By Timi Alaibe
There are men in history whose greatness are measured by the offices they occupied and the wealth they accumulated. There are also others whose greatness are determined by the institutions they built, the minds they shaped, and the enduring impact of their contributions to society. The late Professor Turner Timinipre Isoun belonged, most deservedly, to the latter category.
His death marks the departure of an extraordinary scholar, a visionary administrator, a distinguished statesman and one of the finest intellectual minds produced by the Niger Delta.
As a person, his death carries an exceptional personal significance. Aside from being a distinguished Nigerian whose accomplishments I admired from a distance, he was my Vice-Chancellor at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, now Rivers State University.
As a pioneer VC in 1980, Isoun was entrusted with the uncommon task of transforming the institution from College of Science and Technology into a university of science and technology. As pioneer students, we were, in a manner of speaking, the guinea pigs of this bold educational experiment – the ones upon which the vision of a new university was tested.
From the outset, he was determined that the new university would establish itself as an institution of academic excellence, intellectual discipline, and international credibility.
He made deliberate efforts to ensure that the university commenced on a foundation of exceptional academic standards, by assembling a strong faculty, attracting highly qualified academics, including a significant number of foreign lecturers who brought diverse international perspectives and experience into our lecture halls.
This exposure was invaluable. Though a newly established university, the quality of teaching, the intellectual environment and the standards expected of us reflected Isoun’s determination to build an institution that could stand confidently alongside established universities anywhere in the world.
Professor Isoun’s philosophy was that a university does not become great merely because it has been established by law, provided with buildings or given an impressive name, but through the quality of its faculty, the integrity of its academic processes, the discipline of its students and the standards it refuses to compromise.
His administration was not only concerned with academic standards. There was also considerable attention to student welfare and the quality of campus life. For those of us who lived in the university hostels, we had a remarkably well-run refectory. I still recall that our monthly meal ticket booklet cost just ₦45, covering three meals a day for 30 days. That worked out to ₦1.50 per day, or a mere 50 kobo per meal – and what meals they were!
Sundays were particularly special. We eagerly looked forward to our famous Sunday jollof rice, served with fried plantain and a generous half-chicken. It was such a delight that some of us would even invite friends from outside the university to come and share in this culinary experience. Those were indeed the good old days!
Then came what must have been one of the earliest crises of our young university! Food prices had risen marginally, the cost of our cherished monthly meal ticket booklet was set to increase, and, to make matters worse, our famous Sunday half-chicken was to be reduced to a mere quarter-chicken!
You can imagine the outrage! For students who had grown accustomed to such generous Sunday portions, this was simply unacceptable. We protested and even embarked on a warning strike to register our displeasure with the university authorities!
Looking back, I cannot help but smile at the thought that we once considered the prospect of losing half our Sunday chicken sufficient grounds for a warning strike! Yet, beyond the humour and youthful exuberance, these memories speak to something more significant: the remarkable quality of campus life and the sense of community we enjoyed during those pioneering years.
Isoun’s vision of a university extended beyond lecture halls and laboratories to creating an environment in which students could learn, live comfortably, build friendships and develop a sense of community. He gave us more than a university education. He helped create an institution that became part of our lives and our stories.
On deep reflection, more than four decades later, I realise how privileged we were to have been part of something truly historic. We may have jokingly regarded ourselves as the guinea pigs, but Professor Isoun saw in us the first generation of ambassadors of a university whose reputation he was determined to build. He gave us every reason to be proud of that responsibility.
That pioneering experience has remained with me throughout my professional journey, from the private to the public sectors. Across these different responsibilities, one conviction has remained constant: institutions are only as strong as the standards, values and quality of leadership upon which they are founded.
There is another personal memory of Professor Isoun that I will always cherish. On 16th September 2013, he personally autographed for me a copy of his book, Why Run Before Learning to Walk? Reflections on High Technology as a Strategic Tool for Development in Nigeria, which he co-authored with his wife, Dr. Miriam Isoun.
I still have that treasured copy, and looking at his inscription today brings back fond memories of a man whose intellectual curiosity, foresight and commitment to national development remained undiminished long after his pioneering years as our Vice-Chancellor.
What strikes me most is how closely the philosophy behind that book reflects the leadership I witnessed as a member of the university’s inaugural first-degree class. Isoun did not believe that being a new institution was an excuse for tolerating inferior standards. He believed we could aspire to excellence from the very beginning, provided we had the vision, discipline and courage to pursue it.
He trusted that Nigeria could leapfrog stages of technological development rather than remain perpetually constrained by the limitations of its past. He saw possibilities where others saw limitations, and had the courage to build institutions around those possibilities. His subsequent national service was an extension of that same philosophy.
As President Obasanjo’s Minister of Science and Technology, Isoun brought intellectual depth, clarity of purpose and an uncommon appreciation of the relationship between science, technology and national development. His tenure was distinguished by a determination to move Nigeria beyond being merely a consumer of imported technologies to becoming a nation capable of developing and applying scientific knowledge to its own development challenges.
One of the defining milestones of his tenure was the launch of Nigeria’s first satellite, NigeriaSat-1, in September 2003. This historic achievement marked the country’s entry into space technology and opened new possibilities for scientific research, environmental monitoring, resource management and technological advancement.
His contributions to Nigeria’s science and technology policies, research institutions and the development of information and communications technology also helped lay important foundations for the country’s emerging knowledge-driven economy.
Isoun also recognised the enormous potential of biotechnology in transforming agriculture, improvingfood security, creating economic opportunities and addressing environmental challenges. Under his leadership, Nigeria adopted its National Biotechnology Policy in 2001 and established the National Biotechnology Development Agency to translate that vision into practical programmes.
During my years at the Niger Delta Development Commission, Isoun sought the Commission’s partnership in advancing the application of biotechnology to the region’s development. For me, that engagement was especially meaningful.
Here was my former Vice-Chancellor, who had helped shape my formative university years, now reaching out to an institution in whose leadership I was privileged to serve, seeking collaboration in pursuit of another visionary development initiative.
It was a remarkable reminder of the consistency of his convictions. Professor Isoun understood that the Niger Delta’s future could not depend indefinitely on crude oil extraction alone, but must also be built upon scientific knowledge, innovation and the sustainable utilisation of its abundant natural resources. His contribution to the establishment of the Bioresources Development Centre in Odi, Bayelsa State, remains a tangible expression of that vision.
At the heart of his philosophy was the conviction that Nigeria could not achieve sustainable economic progress by depending indefinitely on the export of raw materials and the importation of finished technologies. We had to develop our own scientific capabilities, strengthen our research institutions and equip our people with the knowledge and skills to compete in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Professor Isoun belonged to that rare generation of public servants who understood that the most consequential achievements of government are not always those that attract immediate applause. Sometimes, they are the policies conceived, the institutions established, and the opportunities created whose true value becomes apparent many years later.
That was the enduring character of Professor Isoun’s public service: he was not merely concerned with the challenges of his time, but was preparing Nigeria for the possibilities of its future. Beyond the academia and national public office, Professor Isoun remained deeply conscious of his identity and responsibilities as a son of the Niger Delta. Born in Odi, in present-day Bayelsa State, he never allowed the distinction of his international academic accomplishments or national responsibilities to diminish his concern for his people.
His contributions to the struggle for the creation of Bayelsa State, his involvement in Ijaw affairs and his advocacy for the development of the Niger Delta reflected a conviction that intellectual accomplishment must ultimately find expression in service to one’s community and humanity.
His scholarly commitment to education also found renewed expression when he was appointed pioneer Chairman of the Bayelsa State Education Development Trust Fund in 2017. Once again, he accepted the responsibility of helping to build an institution intended to outlive its founders and expand educational opportunities for future generations.
What I find particularly remarkable is the consistency of his convictions. The same man who, in 1980, insisted that a newly established university in Port Harcourt must aspire to international academic standards was, nearly four decades later, still championing the cause of quality education for the children of Bayelsa State.
For Professor Isoun, education was not merely another sector of government expenditure. It was the foundation upon which a people could secure their dignity, develop their capabilities and determine their own future. This aspect of his life resonates particularly with me.
Having also devoted a significant part of my public service to the development of the Niger Delta, I recognise the importance of leaders who understand that the region’s challenges require more than political agitation. They demand institutions, education, scientific capacity, economic opportunities and a sustained commitment to the dignity and advancement of our people.
Professor Isoun reminded us that enduring influence comes from the substance of one’s contributions. He built knowledge and institutions. He helped shape national policies and encouraged scientific advancement. He demonstrated that public service, at its best, is an opportunity to prepare the ground for generations yet unborn.
As I reflect on his eternal exit, I am reminded that 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. By that measure, Professor Isoun lived an exceptionally meaningful life.
‘Timi Alaibe, OFR, FNIM