Tribute to Professor Angela Aneneolisa Okolo -Where knowledge met compassion: The doyen’s legacy in newborn survival

Abstract

An entire lecture would be insufficient to fully delve into the contributions of Professor Angela Okolo to newborn care. She was there very early at the  University of Benin Teaching Hospital, when Neonatology was not a favourite field. People preferred to stay away from those tiny babies and their troubles. So they were more than willing to relinquish newborn care to anyone who showed an interest. And Angela Okolo showed deep interest. For many years, she carried the burden of newborn care in Benin.  She defined newborn care in Benin. And to a large extent, newborn care represented the best of newborn care in Nigeria. In addition to rendering unparalleled selfless and compassionate service, she was actively involved in teaching undergraduates and postgraduates, as well as in quality research work. Many of us who parade ourselves today in the  Neonatology family are products of that training directly and indirectly. At some point in her career, she exported her services to the University of Jos and its affiliate teaching hospital before returning to base in Benin. It is on  record that Angela Anene Okolo was the first Nigerian woman to reach the  exalted position of Professor of Paediatrics and, for a very long time,  
the only one in Neonatology.
Upon retiring from UNIBEN/UBTH, she got contracted to the Federal  Medical Centre, Asaba. And here, she proved that she had so much more to give – promotion of community-based care, promotion of community-  based research, development of a first-grade Neonatal Services. FMC Asaba was the second training institution to be granted full accreditation for postgraduate training in the neonatology subspecialty. All thanks to Professor Okolo, who led the effort to equip the centre with enviable state-of-the-art facilities.