For his contribution to the development and promotion of Nigerian
art, the, founder of Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF), Prince
Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon, has been celebrated with the award of Honorary Doctor Of Letters (D.Litt) Degree,
Honoris Causa, by the University Of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Dr (Prince) Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon |
Chancellor sir, distinguished ladies and gentleman, I have the
honor and pleasure to introduce for the conferment of the award of Honorary
Degree of Doctor of Letters (D.litt) Honoris Causa, by the university of Port
Harcourt, a man of many parts, an Engineer, a Lawyer, Art collector, Chartered
Stockbroker, business administrator, chartered marketer, the
founder/CEO of the Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF) ,
Prince Engineer Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon.
Prince Yemisi was born in 1952, into the Sogbulu and Ogunfayo
family of the Laarun ruling house of Ake, Abeokuta. He began
early in life to show signs of intelligence when at a very young age, he
distinguished himself as an excellent intellectual with a penchant for being
the best he could be in every endeavor.
Adedoyin attended the prestigious University of Ibadan in 1977 and
bagged a Second class upper B.Sc. Engineering degree. In 1980, he proceeded to
the great University of Ife and graduated as the best student in his class,
with a Masters in Business Administration, specializing in finance and
marketing management.
Not satisfied with his already enviable level of academic
achievements at the time, and in order to pursue a long term passion, Prince
Shyllon proceeded to the University of Lagos in 1990, where he again excelled,
as the best graduating Law Student from the Law (LLB) graduating class with
second class upper division. He progressed to the Nigerian Law School, where he
also made a Second class upper division, a rarity at the time.
Armed with sound orthodox education, he was determined to make
meaningful contributions to humanity and as such got involved in different
investigational demonstrations, which yielded positive results. Yemisi is known
by many as an exceptional goal getter. He distinguished himself and achieved
admirable feats in every struggle he found himself. At the age of 31, haven
joined Nigerite Ltd in 1983, he established and developed marketing as a
management function.
From 1989, Prince Shyllon chaired for three years, the board of
directors of OGBC that conceptualized and established OGBC FM stereo radio
station for Ogun state. In this regard he exhibited exceptional qualities,
abilities and capabilities to the admiration of his contemporaries and
establishments. With his evident spate of successes, Prince Shyllon was invited
in 1989, to chair the Board of Directors of Ogun State Tourism Corporation. It
was also during his tenure that Olumo Rock was conceptualized and redeveloped
to have a semblance of the famous Corcovado Hill in Brazil.
Prince Adedoyin Shyllon is Africa’s greatest art collector and
connoisseur, under his organization called OYASAF (acronym for Omooba Yemisi
Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation). His collection is put at about well over
seven thousand pieces of works encompassing of Nigerian/African art,
contemporary paintings and sculptures. His collections include over twenty five
thousand photographic shots of Nigeria’s different cultural events and
festivals.
This foundation regularly loans out and donates artworks for
exhibitions, in local and international institutions or museum. Some include
loans to the New York museum of African art, in the USA, and life-size artworks
to the Freedom park, Victoria Island in Lagos. He made a donation of a
life-size (20ft high) sculptural monument to the University of Ibadan as the
redevelopment for the movement of physically challenged visitors to the
University OF Ibadan zoo.
To preserve Nigeria’s heritage, OYASAF art foundation have
sponsored two annual entrepreneurial workshops for University of Lagos creative
art department, in the training of Nigerian artists and students and also
commenced in October 2009, an OYASAF fellowship grant for non-Nigerian art and
culture scholars from the five continents of world to visit and interact with
their Nigerian counterparts and research into Nigerian art and culture. Prince
Shyllon has globally participated in numerous sponsored professional
conferences, trainings and workshops. He has delivered several lectures and
papers, many of which have been published in Nigeria and other countries.
Prince Shyllon’s glorious obsession for arts, professional
success, his contribution to the society and his passion for excellence have
been the reason for numerous awards conferred on him by several professional
bodies. He is a fellow of the Institute of Directors, the Nigerian Society of
Engineers, The Society of NIGERIAN Artists, the Nigerian Institute of
Management, the Chattered Institute of marketing, UK and Nigeria, and the
National Institute of Agricultural Engineers.
In 2011, the GENDER FRIENDLY Prince Yemisi Shyllon visited the
University of Port Harcourt on the invitation of the Female Artists Association
of Nigeria as a Grand Patron. His creative meeting with the vice chancellor
Professor Joseph Ajienka resulted in his establishing Nigeria’s first
professorial chair in Visual Art and Design with the University of Port
Harcourt, River State, Nigeria. He is today on the path of setting up a
functional Art and Culture museum in the University of Port Harcourt. This is
again unique.
Prince Shyllon is a seasoned Director and has served and is serving
as chairman and director (and in other capacities) in over 14 different
organizations and also member of several other bodies including the Council of
Registered Engineers and the Nigerian Bar Association.
As a recognized leader, patriot and exceptional professional he
has received several awards from the UK, USA and Nigeria. He loves to, “explore
the beauty of the earth”. He has traveled to 47 countries of the world in
submarines, road, sea cruises, rail and air travels. He also loves playing scrabble,
keeping gardens and animals.