By Toyin Falola
It is with utmost pleasure that I accept the invitation to give the Keynote at a conference dedicated to my long-standing friend, Professor Monday Mangvwat. I congratulate Plateau State University, Bokkos, for this excellent initiative. I also express my gratitude to the Directorate for Research, Documentation, and Planning at the Plateau State Government House, which is funding the conference and has an even larger agenda: creating an Archival Center. I will be offering a three-part media essay as a small contribution to this significant initiative.
In the remote settings of the Pannyam community, present-day Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, there was a boy who would grow into one of the most compelling quiet personalities in the Nigerian academic community. The story began with the birth of a young boy into a family of character, service, and deep commitment and respect for learning. Professor Monday Yakiban Mangvwat spent his early years in a simple, hardworking environment. His life as a boy did not suggest privilege or ease. Instead, he learnt to embrace the pains of determination, modesty, and a steadiness of purpose and character-building that would serve him throughout his life journey.
As a youngster, a defining moment that could have potentially altered the course of his journey happened in 1955. As expected of a child, he was out playing with other children when he was struck in the eye by a stone. This was an accident that permanently led to the loss of sight in his right eye. It was a tragic experience for a young boy. It was a saddening experience, particularly as the norms in rural Northern Nigeria then had stereotypes for persons with disabilities. The loss of sight in one eye meant the possibility of being written off socially. It was a limiting social belief. Yet, instead of wallowing in self-pity and accepting the norm, the young Monday bravely embraced the eventuality and returned to school with a resolve to outgrow both the physical and emotional setbacks. As he would later recall, that moment of pain remained fresh in his memory for years. It became a constant reminder of his resolve and endurance to walk the long path.
Typical of a young person from a rural community, Monday’s educational path was not smooth. He was denied admission to a secondary school based on his height, as was the requirement at the time. The rejection, however, did not spell the end of his quest for knowledge. Instead, he chose another path that enabled him to pursue his formal education. He rerouted through the Teachers’ training college strategically to keep to his learning goals. As a young person in training, he found purpose and rhythm, which led him to the Advanced Teachers College in Zaria, where he continued to build an excellent academic foundation and, at the same time, prepared as a private candidate for the General Certificate Examination. Even then, he had a clear vision of pursuing a university education, even if it meant embarking on a long, tedious route to get there.
His persistence paid off, and he was allowed to enter Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he studied History and Education. At ABU Zaria, he earned respect as a disciplined, purposeful student. He had a substantial Second Class Upper degree, marking the completion of his degree program.
To friends, colleagues, and lecturers, Professor Mangvwat was exceptional. It was no surprise that, shortly after completing the National Youth Service scheme, he received a letter inviting him to an academic role, even though he had not applied for the position. His appointment was a defining moment for a humble individual with roots in a small village, laying the foundation for a professional milestone and a lifelong dedication to impactful teaching and scholarship.
With renewed determination, he embarked on a higher degree, committing to a postgraduate program that further reflected his intellectual discipline. His early master’s-level thesis was unanimously upgraded to a PhD level on merit for its depth. This was a rare academic honour for a young scholar at the time. Equally exceptional was a doctoral work that would later become a reference book today.
However, beyond this reverence for his work lies an undeniable truth. What made his work stand out was his methodical approach, his patience in poring over archival details, and the intellectual weight that informed his approach as a young scholar. These attributes shaped his lifelong preference for careful analysis over mere declarations.
After his meaningful academic journey as a student and an academic staff member at ABU Zaria, Professor Mangvwat moved to the University of Jos, where he spent a significant part of his teaching career. Over the decades that followed, he earned respect within the university community as a familiar presence in lecture halls and university libraries.
To various generations of students, he was not just a lecturer but a figure of stability with an unwavering commitment to teaching. He is often described as a man who carried the classroom in his spirit. Teaching for him was a calling that must be honoured. Even during periods when administrative responsibilities took him away from the classes, he never forsook his calling. The desire to nurture, shape, and challenge young minds toward excellence held more appeal for him.
His personal life mirrored his professional convictions. His wife and other members of his immediate family built illustrious careers within the University of Jos system, taking up academic roles at the same institution. Scholarship within the Mangvwat’s family became a generational inheritance. Their commitment to scholarship was informed not by proximity to the system but by a deeper family culture formed around the exemplary dedication to education and intellectual pursuit, as was their patriarch.
Above all, the most distinguishing character of the Professor’s life is the consistency of character he maintained through every phase, whether in his early childhood crises, in pushing through the long route to university, or in assuming positions of responsibility in later years. His decisions were calculated, timely, and thoughtful. He dislikes flamboyant displays. He was content with the quiet life of a scholar whose goal was to build another generation of academics.
Categorically, his worldview was shaped by lived experiences and scholarly training. His personal experience with losses from a tender age, systemic denial, and resulting resilience and conviction for success, his rural upbringing, early responsibility, and deep personal faith cumulatively informed his life choices. He is a perfect example of compassion and firmness.
In essence, Professor Monday Yakiban Mangvwat is a man who built significance through substance. His biography speaks of persistence against odds, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a quiet strength that has shaped lives. He is a reminder that greatness often comes from the most unassuming beginnings.
