poet and scholar known for his illuminating study of Yoruba ìjalá (a form of oral poetry) and his translations of numerous folk tales. He devoted much of his career to collecting and preserving the oral traditions of his homeland.

Babalola received his education in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cambridge, Eng., and earned a Ph.D. at the University of London. On his return to Nigeria he held such positions as lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ife; principal of Igbobi College, Lagos; and professor of African languages and literatures at the University of Lagos. His Content and Form of Yoruba Ijala (1966) provides both a critical introduction to this vernacular poetic form and an annotated anthology of ìjalá poems (hunters' songs), with English translations. His writings are considered among the best recent efforts of scholars to conserve African oral traditions.