Prof Okoronkwo Kesandu Ogan stands among the foundational figures of modern Nigerian medicine, a physician whose career reshaped women’s healthcare, medical education, and public administration. Remembered as Nigeria’s first obstetrician gynaecologist and a pioneer of professional organisation in the specialty, his life traced a path from early schooling in Eastern Nigeria to specialist training in the United Kingdom, and finally to national leadership in both medicine and government.
Early Life and Education
Ogan was born on 6 January 1919 in Item, within Bende Local Government Area. While the administrative naming of the area has evolved over time, the community itself remains central to his identity. His early education began at Methodist College, Uzuakoli, one of the region’s respected secondary institutions, before he proceeded to King’s College, Lagos. At King’s College, he distinguished himself academically, emerging during an era when elite secondary schools served as gateways to professional careers in medicine and public service.
These formative years prepared him for entry into formal medical training at a time when Nigerian doctors were still few and specialist practice was rare.
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Medical Training, Yaba to the United Kingdom
Ogan received his initial medical qualification at Yaba Medical School, earning a licentiate in medicine in 1947. This placed him among the early cohorts of Nigerian trained physicians who would go on to shape post colonial healthcare systems.
His professional focus on obstetrics and gynaecology developed through advanced training in the United Kingdom. He attended West London Medical School from 1950 to 1952, followed by further specialist training at the University of London Medical School from 1952 to 1954, and again from 1956 to 1958. These periods of study reflected the rigorous postgraduate pathway required to attain specialist recognition in mid twentieth century Britain.
In 1958, he obtained the Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, MRCOG, and later became a Fellow of the College, FRCOG, in 1971. These qualifications placed him among the earliest Nigerians with internationally recognised specialist credentials in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Nigeria’s First Obstetrician Gynaecologist
Upon his return to Nigeria, Ogan emerged as the country’s first obstetrician gynaecologist. At a time when maternal healthcare relied heavily on general practitioners and limited specialist facilities, his expertise represented a major advance in women’s health services.
In 1959, he was appointed the first Nigerian lecturer and consultant obstetrician gynaecologist at University College Hospital, Ibadan. This role positioned him at the centre of Nigeria’s developing teaching hospital system, where he combined clinical practice with the training of medical students and junior doctors. His work helped establish obstetrics and gynaecology as a structured academic and clinical discipline within Nigerian medicine.
Academic Leadership at the University of Nigeria
Ogan’s academic influence expanded further at the University of Nigeria. In 1967, he became the first Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, a position he held until 1975. During this period, he played a central role in building departmental structures, developing curricula, and mentoring specialists who would later serve across Nigeria’s hospitals and universities.
His leadership coincided with a critical phase in the growth of Nigerian higher education, when universities were tasked with producing not only graduates but institutional knowledge and professional standards. Under his guidance, obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Nigeria became a cornerstone of specialist medical training in the region.
Founding the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria
Beyond the university setting, Ogan contributed significantly to the professional organisation of medicine in Nigeria. He served as the pioneer President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, SOGON, which was formed in Lagos in 1965.
SOGON became the central professional body for obstetricians and gynaecologists in Nigeria, providing a forum for continuing education, professional collaboration, and the advancement of standards in women’s healthcare. Ogan’s early leadership helped set the tone for a society that would later play a vital role in shaping national maternal health policy and clinical practice.
National Service and the Federal Civil Service Commission
Ogan’s career extended beyond medicine into national administration. In 1975, he was appointed Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, a position he held until 1979. The commission oversees recruitment, promotion, and discipline within the federal civil service, making the chairmanship one of the most influential administrative roles in government.
His appointment reflected a career marked by discipline, institutional trust, and public responsibility. As chairman, he applied the same standards of order and integrity that had characterised his medical and academic leadership.
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Final Years and Enduring Influence
Prof Okoronkwo Kesandu Ogan died on 24 August 1980. His influence, however, continues through memorial lectures held in his name and through the institutions he helped build. Within Nigerian obstetrics and gynaecology, his name remains associated with professional excellence, academic leadership, and national service.
His life illustrates how medical expertise, when combined with organisational vision and public duty, can leave a lasting imprint on a nation’s healthcare system.
Author’s Note
Prof Okoronkwo Kesandu Ogan’s life tells the story of a man who returned home to build, he transformed specialist training in women’s health, strengthened academic medicine at the University of Nigeria, helped organise a national professional body, and later carried the discipline of medicine into the heart of public administration, leaving behind institutions that continue to serve generations long after his passing.
References
Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, “Advancing the African Regional Framework for Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria, Enhancing Routine HPV Immunisation and Defining the Next Steps, The Professor O K Ogan Memorial Lecture”, July 2025.
The Guardian Nigeria, “Addressing reproductive healthcare challenges of IDPs”, 21 November 2019.
Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation, “OGAN, Dr Okoronkwo Kesandu”, 23 January 2017.
Independent Newspaper Nigeria, “Professor of Medicine, Ogan, Resurrects At A Public Lecture In His Honour”, 21 November 2019.
