Ladipo Solanke, (1886 – 2 September 1958) was a political activist who campaigned on West African issues. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria, as Oladipo Felix Solanke, he studied law at University College, London in 1922.
In Britain, Solanke joined the Union of Students of African Descent. In 1924, he wrote to West Africa magazine to complain about an article in the Evening News, which had claimed that cannibalism and black magic had been common in Nigeria until recent years. His protest received the support of Amy Ashwood Garvey, who became a close friend. Solanke began studying British papers for other derogatory reports.
Finding himself living in poverty, Solanke began teaching Yoruba and was annoyed by the lack of interest in traditional Nigerian culture among other Nigerian students in London. In 1924, he became the first person to broadcast on the radio in Yoruba. The following month, with Garvey’s encouragement, Solanke and twelve other students founded the Nigeria Progress Union to promote the welfare of Nigerian students.
In 1925, Solanke and Herbert Bankole-Bright founded the West African Students’ Union (WASU) as a social, cultural and political focus for West African students in Britain.
Refs:Ladipo Solanke – Wikipedia
Ladipo Solanke – Black Plaque Project
Biography of The Week: Ladipo Solanke – SBF FrankTalk
Image credit: IBHM Heritage International www.ibhm-uk.org
