Professor Olugbenga Abayomi Okanlawon is set to retire from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, after an extraordinary 44-year career defined by research, teaching, mentorship and institution-building.
Okanlawon, who will officially retire on September 16, began his journey in Anatomy as a medical student before rising through the ranks to become a professor, researcher, academic administrator and mentor.
His career was celebrated during a valedictory lecture titled “Beyond Anatomy: Custodian of Memory, Maker of Scholars, Builder of Institutions,” where colleagues highlighted the lasting impact of his academic work.
Professor Abraham Osinubi, Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Lagos, said Okanlawon’s career demonstrated that academic success should be measured by what remains after a scholar leaves rather than only by publications, citations or positions.
Osinubi, who disclosed that Okanlawon supervised both his master’s and doctoral degrees, described his former supervisor’s legacy through a “4M Legacy Model” centred on memory, mentorship, multiplication and mission.
According to him, the model captures the importance of preserving institutional knowledge, developing people and ensuring that knowledge and values are transferred to future generations.
Okanlawon’s academic journey dates back to 1977, when he graduated with a distinction in Anatomy as one of only two students to achieve the feat that year.
The following year, he became a student demonstrator and began teaching junior students at a time when the department was experiencing a shortage of lecturers, earning six naira per hour.
After completing his medical training and National Youth Service Corps programme, he joined the Department of Anatomy in 1982 and eventually became a Professor of Anatomy in 2003.
His research career focused extensively on reproductive biology and endocrinology, covering areas such as androgen regulation, spermatogenesis, testicular function, reproductive toxicology and reproductive health.
His research interests also examined environmental toxins, herbs and drugs, while his work in stereology helped establish another area of research strength within the Anatomy Department.
Over the course of his career, Okanlawon published more than 60 scholarly papers and supervised over 15 PhD candidates, contributing to the development of researchers who would carry his academic influence into subsequent generations.
Professor Olufunke Dosumu, Head of Anatomy, described him as an academic father and mentor who guided her during her postgraduate years and helped her produce her first publication.
Professor Stella Gbotolorun similarly described Okanlawon as a mentor who deliberately nurtured young researchers and became a repository of the University of Lagos’ institutional history.
His commitment to preserving that history resulted in a three-volume work titled “Discovering the University of Lagos: One Day at a Time,” which was unveiled on September 1 after nine years of weekly documentation.
The books chronicle the university’s journey from its establishment in 1962, documenting its administrations, landmark events, crises, personalities and major developments over the decades.
UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Professor Folasade Ogunsola described Okanlawon as a “historian anatomist” and encouraged him to continue documenting history even after his retirement.
Professor Ademola Ayodele-Oremosu, Provost of the College of Medicine, said the institution would miss Okanlawon’s experience, institutional knowledge, teaching, research, mentorship and contribution to postgraduate training.
For Okanlawon, however, mentorship represents more than an academic responsibility, as he sees it as a duty passed down from his own mentor, Professor Oladapo Ashiru.
He explained that receiving mentorship created an obligation to help others in the same way, allowing the cycle of knowledge, support and academic development to continue from one generation to another.
As he prepares to leave active service, Okanlawon’s colleagues believe his most enduring contribution will not simply be the positions he occupied or the research he produced, but the scholars he trained and the institutional knowledge he preserved.
His retirement therefore marks the end of a remarkable chapter in academic medicine while also highlighting how a career built around teaching and mentorship can continue to influence an institution long after its holder has stepped away.