Prof. Oladipo Olujumi Akinkugbe Dies at 86

Prof. Oladipo Olujumi Akinkugbe Dies at 86

By Martins Ifijeh

Foremost Prof. of Medicine, Oladipo Olujumi Akinkugbe, is dead. He died on Monday at the University College Hospital, Ibadan at 86.

Akinkugbe studied and taught at some of the world’s most prestigious universities, including the University of London, Balliol College, University of Oxford England and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.

He was Pro-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt; former Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria; former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin; and a former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan.

He was Chairman, Vesta Healthcare Partners, and Chairman of the Presidential Projects Implementation Committee on the refurbishing of Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria.

Akinkugbe, who was highly respected in the academic and healthcare sector, was a recipient of the National Honour of Cote De Voire.

Within Nigeria, he was Foundation Chairman Joint Admission and Matriculation Board [JAMB]; Principal and Foundation Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin; Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria; Chairman Planning Committee, Ondo State University; Chairman Planning Committee, University of Abuja; Chairman of the Presidential Projects Implementation Committee (PPIC) on the refurbishing of Teaching Hospitals in Nigeria; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, University of Port Harcourt.

To each appointment, he gave very high degree of knowledge, skill, thoroughness, dedication and above all integrity and transparency.

Before hanging the stethoscope, Akinkugbe practised medicine for 60 years. During the period, he pioneered the establishment of two critical clinics, one in hypertension and the other in renal disorders at the UCH, Ibadan. Both clinics were firsts in Africa.

After retirement, Akinkugbe established his own clinic, the Ibadan Hypertension Clinic, which he managed for 20 years.

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