Razaq Deremi Abubakre

Razaq Deremi Abubakre was born on January 20, 1948). He is former vice-chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria and the first Yoruba professor of Arabic.

Education Abubakre did not have a secondary school education, but he studied on his own and gained admission to study Arabic and Economics at the University of Ibadan. He was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue his doctoral studies in Arabic Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London, from 1977 to 1980.

Career Abubakre became a professor of Arabic at the University of Ilorin in 1989. Notable positions He has served include:

‌ Chairman, Governing Council of the Oyo State College of Education, now Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun, between 1986 and 1989. He then became the Chairman of the Governing Council, Muftau Lanihun College of Education, Ibadan, 2002–2006. ‌ Head of the Department of Religions, University of Ilorin 1992–1995 ‌ Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin from 2001 to 2003 ‌ President of the Nigerian Association for the Study of Religions (NASR) from 1988 to 1994 ‌Vice Chancellor, Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin (2008–2010)

Books

The Piety of Learning: Islamic Studies in Honor of Stefan Reichmuth The Interplay of Arabic and Yoruba Cultures in South-Western Nigeria Linguistic and Non-linguistic Aspects of Qurʼān Translating to Yoruba