Professor Idowu Akanbi Sobowale, a renowned communication scholar and veteran member of Nigeria’s media and communication community, has died at the age of 85. He passed away on Thursday morning, October 8, 2026.

A family member, Akinniyi Sowunmi, announced the death in a statement titled “Transition to Glory.” He described it as a major loss to the communication community, particularly members of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals in Nigeria.

Sobowale was widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential figures in journalism education and communication research. Born on January 4, 1941, in Ashipa near Abeokuta, he began his career at the Daily Times before earning degrees in mass communication from the University of Lagos and a PhD in scientific journalism from Syracuse University in the United States.

He pioneered opinion polling in Nigerian journalism and later became a professor at Lagos State University, which he helped establish. He also served as Dean of the Adebola Adegunwa School of Communication at LASU and held similar roles at other institutions. In public service, he worked as a special assistant to former Lagos Governor Lateef Jakande and as Commissioner for Education under Governor Bola Tinubu.

The family said details of his funeral rites would be announced in due course. Colleagues and members of the communication community have mourned the passing of a man often described as a teacher of teachers who shaped generations of journalists and scholars in Nigeria.