Professor Olu Akinyanju
OON, MD, FRCP, FMCPath
Education: Primary & Secondary
Olufemi Akinyanju was born on the 13th of October 1936. He grew up in Lagos, where he started primary schooling in the early 1940s at the CMS Girl’s School on Broad Street. As with all boys, he was later transferred to the Prep classes of the nearby CMS Grammar School, to complete his primary education However, when his father’s civil service was transferred from Lagos, he went with the family to Port-Harcourt and soon thereafter, to Sapele, where he completed primary schooling and gained admission in Sept 1949 to Warri College for secondary education. Within 2 years the College was transferred to its permanent site in Ughelli and renamed Government College.
He was in Forcados House and later transferred to join a new Ashaka House. He excelled in table tennis and played lawn tennis and Cricket for the First Teams of GCU. He joined the first Sixth Form Class and rose to become Head of School (Head Prefect).
Education: Tertiary & Professional
He gained direct admission into St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London in October 1958, graduating MB,BS (London) in 1963. He remained in England to undergo Residency training in Internal Medicine speciality, and obtained the postgraduate diplomas MRCP (Edinburgh) & MRCP (London) in 1966 &1967. From 1970 to 1972 he undertook a University of Toronto Fellowship in Haematology, in Toronto, Canada. In 1980 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the American College of Physicians (FACP). He earned the MD (London) post-graduate degree in 1981 after submitting a thesis titled “Bacterial Infection in Sickle Cell Disease in Lagos, Nigeria.”
Professional Service
He joined Lagos University Teaching Hospital LUTH) and the College of Medicine of the University of Lagos (CMUL) in 1967. His encounter in LUTH, with patients with sickle cell disorder (SCD) who were poorly cared for by misinformed parents led him to focus on improving their knowledge, health status and longevity. He then created a dedicated adult Sickle Cell Clinic and focused his research work on SCD.
In 1979, the University of Lagos appointed him Professor of Medicine. In 1984, he resuscitated the Sickle Cell Club Lagos Nigeria and in 1985, he was appointed Honorary Adviser to the WHO on Hereditary Haemoglobin Disorders. He subsequently attended numerous WHO meetings, Study Groups and delivered several papers at international conferences. He introduced Training Courses on Genetic Counselling on SCD to Nigeria in 1986 by inviting a team from London, led by Dame Professor Elizabeth Anionwu In 1992, he introduced prenatal diagnosis of SCD through chorionic villus sampling, by inviting Professor Rodeck on a training visit to Lagos.
He has over 95 publications from 1971 to date, in medical/scientific journals including a book titled, “How To Live with Sickle Cell Disorder” targeted at persons and families with SCD, He founded the Federation of Sickle Cell Clubs of Nigeria in 1991 and the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria (SCFN) in 1994. The SCFN developed the iconic National Sickle Cell Centre (the first comprehensive Sickle Cell Centre in Africa) opposite LUTH.
The Centre’s foundation stone was laid in 1998 by General Muhammadu Buhari, who was then Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund and the Centre was commissioned for use in 2007, by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Professional Recognition & Appreciation
In 2004, the WHO appointed Professor Akinyanju an Expert on the Panel of the Genomic Research Centre. At the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of LUTH/CMUL in Nov 2004, the Old Medical Students of the CMUL presented a PHYSICIAN ROLE MODEL AWARD to him, “in deep appreciation of his outstanding contribution to their Medical Education and Training”. In October 2007, the Nigerian Society for Haematology & Blood Transfusion presented an Award to him “in recognition of his Contributions in the field of Haematology”.
In 1999, the Rotary Club of Oregun, District 9110 Nigeria, presented an Excellence Award Certificate to him “in recognition of outstanding support and commitment to the principles of social responsibility and the ideals of the Rotary”. The Sickle Cell & Rare Gem Initiative of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, presented an award to him as “The RAREST GEM 2007”. In 2011, The Rotary Club of Akoka, District 9110 presented an Award of Excellence to Professor Olu Akinyanju “for contribution to Health through the Sickle Cell Foundation”.
In July 2012, the International Inner Wheel, District 911 Nigeria, presented a DISTINGUISHED MERIT SERVICE AWARD to him “in Recognition of his Leadership Role in Health Care Development in the area of Sickle Cell Treatment”.
In May 2013, the Board of Directors, Nigeria Investment Newspaper, conferred an ORDER OF MERIT AWARD FOR SERVICE TO HUMANITY on him “in Appreciation of his Relentless fight against Sickle Cell Disorder in Nigeria, Selfless Service to the Fatherland and Humanity in General”.
In 2015, the Lagos Branch of the GCUOBA awarded a branch Merit Award to him. In June 2016 the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award Advisory Board awarded a Lifetime Award Certificate to him, in appreciation of his outstanding service and exemplary leadership in the field of Healthcare in Nigeria. Professor Akinyanju is a past President and now, a Trustee of the Nigerian Society for Haematology and Blood Transfusion and a past President of the Association of Physicians of Nigeria.
National Honours
Professor Olu Akinyanju was honoured with the Chieftaincy titles of Otun Are of Ife in 1986 and the Ajiroba of Awe in 1994. In 2006, Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR as President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, conferred on him, the title Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).