Professor Femi Soyinka, the former Provost of Obafemi Awolowo University’s College of Health Sciences at Ile-Ife, has died.
Professor Femi Soyinka was the younger brother of the 1986 Nobel Laureate in Literature; Professor Wole Soyinka.
Professor Femi Soyinka died at his home in Kukumada Village, Ibadan, Oyo State, in the early hours of Tuesday, according to his relatives.
Professor Femi Soyinka was born in 1937 and graduated from the University of Heidelberg with an MBChB degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1964 and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 1965. In 1969, he graduated from the University of Giessen with a degree in Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology and began practising as a Dermatologist, Venereologist, and Allergologist.
In 1972, he obtained a Master of Public Health degree from Hadassah Medical School, (MPH) Israel.
He was an outstanding academic for 30 years, garnering various positions from Chief Medical Director to Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Provost of College of Health Sciences of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
He was also involved in extensive research on Tropical Skin Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in collaboration with the Federal government, international donor agencies and organizations such as the World Bank, UNDP, DFID, the British Council, and Canada’s International Development Research Centre.
He led multiple HIV/AIDS research projects and served as a consultant to international and local organizations such as the World Health Organization, DFID, UNDP, and the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, drawing on his significant expertise in the field in various parts of the country.
He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.