A Life of Medicine, Leadership and Service

Born in Ogbomoso, an indigene of Oyo town, I received my primary education at the Federal College of Education (Special) Staff School, Oyo, before proceeding to Federal Government College, Jos. My years in Jos exposed me early to people from different cultural, religious and social backgrounds. That experience helped to nurture an enduring respect for diversity, dialogue and national unity.

I studied Medicine and Surgery at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, graduating in 2004 as the best student in my class. My undergraduate years were marked by academic distinction, including a distinction in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the award of a Federal Government undergraduate scholarship. I also received the Stephen Oluwole Awokoya Foundation postgraduate scholarship and, following my national youth service, the Cross River State National Youth Service Corps Honours Award.

These recognitions were important milestones, but they also reinforced in me the responsibility that accompanies opportunity. Education, I came to understand, must ultimately be translated into service.

A career devoted to women's health

My medical career began as a house officer at State hospital, Adeoyo and then LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo. I subsequently served as a medical officer at General Hospital, Akamkpa, Cross River State, and State Hospital, Oyo. Working in these different environments exposed me to the realities of healthcare delivery at both community and referral levels. I witnessed the consequences of inadequate staffing, limited resources and delayed access to specialist care. I also saw the extraordinary commitment of Nigerian health workers who continued to serve despite difficult conditions.

In 2008, I commenced postgraduate residency training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife. I completed the programme in 2013, earning the Fellowship of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and the Fellowship of the West African College of Surgeons.

My subsequent professional journey took me through LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Bowen University and Bowen University Teaching Hospital before my return to LAUTECH. Today, I am an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and an honorary consultant at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso as well as a visiting lecturer in Pharmacology at Bowen University, Iwo.

My clinical work has centred on the care of women across the reproductive lifespan—I have also devoted considerable attention to maternal mortality, surgical safety, infection prevention, contraception, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and other problems with direct relevance to women in Nigeria and similar settings.

Teacher, researcher and mentor

Teaching has always been inseparable from my clinical practice. I have taught medical students and resident doctors in general gynaecology, reproductive health, family planning, antenatal care, fetal medicine, obstetric and gynaecological emergencies, labour, puerperium and clinical decision-making.

At Bowen University, I served as programme coordinator in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. At LAUTECH, I have supervised undergraduate and postgraduate research, coordinated residency training and contributed to the development of future specialists. I also serve as a resource person for the West African College of Surgeons.

My research has resulted in publications addressing maternal and reproductive health, surgical safety, contraceptive use, venous thromboembolism, infectious morbidity, breastfeeding and other important clinical questions. My work has appeared in both local and international journals, and my current scholarly interests continue to bridge Obstetrics and Gynaecology with Pharmacology. After completing a master’s degree in Pharmacology, I commenced doctoral research in the same field.

My scholarship is grounded in the belief that medical research must do more than add to academic literature. It should answer practical questions, improve clinical judgement and contribute to safer, more equitable healthcare.

Administrative leadership

My administrative experience has developed across departmental, faculty, college, university and hospital structures.

I served as Acting Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at LAUTECH and simultaneously as Head of the clinical department at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. These positions required the coordination of clinical services, teaching, residency training, personnel and institutional responsibilities. I have also served as a member of the University Senate, the College Academic Board, boards of examiners, review panels, accreditation committees and examination-monitoring structures.

Beyond the university, I have coordinated projects and training programmes involving the World Health Organization, the Federal Ministry of Health, UNICEF, USAID, the Clinton Health Access Initiative and other development partners. These assignments included maternal death reviews, maternal and perinatal databases, newborn care, postpartum family planning and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care.

Such responsibilities taught me that effective administration depends on more than issuing instructions. It requires consultation, careful planning, accountable use of resources, respect for institutional processes and the ability to bring people together around a shared objective.

A record of professional leadership

My involvement in the Nigerian Medical Association has grown steadily through participation, responsibility and service.

I first contributed as a member of the planning committees for the Oyo State Branch Annual General Meeting and Physicians' Week. I was subsequently elected Second Vice Chairman of the Branch for the 2022-2024 term. In that role, I also chaired the Medical Education Committee, which coordinated monthly continuing medical education programmes and brought me into sustained engagement with leaders and members of the Branch's affiliate associations.

I later chaired the 2023 Physicians' Week Organising Committee. One of the defining initiatives of that period was the first formal reception organised by the Branch in honour of medical elders in Oyo State. The programme publicly recognised senior doctors whose sacrifices had helped to build the profession. Its significance extended beyond ceremony: it affirmed that an association which values its future must also honour those who laid its foundations.

In 2024, I became First Vice Chairman of NMA Oyo State Branch. As Chairman of the 2025 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference Planning Committee, I led a team that delivered a conference focused on life after retirement—a subject often neglected until doctors approach the end of their careers. The programme was complemented by a medical outreach to the Awe community in Afijio Local Government Area. I subsequently led preparations for the 2026 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, maintaining the principle that professional gatherings should combine intellectual development with meaningful community service.

My experience in medical politics has therefore not been confined to seeking office. It has involved organising programmes, managing teams, engaging affiliates, resolving competing interests, preserving institutional relationships and accepting responsibility for outcomes.

The family behind the journey

Behind every professional achievement is a private circle of sacrifice and encouragement. I am married to Dr. Kehinde Olufemi-Aworinde, a consultant Haematologist and an associate professor of Haematology and Blood Transfusion. We are blessed with three children.

Our home makes me appreciate the pressures experienced by medical families. The demands of clinical practice, academic work, emergency calls, professional travel and public service are rarely borne by doctors alone; they are shared by spouses and children. My family's patience and support have made my journey possible and continually remind me that leadership must remain humane.

Outside medicine, I enjoy farming and driving. Farming, in particular, reinforces lessons that also apply to leadership: worthwhile results require preparation, patience, consistency and the humility to recognise that growth cannot be hurried.

Prepared to serve

My journey—from medical student and young doctor to consultant, teacher, researcher, head of department and elected NMA officer—has prepared me for the responsibility I now seek.

I bring experience, but I also bring the willingness to listen. I bring conviction, but I recognise the importance of consultation. I believe in respectful engagement, but I will not sacrifice truth or the collective welfare of doctors for convenience or temporary popularity.

For me, leadership is not a title or an entitlement. It is a covenant of service. I aspire to lead an association in which every doctor—regardless of institution, cadre, specialty, age, gender or location—feels seen, heard and protected. I seek to help build a Branch that honours its elders, develops its younger members, safeguards its professionals and speaks with one credible voice.

This is the story of my journey so far. More importantly, it is the foundation of the service I am prepared to offer: leadership with competence, compassion, courage and measurable purpose.