Nigerian ex-politico brings insider's view to History Dept.

Visiting History Professor Patrick Dele Cole ran for president of Nigeria in 1992 before coming to Penn. Patrick Dele Cole has been Nigeria's ambassador to Brazil and headed Africa's largest publishing house, and his views have caused the Nigerian government to force him out of politics. But now, having traded the political platform for the classroom, he is spending the semester at Penn as a visiting History professor teaching about African nationalism and independence. His evaluation of the Nigerian system: "There's a lot of manipulation and corruption involved. [My candidacy] was a foolish, expensive pursuit." Cole entered Nigeria's presidential election in 1992 as a candidate for the Social Democratic party, but got more than he bargained for. "I thought all you had to do was explain to people how to better their circumstances," he said, admitting that he never imagined the Nigerian people would succumb so easily to monetary influence. After citing "corrupt practices," the government aborted the election and banned Cole and his opponents from future political participation. To this day, Cole is convinced that the sitting government sought to remain in power for a few more years and fabricated the charge in order to excommunicate some of Nigeria's most influential leaders. "Wealth has made politics an exclusive club," he said in retrospect. But despite his disillusionment, Cole maintains his life-long interest in the workings of political systems. While growing up in the unstable political climate of Enaugu, Nigeria, amidst the transition from colonial to independent rule following World War II, Cole's first knowledge of history and political science came from listening in on his parents' discussions. What began as a flighty fascination with the mechanics of the adult world solidified into a serious career plan after Cole accepted a Commonwealth scholarship in a double major program at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He continued his studies under a UNESCO Fellowship at the Free University of Holland after receiving his bachelor's degree in 1964. But the death of his father and the impending civil war in Nigeria temporarily called him away from his academic duties. He thought briefly about taking leave from academics, but received a scholarship to a doctoral program at King's College in England. Penn first recruited Cole in 1969. He knew nothing about Philadelphia but decided to accept a position as a History professor for four years. He returned to Nigeria in 1973 as an administrative officer to the federal cabinet. He consulted with the government in developing a blueprint for the transfer of power from military to civilian rule. He was also a key player in Operation Feed the Nation -- "a cultural experiment" meant to encourage public involvement in agriculture. Three years later, the Nigerian government offered Cole a position as CEO of the Daily Times of Nigeria -- Africa's largest publishing house at the time -- in order to gain widespread approval for the democratization of the country. In addition, he wrote speeches for the head of state. "It was necessary to sell the program to the people," Cole recalled. His political influence extended to foreign policy in 1987 when he was appointed Nigeria's ambassador to Brazil. During a time characterized by strong public support for the abolition of racism, Cole and his colleagues devoted "85 percent" of their efforts to battling apartheid in South Africa. Once they won that struggle, they focused their attention on poverty and the inequitable distribution of goods -- a problem Cole deemed "the insecurity of the world." "That was a lost cause," he admitted regretfully. Cole has written a number of books and articles highlighting race's interaction with politics, economics and the media. "For a long time, people were brainwashed into stereotypes of white, black and Chinese," he said. "It is necessary to break away from that acculturation." History Department Chairperson Lynn Lees said she is excited to have Cole on staff this semester. "His range of extraordinary experiences will be beneficial to both faculty and students," she said. Cole is teaching History 76 and History 381, two courses about African history, and said he enjoys the freedom of ignoring the social graces of an ambassador or a businessman. Yet he added that he values his diverse background. "In all of these lives which one has lead, they all reach the final result -- the life which one is leading," he said.

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