Former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director, Timi Alaibe, OFR, FNIM, has paid tribute to the late Professor Turner Timinipre Isoun, describing him as a visionary scholar, institution builder and distinguished statesman whose contributions to education, science and technology left a lasting impact on Nigeria.
Alaibe, in a tribute posted on his Facebook page, reflected on the life and legacy of the late professor, recalling his pioneering role as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University, in 1980.
He described Isoun’s death as the departure of an extraordinary scholar and one of the finest intellectual minds produced by the Niger Delta.
Alaibe, who was a member of the university’s pioneering undergraduate class, said Isoun was entrusted with the task of transforming the institution from a College of Science and Technology into a university, adding that the late academic was determined to establish high standards of teaching, research and academic discipline from the outset.
According to him, Isoun assembled a strong faculty, including highly qualified foreign lecturers, to expose students to international academic standards and diverse intellectual perspectives.
He noted that the late professor believed that a university’s greatness was determined not by its buildings or legal status but by the quality of its lecturers, the integrity of its academic processes and the standards it maintained.
Recalling his university days, Alaibe highlighted Isoun’s attention to student welfare, particularly the quality of meals provided in the university hostels.
He recalled that students paid just ₦45 for a monthly meal ticket covering three meals daily for 30 days.
Alaibe also fondly remembered the university’s Sunday meals of jollof rice, fried plantain and half a chicken, recounting how students protested when rising food costs threatened to reduce their cherished Sunday chicken portions.
He said the incident, which included a warning strike by students, remained a humorous but memorable part of their university experience, reflecting the strong sense of community and quality of campus life during the institution’s pioneering years.
Beyond his experience as a student, Alaibe said Isoun’s leadership helped shape his understanding of institution-building and the importance of maintaining high standards in both public and private service.
He also recalled that Isoun personally autographed a copy of his book, Why Run Before Learning to Walk? Reflections on High Technology as a Strategic Tool for Development in Nigeria, co-authored with his wife, Dr. Miriam Isoun, on September 16, 2013.
According to Alaibe, the book reflected the late professor’s conviction that Nigeria could accelerate its technological development by investing in scientific knowledge, research and innovation rather than depending indefinitely on imported technologies.
He said Isoun carried this philosophy into national service as Minister of Science and Technology under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Alaibe identified the launch of Nigeria’s first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, in September 2003, as one of the significant milestones in the country’s advancement in space technology during that period.
He said the achievement created opportunities for scientific research, environmental monitoring, resource management and technological advancement.
Alaibe also highlighted Isoun’s contributions to biotechnology, noting that Nigeria adopted its National Biotechnology Policy in 2001 and established the National Biotechnology Development Agency to advance the application of biotechnology to national development.
He recalled that during his years at the NDDC, Isoun sought the commission’s partnership in promoting biotechnology as a tool for the development of the Niger Delta.
Alaibe described the engagement as particularly meaningful because it brought him into contact with his former Vice-Chancellor in pursuit of a development initiative aimed at harnessing science and innovation for regional advancement.
He further identified the Bioresources Development Centre in Odi, Bayelsa State, as a tangible expression of Isoun’s commitment to scientific research and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources.
The tribute also highlighted Isoun’s contributions to Bayelsa State and the wider Niger Delta, including his involvement in the struggle for the creation of the state, participation in Ijaw affairs and advocacy for regional development.
Alaibe recalled that Isoun was appointed pioneer Chairman of the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund in 2017, describing the appointment as another demonstration of his enduring commitment to education.
He noted that the same scholar who championed international academic standards at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology in 1980 continued, decades later, to advocate quality education for the children of Bayelsa State.
According to Alaibe, Isoun understood that sustainable development required more than political agitation, stressing the importance of education, scientific capacity, strong institutions and economic opportunities.
He described the late professor as one of the rare public servants who looked beyond the immediate challenges of their time to prepare for the needs of future generations.
Reflecting on Isoun’s legacy in his Facebook tribute, Alaibe said the late scholar’s contributions to education, science, technology and public service would continue to inspire generations.
He emphasised that the true measure of Isoun’s life lay in the institutions he helped build, the policies he influenced and the opportunities he created for others.
“The true measure of a life is not simply how far a person rises, but how many others are enabled to rise because that person lived,” Alaibe w
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