Ajayi Crowther

First African bishop and educator who promoted Christian education and literacy in West Africa.

Ajayi Crowther (1809–1891) was a Yoruba scholar and Anglican bishop who revolutionized education across West Africa. Captured and sold into slavery as a teenager, he was later freed and educated in Sierra Leone, where he mastered multiple African languages. Ordained as a priest in 1861, he became the first African bishop of the Niger Church, using his position to establish indigenous-language schools in present-day Nigeria and Benin.

Crowther's most impactful contribution was his translation of the Bible into Yoruba (1873) and Edo (1882), making religious texts accessible to millions. He also founded the African Church Missionary Society, which built over 50 schools by 1880. His Yoruba-English Dictionary (1852) remains a cornerstone for linguistic studies. Despite facing colonial opposition, Crowther insisted on African-led education systems, a philosophy later echoed by modern Pan-Africanists. His legacy is commemorated in the Crowther Memorial University in Oyo State, Nigeria, established in 2011.