Professor Akin Mabogunje, Chairman of the Lagos Megacity Development Authority, was the former Executive Chairman of the Development Policy Centre, Ibadan, Dean of the Faculty of the Social Sciences, Director of the Planning Studies Programme and Professor of Geography of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.  Born 18 October 1931, he received his University education at both the University College, Ibadan, and the University College, London. He graduated Bachelors of Arts (general) in Geography from the University of London and taught for many years at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He also taught in a number of Universities outside Nigeria, notable in Britain, Sweden, Brazil and the United States. In the latter Country, he was the Melville Herskovits Distinguished Professor of African Studies for the session 1978-79.

Mabogunje has also served in a number of public sector positions in Nigeria. Notable among these are as the Chairman of the Western State Forestry Commission (1968-74), Chairman, National Council for Management Development (1976-79), Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Ogun State University (1982-91), Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerian National Merit Award Endowment fund (1989-94), Vice Chairman of the Directorate of Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure in the Office of the President (1986-91), Executive Chairman of the National Board for Community Banks (1991-1994), Chairman of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria from 2002, and Chancellor, Bells University of Technology. Mabogunje has published extensively especially in his field of urban and regional development.

Prof. Mabogunje has been the recipient of numerous honours both within and outside Nigeria. He is one very earliest recipients in 1980 of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM), the highest national award for distinguished contribution to the academic and intellectual life of the country. He was also the recipient of the national honours of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON). He has been honoured with honorary doctorate degrees by the Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden (1973), Michigan State University, East Lansing (1976), University of Benin, Benin City (1995) and the Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye (1996). He is the first African to be elected Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1999 and is the recipient of numerous research medals from international professional associations. Professionally, Mabogunje had been active within the international Geographical Union. After serving three terms as Vice President of that international organization, he was elected its President for the period 1980-84. At different times, he has been a consultant to the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements.  He is an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering.

SPECIALIZATIONS

• Megacity Planning and Implementation, Expert in Regional Planning