Why experience remains enduring currency of truth
In Theatre, Prince, Academic: The Memoirs of Prof. Adenrele Edward Haastrup, a Nigerian scholar of uncommon depth and restraint offers a deeply personal yet broadly instructive account of a life
In Theatre, Prince, Academic: The Memoirs of Prof. Adenrele Edward Haastrup, a Nigerian scholar of uncommon depth and restraint offers a deeply personal yet broadly instructive account of a life lived at the intersection of academia, drama, public health advocacy and institutional politics, delivering a work that is at once reflective memoir, intellectual testimony and a quietly forceful commentary on the inner workings of the university system.
After reading this expansive memoir, one comes away not merely informed but immersed, as though one had walked the corridors of the University of Lagos, sat through its faculty board tensions, witnessed its quiet intrigues and shared, in close proximity, the burdens and fulfillment of a life devoted to scholarship and service. This is the enduring strength of experiential writing. It collapses distance between subject and reader, drawing one into the emotional and intellectual temperature of events as they unfold. The result is not just understanding but a participation.
The memoir stands firmly on the authority of lived experience. It does not theorise the academy from afar. It inhabits it. From lecture rooms to committee chambers, from research collaborations to bureaucratic skirmishes, Prof. Haastrup builds a narrative that is both deeply personal and institutionally revealing. His voice is calm, often measured to a fault, but beneath that composure lies a steady insistence on integrity, fairness and professional ethics. These are values that repeatedly place him at odds with the system he serves.
One of the defining strengths of the book is its layered structure. What might have been a straightforward personal narrative grows into something far more textured. Through recollection, documentation and supporting testimonies from colleagues, students and family members, the memoir presents a multi-perspective account of both the man and the environment that shaped him. The effect is a rich mosaic, varied and revealing in unexpected ways.
At its core, the memoir is as much about institutional power as it is about personal journey. Few sections capture this better than the detailed account of departmental politics surrounding the proposed unbundling of Human Kinetics and Health Education. What unfolds is a portrait of resistance, not dramatic in expression, but slow and deeply rooted. Allegations, counter allegations and procedural manoeuvres reveal a culture in which administrative authority is often used less to drive progress and more to hold control.
The narrative of the Faculty Board clash of April 12, 2023 serves as a defining moment. Here, the memoir steps briefly into open confrontation. Accusations of conspiracy, claims of procedural bypass and the tension between hierarchy and truth come into focus. Yet even in recounting this episode, the author avoids exaggeration. Instead, he leans on dates, records and institutional memory. This approach strengthens his credibility while exposing how easily administrative processes can be bent by personal interests.
Closely tied to this is the troubling account of recruitment practices within the department. The description of pre-determined criteria, informal caucus arrangements and the preference for “our products” over merit offers a sobering reflection on the weakening of academic standards. The narrative does not stretch the facts. It simply presents them, allowing their weight to settle on the reader. When an unqualified candidate is eventually flagged through external intervention, the episode becomes a clear example of how fragile established processes can be when individuals choose to bend them.
There is, throughout the memoir, a recurring pattern of blame shifting and institutional deflection. The episode involving Prof Femi Kalesanwo’s sabbatical extension is particularly telling. What begins as a routine administrative matter slowly turns into a crisis marked by poor communication, hesitation and, in the end, the search for a convenient fall guy. The author’s account of how responsibility is quietly redirected toward him points to a wider habit within such systems, where accountability is often avoided rather than accepted.
Equally revealing is the “zero account” campaign, a narrative that was pushed to discredit his tenure as acting Head of Department. Here again, the memoir shows how reputation within institutions can be shaped not only by documented facts but by repeated informal claims shared among colleagues. It is a reminder that in many organisations, perception can sometimes travel faster than truth.
Yet to read this memoir only as a record of institutional tension would be to miss its deeper value. Beyond the conflicts lie a rich account of intellectual contribution and community engagement. Prof. Haastrup’s work in HIV AIDS advocacy, environmental education and the use of drama as a teaching tool reflects a meaningful blending of scholarship and practice. His embrace of edutainment, using theatre to communicate complex health and environmental messages, places him as both an innovator and a bridge between disciplines.
These sections are especially engaging because they show what knowledge can achieve when it moves beyond the classroom. From collaborations with conservation bodies to outreach efforts across different parts of Nigeria, the author’s work reflects a commitment to impact that goes beyond academic expectation. It is here that the theatre in the book’s title finds its fullest meaning, not just as performance, but as method and message.
The personal side of the memoir is strengthened by a wide range of testimonials. Voices from family members, former students, colleagues and collaborators help to deepen the narrative. They present a portrait of a man shaped by humility, discipline and a firm commitment to principle. Across these accounts, one thing remains constant, the consistency of character that defines him.
There is, however, a quiet tension within this portrayal. The same qualities that earn the author admiration, his refusal to compromise and his insistence on due process, also seem to set him apart within the system he works in. The memoir does not dwell on this contrast, but it is present, inviting the reader to reflect on what it costs to hold firmly to one’s values in difficult environments.
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In terms of style, the book is dense with detail. At times, it asks for patience from the reader. Yet this density is also part of its strength. It reflects the complexity of the world it describes and resists the urge to simplify. The language is direct and sometimes unrefined, but always purposeful. It values clarity over embellishment and record over dramatization.
What ultimately sets Theatre, Prince, Academic apart is its quiet insistence that experience remains a reliable teacher. In a time when commentary often replaces lived understanding, this memoir stands as a reminder of the value of direct experience. It shows that institutions are not just structures, but spaces shaped by human choices, character and conviction.
The book also makes a meaningful contribution to Nigeria’s academic and political writing. By opening up the inner workings of a major public university, it offers insight into the challenges and contradictions that define higher education in the country. It serves both as a record and a reflection, giving future scholars and administrators something to learn from.
In the end, Prof Adenrele Edward Haastrup’s memoir is more than a personal account. It is a story of endurance, a critique of systems and a reflection on purpose. It shows that even when structures fail and processes falter, a commitment to truth and service can still shape a lasting legacy.
The best way to appreciate this work is to engage fully with it, to read not just for the events it recounts, but for the understanding it offers about institutions, experience and the quiet strength of a life lived with principle.
