Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti was a Nigerian educator, former Ondo State finance commissioner and prominent Afenifere leader whose public life connected school administration with Yoruba politics. He died in Akure on 20 October 2026, aged 100. His death was confirmed in a presidential tribute, while his son Taiwo spoke directly to reporters about the family’s loss.

From Uso to the classroom

Fasoranti was born on 11 May 1926 in Uso, in present-day Ondo State. He studied at University College Ibadan, now the University of Ibadan, before building a career in education. The Guardian’s account of his life records his work at Ondo Boys’ High School and his wider involvement in schools and politics.

Teaching was central to his public identity. He became principal of Oyemekun Grammar School in Akure, a position that placed him in the daily business of running a school, supervising learning and dealing with families. His later political prominence did not erase that earlier identity as a teacher.

His work also extended beyond established schools. A presidential tribute for his centenary, issued in May 2026, listed Omolere Nursery/Primary School, Akure High School and St Frances’ Academy in Igoba among the institutions he founded. It described St Frances’ Academy as a memorial to his late wife.

Public office and the Afenifere years

Fasoranti served as commissioner for finance in the administration of Adekunle Ajasin between 1979 and 1983, when Ondo State covered a larger territory than it does today. His political background included the Action Group and the Unity Party of Nigeria, linking him to the political tradition associated with Obafemi Awolowo.

That history helps explain why tributes to Fasoranti discuss education alongside politics. His career combined the practical work of building schools with service in an elected state administration. It also made him a familiar reference point in debates about the direction of Yoruba political organisations.

He became a prominent leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba sociopolitical organisation. However, the organisation’s recent history includes disagreements among its senior figures, and Fasoranti’s position should be understood within that divided political setting.