, 2023, Judicial Summit Awards 2023, etc… He was quoted amongst under 40 CEOs of the 21st Century by the Grand Summit Group in the year 2020.
He has published articles in leading journals both in Nigeria and internationally. He is equally a Freelance writer with several articles in national dailies and on social media where he is popularly called the Word Bank with an occultic social media and real life followership. He is a mentor to many Ekiti Youth at home and in the diaspora. He holds a Ph.D in Law degree from the Ekiti State University where he demonstrated another exceptional performance as he bagged a CGPA of 5.0 out of 5.0 in the 2016/2017 Academic session, having obtained straight A’s in all courses and leading the class. His Ph.D research interest is International Environmental Oil and Gas Law.
He served as the Head, Technical Committee on Education, Ekiti Youth Agenda. He was the Co-Partner, Co-Founder and Head, Legal Team of ABC Capital, Lagos and Ado-Ekiti and the Principal Consultant, Joystreams Energy Law Consult, Aberdeen and the CEO/Lead Executive of Emporium Apartments before he joined public service. He has raised the tuition fees for several Ekiti and non-Ekiti youth vide his influential social media followership including Law school fees on a consistent basis. He is a Legal Adviser/Consultant to many companies in the Energy sector too numerous to mention.
He is happily married to Mrs. Itunu Ayo, a First Class Scholar and Lecturer at the Department of Environmental Management and Toxicology, Faculty of Science, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti and the union is blessed with two beautiful daughters, Mirabel and Morife. He enjoys writing, reading, indoor games, doodling, movies and music.
Others are Mrs Ojo Ruth Idowu who works with the Ondo State Government (TESCOM). Her present school is Estate High School, Shagari Village, Akure. She holds a B. A. Ed (English), M. Ed (Languages). She is an experienced teacher and grader.
Also, on the panel is an engineering teacher, certified engineer and essay enthusiast, Mr Oke Ayodele. He is also a lecturer in one of the South West Polytechnics
Lastly is Opeyemi Jooda Afeez. A Mass Communicator, Yoruba/English language instructor and crusader of indigenous language.
Education background
OND in Mass communication ( Osun State polytechnic ire)
HND in Mass Communication (Moshood Abiola polytechnic, Ogun State)
B.SC in Mass Communication ( federal university oye ekiti)
He had experience in field of journalism and was opportune to work as a Yoruba Newscaster and Presenter at Reality Radiovision Services both radio 96.3fm and Television Iwo, Osun State, between 2011-2016. He was a pioneer at voice 89.9fm Ado Ekiti in Ekiti state (2017-2022).
He is currently working with TV communication (Adaba FM Akure) as a Yoruba Newscaster and reporter. (2022-till date)
Another focal point of the essay prize award is the Titi Adegolu Oniyesan school press club.
Its latest beneficiaries were pupils of Destiny Child Academy who were presented with and encouraged to read classical Nigerian books like Chike and the River by renowned writer, Wole Soyinka as well as Ralia the sugar girl.
Study @ Achievers University
