Sophie Bosede Oluwole (née Aloba, 12 May 1935 – 23 December 2018) was a Nigerian professor and philosopher, renowned for being the first Nigerian woman to earn a doctorate in philosophy. A practitioner of Yoruba philosophy, Oluwole passionately advocated for the role of women in philosophy and the inclusion of African thinkers in education.
Sophie Bosede Olayemi Oluwole was born on May 12, 1935, to Timothy Ogiemare Aloba Egbarevba in Igbara-oke. Despite her deep Yoruba cultural roots, Oluwole was ethnically Edo, hailing from Benin City. Her grandfather was a high-ranking official in the Oba’s palace in Benin, reflecting the strong historical influence of Benin on the Ekiti region, where Igbara-oke is located. Oluwole’s parents were prominent traders; her mother excelled in tie and dye and weaving. Oluwole, the youngest of her mother’s four surviving children, was given the name “Sofia” at around age eight, later spelling it “Sophie.” Her older brother, Abiodun Aloba, was a journalist. She critiqued the education system of the 1940s, expressing that women’s career ambitions were largely shaped by their parents’ expectations.
In 1953, Oluwole enrolled at the Women Training College in Ilesa, graduating in 1954. She began teaching in Ogotun-Ekiti and later Ibadan. After marrying Olanrewaju Joseph Fapohunda, she traveled with him to Moscow in 1963, intending to study Economics and learning Russian at Moscow State University. She then moved to Germany and received a scholarship at the University of Cologne but ultimately completed her education at the University of Lagos in 1967, where she switched from English to Philosophy, influenced by Professor Wole Soyinka’s reputation. She obtained her first degree in 1970, was employed as an assistant lecturer at UNILAG in 1972, and later earned her PhD at the University of Ibadan, becoming the first Nigerian woman to hold a doctorate in philosophy.
Oluwole’s teachings were deeply rooted in Yoruba philosophical thought, drawing heavily from the cultural and religious beliefs of Yorubaland, especially Ifá. She integrated the wisdom of Orisha Orunmila with Socratic teachings, two major influences in her work, which she explored in her book “Socrates and Orunmila.”
Oluwole first married Olanrewaju Joseph Fapohunda, with whom she had four children. After their separation, she married Oluwole Akinwunmi, a teacher in Igbara-oke, until his death. She passed away on December 23, 2018, at the age of 83, survived by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
