By Chika Abanobi
Tunde Ope-Davies (formerly Opeibi), Professor of English and Digital Linguistics, Digital Cultures and Discourse Studies, at the University of Lagos, is the Founder and Director of the university’s Centre for Digital Humanities as well as President, the Digital Humanities Association in Nigeria (DHAN)., A one-time Senior Special Assistant on Speech and Communication to the former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, he is today a visiting Professor and Senior Fellow, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany. In this interview with Saturday Sun, he talked about the benefits of knowing and investing in digital humanities, language abuse among politicians and government officials as well as his stint as senior special assistant to the governor.
What does “digital humanities” mean in layman’s language?
It is the use of digital technologies and computational methods for research and studies in the human sciences. It demonstrates and actualises how the use of technology in the humanities now reconfigures the disciplines and retools humanities scholars to redefine research and scholarship, promoting innovation and contributing to digital economies and the quest to promote and sustain knowledge-based society. It entails the use of the application of digital tools or computer methodologies to what we do in the humanities – either research or academic activities. So we are applying ICT skills, ICT tools, and technologies to process our activities in the humanities now.
Here in Nigeria, there is a particular company that is into that. Are you in any collaboration with them?
Not yet. We will be happy to collaborate with any private organisation or corporate entity that may be willing to support research. Unfortunately in Nigeria, we don’t seem to appreciate the research activities that are going on in academia. Let me say this. When I brought the vision from Germany, it was the German government that funded my research. And when I returned, they also provided a grant for equipment. That was how I started Digital Humanities in Nigeria. When we wanted to have our Summer School, we approached a very big, popular telecom company to fund it. But unfortunately, our proposal died on their table. We had to turn to another organisation in Germany to provide the funding. In the first one, I used my money, and with the support from a few friends. But basically, it was a personal effort that led to the success of the first summer school. In the second one, we got funding from Volkswagen in Germany through a friend. And we’ve gotten that grant twice to host the summer school. The training programme has helped to equip a good number of junior scholars who have been able to acquire the skill and knowledge, to also do digital humanities in their universities in Nigeria and West Africa. A couple of them are actually abroad now after attending our programme. Some of them were able to secure admission to do their Ph.D. or postgraduate studies overseas.
Apart from UNILAG, it seems there is no other university in Nigeria that is into digital humanities?
Not yet. I think it is only a Federal institution in Oyo that is trying to set up a unit but not a stand-alone centre for digital humanities.
How can digital humanities help to push the frontiers of knowledge in Nigeria in the future?
We all know the role of technology in practically every sector of the economy. We are talking about digital economies. But we seem to focus more on STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the neglect of what humanities scholars can contribute. We deny the application and use of digital technology to process most research in humanities. It has a lot of multiplier effect, not only for the research we are doing; it also contributes to the digital economy in the country. You are talking about raising and empowering graduates who are not only competent in their core disciplines but also competent in applying technology in what they do when they go out of this place. It’s going to actually impact a lot of areas in society, industry and in the country as a whole.
How can organisations such as churches or mosques benefit from it?
Most churches are actually leveraging on technology now to reach out to their members and the world around them. They organise programmes and things like that. I think digital humanities are creating awareness of the power of technology in society to improve human conditions. If you use technology in the right way, you can actually improve human conditions at every level, in every sector.
Apart from digital humanities, you are also into the use of languages or discourses
Yes. I am working on public health discourse right now. I just published a paper on COVID-19 which may be of interest to some people when it comes out.
In 2006, you wrote a paper titled, “Political Marketing or Macheting”? Which could you say is at play now with regards to the 2023 general election?
It is unfortunate that in recent days and weeks, we are going back to mudslinging in political discourse. Earlier, at the beginning of the campaign, a newspaper interviewed me and I mentioned that the campaign should be more of policy-based and not just attacks on personalities or “political macheting” as you mentioned. I learnt something about President Barrack Obama. During his campaign, I went to the US to cover the election. He was attacked by the opposition party. But he never allowed that to hinder him. He focused more on what he wanted to deliver, what he wanted to do. That made a great difference. Of course, he leveraged the use of social media during his campaigns. I think our politicians should focus less on personality attacks and more on the policies they have for the nation. They should concern themselves with what they want to do; how they can make a difference; how they can improve the lot of Nigerians rather than attacking their opponents or opposition parties or candidates.
What fear does the way the politicians are going about their campaigns raise in you?
The point is that we are not demonstrating maturity in democratic practice. We should have become more mature in the way we handle political campaigns. It is not as if in other climes we don’t have attacks. But it is not as bad as we have here. Politicians who know their onions focus more on what they want to do, more on policies. They set agenda and they are able to process that, able to persuade the electorate more than those who are attacking personalities and wasting their time on irrelevancies.
As a Nigerian familiar with political discourses, what’s your take on the forthcoming general election?
My wish and my prayer are that the best candidate would emerge. I am not going to make any prophecy or prediction. I just pray that Nigerians are able to get it right and get the right person that can lead this country out of the situation in which we find ourselves now. That way, we will be able to truly discover our greatness in every area.
On why you chose to be a teacher or lecturer, you once said you did so in order to impart knowledge to younger ones
Yes, I still believe in that.
With the strikes in the universities and other challenges, is that zeal to impart knowledge still there for you?
I think that everyone that has decided to take up this job or will decide to take up this lecturing or teaching job must understand that his coming is to offer service, to develop human beings. It is primarily to impact lives and to nurture young people, to raise future leaders. As a Christian, I also see it as a ministry or calling. I want to make a difference, to add value to the lives of young people. I want to see them become important people in life and thereby improve society. What I cannot do, by sharing my vision and passion and pouring my life into them, they can go beyond me and do more than I can do. We are talking about over a thousand students passing through you every year. That’s huge. You find yourself replicating your life in the lives of the young people that you are mentoring. You may be surprised that many of them are really appreciating that. Sometimes you receive an email telling you that you are a wonderful teacher. They never forget that. Or, you are travelling and you run into them at the airport. These are the things that just give us joy as lecturers or teachers. Even though they say our reward is in heaven but sometimes you get much of it here. So, the government should treat us with a little bit of respect. I was speaking to a junior colleague the other day, and from the look of things, most of us are frustrated. They want to leave the system at the slightest opportunity.
If you have the opportunity today of leaving the country, wouldn’t you want to go for it?
The point is, at this level, it is difficult to take a decision on the spur of the moment. One needs to process that kind of ambition very well. Yes, when you look at the way you are being treated or your matters are being handled, there is always that temptation. But for some of us, we have reached the peak of our careers. By God’s grace, I have travelled to some countries and interacted with people. No matter where you go, home is home. Nigeria is a great country. There’s nowhere you travel to that you will be treated as a bona fide citizen of that country. No matter how good you are, you are not really appreciated. But here in your country, you are highly appreciated, at least by your students. You have that sense of self-worth which you may not be able to have elsewhere. The government may not appreciate us but at least some members of our society are appreciating us.
What are your thoughts about the government’s relationship with university lecturers and other staff?
I think the government should be more responsive and more accommodating. The other day, I was watching Sky News when the members of the Railway Union appeared before the members of the parliament in London. It is the same thing everywhere. Unionists will always defend the interest of their members and tell the government what they should do. In fact, one of them was so direct in attacking the Tory government in Britain. But the government over there handled that with some maturity and understanding, unlike here where you have government officials attacking ASUU officials. It is unfortunate. But I hope we will come to realise that in a democratic system, freedom of speech is taken for a given. Government must learn to accommodate other people’s opinions, negotiate without turning it into an avenue for attacks.
You once said that as Senior Special Assistant to then Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, you came under undue pressure from people who thought that once you are in government, their own bread is buttered. Could you elaborate?
People want you to help them. They feel that you have the money. Even up to now, a lot of people have not forgiven me. They feel that when I was in government, I made a lot of money and I was not willing to share it with them. But the truth is that I never got any contract. I never made any money other than my salary. I never occupied that kind of position that they are ascribing to me. I think Nigerians should understand that when people are in the corridors of power, they are there to serve and not to amass wealth. People should not think that you are there to make money; it is the wrong way of looking at those in government. We are here to serve, and that should be our primary goal, to solve problems and to make sure that things improve in the country. It is unfortunate that people from your town or village would feel that ‘oh, we now have our son in government. It is time now for us to begin to benefit from the national cake.’ I think that orientation or mind-set must change if we want our elected officials to work. We know that there is corruption in the country. But we also add to it by putting undue, unnecessary pressure on our people in government. And, if they don’t have the moral courage to say no and to be straightforward, they may run into problems.