I live in Ibadan in south-western Nigeria, and work in Ile-Ife as a university lecturer. I am an Associate Professor in Adult Education. I teach, conduct research and do community service or social change work. My research and publications focus on the political dimensions of adult education, women’s learning, and the concerns of women in the teaching-learning interaction and context; with emphasis on questions of identity, and the transformative and emancipatory potentials of educational interactions. I am a Consulting Editor for Adult Education Quarterly (AEQ), one of the two journals of the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education (AAACE). I am the National Editor (2010–2012) of the Nigerian National Council for Adult Education (NNCAE), the umbrella association of adult educators in Nigeria. I therefore serve as the editor of Adult Education in Nigeria (ADEDNG) the Journal of the Nigerian National Council for Adult Education (NNCAE). I coordinate the peer review process for the journal and lead the process of the publication of the proceedings of the associations’ annual conference, and her other publications.

I do voluntary work for Women Against Rape, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Exploitation (WARSHE), an organisation which I co-founded in 1998 with one woman and a man. WARSHE helps girls and women to prevent and cope with sexual violence and abuse through education, training, advocacy, intervention and research. I had served and I continue to serve on the advisory board of women’s (rights) organisations and a children’s transition home in Nigeria.

I am a feminist because feminism is the main lens through which I view the world, and my world. Feminism has helped, and continues to help me make meaning of my experiences. Feminism helped me to understand the challenges that I have had to surmount in the private and the public spheres, and it has offered me a range of possibilities. When we name ourselves as feminists we need to be true to the ideals of feminism, and to make every effort to practice what we preach. We need to attend to our authenticity in the face of constricting normative values and ideologies.

As we mobilise we need to keep focusing our energies on those who have good hearts and are feminists, and not just those who have good hearts but are “professional” development workers who do not subscribe to the ideals of feminism. There is a need for forums where we can engage our illiterate sisters who are clearly feminists. There is also a need for a forum where African feminists can link up with men who are not afraid of feminists.

In my teaching and community work I am always moved by people who are honest, and have respect for others, and by beautiful, intelligent, confident, and well mannered teenage girls and young women.

I will turn 50 on the 27th of September 2012. I am an Okun from central Nigeria, I am married, and I have a no nonsense and kind hearted teenage daughter from my first marriage. I love the sound of big orchestras.