Mr Felix N Ubogu left this world for a higher mission

Felix N Ubogu was one of my postgraduate student at the University of Ibadan (Nigeria). I feel very sorry and sad on his premature untimely demise in South Africa where he has been serving as the University Librarian. I will be writing a short note about him later, here are some of the obituaries written by his Vice- Chancellor and Nigerian Library Associations etc.

MESSAGE FROM THE WITS VICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRINCIPAL (University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg)

Dear Colleagues

It is with great sadness that the University learnt of the passing of Mr Felix Ubogu, the University’s Librarian yesterday. Mr Ubogu passed away after a prolonged illness and will be sorely missed by his colleagues at Wits with whom he has built close relationships in the last 15 years.

Mr Ubogu joined Wits in 2000 from Rhodes University, where he served as its chief librarian.

He will be remembered for spearheading the digitisation of university libraries and for initiating the move towards digitising theses, with the aim of spreading African scholarship across the globe. In recognition of him using the e-environment to advance scholarship, Mr Ubogu was named the recipient of the Electronic Theses and Dissertation (ETD) Leadership Award in 2011.

Mr Ubogu advocated the benefits of ETD which ultimately led to the formation of the National Electronic Theses and Dissertations project funded by the National Research Foundation. He chaired the Advisory Committee of the Database of African Theses and Dissertations Pilot Project from July 2000 to February 2005. From 2003 to 2004 he served as the Project Manager of a UNESCO pilot project to improve the management of and access to theses and dissertations.

He has hosted several international conferences and seminars on ETD and related topics. In 2009 he was one of the organisers of the First International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives. He has served on the Board of the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations, the Editorial Board of the African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science, and has also been a member of the Board of the South African Library for the Blind.

Mr Ubogu was also known for campaigning for the use of multimedia in dissertations and for expanding the University’s electronic databases, research analysis tools and software acquisitions.

Felix is survived by his wife and three children. Our deepest sympathies are extended to his family, colleagues and friends, during this difficult period. The University will announce further details about his funeral and memorial service after consultation with his family.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal

5 June 2015

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Dear colleagues,

The passing on of Mr. Felix Ubogu was indeed a great loss as enumerated by Mr. Abraham Azubuike. I was opportuned to have met Mr. Ubogu twice in South Africa when I travelled for a program organized by eIFL.net in 2002 and at Durban for IFLA WLIC in 2007. In all my discussions at those times I found him to be a very humble personality and a professional librarian to the core. Many of my colleagues from SA any time we are discussing LIS issues with them they would say that a Nigerian is a University Librarian at Wits. His commitment and devotion to the library profession is outstanding. Back home Mr. Ubogu contributed immensely to the growth of the NLA when he served as the chair OYO state chapter in the 80s. The seriousness with which he takes his work earned him the respect of very many librarians in SA including the Vice Chancellor/Principal of his university at Wits. He made Nigerian librarians proud by excelling in his work in another country. I was actually looking forward to meeting him at the next IFLA WLIC in Cape Town in August 2015 but Alas! It wasn’t to be…
I put a call through to his wife Mrs. Funmi Ubogu this afternoon in SA and extend the condolence of the entire members of the NLA and prayed the Almighty to console them over this great loss.

Adieu Mr. Felix Ubogu!

Rilwanu Abdulsalami,CLN,FNLA
President, Nigerian Library Association (NLA)&
Chairman NBFT
Sent from my iPad

——————————————————————————————————————–
We are deeply saddened by Felix’s passing.

Felix worked was Principal Librarian for Technical Services in IITA, Ibadan; and Faculty of Technology Librarian in the University of Ibadan, before moving to Southern Africa where he had a great career leading top research universities.

He led the Oyo State Chapter of the Nigerian Library Association (in the 1980s) creditably, and initiated and led several international digital library projects. Felix was the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Convening and Standing committees of the International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA).

This is a great loss to Nigerian and International librarianship. We will miss his inspiring leadership and friendship.

May his soul enjoy a perfect repose.

Abraham Azubuike,
New York,
Interim Chairman,
ICADLA.

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One thought on “Mr Felix N Ubogu left this world for a higher mission

  1. Pingback: Mr Felix N Ubogu left this world for a higher mission | davendrak

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