Health
After 42 years, UNILORIN 1984 doctors reunite, seek more healthcare investment
By Iyanuoluwa Abiola
Forty-two years after graduating from the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, members of the university’s 1984 medical class reunited to celebrate decades of service to humanity.
It was a nostalgic homecoming and reunion as classmates—many now accomplished medical specialists, professors, and healthcare leaders—shared memories of student life and reflected on friendships that have endured for more than four decades.
But beyond the nostalgia, the reunion became an opportunity to examine the state of Nigeria’s healthcare system and call for reforms to strengthen the sector.
The reunion, themed ‘The Medical Profession: Lifelong Service through Learning and Giving – 42 Years of Stewardship after Graduation’, brought together 39 doctors from across Nigeria and the diaspora to reflect on their professional journeys.
Sponsored by the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, the event, held in Ikoyi, Lagos, also served as a platform for the alumni to demonstrate how decades of medical practice have translated into philanthropy, mentorship, and investments in healthcare delivery.
As they reunited, the doctors turned their attention to the challenges bedevilling the health sector, calling for greater investment to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes nationwide,
The seasoned medical experts urged the government, private sector, development partners, and other stakeholders to invest more in healthcare, medical education, and the retention of health workers.
Delivering the keynote lecture titled ‘The Future of Medical Practice in Nigeria – Random Musings’, Consultant Rheumatologist and physician at Arthrimed Specialist Hospital, Prof. Olufemi Adelowo, lamented the country’s poor health indices.
According to him, Nigeria continues to record some of the poorest health outcomes globally, with infant mortality estimated at 70 deaths per 1,000 live births, neonatal mortality at 39 per 1,000 live births, and maternal mortality approaching 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Adelowo, a professor of medicine, noted that average life expectancy remains between 53 and 56 years, describing the statistics as evidence of systemic weaknesses requiring urgent reforms.
“The statistics tell us that our health system still has enormous challenges. Beyond the numbers, there is widespread ignorance about diseases, with many illnesses still attributed to spiritual attacks or ancestral causes instead of people seeking appropriate medical care,” Adelowo said.
The don identified the migration of healthcare professionals, popularly known as the Japa phenomenon, as one of the greatest threats confronting Nigeria’s health sector.
He cited available estimates showing that more than 15,700 Nigerian-trained doctors are practising in the United Kingdom, nearly 3,900 are licensed in the United States, while hundreds more work in Canada.
Although Nigeria produces approximately 6,000 doctors annually, he noted that between 25 and 65 per cent leave the country every year, while the Federal Ministry of Health estimates that about 16,000 doctors emigrated between 2019 and 2024.
“The picture is gloomy. We are losing some of our brightest minds. We must improve working conditions, upgrade our hospitals, and make specialist practice more attractive if we want to retain our doctors,” he said.
Beyond workforce shortages, the don lamented the poor state of healthcare infrastructure, citing hospitals operating without reliable electricity and water supply, obsolete medical equipment, inadequate accommodation for resident doctors, and a poor maintenance culture.
Adelowo advocated a model in which hospitals are designed with long-term maintenance agreements similar to those in countries such as Oman.
He also recommended strengthening peripheral hospitals by deploying consultants to provide specialist services while training resident doctors outside tertiary institutions.
According to him, compulsory continuing medical education should be enforced across all levels of practice to address declining clinical skills and ensure adherence to treatment protocols.
The seasoned rheumatologist further called for stricter regulation of unqualified health practitioners, fake drug manufacturers, and misleading medical advertisements on social media and other platforms.
“Government must prosecute offenders to serve as a deterrent. Patient safety should never be compromised,” he stressed.
The Programme Coordinator, Dr Festus Odunayo Oshoba, said the gathering symbolised four decades of service to humanity.
Oshoba, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ladkem Eye Hospital, said, “Forty-two years after graduation, we have seen, and we have conquered. Most of us have become employers of labour, philanthropists, and mentors.
“We have trained younger doctors and contributed to national development. This celebration is our stewardship.”
Reflecting on their student days, he recalled that government investment in education during their undergraduate years made medical training more accessible through scholarships and subsidised welfare.
Oshoba, a retired chief consultant ophthalmologist, urged young Nigerians to reject shortcuts to success.
“Our message to young people is simple: there are no shortcuts. Get a good education, develop yourself, follow due process, and use your talents to give back to society. We are remembered not for what we acquire but for what we contribute,” he said.
Responding to concerns over the migration of doctors, Oshoba argued that the trend should not be viewed entirely as a loss.
He noted that Nigerian professionals abroad contribute significantly through remittances, technology transfer, and international collaborations, adding that stronger democratic institutions and sustained economic reforms would eventually encourage many professionals to return home.
“Today’s Nigeria is better than yesterday’s. Our responsibility is to make tomorrow even better,” he said.
Offering a different perspective on concerns over declining educational standards, Consultant Physician, Nephrologist, and Clinical Director of St Nicholas Hospital, Dr Ebun Bamgboye, defended the quality of Nigeria’s medical graduates.
“I don’t agree that the quality of medical education has diminished. We train interns and resident doctors, and I continue to be impressed by the quality coming out of Nigerian medical schools,” he said.
According to him, Nigerian-trained doctors consistently excel wherever they practise.
He said hospitals across the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Middle East continue to rely heavily on Nigerian physicians.
“You hardly enter a hospital in the UK today without meeting Nigerian doctors. They don’t just work there; they excel. Nigerian medical education remains highly respected internationally,” he said.
Bamgboye attributed the continued migration primarily to economic realities.
“A junior doctor abroad can earn several times what a professor earns in Nigeria. That remains the biggest push factor,” he said.
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that improving national conditions could eventually reverse the migration trend.
“I believe that within five to ten years, if we remain on the current trajectory, people will begin returning home,” he said.
Chairman of the reunion and founder of the Tunji Olowolafe Foundation, Dr Tunji Olowolafe, described the gathering as a celebration of lifelong friendship forged nearly five decades ago.
“We’ve known one another since 1978 and 1979. We speak virtually every day despite living in different parts of the world. Today is about celebrating life, friendship, and the journey we’ve shared,” he said.
Olowolafe said giving back to society remains a lifelong responsibility rather than a destination.
“Fulfilment is a continuous process. Until life is over, service continues,” he added.
Some former classmates also shared nostalgic reflections on their years at the University of Ilorin.
A Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Ilorin, Prof. Adegboyega Fawole, recalled the academic rigour, campus traditions, and national challenges that shaped their generation, saying those difficult experiences strengthened their resilience and commitment to excellence.
Also, Consultant Physician, Dr Solomon Alabi Olaegun, recounted how medical school helped him discover that he had sickle cell disease after surviving a childhood during which several of his siblings died before the age of four.
“Medical education helped me understand my own health. It changed my life and enabled me to serve my family, my community, and countless patients. For that, I remain grateful,” he said.
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