With great sadness, the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU) learned of the sudden passing of Prof. Dr. Louis Roi Nondenot Aboua on September 20, 2025. He was Professor of Forensic Entomology at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire, National President of Lay Leaders in his country, member of the Board of Trustees of the Université Méthodiste de Côte d’Ivoire (UMECI), and member of various organizations related to Methodist education. He was 66.
“Professeur” Aboua was born in Côte d’Ivoire, studied in France, and worked in the fields of agronomy, biodiversity, energy, and sustainability. He conducted specialized research on forensic entomology in West Africa, with various studies and publications on the types of insects that affect multiple crops in the region. As a scientist, he researched invasive species in Guinea, the impact of Diptera Tephritidae in the production of fruits in Côte d’Ivoire, and the extraction of oils from native plans. Resulting from this work, he published various scientific articles, including “Action of essential oils of two aromatic plants of Ivory Coast on Callosobruchus maculatus F. cowpea” and “Evolution of populations of weevils and their nympho-larvophages Hymenoptera in stocks of cowpea Guinean area in Ivory Coast,” among others. Due to his successful academic career, he became a Full Professor and Chair in his research area at the Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d’Ivoire. He was also involved as an expert evaluator of higher education institutions in West Africa and was a leading member of the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (Counseil Africaine et Malgache pour l’Enseignement Supérieur – CAMES).
Louis Aboua was also recognized as a lay leader in the Methodist connection. He was a member of the Protestant Methodist Church in Côte d’Ivoire, which then became the United Methodist Church in the country. As a United Methodist leader, he was active in his local church, then became the President of the Lay Leaders Association of the Abidjan District, President of the United Methodist Council of Education and Formation in Côte d’Ivoire, National President of Lay Leaders, and member of the Board of Trustees of the Methodist University of Côte d’Ivoire. Aboua was an official delegate to multiple General Conferences of the United Methodist Church and served as member of the Board of Directors of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) for 8 years. He was very active in the Africa Association of Methodist Institutions of Higher Education (AAMIHE) and was elected by the association to serve as a founding member of the Africa Senate for Methodist Education (ASME). Professor Aboua was planning to attend the Joint AAMIHE-AAUMTI Conference and the meeting of the Africa Senate in Johannesburg, South Africa, but his participation was affected by the disaffiliation process initiated by the United Methodist Church of Côte d’Ivoire.
Professor Aboua will be deeply missed by his family and friends. The International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (IAMSCU) expresses its gratitude for his work promoting Methodist education in Africa and his faithful service to AAMIHE, GBHEM, and ASME, and his partnership with IAMSCU. May his soul rest in peace.