Buhari mourns top economist, Owodunni Teriba

President Muhammadu Buhari expresses heartfelt condolence to the family, academia and friends of renowned economist, Professor Owodunni Teriba, who passed away recently, aged 82.

The President lauds the can-do spirit of the departed, who studied privately for his Advanced Level education and completed his Bachelors in Economics at the University of Ibadan in 1962. He then received a scholarship to attend the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, obtaining Masters in Economics in 1963 and PhD in same discipline in 1965.

Prof Teriba returned to the University of Ibadan in 1966 as a senior lecturer, and was Head of the Department of Economics from 1975 – 1985.

President Buhari says the deceased stamped his authority on areas like economic principles, monetary, fiscal and development economics, which he taught for many decades. He was also at various times a Visiting Scholar and External Examiner at several universities in Nigeria, the USA, and other parts of Western, Eastern and Southern Africa.

While on sabbatical from the University of Ibadan, Teriba began working as a consultant to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  In 1985 he became the Senior Regional Adviser to the Member States of the Commission on economic surveys, research and planning. He also served as the Commission’s Chief Economist and Director, Socio-Economic Research and Planning Department in 1989, with broader managerial functions and responsibilities until his retirement in 1998.

According to President Buhari, Teriba hoisted Nigeria’s flag proudly wherever he went, and posterity would be quite kind to him.