Why I honoured Tai Solarin with a statue at TASUED – Prince Yemisi Shyllon

By Nehru Odeh

Prince Yemisi Shyllon, philanthropist and the largest private art collector in Nigeria has donated a life-size statue of renowned educationist, late Pa Tai Solarin, to the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, in Ogun State.

Shyllon, who has had his philanthropic imprints etched in many institutions, organizations and communities and has touched the lives of private individuals in many ways, made this donation on Thursday 30 October, 2025 at the Tai Solarin University of Education.

Distinguished personalities present at the event included the Pro-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, Prof. Rahman Adisa Bello: the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of Tai Solarin University of Education, Prof. Oluwole Sikiru Banjo; and Prof. Funke Ifeta, an academic and visual artist.

Shyllon, who said his philanthropic predilections are inspired by an abiding principle about life, which is to give and not to receive, hinged his donation on how, as a 12-year-old child in 1965, he came in contact with the revered educationist through an article he had written titled, “May Your Road Be Rough.”

“And I read that article and said “wow, how can somebody wish another person that his road should be rough? So, that was what inspired me to read that piece. I must tell you that influenced my life. And I followed Tai Solarin ever since. In fact, my paternal grandmother used to talk a lot about one man that always came to Lagos to pick dead bodies on the streets aand gave them decent burials. That was Tai Solarin. Of course, as time went on, I got to read more and more about him.

“To crown it all, I was honoured by this great university recently with a Doctor of Science degree. And I felt how do I show my appreciation to both the dead and the living? The dead In the sense that Tai Solarin, by virtue of his article I had read, formed the path I took in life. And so I decided to do this,” Shyllon noted.

Shyllon also spoke extensively on the philanthropic principle that has guided him and continues to guide him in life and why it is beneficial to give than to receive, quoting some passages from the Holy Bible and the Koran to back up his beliefs.

“This is not the first time. I’ve done it at the University of Ibadan, I’ve done it at the University of Lagos, I’ve done it at the Pan-Atlantic University where I established the biggest museum of art in Nigeria, for which I’m still supporting. I’ve done it in many, many places, but TASUED is one of the places I have left my imprints and I still have many more on the ground.

“So I believe that my purpose in life is to give and not to receive, and that’s in line with what Winston Churchill said. He said, ‘you live when you get, but when you give, you give life.’ I believe very much in giving, and one of the ways I give is that I try to leave a lasting legacy about my life. There are people who have come to this world who are very, very rich, but they never left a lasting legacy. Once you are dead, you are forgotten.

“My intention is that I don’t want to be forgotten. I want to be remembered for my contributions to life. I don’t believe that life is vanity. Life is full of many things you can do to make sure that life is not vanity. I have helped many people get PhDs through my foundation. I’ve helped many artists become prominent personalities in the world, and I still continue to do that.

“I try to leave lasting legacies everywhere I go and every time,” Shyllon maintained, as he used the opportunity to thank the Pro-Chancellor, Prof. Rahman Bello; the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Oluwole Banjo and Prof. Ifeka for making that day possible.

Prof. Bello, for his part, spoke about how the idea of erecting a statue in honour of Tai Solarin was mooted. “But as to what we are doing today, after he (Shyllon) was given the doctorate degree here, he called me and said he would like to do something on this campus that will outlive all of us.

“And he said he wanted to put in the statue of Tai Solarin. I said there is one already at the gate. He said that one is not what he was talking about.You may not know the value of what you have here. But when those who know the value come here, they will appreciate it. He puts his money into things that he relates with.

“So, I want to thank the senate for honoring our prince who has thought it fit to honor the institution back with this big statue. So, it’s a very big monument. Tai Solarin was a great man and his legacies lived beyond him. This university has been able to make his name go further than where it was before. And I’m sure this university will go to far greater heights and I’m sure the name of Tai Solarin will go along with it.

“I’ve related with Prince Shyllon for long. When you go to the front of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, you will see his imprint there. He has something there that everybody goes to copy and photograph and put in newspapers and all that. So, that’s what it is. He is going to put Awolowo statue at OAU, and he does that everywhere.

And the Pro-Chancellor had some kind words for the philanthropist. “So, we’re happy that you are here with us at TASUED and we appreciate this, and this really goes beyond all of us. So, once again, I thank you so much for what you’ve done for us. The institution will always remember you and those of us that have been there with you during this period. And whatever comes on all of us wi8ll be part of it,” Prof. Bello said.

In her speech, Prof Ifeka described Shyllon as one of the greatest art historians in Nigeria, adding that he is an artist, even though he doesn’t see himself as one. “Because when you are talking of artists all over the world, he will give you their data, more than even we that studied art history. He is a great talent, and his contribution to art, honestly, you cannot imagine, mighty.

“Despite the economic crunch, he still finds money, he is still promoting art and artists in Nigeria. If you notice, we have sculptures all over here, camouflaged like bronze. But he is giving us a bronze statue. A bronze statue runs into millions of Naira, and lasts forever. Even if there is an earthquake, it will be there. He is a very stable medium, and he is worthy of the man that we are immortalizing today, Tai Solarin.

The highpoint of the event was the unveiling and commissioning of the statue of the distinguished education after which TASUED, the first university of education in Nigeria was named. The golden brilliance of the statue attested to the fact that it was one with a difference.

And as the balloons that were released floated higher and higher in the sky, everyone was indeed convinced that not only was the event a huge success but also that God Almighty had given his nod and approval.

The heavy downpour that followed immediately confirmed it. It was indeed a shower of blessings and a sign that the heavens and the earth were in agreement that Shyllon ‘s philanthropic gesture had the blessings of the gods.