Blessings of a Father

About the Book

This book is about my time and positive educational experiences at Saint Finbarr’s College, Akoka-Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. With the passage of time, knowledge of the immense contributions of Father Slattery is moving into the deeper recesses of our memories. The purpose of this book is to revive and keep the memory alive for the benefit of future generations of students, teachers, parents, school administrators, and government officials in Nigeria. This book, Blessings of a Father: Education Contributions of Father Slattery at Saint Finbarr’s College, is a second and updated printing of the first edition, Blessings of a Father, first published in Nigeria in 2005. This current printing is intended to facilitate a wider and more archival distribution of the book, whose first edition received rave reviews. It is hoped that through this book and other dedicated archival manuscripts, the legacy of Father Denis J. Slattery and what the Catholic Church did for education in Nigeria shall never die.

About the Author

Deji Badiru is professor and head of Systems and Engineering Management at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He was previously head of Industrial & Information Engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and formerly professor of industrial engineering and Dean of University College at the University of Oklahoma. He is a registered professional engineer. He is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He holds BS in Industrial Engineering, MS in Mathematics, and MS in Industrial Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida.