About 

Dr. Paul Ilesanmi Akanmidu is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of History and International Studies at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria. He earned his Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. degrees in History from the University of Ilorin. His research interests span African history, health and medical history, inter-group relations, and governance, with a focus on the Okun-Yoruba people and broader Nigerian society.
Dr. Paul has published extensively in national and international journals, with contributions on colonial health policies, indigenous medical systems, corruption, migration, and the socio-political impacts of religion and education in Africa. He has also authored and co-edited book chapters that explore themes of nation-building, democracy, and security in Nigeria. He has held various academic leadership roles, including Acting Head of Department, Faculty Journal Editor, Postgraduate Coordinator, and member of the Senate Council at Federal University, Oye-Ekiti. In addition, he has supervised numerous undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students.
Dr. Akanmidu has presented papers at international conferences in Africa and Europe, and he is a member of the Historical Society of Nigeria. Beyond academia, he contributes to community development through educational outreach and media engagements on democracy and public health issues.

Research Focus

Dr. Paul ’s research focus is rooted in African history, with a strong emphasis on health and medical history, colonial and postcolonial governance, and inter-group relations. His scholarship interrogates the intersections of indigenous and Western health systems, examining the evolution of healthcare services in Nigeria from the precolonial era to the post-independence period. He has published extensively on British colonial health policies, the survival of Yoruba healing systems, and the challenges of Nigeria’s health sector, highlighting the enduring impacts of colonialism, epidemics, and displacement on African societies. He also engages deeply with themes of migration, identity, and inter-group relations, particularly among the Okun-Yoruba and their interactions with neighboring groups such as the Nupe.Religion and culture constitute another strand of his scholarship, where he historicizes the growth of Christianity, faith healing practices, and their social impacts in Nigeria. His comparative studies extend to caste systems, brain drain, piracy, and global security issues, demonstrating his versatility in linking local histories with broader African and global contexts.

Dr. Paul continues to make significant contributions to the fields of African medical history, political history, and socio-cultural studies. His ongoing projects on the decolonization of African medicine and methodological approaches to African medical research further reinforce his position as a leading voice in advancing historical scholarship that bridges indigenous knowledge and contemporary challenges.

Recent Publications

• Paul, I.A. (2025) “A History of Colonial Health Administration and Policies in Nigeria, 1900-1960”, Oye Journal of History and International Studies, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria Vol. 1, pp.1-20
•  Paul, I.A. “Traditional System of Farming among the Owe People of Central Nigeria before the Establishment of Colonial Rule” VUNA: Journal of History and International Relations, VERITAS University, Nigeria Vol.9, Number. 2, PP. 235-247.
• Paul, I.A. (2023) “Ilorin: Etymological Interpretation, History and Growth since the Pre-Colonial Period”, TOJA: The Oye Journal of Arts, Nigeria, Vol. 3, Issues I&II, pp. 357-367, Publication of Faculty of Arts, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
• Paul, I.A. (2023) “A Historical Assessment of the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration’s Fight against Corruption in Nigeria, 1999-2007”, FJDP Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, A Journal of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi Foundation for Justice, Development and Peace, formerly Benue Valley, Journal of Herders and Farmers’ Conflict, Benue State University, Makurdi, Benue State,  Nigeria, Vol. 6, No.1, pp. 178-189.
• Paul, I.A. (2021) ‘British Intervention on Health Services and its Effects on Okun-Yorubaland, Nigeria, 1900-1960’ Sokoto Journal of History, Department of History and Internal Studies, Usman Danfodiyo University, Nigeria, Vols. 10&11 September, 2021 &March, 2022, pp. 80-88.
•  Paul, I.A. (2021) “Traditional System of Farming among the Owe People before 1900” TOJA: The Oye Journal of Arts, Nigeria 2(1): 309-319
• Paul, I.A. and Asiyanbi, S.B. (2021) “The Okun-Yoruba and Nupe Inter-Group Relations and its Enduring Impact since the Nineteenth Century” FUOYE Journal of Contemporary Humanities and Social Science, Nigeria 1(1): 60-66.
• Paul, I.A. and Nasir, T.O. (2020) “Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the Health Challenges in North-eastern Nigeria, 1999-2014” IEEE-SEM, 8(3):116-134.  Number: 0733-8716, Available at: www.ieeesem.com
• Nasir, T.O. and Paul, I.A. (2020) “Theatre for Development: A Pragmatic Approach to Incursion of Lassa Fever in Nigeria”, IEEE-SEM, 8(3): 14-34. Number: 0733-8716, Available online: www.ieeesem.com
• Paul, I.A. (2020) “A Historical Evaluation of the Prospects and Challenges of Nigeria’s Health Sector, 1960-2016” West Bohemian Historical Review, Pilsen, Czech Republic and Hamburg, Germany, 10(2) : 201-224.
• Paul, I.A (2019) “Who Cures the Ill when the Healer is Sick?’ A Euphemistical and Historical Appraisal of Anti-Corruption Crusade in Nigeria since Independence” Kaduna Journal of Humanities, Nigeria, 3(2):43-59.
• Paul, I.A (2018) “The British’s Contact with Nigeria’s People, Amalgamation and the Question of Minority Agitation, 1914-1999” Africology: The Journal of Pan African Studies on African Global Experience, USA, 12 (1): 421-439.
• Paul, I. A (2018) “The Survival of the Yoruba Healing System in the Modern Age” ,Yoruba Studies Reviews, USA ,2(2) ,105-125

Availability

Dr Paul is currently accepting applications for Masters and PhD students. He is also available to serve as: External examiner, Guest Speaker, Keynote Speaker, Visiting Scholar, and a collaborator on any academic or social research project.