Wole Soyinka is 86-years today: See 30+ Pictures of his Wife, and children that no one talks about

Professor Wole Soyinka's Family Album

Professor Wole Soyinka loves to do things quietly, thus many people do not know about his family but I will show you the pictures of all his wives and children in this article. Today is his 86th birthday, it would be nice if you can also take to the comment section to wish this living legend a happy birthday after reading about his family.

His name in full is Akinwande Oluwole Bababtunde Soyinka but we love to call him Wole Soyinka. He is an ideal man of this contemporary age (an ideal man is like a man with a perfect representation of every man in the contemporary age. That is, Wole Soyinka is an embodiment of every man in this age). He was born in Isara Remo in Ogun State, Nigeria on the 13th of July, 1934.

PARENTS

Pictures of his father and mother:

 His father, Samuel Ayodele Soyinka whom he used to call ‘S.A’, was an Anglican Minster and a headmaster when he was alive. Samuel Ayodele was born in 1873 and he died in 1933. His Mother was Grace Eniola Soyinka whom he loved to call the ‘Wild Christian’. His mother was just a shop owner in a nearby market. His mother was born in 1908 and she died in 1983. Note: his mother was one of the most influential members of the Ransome-Kuti Family. She was the daughter of Rev, Canon J. J. Ransome Kuti. This makes Fela Kuti, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Olikoye Ransome-Kuti and Yemisi Ransome Kuti, cousins of Professor Wole Soyinka. 

BACKGROUND

Photos of Sole Soyinka as a youth:

Wole Soyinka was raised in a very pious (religious) family and he was a chorister in his early age. He sings in church services but he ended up becoming an atheist (someone who does not believe in the existence of God) later in his life. He was born into a Yoruba family and he was bred in Ibadan where he attended Government College for his Secondary Education. He proceeded to the University College in Ibadan and subsequently to the University of Leeds in England. 

ACHIEVEMENTS

Papa at 86:

He is one of the greatest scholars of the 20th and 21st Century combined. He is also known to be an active critic of successive Nigerian governments, especially the political tyrannies and dictators. Most of his works of art are politically inclined. He has written over 100 works in all genres of literature. He is known for his active participation in Nigeria’s political history and how he struggled to oust the British colonial masters in the 90s. He has also been hell bent on the eradication of every form of corrupt leadership in the entire African Continent. 

PROFESSIONS

His major discipline is Literature in English but he is a multi-faceted literato. He is a poet, a dramatist and a novelist. He was made a professor emeritus in 1999, the first of its kinds in Africa. He has lectured in over 15 institutions both locally and internationally. He lectured in Obafemi Awolowo in the 90s when it was known as University of Ife for more than 24 years as a Professor of Comparative Literature. He lectured in Cornell University as Goldwin Smith Professor for African Studies and Theatre Arts for 4 years. He taught at the Emory University as Robert W. Woodruff Professor of the Arts. He lectured at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. He lectured in University of Oxford. He lectured at the University of Harvard. He lectured at the University of Yale. He lectured at the University of Duke and many others.

Marital Affairs

First Wife

Picture of Barbara Dixon

Wole Soyinka is indeed a living legend. He has been married three times. He has children in all his marriages. His first wife was late Barbara Dixon, a British Writer of English courses. They got married in 1958. Wole Soyinka met Barbara Dixon in University of Leeds in the 1950s and they had their first child together, Olaokun Soyinka in same year. Babara Dixon died in the 2000s. There is no substantial information on his first wife. 

Second Wife

Picture of Olaide Idowu

Wole Soyinka divorced his first wife, Barbara after 5 years of marriage. Then, he subsequently married another woman in 1963. He married a Librarian in Nigeria, Olaide Idowu. They had four children together namely; Moremi, Iyetade (who died in 2013 due to an undisclosed ailment), Peyibomi and Ilemakin. His wedding with Olaide Idowu was graced with many dignitaries like late Bola Ige and his wife, Mrs. Atinuke Ige. Also Peggy Harper and Bolanle Awe graced the occasion. Wole Soyinka later divorced her in 1985. That was when Wole Soyinka left for Ile-Ife to Work in the University of Ife where he would later meet Miss. Folake Doherty, whom he later married. He left laide with her kids in Ibadan. 

Third Wife

Whole Soyinka together with his current wife, Folake Doherty-Soyinka:

His current wife is Folake Doherty-Soyinka. They got married in 1989. She was a student of Wole Soyinka at the Obafemi Awoloo Univeristy. Wole Soyinka was already a professor while she was an undergraduate student in the University. They both shared a mutual feeling with each other but their relationship faced many hurdles because it won’t be right for a Professor to be dating his student. Also, Folake Doherty’s family was scared of the status of Professor Wole Soyinka and his bizarre feelings with their daughters. After a while, Wole Soyinka nurtured his feelings for her and waited till she graduated from the University and finished her National Youth Service Program before he proposed to her for marriage.

They are still married and their relationship is blessed with 3 children, all are males. In an interview, Folake Doherty discloses that his husband is a very good cook and there is a usual saying of him “there are only 3 people who can cook pasta like I do; one is dead, the other is in Silica, Italy and the third is him”. 

WOLE SOYINKA’S CHILDREN

WOLE SOYINKA’S FIRST CHILD

The first child of Wole Soyinka is Doctor Olaokun Soyinka. He was the former commissioner of the Ogun State Ministry of Health. He is currently in his early 60s. He was born shortly after Wole Soyinka married his mother, Barbara Dikson in 1958. He was born on the 11th day of November, 1958. He finished his secondary school education in Nigeria, precisely the Government College in Ibadan. He furthered his tertiary education in a University abroad, University of London where he obtained his MMBA from the Cranfield School of Management. 

Like his father, he was also an activist. He was a member of the Nigerian Prodemocracy Movement. At a particular point in time, he collaborated with the popular Dr. Femi Fani-Kayode widely known as FFK in publishing prodemocracy newsletter under the ‘NigeriaNow’ Media Platform. 

He has worked with prominent Nigerians like Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Former Governor Kayode Fayemi and also his father. 

He is currently married to a poet and novelist like his father, Lola Shoneyin. They have given birth to 7 children together since they got married. 

WOLE SOYINKA’S SECOND CHILD 

Wole Soyinka’s second child, Moremi whom was birthed by his second wife, Olaide Idowu went to Obafemi Awolowo University. She was once a topnotch politician in Nigeria. She was the former Special Assistant to the former President Obasanjo on Migration and Humanitarian Affairs. When Goodluck Jonathan was the Vice President, Moremi was his Senior Special Assistant.

WOLE SOYINKA’S THIRD CHILD

Wole Soyinka’s third child, Iyetade was born in June, 1965 but she later died when she was 48 years old in 2013. It was such a tragic day. She gave up the ghost in UCH in Ibadan but the nature of her illness was never disclosed. She was also a Medical Doctor like her elder brother. Before she died, she was survived by two children. 

WOLE SOYINKA’S FOURTH CHILD

Wole Soyinka’s fourth child, Peyibomi is now a Professor of African and International Politics. His fields include socio-political memory, the politics of disaster, critical development, theory and the politics of African cinema.

WOLE SOYINKA’S FIFTH CHILD

Wole Soyinka’s fifth child, Ilemakin is a popular media and theatre consultant. He founded the Barolllo Production. The Barollo production is a company that promotes film, radio and arts.

Wole Soyinka is not a social person, thus, he has only a few information about his family online. But, the few that are discovered are all in this article.

Today is his 86th birthday; wish him a happy birthday in the comment section below: