Airdrie author on his book series: ‘We've been blessed, even in the middle of crises’ 

Dr. Tolu Sajobi, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Calgary, moved from Calgary to Airdrie with his family in 2014. Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Sajobi said that he and his family were looking to move to a place where all conveniences were close by, hence Airdrie seemed like a logical choice. However, there were other things that caught his attention. 

“Airdrie is a family-oriented city. Whether you’re just walking your kids, or they’re driving their scooters in the community; you see young families,” Dr. Sajobi said. “It makes me feel at home.” 

Dr. Sajobi, who immigrated from Nigeria to Canada, and is a father of two, is a member of the O'Brien Institute for Public Health and the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. He works on and collaborates on a wide array of projects that include the design and analysis of clinical and population health studies. However, apart from his work at the university, he has also written a book. 

“Over the years, I've always mentored people because I believe in giving back,” he said. “Whatever I go through; there are other people that might have gone through it or people that are still going through it. So, I thought about it, and I thought I should write a book.” 

Dr. Tolu Sajobi has penned a book aimed to inspire not only newcomers but all of us (Photo provided by Dr. Tolu Sajobi)

Dr. Sajobi would draw on his experiences from his youth when he wrote a drama script for his Church group in Nigeria. He started writing his book, The Adventures of Zeph in 2019 and finished in May 2021.  

“This this story is about a teenager that grew up in the countryside, but finds himself in this new world that is technologically advanced with issues around language; completely different environment,” he said. “He has to really pull himself up by the straps and just get through the challenges, dealing with all manner of things, racial discrimination, all the things that people deal with as newcomers.” 

Dr. Sajobi’s protagonist manages to emerge as a leader in a time of crisis, which especially in the current global climate seems incredibly pertinent and poignant. 

“I believe that this book is going to give us opportunities to realize that we've been blessed, even in the middle of crises and disruptions that are happening,” Dr. Sajobi said. “There are opportunities for growth, opportunities to stand out, and to provide solutions to some of the nagging challenges that our world is facing right now.” 

The book will be the first book in the volume of The Chronicles of Libron, which can be bought on Amazon.  

“While I was writing, I realized that this is not just a story that will fit in just one book. So, I finished this one and then as a follow-up, there will be two or three more books in this particular series,” Dr. Sajobi said. “So, I'm writing the second one right now hopefully by early next year or mid-next year it should come out.” 

Dr. Sajobi completed his doctorate degree at the University of Saskatchewan and previously completed his Master’s degree at the University of Windsor.  

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