My Personal Reflection on the Legacy of My Dearest Mama,
Late Dr Patricia O. Bakare (Nee Noah)
Dr Patricia O. Bakare was not only a remarkable academic and professional but she was full of love and wisdom, and I gleaned a lot of that from her. As the mother of my close friend and sister from primary school (Staff School), secondary school (St. Louis Grammar School, Mokola, Ibadan), and College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Dr. Kofoworola Adediran, I got to interact with her often. We both shared Sierra Leonean roots through our mothers, a bond that strengthened our connection.
Many times, Mama often encouraged me behind the scenes in my role as Provost. Her words were a source of strength and guidance. One such message she sent on 5th January 2023 reads:
"My daughter/Provost, I read through the comments on our platform. One very rude from someone. Be not discouraged to say and do the right [thing]. The good Lord will continue to uphold you and give you wisdom for your leadership role in the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. God bless you. From Dr Mrs Patricia O. Bakare, Former Head of Department of Nursing, College of Medicine."
She was also consistent in extending her love and best wishes to me whenever I celebrated a significant milestone in office or life. On my 60th birthday, she sent the following message on 11th February 2023:
"Hearty congratulations on your 60th birthday yesterday. May the good Lord keep you and bless you and satisfy you with longer life, good health, and prosperity. The Lord grant you all your heart's desire. More grace and enablement to look after your loved ones and as Provost to our great College of Medicine. From Mama Dr Patricia Oluyomi Bakare."
Mama was present. She was also very proud to be a Living Legend of the College of Medicine and participated in events during our administration. You might recall that our Living Legends programme was instituted to reach out to our past teachers, administrators, and leaders, interact with them, learn from their wealth of experience, and receive counsel and ideas on ensuring the continuous progress of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI). Aside from the opportunity to honour our retired teachers and administrators, we wanted to provide a forum for them to interact with staff and students and share their perspectives on how we can ensure a better and brighter future for the College. Mama embraced our ambition and ensured she had a pronounced voice in the things we did.
I must add that I found Mama’s academic and research capabilities exceptional as I read through her profile which is also shared in this release. Her core research areas included maternal and child health nursing, cognitive restructuring and relaxation in the management of childbirth pain, mothers' participation in nursing activities at the primary health care level, and the development of the basic nursing education curriculum. She published numerous articles in learned journals and presented papers at conferences.
As Mama draws the curtain on this side of life, I will never forget the kindness and humanity she extended to those close to her. Her unwavering support, gentle guidance, and heartfelt prayers were valuable to me and many others. I am also grateful to God that I was privileged to visit her a few days before her passing into glory, we prayed and worshipped together along with her eldest daughter.
To our dear Mama Dr. Patricia O. Bakare – may her legacy forever be cherished, and may her contributions to nursing, education, and our lives always be remembered. May her soul find eternal rest and peace, and may the Lord keep the children, grandchildren and all members of the family she left behind. Amen.
Professor Olayinka Omigbodun FAS
Professor of Psychiatry and Provost
The details of the burial ceremony can be found in the flyer below:
Dr. Patricia Oluyomi Ivy BAKARE B.Sc, M.Ed, M. Phil. Ph.D, FWACN
Dr. Patricia Oluyomi Ivy BAKARE (nee Noah) was born on the 4th day of May 1938 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Her father was Emmanuel Richard Oladipupo Noah of the Surpit Noah family, Farieghouse of Freetown, Sierra Leone. He worked for UAC Nigeria and was transferred from one place to another in Nigeria. Her mother was Angelica Duriorike Jones, daughter of Elkanah Jones, a Sierra Leonian.
She attended C.M.S Girls School, Lagos, 1945-51, Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos, 1952-57, School of Nursing, University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan 1958-1961, and had her midwifery training at the Rochford General Hospital, Essex, England, 1961-1962. She attended the University of Ibadan at various times obtaining B.Sc Nursing in 1973, M.Ed (Educational Evaluation), M.Phil (Clinical Psychology), and Ph.D in Clinical Psychology in 2001.
She worked as a Staff Nurse/Midwife at the General Hospital, Akure, 1962-1963; Staff Midwife, University College Hospital, Ibadan, 1964-67; She then lived and worked in New York, USA between 1967 and 1969 during which period she worked as a nurse and took some courses at the Hunter College of the City University of New York, (1968-69). On return to Nigeria, following her graduate studies in the Department of Nursing U.I, she got an appointment as a nurse tutor at the Oluyoro Catholic Hospital Oke Offa, Ibadan, later at the School of Midwifery of UCH and the Federal Training Centre for Teachers of Health Sciences, UCH.
She then joined the Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, where she retired as Senior Lecturer in 2003.
Her areas of research have been in maternal and child health nursing, including cognitive restructuring and relaxation in managing childbirth pain, mothers' participation in nursing activities at the primary healthcare level, and the development of the basic nursing education curriculum. Publications are in the form of articles in learned journals and papers presented at conferences. She was a recipient of the Anglophone West Africa Regional Education Research Consortium Scholarship and the UNICEF service award, and she was an external examiner/assessor to the Department of Nursing of the University of Ghana Legon, Ghana.
She was a member of committees in the College of Medicine, U.I. and served also as the course coordinator for the West African College of Nursing, national financial secretary of the Association of Nigerian Nurse Educators, financial secretary of the West Africa College of Nursing Nigeria chapter and was an executive member of the Nigerian Association of University Women. She was a foundation Fellow of the West African College of Nursing.
Dr. Patricia O. Bakare was married to the late Professor Christopher George Morakinyo Bakare, a son of an Anglican clergy who hailed from Kogi State but was bred in Ekiti land. He was a Professor of Psychology and the first head of the Department of Guidance & Counselling, U.I. He passed away on 26 March 1995. The marriage was blessed with wonderful children Kofoworola Adediran, Funmilayo Gbadebo, Ayotunde Bakare and Olayinka Bakare and several grandchildren. Dr. Kofoworola Adediran is an Academic Member of staff in the Institute of Child Health (ICH).
May her soul rest in perfect peace.
