Professor Theophilus Oladipo Ogunlesi (12 July 1923 – 19 January 2023) stands as a foundational figure in Nigerian medicine. Celebrated as the country’s first Professor of Medicine and widely honoured as the “Father of Postgraduate Medical Education in Nigeria,” his life’s work shaped the nation’s healthcare system and set standards for medical training across Africa.
Early Life and Medical Training
Born in Sagamu, Ogun State, Ogunlesi attended the CMS Grammar School, Lagos, before travelling to Britain in the 1940s to study medicine.
He trained at the University of London’s medical school and qualified as a physician in 1950, earning further postgraduate credentials in the United Kingdom.
His professional excellence was recognized with fellowships of both the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, two of the world’s most prestigious medical institutions.
Building Modern Medical Education in Nigeria
On his return home, Ogunlesi joined the newly established University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where in 1961 he became the first Nigerian Head of the Department of Medicine—and the nation’s first Professor of Medicine. From this position he transformed medical training, introducing rigorous clinical standards and nurturing generations of doctors who would lead Nigerian medicine in subsequent decades.
He later rose to become Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Ibadan, underscoring his lifelong dedication to academic medicine and institution-building.
National Leadership and Public Health Vision
Ogunlesi’s influence extended beyond the university. He became the founding President of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN), which remains the country’s apex body for training medical specialists. For this achievement he is widely remembered as the “Father of Postgraduate
Medical Education in Nigeria.”
Equally visionary was his establishment of the Ibarapa Community Health Project in Oyo State, a pioneering model of primary healthcare and community-based medical education.
The project demonstrated how doctors could work hand-in-hand with local communities and became a template for similar initiatives across Africa.
Ogunlesi also served as an adviser to international health bodies, including the World Health Organization, bringing Nigeria’s medical perspectives to the global stage.
Legacy and Passing
Professor Ogunlesi lived to the remarkable age of 99, passing away on 19 January 2023. His century-spanning life left a lasting imprint on Nigerian medicine: from undergraduate and postgraduate medical education to rural health innovation and global health policy.
Today, every generation of Nigerian doctors trained under the NPMCN and inspired by the Ibarapa model stands as a testament to his vision of accessible, community-focused, and academically rigorous healthcare.
Key Positions & Achievements
First Nigerian Professor of Medicine
First Head, Department of Medicine, UCH Ibadan (1961)
Emeritus Professor, University of Ibadan
Founding President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria
Founder, Ibarapa Community Health Project
Fellow, Royal College of Physicians (London & Edinburgh)
Adviser to the World Health Organization
Sources
National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria archives
Nollywood icon Genevieve Nnaji has fired off a sharp response after a man on X (formerly Twitter) advised Igbo men to stop marrying Igbo women and instead seek wives from other African countries.
The controversy began after a photo of a Rwandan woman said to be engaged to an Anambra man went viral.
Resharing the image, the user wrote, “Dear Igbo men, instead of marrying an Igbo woman who’ll falsely accuse you of r4ping your daughter, better look outside for a wife.
“Go to East Africa, especially Rwanda, and pick a damsel. They’re all over social media, and you can link up with them.”
Genevieve, who rarely comments on online drama, responded, “In other words, instead of checking yourself and taking accountability, go for the unsuspecting and carry on with your evil. Got it.”
Another user attempted to challenge her, claiming the original tweet was aimed at “false rape accusers” and that Genevieve was avoiding the real issue.
“His tweet was clearly against false rape accusers, but instead of holding the evil women accountable and demanding change, you chose to tweet this?”
But the actress hit back with equal clarity: “The same way a woman can’t tell an abusive man apart from a good one is the same way you shouldn’t say avoid all Igbo women. ‘Not all women’.”
Reality TV star Phyna has offered words of encouragement to fellow Big Brother Naija winner Imisi amid a family feud between the latter and her mother.
In an X post on Monday, Phyna wrote,”To Imisi, @imisiofficial and to anyone walking through the same fire… I’m praying for your strength.
“My own experience broke me, but I’m slowly rising.
“And I’m rooting for you with everything in me, don’t handle it like I did, build strong and focus on you baby girl.”
The post comes against the backdrop of a family dispute in which Imisi’s mother accused her daughter of hatred and revealed the poor condition of the home where she currently lives, despite Imisi winning N150 million after her Big Brother victory.
Imisi replied in Yoruba,”This is why Aunty Debola said you should not show your face to the world. I can’t be saying all that now, you are in the midst of people. Just overlook everything and leave social media.
“Don’t worry, I will send you money to rent a new house. I am tired of all this drama. I am still recovering from the stress of Big Brother.
“Should I be facing another stress now? Please forgive me, I am your daughter.”
Recall Imisi’s mother has publicly expressed frustration on social media, saying she does not need her daughter’s money after being sidelined following the win.
She also blamed Imisi for recounting her childhood experiences, which she claims involve untrue allegations of parental neglect and sexual assault.
In a video, she showed the old house she currently resides in, saying she is content with her situation, a revelation that sparked online controversy.
In 2023, after Phyna’s BBNaija win, her father, Felix Otabor, revealed in an interview that he was distressed by his daughter’s actions following her BBNaija win.
Otabor said Phyna had asked him to stop working as a hearse driver and requested that he sell his cars, promising to improve the family’s life.
He said he later struggled financially after selling the vehicles, losing his business momentum and community position, and has not seen his daughter since her victory.
He described feeling sidelined while she enjoyed her wealth.
Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, has opened up about her marriage to her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.
It was reports that the embattled wife revealed why their seven-year relationship remained faithful despite his polygamous lifestyle.
In a reply to a comment on her Instagram page, Daniels said that during their years together, Nwoko never slept with other women outside their home because she held him well in the other room.
She wrote: “Yes i think he loved me but a toxic one! Because tell me why a polygamous man forgot what it meant to be in polygamy, except for the media.
“Just because it boosted his ego of being seen with multiple women which is easy by me because anyone that sees a man as an odogwu sees the wife as what? He basically had to beg that he share days at ours and other days with his other wives because they begged for his attention.
“Y’all should pls forget this yeye social media comparison because my ex man never slept outside one day in our 7 years of marriage. You know why? Because as a delta babe, I hold am well for the other room ladies use your skills that’s all men want actually!”
