By Juliet Umeh
The rain did little to deter them. On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, hundreds of residents of Ayobo-Ipaja trooped into the Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Secretariat and Ipaja Primary
Health Centre, eager for a chance at free medical care.
By the end of the day, over 1,000 people had received life-saving consultations, screenings, and drugs, all thanks to a man who has spent his life in service to medicine and humanity: Professor Oluwarotimi Ireti Akinola.
The outreach, powered by the Oluwarotimi Ireti Akinola Foundation and supported by volunteers from the Lagos State University College of Medicine, LASUCOM, and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, was more than a medical exercise. It was also a celebration of Prof. Akinola’s 70th birthday and his retirement after decades as a distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynaecology.
A life rooted in service
For Prof. Akinola, a former National President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, SOGON, the outreach was symbolic—both personal and communal. Growing up in Ayobo-Ipaja, he said returning to give back to his people felt like completing a circle.
“All my life in service has been about gathering people in the health sector for impact,” he said. “Even in retirement, this is not a one-off project but an ongoing mission to improve health-seeking behaviour and encourage grassroots access.”
Mobilising a medical army
The event drew more than 50 volunteers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and health information managers—who offered free blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, outpatient consultations, breast examinations, and cervical cancer screening.
Convener of the outreach and one of Akinola’s mentees, Prof. Yusuf Oshodi, described his mentor as “a teacher, father figure, and nation builder” who had shaped countless medical professionals. He revealed that colleagues and mentees pooled resources to provide free consultations, drugs, and prescriptions.
“Our projection was 1,000 people, but despite the morning rain, hundreds turned up. Silent killers like hypertension and diabetes can be detected early here, saving lives. Nobody is being paid; this is purely volunteer service in honour of a man who has given his all to the profession,” Oshodi said.
Fighting preventable diseases
Dr. Modupe Adedeji, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at LASUTH and Secretary of SOGON Lagos Sector, stressed the urgency of cervical cancer prevention.
“Cervical cancer is 99 percent preventable if women get screened and girls are vaccinated early. We cannot continue to lose mothers to avoidable diseases,” she said, urging the government to intensify awareness campaigns and ensure wider access to vaccines.
The outreach, she added, also addressed men and children through blood pressure and sugar checks, reinforcing that holistic, community-wide engagement is vital for better health outcomes.
A grateful community
For beneficiaries like Mrs. Titilayo Bakare, who received free drugs after a consultation, the programme was both a relief and a call for continuity. “This initiative is life-saving. We appeal for more government support to make it regular,” she said.
Another participant, Mrs. Folashade Obembe, who benefited from cervical cancer screening, said the health education she received on breast self-examination left her feeling “empowered and hopeful.”
Community leaders echoed the sentiments, hailing the Foundation’s choice of Ayobo-Ipaja as the host community. To them, the outreach was not only a health intervention but also a tribute to a man deeply connected to his roots.
This was not Prof. Akinola’s first foray into community health missions. A similar initiative was held in Ojodu Ogba, and organisers say the outreach is set to become an annual event, targeting underserved communities across Lagos.
For Ayobo-Ipaja, the day ended with more than just medical check-ups. It was a reminder that even in retirement, Prof. Akinola’s legacy is not bound by the walls of academia or hospital wards, but continues in the lives he touches—one patient, one community, one outreach at a time.
