When Professors Femi and Jan Oyebode paid a courtesy visit to the Provost's Office, their primary mission was to donate copies of Professor Femi Oyebode's books to the College’s library. They wouldn’t have imagined that the said visit was going to start with spirited conversations with the Provost, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun FAS, on the peculiarities of consanguineous marriages in different cultures. But it was a lively and very revealing discussion to kick off their visit.
The Provost talked about her experience during her residency training in the United Kingdom, especially with the Pakistani communities where consanguineous marriages are relatively common. She explained the relationship between such unions and the prevalence of congenital abnormalities. Backed by research, the Provost mentioned how consanguineous marriages can increase the risk of certain genetic disorders and congenital abnormalities in offspring. She added that this heightened risk arises from the increased likelihood of inheriting autosomal recessive disorders, which require two copies of a gene to manifest. More so, individuals are more likely to share a common ancestor in consanguineous marriages and this increases the probability of both partners carrying the same recessive genetic mutations.
Professor Femi Oyebode speaking about the motivation for his visit as he presented his books to the Provost,
Professor Olainka Omigbodun FAS, in the company of the Management Team.
Thereafter, the Provost introduced the guests Professor Femi Oyebode – a foremost psychiatrist; his wife, Professor Jan Oyebode – a clinical psychologist and Professor Solomon Kadiri also of the MBBS graduating Class of 1977 and a distinguished Professor of Nephrology. Professor Solomon Kadiri who had recently retired from the Department of Medicine had accompanied Professors Oyebode on their visit to the Provost's Office.
The Provost had received the guests along with the Management team: the Deputy Provost, Professor F.A Adeniyi, the Secretary to College, Mr. Emmanuel Odedele; and the Medical Librarian, Dr. Grace Ajuwon.
Professor Oyebode thanked the Provost for the kind reception they received and shared that it was an academic tradition in the University of Birmingham for staff to donate their published books to the university. Having spent six years at Ibadan, he felt compelled to extend a similar gesture to the institution that nurtured his medical-academic dreams. He decided to donate two of his books: “Psychopathology of Rare and Unusual Syndromes,” published in 2022, and the 6th edition of “Sims’ Symptoms in the Mind” to the library of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan. These donated books, translated into multiple languages including Arabic and Italian, were his way of giving back to the College of Medicine.
Professor Oyebode autographs a copy of the book donated to the College’s library.
After group photographs were taken in her office, the Provost led the visitors to the Board Room, the venue of the induction of the Dentistry students (resit), where she introduced them to the Executive Members and students alike.
Before they left, as it is customary with her hospitality culture, the Provost presented some College merchandise to the visitors on behalf of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan.
Professor Dr. Femi Oyebode studied medicine at the University of Ibadan. He graduated with distinction in 1977. He trained as a psychiatrist in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and has been Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Birmingham since 1999. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2016 and the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (the highest honour of the RCPsych) in 2019.
The Provost, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun FAS, cheerily presents CoMUI souvenirs to
Professors Femi and Jan Oyebode
Professors Femi and Jan Oyebode take a group picture with the Executive Members of the College of Medicine,
University of Ibadan at the Board Room – the venue of the induction ceremony of the Dentistry students.
More Pictures from the Visit
