A pioneer of compassion and courage whose service redefined the legacy of African women during World War II.
Early Life and Royal Heritage
Princess Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola was born into the royal family of Abeokuta, Nigeria, as the daughter of Oba Sir Ladapo Samuel Ademola II, the Alake of Egbaland. Her royal lineage placed her among the most prominent Yoruba families of her time. Yet, rather than living a life of luxury, she chose a path of service — dedicating her life to nursing and humanitarian care.
Her early life reflected the values of discipline and community that defined the Egba monarchy. Like many members of the educated Nigerian elite of the early 20th century, she was sent abroad for professional training, where she would later distinguish herself in one of the most challenging periods of modern history.
Training at Guy’s Hospital, London
Princess Adenrele Ademola began her nursing career at Guy’s Hospital, one of London’s most prestigious medical institutions. She trained rigorously and, in 1941, she qualified as a state-registered nurse.
Following this achievement, she obtained additional credentials from the Central Midwives Board, expanding her qualifications to include midwifery — a rare dual certification for African women in Britain at the time. Her academic and professional excellence made her one of the earliest Nigerian royals to earn medical credentials in the United Kingdom.
Wartime Service and the London Blitz
When the Second World War broke out, Princess Adenrele Ademola remained in London and joined the ranks of medical professionals who treated casualties during the Blitz — the relentless bombing of the city by German forces between 1940 and 1941.
She worked in several hospitals across London, including Guy’s Hospital and other wartime medical units, providing care to both soldiers and civilians. Her service under the harsh wartime conditions demonstrated extraordinary courage and dedication, earning her deep respect from her colleagues and patients alike.
At a time when colonial subjects were often overlooked in British public life, Princess Adenrele stood as a proud symbol of African contribution, resilience, and professional excellence.
“Nurse Ademola” – The Lost Wartime Film
In 1943, her remarkable story inspired a short film titled “Nurse Ademola”, produced by the Colonial Film Unit. The film was part of Britain’s wartime propaganda initiative, designed to highlight the contributions of individuals from across the British Empire to the war effort.
The film portrayed her daily life as a nurse in London, her interactions with patients and colleagues, and her unwavering commitment to service amidst the challenges of war. It was shown across West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, to encourage women and colonial subjects to join essential services and support the Allied cause.
Unfortunately, Nurse Ademola is now considered a lost film, with no known surviving copies. Nonetheless, it remains an invaluable part of colonial-era cinematic history and a rare example of early African representation in British media.
Later Career and Legacy
After the war, Princess Adenrele Ademola continued her nursing career, serving in hospitals both in the United Kingdom and Nigeria. Her career spanned over three decades, during which she became a role model for African women entering the nursing profession.
Through her work, she demonstrated that nobility was not merely a matter of birth, but of service, compassion, and courage. She inspired generations of Nigerian women to pursue education and careers in healthcare, long before such paths were common.
Today, her story is studied within the broader history of African women’s contributions to global service, particularly within the context of World War II and British colonial history.
A Forgotten Icon of African History
Despite her royal heritage and international achievements, Princess Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola’s story remains relatively unknown in Nigeria. Historians and film archivists continue to search for surviving reels or documentation of Nurse Ademola, viewing it as a crucial artefact of African presence in wartime Britain.
Her life bridges two worlds — the royal traditions of Yoruba culture and the professional modernity of post-war Britain. As such, she embodies a form of quiet heroism that continues to resonate in narratives of African women’s resilience.
References
1. Imperial War Museum, London – “Nurse Ademola” (Colonial Film Unit, 1943) Archive Notes.
2. British Film Institute (BFI) – Colonial Film: Moving Images of the British Empire Database.
Nigerian Royal and nurse Princess Omo-Oba Adenrele Ademola with a young patient on an eye care ward during her nursing training at Guy’s Hospital, in Southwark, London, England, 3rd January 1938. Princess Adenrele Ademola is the daughter of Ladapo Ademola, the Alake of Abeokuta. (Photo by Becker/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Federal Government has announced the death of Nigeria’s ambassador-designate to Algeria, Mohammed Mahmud Lele, who died at the age of 50.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.
According to the ministry, Lele died in the early hours of April 19, 2026, in Ankara, Türkiye, after a protracted illness.
The ministry described the late diplomat as a dedicated officer who served the country with distinction.
“The late Ambassador Lele, until his death after a protracted illness, was the Director in charge of the Middle East and Gulf Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Ambassador Lele, a career diplomat, was recently appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Ambassador-designate to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, following the Nigerian Senate’s confirmation of his nomination,” the statement said.
Born in Gamawa, Bauchi State, in 1976, Lele studied Economics at Bayero University, Kano, and went on to serve in Nigerian missions in Berlin, Lomé and Riyadh.
“Ambassador Lele was known for his intellectual depth, strategic insight and commitment to the advancement of Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives,” the statement added.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dunoma Umar Ahmed, who received the remains of the late diplomat at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, described him as “a hardworking, humble and fine officer, who will be sorely missed by the ministry.”
The ministry added that his death “is a monumental loss not only to his immediate family but also to the entire Foreign Service community and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Lele was buried on Wednesday in Kano in accordance with Islamic rites.
The ministry extended condolences to his family, associates, and the government and people of Bauchi State, praying for the peaceful repose of his soul and strength for those he left behind.
Comedian Kevin Chinedu, popularly known as Kevinblak, has revealed that officials of a political party offered him dollars to change his satirical skits criticising politicians and governance.
He made the disclosure on Monday in an interview on ARISEtv’s Arise 360 programme, where he spoke about the pressures facing content creators who hold public officials accountable through humour.
Chinedu, known for his character Governor Amuneke, said the approach came at a particularly vulnerable moment, shortly after his wife had a Caesarean section and he was under financial strain.
“They said they were going to change my life, that I’m earning crumbs, you know, give me dollars. They mentioned that my colleagues are in the game and all of that,” he said.
He declined to name the party, saying only that it was “Amuneke’s party”, a reference to the fictional political figure in his skits, and cautioned against any attempt to identify it publicly.
“Don’t mention names, trust me, don’t mention names,” he said.
Despite the financial pressure, the comedian said he turned down the offer, recalling how the officials had tried to lure him to Abuja with the promise of a life-changing sum.
“I had a lot of bills on my head and I just heard come, come to Abuja, let’s change your life. Dollars upon dollars,” he said.
He said he ultimately held firm, guided by a personal code he had maintained throughout his career.
“I looked at it, I said, no, I am who I am. I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve never been in any illegal thing, and I’ve never been somewhere, you know, I’m doing something because I’m being influenced, because of money.
“If I want to do it, it should be something I’m doing because I want to do it. So, you know, it is what it is,” he said.
When asked whether friends had urged him to accept the money, Chinedu said his inner circle was equally principled, and had themselves been approached and refused.
“I don’t have friends that are easily overwhelmed with money. I have people who have principles because they have, you know, approached them, they themselves. So, we always have that conversation,” he said.
Nigeria’s already fragile healthcare system is facing renewed strain as no fewer than 4,691 doctors have relocated to the United Kingdom since President Bola Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, fresh data from the General Medical Council shows.
The UK GMC is a public official register detailing the number of practising doctors in the UK alongside other details such as their areas of speciality, country of training, among others.
The mass migration represents not just a human resource crisis but a significant economic loss.
With the Federal Government estimating that it costs about $21,000 to train a single doctor, Nigeria has effectively lost at least $98.5m in training investments within less than two years.
The figure put the total number of Nigeria-trained doctors currently practising in the UK to about 15,692, making Nigeria one of the largest sources of foreign-trained doctors in Britain, second only to India.
As of May 28, 2025, official records showed that the number of Nigerian-trained doctors in the UK was a little over 11,000. The figure has grown significantly since then.
The exodus of doctors comes as Nigeria’s doctor-to-population ratio hovers around 3.9 per 10,000 people, far below the minimum threshold recommended by the World Health Organisation.
For many health experts, the numbers confirm what has long been visible: a system gradually losing its most critical workforce.
The Nigerian Medical Association has repeatedly warned that poor remuneration, unsafe working conditions, and inadequate infrastructure are pushing doctors out of the country.
“Our members are overworked, underpaid and exposed to unsafe environments daily. Many are simply burnt out,” the NMA said in one of its recent statements addressing workforce migration.
Similarly, the National Association of Resident Doctors has consistently highlighted the toll on younger doctors, who form the backbone of Nigeria’s tertiary healthcare system.
“Doctors are leaving because the system is failing them—irregular salaries, excessive workload, and lack of training opportunities,” NARD noted during one of its nationwide engagements.
Ironically, the doctor exodus persists even as Nigeria continues to spend heavily on healthcare abroad.
While official foreign exchange data shows only modest spending on medical tourism in recent years, broader estimates suggest Nigerians still spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually seeking treatment overseas.
For instance, a recent report by The PUNCH revealed that foreign exchange outflow for health-related travel by Nigerians surged to $549.29m in the first nine months of 2025, a 17.96 per cent increase from $465.67m in the same period of 2024, according to official data by Nigeria’s apex bank.
A public health expert, Dr David Adewole, noted that the Federal Government’s national policy on health workforce migration, aimed at curbing the growing trend of health professionals leaving the country—commonly referred to as ‘Japa’—is a good initiative, but may not do much to address the fundamental problems of the shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in Nigeria, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
According to him, many of the push factors for health professionals emigrating to greener pastures, like insecurity, emolument and lack of basic amenities like potable water, health facilities, cost of living and constant electricity, persisted.
He stated: “To make healthcare workers stay here, let the salaries be enough so that what you earn will be much more than the multiples of what you need for basic needs, like food, power supply, housing, and so forth.
“People still look at life after retirement. You might have a good policy, but its implementation is the issue. For example, you are retired, and for your retirement package, you don’t need to know anyone for it to be processed promptly.
“Then subsequently, your monthly pension, without pressing anybody, should be paid. Those things are not here.
“And when you go to the hospital abroad, if you tell them that you are in a hurry, you go to your home; they’ll bring the medicines to your doorstep.”
