Sunny Awhefeada: A Professor’s Impact Beyond The Academia

By Dr U.O. Komiti

Most professors’ impact ends in their immediate universities. Others are able to convey their knowledge and influence from their own universities to a few other universities through adjuncts, sabbaticals, and or exportation of literature by writing and publishing quality textbooks and journal papers. Yet, there is a rare gem of professors whose impact transcends the the academia. Their overwhelming influence on the society goes beyond the four walls of their university and other universities. ​

One of such uncommon university dons whose impact on society will remain indelible across people from all walks of life is Professor Sunny Ijirhevwe Awhefeada of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. In fact, I am his unknown beneficiary, he is my benefactor. l had never sat under any of his intelligible and endearing lectures in DELSU, Abraka or elsewhere until recently at his inaugural lecture live and direct. We have bot met in close quarters. Yet, l can say assertively that I am one of his numerous mentees he hasn’t and mightn’t meet.

Who’s Professor Sunny Awhefeada?

Professor Sunny Ajirhevwe Awhefeada hails from Ugono-Orogun community, Delta State. He is a university don and currently Dean of Postgraduates School, DELSU, Abraka. I learned through his citation presented by Prof. Enajite Ojaruega (Sunny’s once undergraduate and postgraduate student and first PhD supervisee) during his innaugural lecture that: Professor Awhefeada joined DELSU as lecturer, department of English and Literary Studies in 2001. (That was the same year l joined the Alma mater, but as 100 level student of Mass Communication). I only heard his name mentioned a few times by some friends and acquaintances in his department in my penultimate and final years then. He has been fervent in teaching, research, socialisation and community development. His fervency and consistency in groundbreaking researches and creative writings earned him the enviable professorial rank in African Literature in 2017. What a giant stride!

The professor is endowed with gift of the garb, and his oratory endowment capers round art, skill and science. His works (writings) usually are a potpourri of elevated beauty and creativity (arts), learnable pragmatic abilities and expertise (skills), and natural and behavioural testable and observable elements, i.e can be theorised (sciences). He is a litterateur, columnist, socialite and bundle of many other good things. He has been described “… as a public intellectual and thought leader” by many. Professor Sunny is a devout catholic. He loves culture and humanity. Interestingly, he is an accomplished family man: father to five beautiful children and husband to a lovely law professor.

About the inaugural lecture

An inaugural lecture is a formal, public event meant to celebrate a professor’s promotion to full professorship. It is an important milestone in the don’s life, showcasing his entire research career, actual groundbreaking works, emerging research vision, and overall contributions to academia through teaching, research, and community development. The activities in inaugural lectures, are usually wreathed in academic regalia and ceremonial aura involving mostly top echelon of the hosting university and others. ​ ​

Professor Sunny’s inaugural was held on Thursday 15th January, 2026. It was the 117th in the series of Inaugural Lectures of the DELSU Abraka. It was about a fortnight to the event that I first learned about on a Facebook post made and shared by Dr Moses Darah on his wall. My comment that “I’ll be there” was euphoric and ecstatic due to the fact that it would be a rare privilege for me to see my hero in action, the first time live and direct. It would also afford me the opportunity to join others in honouring him. However, as the day of the inaugural drew nearer, certain circumstances stood my way and almost encumbered me from attending were it not for my grit and defiance to conservatism.

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The lecture was neatly titled The Literature of Our State: An Evolutionary Engagement with Modern Nigerian Literature. It emphasizes his literary odyssey on the impact of history on literature. This the professor accentuated sonorously and lucidly through various sub-themes: the beginning and the colonial enterprise, early post-independence, Nigerian civil war writing, literature of social realism and ideological ferment, beyond Marxist ideology, Nigerian female writing: Women telling their stories, and Nigerian literature and medicine. Others are: memoirs and autobiographical tradition in Nigerian literature, Nigerian experience of eco-literature, intertextuality and re-writing, the space in-between, and finally the millennium and new directions for Nigerian writing. I urge you to get a copy of the inaugural handbook to have full grasp of all the juicy information therein. Remember, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

The Impact

In a society where bread and butter politics holds sway, it is hard to find a professor or other academics having great influence on society outside their teaching community. This is because our society worships people who provide them ephemeral things, not minding the morality and legality of the sources. And averagely, most Nigerian professors cannot afford such opulent but wasteful lifestyle with their monthly pittances. Any professor adjudged to have impacted so much on society must be extraordinary, who has made so much sacrifice, endearingly endurable impact on society.

Professor Awhefeada’s impact on us is trans-generational. My nine-year old daughter knows about professor. I will reiterate, I never had the opportunity to sit under his lectures. The inaugural was the first and it proved that he is more than what we think he is. His writings on Daily Independent newspapers and on other media are great inspiration to us. He is someone I will never get bored of reading due to his prose fluidity and elevated style, blending nature and local embellishments. Reading many authors nowadays is like eating hastily prepared delicious but noxious noodles that Generations Z and Alpha are known for. But Reading Professor Sunny most often, is like eating a well-prepared Amiedi (Banga) soup of fresh catfish obtained from Okwagbe waterside community, with eba made of a well-fried crispy Emonu-Orugun garri, and following up with fresh palmwine as dessert brewed from Okirighwre Sapele. Salivating already!

The quality of the people who graced the inaugural lecture from outside the academia is attestation to the professor’s overwhelming impact on society and perhaps generations to come. It attracted academics from various disciplines from Abraka and other universities, endearing traditional rulers with their entourage and representatives from across Delta state, religious groups and a coterie of clergy, professionals from the business, trade and artisan worlds, and a retinue of political figures from across political divides. Socio-cultural groups were not left out. The Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) was visibly present.

According to Professor Sunny, “My goal in signing up as a university don was to engage in teaching, research and community service which are the mandate on which academe is anchored.” This is so real and true. “Veni, vidi, vici” acclaimed by Julius Caeser in 47BCE, I dare say that our own Professor Sunny Ijirhevwe Awhefeada has come, seen, and conquered both the academia and the larger society. For his impressive influence on all of us, I crown him president! The Ogbiroro!

Dr Komiti writes from Federal Polytechnic, Orogun (FEPO).