ICOMAA Distinguished Alumni Lecture

The Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association worldwide held its Alumni lecture, today, November 20, 2025. The Master of Ceremonies, Dr. Obajimi of  the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University College Hospital, and first Vice President of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association worldwide, opened by acknowledging the guests present. Some of the people present were

- Professor Emmanuel Oluwole Akande, the first Provost of the University College Hospital,

- Professor Akinyinka, the ninth Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan,

Professor Emmanuel Otolorin, immediate past president of ICOMAA,

-the current Provost of the College of Medicine, Professor Temidayo Ogundiran,

-Deans of faculties and representatives of deans.

Professor Samuel Omokhodion on the high table

After this, Professor Omokhodion gave a welcome speech. He recognized many of the guests present and spoke on the ongoing NARD's strike. He also spoke about his journey in the last year as the president of ICOMAA. Other addresses given include: 

- the Chief Host's address, taken by the Provost on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kayode O. Adebowale

- the Host's address taken by Professor Temidayo Ogundiran, the Provost and a second one by Professor Jesse Otegbayo, the Chief Medical Director, UCH

- the Chairman's Opening address by Professor Olumade Adeuja, a former Chief Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC).

The Chairman, Professor Olumade Adeuja giving his welcome address

The citation of the guest lecturer, Dr. Yele Aluko was then read. Following ICOMAA convention, his citation was nothing short of absolutely terrific. Dr. Yele Aluko currently serves as a Health Industry Strategist. He is the Director at the Center for Health Equity, EY Americas in the United States of America. He is also an Advisory Board Member at Harvard Business Review, Honeywell Healthcare Solutions and the Children’s National Hospital.The guest lecturer acknowledged the presence of his sister and some other people present. He then went on to talk briefly on his journey through the University of Ibadan medical degree. He told some stories of his days in school, detailing how he had faced some very harsh words in very humorous situations. He then opened his lecture on "Reclaiming Leadership and Legacy: The Role of Medical Schools in Nigeria’s Evolving Healthcare Landscape".

He spoke about the curriculum reviews in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, since 1948 when the school was founded till 2010 when the 2001 curriculum revisions were accepted. He explained that health policy, medical practice and the business of medicine are becoming increasingly interrelated. Also, he described advances in education such as postgraduate courses like the masters in Public Health or Masters in Health Informatics being taken in quite a few universities in Nigeria. 

After that, he went on to critique the medical education duration, mentioning that the current curriculum may not be able to cope with the growing health demands of the population. He mentioned examples of universities running more compressed programmes. Also, he discussed the impact of better training and increased primary care workforce to increase outcomes downstream and care upstream, freeing up medical doctors for more complicated cases. Paraphrasing his words, "Excellence once earned, now requires continual reinvention". He mentioned the glaring insufficiency of 4 doctors to ten thousand people in Nigeria.

The circumstances of today, especially the rapidly growing population, require a different kind of medical school and more importantly, a new kind of doctor: one well versed in systems leadership and innovation, according to Dr. Vele. 

Dr. Yele delivering his lecture

On the country's health status, Dr. Yele Aluko spoke on the triple burden of disease; communicable, non-communicable and emerging diseases. This triple burden, as he explained, is a factor necessitating medical education be reinvented to meet national demand. He especially emphasized the untapped value of alumni philanthropy. Referencing an earlier statement made by the current ICOMAA President, he contrasted  alumni activity in the College of Medicine to the Harvard alumni body and how well that community had been leveraged on. The University of Ibadan is indeed beginning to leverage on alumni, still there remains more to be done.

Of course, the omnipresent problem in Nigerian healthcare, the Japa syndrome, did not go unmentioned. He referenced some of the same concepts that Professor Emmanuel Otolorin discussed in a previous lecture on turning japa to japada. The story of Dr. Devi Shetty was mentioned as an example of turning brain drain to brain gain. He spoke of the story of the British trained surgeon's return to India and his phenomenal work so far. He also mentioned examples of institutions in Nigeria such as Nikea consultants, Nisa premier hospital, First Cardiology Consultants, Lagos, among many other institutions leveraging on the skills of medical doctors returning from diaspora. He closed by saying medical schools are not only centers of training, they are laboratories of national resilience.

Dr. Yele’s 7 proposed solutions. A call to Action

 After the lecture, ICOMAA worldwide presented a plaque in appreciation of Dr. Yele Aluko’s erudite delivery of the Alumni lecture. Also, the Chairman's award was presented to Professor Olumade Adeuja by Professor Emmanuel Otolorin in recognition of his work. 

Professor Olumade Adeuja presenting an award to the guest lecturer, Dr Yele Aluko

The Presidential award was presented by Professor Samuel Omokhodion. The award for the best class set was awarded to a set that had donated a solar inverter system to the Otunba Tunwase Children's Emergency Ward during the blackouts and had undertaken a project of refurbishing one of the blocks in the Alexander Brown Hall among many other projects. Their accountability to the ICOMAA office was of special mention. Dr. M. A Kuti of the chemical pathology department and the 1994 set received this award.

Professor Samuel Omokhodion presenting an award to Dr MA Kuti for the 1994 set

Also, another class set, the 1977 set was acknowledged for their donation of a hybrid power system to ensure the ICOMAA office's projects proceed uninterrupted by power supply hitches. The Former Provost, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun, was acknowledged for establishing the hostel building committee to ensure expanded accommodations, thereby ensuring that all clinical students are well accommodated on the Hospital premises, preventing the University from being disaccredited. The distinguished service award was presented to the two Co-Chairpersons of the hostel building committee, Professor Gbemisola Oke and Major general Dr. Shina Ogunbiyi(whose wife, an architect, offered her services at no cost, to the hostel building project).

Professor Samuel Omokhodion presenting the award to Major General Dr. Shina Ogunbiyi

The chairman, Professor Olumade Adeuja gave the closing remarks. Pictures were taken, after which the general secretary, Dr. Shehu-Tijani Shittu gave the closing remarks.

Shittu, Opeyemi Habeeb

Salami Wisdom