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Emeritus Prof. Francis Afolabi Fajemirokun, OON, was born at Ile-Oluji, Ondo State to missionary parents. His father, Revd. E. I. Fajemirokun is from Okeigbo while his mother, Chief (Mrs.) Grace Fajemirokun is the last daughter of Chief Akinwotu, a former Baale of St. Peter’s Church, Ile-Oluji. He had his primary education at St. Mark’s School, Iperindo near Ilesha (1947-1954). He was one of the second set of students at Gboluji Grammar School, Ile-Oluji between 1955 and 1959. In his final year at Gboluji, he was appointed the Chapel Prefect. He worked briefly at the Payroll Section of the Post and Telegraph Department of the Federal Ministry of Communications, and the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lagos, from 1960 to 1961. In October 1961, he proceeded to the University of Nigeria for further studies. Prof. Fajemirokun obtained the B.Sc. (Surveying) degree with 1st class honours in 1966. He had his postgraduate training at the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA, where he obtained the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Geodetic Science in 1968 and 1971 respectively. In 1998, he also obtained the Diploma in Theology (Dip.Th.) from the University of Ibadan, after attending the Immanuel College, Ibadan between 1995 and 1998.
Prof. Fajemirokun was employed as a Teaching and Research Associate at the Department of Geodetic Science of the Ohio State University between 1969 and 1971. He took up an appointment as a lecturer at the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 1971. Prof. Fajemirokun moved to the Department of Surveying & Geoinformatics, University of Lagos in January 1973, and lectured there until his retirement in 2006. He was a Visiting Professor at the California State University, Fresno, USA, 1981/1982. In 1982, he was appointed Professor of Surveying at the University of Lagos and subsequently held many administrative positions there. These included Head, Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, (1979-81, 1982-83); Dean of Engineering (1983–1987); Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies (1991–1995), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services) (2005 – 2006).
Prof. Fajemirokun’s professional areas of expertise include geodesy, mathematical modeling, geodetic network observations and adjustment, structural and crustal deformation surveys and analyses, gravity surveys, tidal analysis, and datum determination and transformation.
Prof. Fajemirokun is a Fellow and was the National President (1992-1994) of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors. He was also President of the Nigerian Union of Planetary and Radio Sciences (2004-2006) and Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Geodesy (1988-2004). He is a Foundation Fellow of the International Association of Geodesy, a Fellow of the Nigeria Association of Geodesy, a Fellow of the Nigerian Hydrographic Society, and a Fellow of the African Scientific Institute. He became a Registered Surveyor in Nigeria in December 1982. He was Chairman, Gboluji Grammar School Old Students’ Association (Lagos Branch) from 1976 to 1979 and he spearheaded the organization of the 25th Anniversary celebration of the school in 1979. He was elected the Protem National President (1979/80).
Prof. Fajemirokun has presented papers at many learned conferences – national and international. He is the author/co-author/editor of five books and numerous publications in learned journals and Conference Proceedings. He was appointed an Emeritus Professor at the University of Lagos in 2014. He also received the National Honour: Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) in October 2022.
Prof. Fajemirokun has contributed to National Development in many ways, some of which are: Chairman of the Lagos State Tertiary Education Review Panel in 1984; Member of the Governing Council of the following Tertiary Institutions at one time or another: the University of Lagos, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and Yaba College of Technology, Yaba. He participates actively in Community Affairs in his hometown, Okeigbo, his home State, Ondo, and in Lagos where he resides, holding leadership positions in some of them. He was ordained a priest in 1993 and was preferred Archdeacon in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in 1998. Emeritus Professor Fajemirokun is married to Mrs. Dorothy Fajemirokun, a Legal Practitioner, and their marriage is blessed with 5 children.
