PROFESSOR/MRS./CHIEF ELIZABETH IJOSE IFIDON PROFILE

A valedictory Lecture to celebrate the retirement of Prof. (Mrs) Chief Elizabeth Ijose Ifidon of the Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Education is scheduled to be delivered on 15th April, 2021. The titled of the lecture is: Headship of the University Library System, And Professorship of Library and Information Science Department: Two Sides of the Same Coin – A Valedictory Speech

PROFILE OF THE VALEDICTORY LECTURER –
PROFESSOR/MRS./CHIEF ELIZABETH IJOSE IFIDON
BLS (ABU), MLS (UI), PhD (DELSU), CLN, FNLA, MNIM

PROTOCOL
Mr. Chairman, Sir!!! Please permit me to stand on already established Protocol. Please also allow me to break an age-long tradition which forbids the disclosure of a lady’s age in public.

PROFILE
Professor/ Mrs./Chief Elizabeth Ijose Ifidion was born on 15th April, 1956 to the family of Late Mr. P.E Eboigbe and Mrs. H.E Eboigbe of Ogboka quarters in Sakponba Road, Benin- City, Edo State. After successfully completing her primary and secondary school Education in Benin-City between 1963 and 1974, she attended the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria for her Diploma in Library Science (1976-1978) and then her Bachelor of Library Science (BLS) Degree/Graduate Certificate in Education from 1980-1983 emerging in flying colours with a sound Second Class (Upper Division). 1990 saw her at the University of Ibadan (UI) where she read for, and obtained her clean Master of Library Science (MLS) Degree in 1991. Due to her quest to drink deep from the fountain of knowledge, she applied for, and was admitted to Delta State University, Abraka for her doctoral programme in Library and Information Science. This she obtained in 2006 with an Executive Diploma in Computer Science. She sealed her academic qualifications with Certified Librarianship of Nigeria (CLN) of the Librarian’s Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) in 1978 and the highest professional award of Fellowship by the Nigerian Library Association (FNLA) in 2017.

Her working career started between 1974 and 1978 when she was initially employed as a booking clerk in the defunct Bendel Line and later as Library Assistant in Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi. After obtaining her Diploma in Library Science qualification, she had a brief stint as Library Officer in the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), ABU, Zaria between July and October 1978. By November 1978, sherelocated to Ramat Polytechnic, Maiduguri and she remained there until September, 1980. During this period, she established the Polytechnic Library. This earned her a well – deserved promotion to the post of Higher Library Officer in 1981 and study leave with pay to simultaneously pursue her Bachelor of Library Science and Graduate Certificate in Education Programme in ABU. Between 1983 and 1984, she was in the former Bendel State University (now Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma) for her National Youth Service. thereafter, she was appointed as Librarian II in 1984. Between 1984 and 2004, not only did she rise within the ranks to the post of University Librarian, she also had the opportunities to spend one Sabbatical year (1997-1998) in Delta State University and another Sabbatical year (2015-2016) in Imo State University, Owerri.

On the whole, she has five university traditions (ABU, University of Ibadan, Ambrose Alli University, Imo State University, and Delta State University). These do not include her study visits during seminars and conferences in other foreign countries such as Austria, France, South Africa and United Kingdom.

After a rare feat of two terms of five years each as a University Librarian, she moved to the Department of Library and Information Science in AAU as a Professor sequel to due processes including favourable external assessments. Before her present voluntary retirement at the age of 65, she had headed the Department of Library and Information Science for two years (2016-2018.)
Professor/Mrs./Chief is an avid researcher, publisher and administrator. She has published either singly or jointly 5 books, 10 chapters in books and 30 articles in national and international journals. She has also supervised several projects and research works.

Aside from her normal university functions, she has taken active part in numerous co-curricular activities-Chairman, Committee of University Librarians of Nigerian Universities (CULNU), Editor/Editor-In-Chief of several journals, Member, Association of Woman Academics, external assessor and external examiner, Hall Warden and Hall Mistress, Vice-Chancellor’s nominee on Committees, Councilor and Member of the Nigerian Library Association, President, Owan Daughters and Wives’ Association, Ekpoma, Member, Nigerian Institute of Management, Financial Secretary, Grail Movement of Nigeria, to mention only a few.

Professor /Mrs./Chief Ifidon is happily married with biological, step, foster and academic children and grand children.
Mr. Chairman, Sir, this is the woman, Professor /Mrs./Chief Elizabeth Ijose Ifidon, BLS (ABU), MLS, (UI), PhD (DELSU), FNLA, CLN, MNIM whom I am presenting to you to deliver her valedictory lecture titled Headship of University Library System and Professorship of Library and Information Science Department: Two Sides of the Same Coin.

First Edo-born female University Librarian,
First female University Librarian in AAU,
A service- oriented librarian
An astute administrator,
A team player who gets along with everybody,
A humane and yet high-quality lecturer,
A good blender of theory and practice,
A successful house wife and a happy mother and grand mother

We congratulate Prof. (Mrs) Chief Elizabeth Ijose Ifidon and her family on this great occasion.

Above is for the information of the University community and the general public.

Edward U. Aihevba,  FCAI
Deputy Registrar, Information/Publi