The 1973/1974 graduating class of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Idi-Araba, held a post-graduation reunion 50 years after leaving the college.
The reunion was well-attended, with some members flying in from overseas to participate in the event, while others who couldn’t attend in person joined via Zoom.
Interestingly, many of the attendees hadn’t seen each other in the last 50 years. Now, as grandparents and great-grandparents, they found it difficult to recognise one another.
Additionally, some hadn’t returned to the college since graduation, making them feel like strangers in the familiar surroundings of the college and its sister institution, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where they spent six years attending academic and laboratory activities.
As part of the reunion’s activities, the group donated desktop computers, a printer, and accessories to the college’s reading room, named after Dr. Ameyo Stella Adedevoh, who sacrificed her life to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus in 2014. They also paid courtesy visits to the Provost of the college, Prof. David Oke, and the Chief Medical Director of LUTH, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo.
The two dons, who are also alumni of the college, commended the class for reconnecting after so many years and for giving back to the institution that shaped them. They expressed confidence that the support would enhance student performance and contribute to the country’s medical education, while encouraging other alumni to give back to their alma maters, both individually and as groups.
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Commenting on the reunion, the chairman of the organizing committee, Professor of Anatomy and Consultant Reproductive Endocrinologist, Oladapo Ashiru, expressed his happiness that God gave them the grace to reconnect with each other and the college after 50 years.
He emphasised the profound impact the quality of training they received had on their journeys over the past five decades. Ashiru noted that while some members continued in the medical profession, others ventured into public service. He also mentioned the group’s plan to raise substantial funds to further support the college.
The highlight of the event was the sharing of memories, both online and in person. One of the members, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Jelili Akinwande, 76, remarked that he didn’t know of any other university worldwide that offered better training during their time than UNILAG. However, he lamented that most medical students today prefer to go abroad after graduation, unlike their generation, which benefited from Nigeria’s stronger economy.
Another class member, Dr. Edugie Abebe, who retired as a Permanent Secretary in public service, recalled her excitement during her time at the college. She shared her first experience in the laboratory when they were taken to the mortuary for a practical session.
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“Immediately we got there, we were asked to go inside, and many of us were reluctant. But we were told we had to enter, and before we knew it, they removed the clothes from six dead bodies, which we called ‘Cadaver’ in medicine.
I wanted to run out because I was very scared. But just as I tried to rush out, a group of boys held me back, and I screamed. It wasn’t just me—many were scared. But soon enough, we all got used to the cadavers, to the point where we would snack on groundnuts while dissecting the bodies.”
She expressed her happiness at seeing her former classmates after so many years of separation, some of whom brought their spouses and children. She suggested holding similar events more frequently. For the 35 confirmed deceased members of the class, their names were read from a prepared list, and a minute’s silence was observed in their honor.
Dignitaries in attendance, aside from the celebrants, included Dr. Sonny Kuku, co-founder of Eko Hospital and chairman of the event, as well as Dr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele, President (worldwide) of the UNILAG Alumni Association, among others.
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