OAU’s 432nd Inaugural Lecture: Prof. Adeola Ayodeji Shobola Takes Centre Stage with ‘The Mind Surgeon: Who Counsels the Counsellor?’

By Nurudeen Adesakin, Adebayo Temitope and Deborah Oluwakemi Adebayo

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, is set to host its 432nd Inaugural Lecture on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, bringing together members of the academic community, professionals and invited guests for an engagement expected to examine counselling, human behaviour and the wellbeing of those who dedicate their careers to helping others.

The lecture, scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Oduduwa Hall, will be delivered by Professor Adeola Ayodeji Shobola, a Professor of Guidance and Counselling at the University.

Professor Shobola will speak on the thought-provoking theme, “The Mind Surgeon: Who Counsels the Counsellor?”, drawing attention to an important but often overlooked question within the counselling profession: who supports the counsellor when the counsellor becomes the one in need of emotional, psychological or professional care?

Prof. Adeola Ayodeji Shobola

Professor of Guidance and Counselling, Obafemi Awolowo University

The theme reflects Professor Shobola’s longstanding academic engagement with human behaviour, mental health, counselling interventions, personality and behavioural challenges, as well as the experiences of vulnerable populations.

Her academic journey has been closely connected to Guidance and Counselling. She obtained her Bachelor of Education degree from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, in 1992, before proceeding to Obafemi Awolowo University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Education in Guidance and Counselling in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Guidance and Counselling in 2004.

Professor Shobola joined the then Department of Educational Foundations and Counselling at Obafemi Awolowo University in 2010 and has continued to contribute to teaching, research and professional development in her field.

Her areas of academic interest include mental health, depression, personality and behavioural problems, counselling interventions, vulnerable populations, online counselling and the development of therapeutic relationships.

The inaugural lecture provides an opportunity for her to draw together years of scholarship and professional experience while examining the responsibilities, pressures and vulnerabilities that accompany the counselling profession.

The lecture will be chaired by Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University.

Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire

Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University

The choice of theme gives the lecture relevance beyond the university environment. Counsellors routinely listen to personal struggles, manage emotional distress and help individuals navigate difficult circumstances. Yet, the emotional demands placed on the professionals themselves can sometimes receive less attention.

By asking, “Who Counsels the Counsellor?”, Professor Shobola’s lecture is positioned to explore that often-unspoken dimension of professional care and the importance of ensuring that those who care for others are not themselves left without support.

Her work also extends beyond conventional academic boundaries.

Professor Shobola is a member of the Ife LGs GNA CAA Governance Model Advisory Council, where her professional background contributes to a wider conversation around citizen participation, community development and responsible grassroots governance.

The Advisory Council is part of the Great Nigerian Assembly’s Coverage Area Administrator Governance Model, known as the GNA CAA Governance Model, an initiative designed to strengthen citizen participation in monitoring development, documenting community needs and promoting accountability at the grassroots.

At the centre of the Ife implementation is the belief that sustainable development requires citizens to become active participants in identifying challenges, documenting realities and engaging with development processes within their communities.

His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, D.Litt, CFR, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife and Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Chairman of the GNA-CAA Advisory Council for Ife Local Governments.

The initiative has received the support and participation of prominent community and professional figures, including His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, who serves as Chairman of the Ife LGs GNA CAA Governance Model Advisory Council.

Professor Shobola’s participation in the Advisory Council places her academic expertise in human behaviour within a broader community development framework. Her knowledge of counselling, behaviour and human relationships is particularly relevant to an initiative that depends on citizen engagement, communication, cooperation and collective responsibility.

The month of October therefore carries significance on two fronts.

First is the October 13 inaugural lecture at Obafemi Awolowo University, where Professor Shobola will present her scholarly reflections on counselling and the counsellor.

The second is the planned formal inauguration of the Ife LGs GNA CAA Governance Model Committees, scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, as part of efforts to establish a structured citizen-driven governance framework across the participating local governments.

GN (Dr.) Kayode Elusoji

Executive Director, GNA | Chairman, GNA TV & News

Dr. Kayode Elusoji, Executive Director of the Great Nigerian Assembly, has been central to the design, development and deployment of the GNA CAA Governance Model.

The model is built around citizen observation, documentation, verification and reporting, with trained Certified Citizen Reporters expected to provide structured information about conditions, projects, services and development needs within their communities.

The Ife initiative has already involved the training and certification of 30 Certified Citizen Reporters, establishing an initial network through which citizens can participate more systematically in community monitoring and development reporting.

The broader objective is to create a governance culture in which citizens are not merely observers of public affairs but active participants in identifying problems, recognising progress and contributing to solutions.

For Professor Shobola, the connection between counselling scholarship and community governance is significant. Both involve people, relationships, behaviour, communication and the capacity to understand the circumstances that influence individual and collective decisions.

Her inaugural lecture consequently comes at a time when her academic expertise is also being connected to a wider community conversation about how people can contribute to healthier, more accountable and more responsive communities.

As members of the university community and invited guests gather at Oduduwa Hall on October 13, the lecture is expected to provide both an academic examination of counselling practice and an opportunity to reflect on the human side of a profession built around helping others.

At its heart, “The Mind Surgeon: Who Counsels the Counsellor?” raises a question that extends beyond the counselling room: while society depends on professionals to help others navigate difficult moments, who ensures that those professionals are also heard, supported and cared for?

For Obafemi Awolowo University, the 432nd Inaugural Lecture represents another opportunity to bring scholarship into conversation with real-life human experiences. For Professor Shobola, it provides a platform to draw on years of academic and professional engagement with the mind, behaviour and counselling.

For the wider community, the lecture offers a timely reminder that sustainable development, whether in individuals or communities, ultimately begins with understanding people.

EVENT AT A GLANCE

Event: OAU 432nd Inaugural Lecture

Lecturer: Professor Adeola Ayodeji Shobola

Topic: “The Mind Surgeon: Who Counsels the Counsellor?”

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Time: 5:00 p.m.

Venue: Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

Chairman: Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, Vice-Chancellor, OAU

ABOUT THE GNA CAA GOVERNANCE MODEL

The GNA CAA Governance Model is a citizen-driven framework developed by the Great Nigerian Assembly to promote grassroots participation, accountability, development monitoring and community engagement.

The model seeks to provide citizens with structured mechanisms to observe, document, verify and report development realities while creating channels for recognising positive performance and drawing attention to areas requiring intervention.

The initiative is being implemented with a focus on local communities and is designed to be scalable across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas.

Its guiding principle is simple: where there is neglect, citizens should be able to document it; where there is delivery, citizens should be able to recognise and honour it.