Prof Oladipo Akinkugbe died on 15 June 2020 at age 86. He was Emeritus Professor in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of the Clinical Sciences, University of Ibadan. He became a Professor of Medicine in 1968 at the age of 35 and served as the Dean of Medicine, UI from 1970-1974.
He was a visiting Professor at Harvard University, 1974-1975 before becoming the Foundation Principal and later Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, 1975-1978. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, 1978-1980.
He returned to Oxford University in 1981 as Visiting Professor of Medicine and Fellow of Balliol College and returned to the University of Ibadan in 1982 where he retired in 1995.
He served as the Chairman of JAMB, Chairman of the Federal Government Implementation Committee on review of higher education, and Chairman of the Implementation Committee for the rehabilitation of the teaching hospitals. He was also a Chairman of the Board of the University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Professor Akinkugbe was a Foundation Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, Fellow West African College of Physicians, and Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science. He was recipient of the Nigerian National Order of Merit in 1997. He was decorated with the award of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2004.
He authored, co-authored or edited over 10 books, including ‘High Blood Pressure in the African’ co-authored with Prof. A. O. Falase, a cardiologist and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
His autobiography is entitled ‘Footprints and Footnotes’.
