Renowned professor of medicine, Oladipo Akinkugbe, is dead

Emeritus Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe is dead.

Akinkugbe, who was a foremost Nigerian Professor of Medicine at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, died at the ancient city on Monday at 86 years.

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

He was also a chairman of the Board of Management of University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria and one-time Chairman of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board.

In a garlanded career, he also served as Pro-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt; was a former Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria; a former Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin; and a former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadan.

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.