Professor Nwosu is an alumnus of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (CoMUI) 1986 MBBS Class.
Every day, I learn from everything around me. I am always on the lookout for virtues that inspire. Sometime around mid-year, 2023, I received a WhatsApp message from Professor Betrand Obi Nwosu of his intent to support the student hostel building project. He committed to support with one million naira.
Here was the message:
I will transfer #200,000 monthly for 5 months (i.e., one-million-naira total) starting from this month of June 2023. Please send the requisite account number to me. Thanks for your diligence.
Professor Obi Nwosu
Dean Faculty of Medicine
Unizik Nnewi
He was true to his promise and remained committed to it. In fact, one of the monthly supports I didn't acknowledge on time, he reminded me and shared this:
My Provost, you did not acknowledge the payment I made on 2nd November. Please let me know if the money failed to drop. Thanks, and sorry for the inconvenience.
Professor Betrand Obi Nwosu
Then I also got a message the day he finally completed the support:
This is the 5th and completion of the one-million-naira pledge that I made. May God bless you as you complete the project.
What a great man!
I am reflecting on this because it is a very honourable thing to make a promise and follow through. I understand what a great sacrifice this must have been for Professor Nwosu because I know the take-home salaries of academics in Nigeria. Firstly, his integrity shines through. By fulfilling his promise to contribute one million naira over five months, he demonstrated reliability, traits that are essential for building trust. Also, Professor Nwosu's consistency and accountability are commendable. Despite his busy schedule as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Azikwe University, Nnewi, he ensures timely and regular payments towards the project. His reminder about the unacknowledged payment was very instructive to me. Nothing shows great commitment to transparency than that.
Again, I am overwhelmed by Professor Nwosu's generosity and selflessness which are evident in his willingness to support a cause that benefits others. He prioritized the needs of the students and contributed towards enhancing their educational experience. That action shows to me the importance of giving back to society and supporting the next generation. Moreover, Professor Nwosu's humility shines through his modesty and genuine concern for the project's progress. His final message expressing blessings upon the completion of the pledge reflects his humility and recognition of the collective effort involved in achieving the project's goals.
I was so blessed to see that he reached out to his alma mater to see how he could support. He remembered that he had trained at the College where he began his academic journey in 1960, and graduated in 1986. He was an active member of that set. During his years on campus, he was a member of several associations, including social and religious ones. He featured prominently in sports and captained the indomitable B83 football team throughout. Distinctively, he played a role in the Alexandra Brown Hall Drama Troupe, which performed during the send-off of Prof. Akande and the welcome party of Prof. PJ Johnson in 1985. After graduation, coincidentally and remarkably too, he served as a corps member in 1987 in Igboho, right here in Oyo State.
He is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Nnamdi Azikwe University, Nnewi Campus, Anambra State. He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine between 2021 and 2023 and as Sub-Dean of Student Affairs between 2008 and 2012 at the same university. He has also been an External Assessor for some universities, including the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Additionally, he has served as a member of accreditation teams for the National Universities Commission and the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Medical School, holding a Foundations on Clinical Research Certificate obtained in 2022.
I am hoping this serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of individuals who uphold their promises and demonstrate virtues such as integrity, consistency, generosity, and humility. Professor Nwosu's example inspires us to strive for excellence in our own commitments and contributions to the betterment of society. We don't have to look too far to be the best in our little corners. We can be shining examples of virtues of integrity, reliability, consistency, and more everywhere we find ourselves.
I hope the Nigeria of our dreams becomes possible if we all extol virtues that build rather than destroy us.
Professor Betrand Obi Nwosu, I celebrate and thank you!
Olayinka Omigbodun FAS
Professor of Psychiatry &
Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan
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