Nigerian professor Bankole Ajibabi Omotoso, also known as Kole Omotosho, died at the age of 80 in Johannesburg on Wednesday.
The family confirmed his passing in a statement that reads: “We are mourning the loss of our father, husband and grandfather Prof. Bankole ‘Kole’ Omotoso, who passed away after a long period of illness in Johannesburg on July 19, 2023.”
“A born scholar, he never missed an opportunity to engage in new topics. An astute socio-political critic, his criticality never got in the way of his belief in humanity. We will miss him,” the family said
Omotoso gained popularity in South Africa, where he resided for many years when he was the face of Vodacom’s “Yebo Gogo, Hello Grandma” advert from early 2000.
The renowned professor moved to South Africa with his family when he accepted a lectureship position at the University of the Western Cape in 1991.
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