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The Alumni Association of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, has honoured the university’s founder and former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, with a distinguished lecture series highlighting the need for greater investment in health equity and innovation.
The inaugural Olusegun Mimiko Distinguished Alumni Lecture, held on Saturday at the university auditorium, brought together the university’s management, alumni, students and stakeholders in the health sector.
With the theme, “Advancing Health Equity and Innovation: The Legacy of a Caring Heart”, the lecture focused on the vision behind the establishment of UNIMED and the need for the institution to strengthen its role in developing solutions to Africa’s healthcare challenges.
Delivering the keynote address, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of UNIMED and President of the African Academy of Sciences, Prof Friday Okonofua, traced the evolution of the university to Mimiko’s Medical Village initiative, which eventually led to the establishment of UNIMED in 2014 as Nigeria’s first specialised university of medical sciences.
Okonofua urged the university to build on that foundation by prioritising research and innovation capable of addressing health challenges peculiar to Africa.
He said the institution must remain focused on producing knowledge and solutions that could improve healthcare delivery across the continent.
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The President of the UNIMED Alumni Association, Adedayo Adesida, said the lecture was organised not only to honour Mimiko but also to institutionalise the recognition of visionary leadership and encourage alumni to contribute to the development of the university and the country.
“This lecture is our way of preserving a legacy of compassion and visionary leadership. Dr Mimiko did not just establish a university; he planted a seed for health equity in Nigeria,” Adesida said.
He said the association was committed to nurturing that legacy through initiatives designed to strengthen the institution, including an automated transcript portal and the Adesegun Fatusi Alumni Research Grant.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Ebunoluwa Adejuyigbe, in her remarks, commended the alumni for organising the lecture, saying it reflected the philosophy upon which the university was founded.
She added that the institution’s responsibility extended beyond producing technically competent medical professionals to developing healthcare innovators capable of addressing inequalities in access to quality healthcare.
