Jacob Festus Adeniyi Ajayi, wanda aka fi sani da JF Ade Ajayi, (26 ga Mayu 1929 - 9 ga Agusta 2014) ya kasance masanin tarihin Nijeriya kuma memba na makarantar Ibadan, ƙungiyar malamai da ke da sha'awar gabatar da ra'ayoyin Afirka ga tarihin Afirka da kuma mai da hankali kan na ciki tarihin tarihi wanda ya tsara rayuwar Afirka An haifi Ajayi a Ikole-Ekiti a ranar 26 ga Mayu 1929, mahaifinsa ya kasance mataimaki na musamman ga Oba na Ikole a lokacin Sarakunan Yankin. Ya fara karatu a makarantar St Paul, Ikole, yana dan shekara biyar. Daga nan ya zarce zuwa makarantar firamare ta Ekiti (wacce ake kira yanzu Christ's Ado Ekiti) domin shiryawa a matsayin malamin makaranta, amma bayan ya ji ta bakin wani aboki game da Kwalejin Igbobi da ke Legas, sai ya yanke shawarar gwada sa'arsa ya nema. Bayan haka, ya sami shiga cikin kwalejin, kuma ya sami tallafin karatu daga Ikole Ekiti Native Authority, ya tafi Legas don karatun sakandare. Bayan ya kammala karatunsa a Igbobi, sai ya sami shiga Jami’ar Ibadan, inda zai zabi tsakanin Tarihi, Latin ko Turanci don karatunsa.