TODAY, it is both an honour and a joy to celebrate an extraordinary person, Professor Aderonke Mojisola Baiyeroju. Not only is she retiring today, she is also celebrating her 70th Birthday. We wish her a happy Platinum Birthday.
Born into the family of the Late David Olatunde and Marian Olutunde Agbeja in Benin City, Nigeria, in 1955, Prof. Aderonke Mojisola Baiyeroju has distinguished herself as a trailblazer in her academic and professional journey.
She obtained her MBBS degree in 1979 from the University of Ibadan. Then, she proceeded to the Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology in Glasgow, where she earned the Diploma in Ophthalmology of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 1982. A testament to her global recognition is the array of fellowships she has gathered over the years. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow (1985); Royal College of Ophthalmologists (UK in 1989); West African College of Surgeons (1989); International College of Surgeons (1997), and the Nigerian Academy of Medicine (2020).
Professor Baiyeroju started her career with the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Ophthalmology in 1998. To date, she has also served as an Honorary Consultant to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where she has trained several medical students and resident doctors in ophthalmology, her main subspecialty being Paediatric Ophthalmology and Glaucoma.
Within the University of Ibadan, she has served with utmost distinction as the Head of Department of Ophthalmology; Deputy Provost of the College of Medicine; Senate Representative and Vice Chancellor’s Representative on the University College Hospital Board of Management. In 2021, she emerged as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Ibadan, a position she gracefully held until her retirement today.
She also served in the West African College of Surgeons (WACS) as Faculty Chairman and Chief Examiner of the Faculty of Ophthalmology (2003-2007), Member of Council (2007-2013), Assistant Honorary Treasurer (2013-2017), and Honorary Treasurer (2017-2021).
Professor Baiyeroju’s most enduring legacy is the Paediatric Ophthalmology Unit which she established. What began as a single consulting room has blossomed into a beacon of hope for children across Nigeria. Under her guidance, the unit not only expanded services for cataract, glaucoma, and strabismus, but also trained a new generation of ophthalmologists who carry her dedication into communities far beyond Ibadan. Countless young eyes have found sight, and countless families, peace of mind, thanks to her foresight and perseverance.
She managed various grants in her career including a WHO grant to establish Eye Care for Children in Oyo State, Nigeria from 2004-2008. She as well coordinated the activities of a grant from the Standard Chartered Bank (International) whose objective was to reduce blindness in children in the South West, Nigeria, under the Seeing is Believing (SiB) project, executed by CBM Nigeria between 2017 and 2020.
Beyond academia, Professor Baiyeroju distinguished herself as a keen sportswoman, winning numerous medals in various competitions including a gold medal in the high jump at the 1977 ECOWAS Games and also rising to the Nigerian Number 4 seed in squash in 1978. She was awarded the University of Ibadan scholarship for being the best female athlete all through her 5-year training as a medical student from 1974 to 1979 and was inducted into the University of Ibadan Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 for her outstanding contributions to the development of sports in the University.
A devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, Professor Aderonke Mojisola Baiyeroju embodies humility and dedication.
Our dear Professor Baiyeroju, we send you off with gratitude deeper than words can capture. May this well-earned retirement be filled with the adventure, rest, and bliss you deserve. May you finally have time to do all those wonderful things that had to wait as you fueled your passion towards upholding the excellence you have embodied in your 38 years of service.
You have shown us that true leadership seamlessly blends intellect with a heart for the people. Thank you for illustrating that a single individual, driven by purpose, can transform a nation’s health. And most of all, thank you for being our colleague, our advocate and our friend.
On behalf of the College of Medicine University of Ibadan, I thank you for your remarkable contributions and wish you a retirement as luminous and impactful as your career has been.
T.O. Ogundiran, FAS, FAMedS
Professor of Surgery & Provost