Dr Awoture Eleyae: Brief biography and tribute (1927-2023)
by Professor Emmanuel Ojeme
On the 20th of July 2023, the sad news broke about the passing to eternity of one of Nigeria’s and Africa’s shining icon in the profession of physical education and sports, Dr. Awoture Eleyae. He passed on at 96 years having been born at Uzere in Isoko South, Local Government Area of Delta state in 1927. The Nigerian nation and indeed the African continent have lost one of the finest and most refined professional sports administrators ever known in this part. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace and may God console the family he left behind. Amen.
The purpose of this article is to provide his brief biography and pay tribute to a great leader, practitioner and pathfinder in the field of sports and physical education in Nigeria and Africa. Dr. Awoture Eleyae was a self-made man. Born in Uzere in April of 1927 to Mr. David, Eleyae, Obughe and Madam Agbokeafe Eleyae Obughe. He went through a difficult and challenging childhood as he paid his school fees in elementary school which he started at the age of 13 and during which he was the class monitor throughout his time in school. It was in the Nature Authority School, Uzere that his athletic talent was discovered. He was also brilliant in academic work, coming among the top five in his class. He subsequently enrolled at the Government Teacher Training College, Abraka for his Teachers Grade III in 1951. Throughout this period, he excelled in 440 and 880 yards races and with staunch determination and personal discipline, he was able to combine brilliant academic performance and sports. Thus, Awoture Eleyae found his way to prominence in society. He used sports and western education as catalysts for upward social mobility. He represented the Western region in the well-structured inter-regional athletics programmes of the colonial government in Nigeria.
Subsequently, he gained admission in 1957 as a pioneer student of the Diploma programme in physical education at the Nigerian College in Zaria, having completed his Teacher Grade II earlier at the Nigerian Teacher Training College at Abraka.
While in the College, he continued to lean on the combo of athleticism, personal discipline and academic brilliance for his excellence. These endeared him to the College Management as he was engaged as a lecturer in the College becoming the first black African and Nigerian to be given that opportunity to lecture in the College.
He rose to national prominence and became the first Assistant Athletics Coach to the National Sports Council in 1963 and took charge of Nigerian Athletes participation in all regional and global competitions at this period.
In 1974, Awoture Eleyae obtained a PhD in Sports Administration from University of Illionis, Urbana Champaign, USA. He was a pioneer staff of the National Sports Commission, where he rose to the rank of Director of Sports, his contemporaries were Isaac Akioye, J.O. Uti, Dr. Omo-Osagie, Prof. J.C. Omoruan, E. Awala, Jerry Enyeazu amongst others. Awoture Eleyae was a great mentor of the most octane performances of Nigerian athletes in the golden era of the 70s, 80s and 90s. He was a disciplinarian and technocrats in Sports development who rose to the pinnacle of his career inspite of the odds of organizational politics, ethnic discrimination and such mundane factors. His professional competence saw him through this struggles. Dr. Awoture Eleyae’s era at the National Sports Commission was characterised by great innovations and effectiveness in Nigerian sports administration.
That was the era in which the National Institute for Sports was born and managed most competently. They instituted the Nigerian German bilateral technical agreement that made the NIS the technocratic Institution, it was designed to be.
He was Director of Sports, Bendel State Sports Council 1984-1987 and later became the Secretary General, Supreme Council for Sports in Africa based in Yaounde in Cameroun. He won several distinguished honours during his professional career.
Aside his professional successes, Dr. Awoture Eleyae was also a successful family man. He got married to his lovely wife, pretty and shy Miss Dorcas Sawyerr in 1954, even as he was still battling to pull through professional and educational development. Together they had six children, namely Carol, Akpezi, Oke-Oghene, Itome-Ituyere, Elo-Efemona, and Oghale Eleyae, all of whom are very distinguished in their various fields of endeavour.
Dr. Awoture Eleyae was a leading light, gentleman, mentor and international colossus in the field of Sports and Physical education through whom several of us who came across him found meaning and purpose in our own lives. You will forever dwell in our hearts as your footprints will ever remain indelible in the sands of time.
He has taught us that will-power, good family support, personal discipline, trust in God, education and finding and pursuing your goals, deploying your talents would inevitably lead to success in life.
Adieu! Adieu!! Adieu!!! Until resurrection day when we shall meet to part no more.(For more details on Dr. Awoture Eleyae’s biography, please refer to E.O. Ojeme (2000) Awoture Eleyawe, “He Willed to Succeed”).
#EOB
This tribute was written byProfessor Emmanuel Ojeme. EMAIL:successojeme@yahoo.com
