Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi

Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi (12 July 1923 – 19 January 2023) was a Nigerian academic and medical doctor recognized as the first professor of medicine in Nigeria. Born in Sagamu, Ogun State, Ogunlesi began his education at St. Paul Primary School, Sagamu, before attending CMS Grammar School, Lagos, where he obtained his secondary school certificate in 1940. He continued his studies at Yaba Higher College, for pre-medical and medical training. He later attended the University of London and University of Minnesota where he obtained his postgraduate degrees.

Ogunlesi returned to Nigeria and joined the Western Nigeria Civil Service, serving as a medical officer from 1950 to 1956. In 1961, he became a lecturer at the University of Ibadan (UI), where he made history four years later by becoming the first Nigerian professor of medicine. He played a key role in the development of medical education in Nigeria, serving as the pioneer head of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, and the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

During his career, Ogunlesi was a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. He was elected as a fellow of the Association of Physicians of Nigeria and International Society for Hypertension. Ogunlesi's work was beyond research and medicine, it also involved education and mentorship. He authored many books and papers, supervised graduate students and some of them are Isaac Folorunso Adewole, Kayode Oshuntokun, and Yombo Awojobi.

Early life and education Oladipo Ogunlesi was born on 12 July, 1923 to a blacksmith father in Sagamu, Ogun State. Between 1931 and 1940, he went to St. Paul's Primary School located in Sagamu. He then obtained his secondary school certificate at CMS Grammar School situated in Lagos, where his academic excellence earned him the nickname "professor" from his elementary teacher.

Leadership roles Ogunlesi held several key advisory and leadership positions in Nigeria's medical sector. From 1980 to 1983, he served as an advisor to the Nigerian government on educational medicine. He was the first president of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, serving from 1980 to 1984. Additionally, Ogunlesi was a member of the National Implementation Committee for the health sector under Nigeria's 3rd National Development Plan from 1975 to 1979. His involvement in the UCH Ibadan included serving on its board of management from 1969 to 1972, and he represented the University of Ibadan Medical School on the Nigerian Medical Council from 1975 to 1979. In 1984, Ogunlesi became a member of the governing council of the University of Nigeria, and he acted as a special medical adviser to the Ibarapa Local Government Council between 1972 and 1975.

His impact extended beyond Nigeria. He was the former President of the Association of Physicians of Nigeria and held leadership roles within the Nigerian Medical Association, including National Vice-President and State Chairman. Furthermore, he served on the World Health Organization's Scientific Advisory Committee on Cardiovascular Diseases from 1969 to 1972.

Awards and recognitions In 1946, Oladipo Ogunlesi was awarded the Sir Walter Johnson Prize for Public Health and Medicine. The following year, he received the Blair-Atkin's Class Proficiency Prize. His achievements in the medical field were further recognized in 1983 when he was conferred with the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR). His death prompted tributes from various notable figures, including then-President Muhammadu Buhari, who acknowledged Ogunlesi's contributions to Nigerian medicine and education. Buhari noted that many of Ogunlesi's students went on to hold significant positions such as Ministers of Health, Vice-Chancellors, and specialists in various medical fields both in Nigeria and internationally.

The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, also expressed his condolences, highlighting Ogunlesi's pioneering role as Nigeria's first professor of medicine. He emphasized Ogunlesi's dedication to advancing medical knowledge and improving public health, which earned him widespread respect within and beyond Ogun State.

One of Ogunlesi's significant legacies was his co-founding of the Ibarapa Community and Primary Health Care Programme in 1963, in collaboration with the founding Head of Medicine at the UCH, Ibadan. This initiative, initially funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, became a model for Nigeria's primary healthcare system and was adopted by other African countries. In 1965, The Lancet praised the project as a major advancement in medical education in Africa and suggested it could serve as a model for similar initiatives in developing countries. The programme has since evolved into a collaborative effort between the University of Ibadan College of Medicine, the Oyo State Ministry of Health, the UCH, and local governments in the Ibarapa Division. By February 2016, over 203 community health rotations had been conducted for medical students from UI, each lasting six to eight weeks. Additionally, dental students from UI began participating in annual postings to Ibarapa in 2007.

Selected publications