For generations, some of Nigeria's most accomplished organists have travelled an unusual path to mastery. Many learned not in conservatories or specialised music schools, but in church galleries where curiosity became a teacher, practice became a discipline and years of service behind the manuals gradually shaped extraordinary musicians. Their performances have inspired congregations across the country, yet for many of them, formal academic recognition has remained out of reach.
It is this long-standing gap between talent and structured education that the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is now seeking to close through a landmark partnership with renowned classical music visionary and alumnus, Lanre Delano.
The collaboration has given birth to an Organ Studies Programme within the university's Department of Music, introducing specialised certificate and diploma courses that will provide aspiring organists with the technical grounding and recognised qualifications that have been largely unavailable in Nigeria. More than the launch of a new academic programme, the initiative represents a deliberate investment in preserving a musical tradition that has enriched worship, education and the nation's cultural life for decades.
The story began with a conversation.
When Delano was approached by the Head of OAU's Department of Music, one question immediately came to mind. He wanted to know whether the university already offered organ studies as part of its curriculum. The answer was no.
The reason, he explained, had little to do with a lack of interest. Acquiring a quality organ requires a substantial financial commitment, one the university had not been in a position to prioritise.
"When the Head of the Department of Music reached out, I asked point-blank if organ studies were part of their curriculum. He said no, primarily because the university could not prioritise the heavy financial investment required to procure an organ. I promised them that if they were ready, the organ would be provided," Delano recalled.
That assurance quickly became reality.
Delano donated two of his personal manual Allen Organs to the Department of Music and has committed to supplying another brand-new organ through the support of friends and his principals, the Allen Organ Company, USA. The contribution removes one of the biggest obstacles that had stood in the way of introducing formal organ studies at the university.
OAU has responded by giving the programme a visible place within its academic community. The facility established for the initiative has been named the Lanre Delano Organ Studies Room, while plans are already being developed for a dedicated building that will serve as a permanent home for organ studies.
Nigeria has produced generations of remarkably gifted organists whose abilities have been honed through years of church service and personal commitment. Their musicianship has enriched cathedral worship, choir festivals and sacred music performances across the country. Yet many have had to rely almost entirely on experience rather than structured instruction, limiting opportunities to obtain internationally recognised certification or fully exploit the sophisticated capabilities of today's digital organs.
Having spent decades advancing digital organ performance in Nigeria, Delano believes the country's greatest challenge has never been a shortage of talent.
"Out of every 100 organists in Nigeria, 90 have never been abroad. They are highly skilled but completely uncertified," he said.
He compares the situation to professional football, where natural ability alone is rarely enough to reach the highest level. Coaching, technical development and systematic learning often determine whether potential is fully realised. He sees the new programme serving the same purpose for Nigerian organists.
"You find musicians handling multi-million Naira instruments without knowing how to unlock 90 percent of their capabilities. This programme will provide the technical roadmap," he said.
The curriculum has been designed to develop those skills in stages. Students will begin with a nine-month certificate course focused on foundational hymn accompaniment before progressing to an 18-month diploma programme dedicated to advanced solo performance. Entry into the programme will require applicants to possess basic piano proficiency, ensuring that participants already have the musical foundation needed for specialised organ training.
While technology is increasingly influencing music education, Delano believes the essence of organ performance remains deeply human. Artificial Intelligence, he noted, can assist with sight-reading and serve as a valuable instructional aid, but it cannot replace the sensitivity required of an accomplished organist.
"AI lacks emotion. A human organist senses the mood of a congregation and adjusts in real-time. AI cannot do that," he said.
His ambition does not end with certificates and diplomas. The long-term vision is to see the programme evolve into a full-fledged degree course, creating a sustainable pipeline for training professional organists within Nigeria.
If that goal is realised, the Organ Studies Programme at OAU may ultimately be remembered for far more than the introduction of a new course. It could mark the beginning of a new era in which gifted Nigerian musicians no longer have to choose between passion and professional recognition, and where one of the country's enduring sacred music traditions is strengthened through the structure, scholarship and excellence it has long deserved.
