Shamsudeen Amain; Nigerian Professor of Theatre, and Drama touted as the Shakespeare of Northern Drama being the first from his region. Amain is a bilingual playwright and dramatist, using the Idoma and English Languages. He is also a university administrator, rising from different ranks till his appointment as Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin.
Amain graduated from the University of lbadan in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He started his teaching career as an assistant research fellow at the Institute of African Studies. He obtained a doctorate Degree in play creating, play writing, Dramatic Literature and Production from the prestigious University of Wisconsin, Madison USA. He also bagged a doctorate in Theatre and Drama; later becoming a professor of Theatre, and Drama.
He was Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the University of Jos between 1990 and 1994. Prior to this, he was Dean of faculty of Arts of the same university for two terms and was Head of Department of Theatre and Communication Arts for many terms. Amain was a member of the Steering Committee which set up Kogi State University and is today a member of the Implementation Committee for the Establishment of Nasarawa State University. He was also appointed a member of the National Youth Service Corps Governing Board in 2004[i].
[i] The News November 15, 2004