Professor Retires After 44 Years, Leaving 15+ PhD Students

After 44 years shaping minds and building careers, Professor Olugbenga Okanlawon is retiring from Nigeria's University of Lagos with a legacy measured not in awards, but in people. Colleagues say his greatest achievement is the generations of scholars he trained, mentored, and launched into successful careers of their own.

Okanlawon's journey began in 1977 when he earned a rare distinction in Anatomy as a medical student. By the next year, he was already teaching students older than himself, earning six naira per hour to help fill a lecturer shortage.

He officially joined the Department of Anatomy in 1982 and became a full professor in 2003. Over four decades, he supervised more than 15 PhD candidates and published over 60 research papers focused on reproductive biology and health.

But his colleagues remember something more valuable than publications. Professor Olufunke Dosumu, now Head of Anatomy, recalls how Okanlawon guided her as a young student and helped her produce her first research paper.

Professor Abraham Osinubi, who once supervised Okanlawon's own doctoral work, said the retiring professor understood a deeper truth about teaching. "The greatest supervisor is the one who eventually becomes unnecessary because the goal of supervision is intellectual independence," Osinubi explained.

At his retirement lecture titled "Beyond Anatomy: Custodian of Memory, Maker of Scholars, Builder of Institutions," Okanlawon shared his philosophy: "I had people who mentored me, so I can mentor others. Once you experience help, it is your duty to make sure that you help others too."

That duty extended beyond the laboratory. Okanlawon spent nine years documenting the university's history in a three-volume book series called "Discovering the University of Lagos: One Day at a Time." The books chronicle everything from landmark events to campus crises since the university's founding in 1962.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of Okanlawon's mentorship extends far beyond the 15 PhD students he directly supervised. Each of those scholars is now training others, creating what Osinubi calls a "multiplication effect" where knowledge and values pass through generations.

Professor Stella Gbotolorun described him as someone who "deliberately groomed young researchers," not waiting for students to seek help but actively investing in their futures. His work in stereology opened entirely new research areas for his department.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Folasade Ogunsola urged him to keep writing after retirement, calling him a "historian anatomist" whose documentation skills serve Nigeria beyond just the university. University officials say his institutional knowledge, built over more than four decades, cannot be bought or quickly replaced.

Okanlawon retires officially on September 16, leaving behind not just research papers, but a self-sustaining cycle of mentorship. His students are now mentoring others, who will mentor the next generation, creating ripples that extend far beyond what one professor could accomplish alone.