President [Bola Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Tinubu) has publicly mourned the death of Professor [Idowu Akanbi Sobowale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idowu_Sobowale), a distinguished mass communications academic and former Lagos State Commissioner for Education, who passed away at the age of 85, describing his loss as a blow to Nigeria’s scholarly and media circles.
Professor Sobowale was 85 years old at the time of his death. He was a leading figure in mass communication education and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the [Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria](https://acspn.org.ng). He previously acted as special adviser and later as Commissioner for Education in Lagos State under Tinubu’s administration. He pioneered Nigeria’s first nationwide opinion poll to forecast the 1979 presidential election outcome. Tinubu expressed condolences to Sobowale’s family, former students, and the broader academic and media communities, urging them to draw comfort from his legacy.
**What were Professor Sobowale’s major contributions to communication studies?**
He championed intellectual rigor and professional ethics in journalism education, insisting on empirical evidence over opinion. His scholarship shaped curricula across Nigerian universities and mentored generations of journalists and media scholars.
**How did he serve the Lagos State administration?**
During Tinubu’s tenure, Sobowale first acted as a special adviser on education matters before being appointed Commissioner for Education, where he oversaw policy reforms and improvements in the state’s schooling system.
**What did President Tinubu say in his condolence message?**
Tinubu remarked, “Professor Sobowale was committed to intellectual excellence, professional ethics, and the training of young Nigerians. His life’s work helped strengthen the foundations of media education and professional journalism in the country.” He added, “I commiserate with the family, colleagues, former students, and the entire academic and media communities. May his soul rest in perfect peace.”