“Dad, how old do you think God is?”
“Well, I am not sure anyone can tell but he must be much older than all of mankind.”
“Do you think Einstein could have calculated it?”
“I don’t think so but… Professor Awojobi could have.”
“Professor Awojobi? Who is he?”“He was a Nigerian.”
While we celebrate Nigeria’s 49th Anniversary of independence, wondering what the 50th year of existence as a nation will offer, and while our society is enthralled with leaders and iconic figures who contribute to the plight of the ordinary Nigerian, let us remember those who could, did and continue to make a positive difference.
The name Awojobi is synonymous with excellence and some say eccentricity borne out of genius. Profesor Awojobi was a mystical genius in mathematics and engineering. He was also the closet thing to a brilliant mad scientist portrayed in movies.
Professor Awojobi knew everything and he was well-loved, respected and held in awe by the people. A Professor of Engineering with calculus thrown in to make him more of an enigma. That was almost a generation ago.
There must be something in the water when a child is baptized in the Awojobi family. There is more to the Awojobi family today, than the good old Professor.
They are mainly a family of engineers and engineering experts. There is one more who decided to be a physician.
Dr. ‘Yombo Awojobi is not your glamorous in-your-face physician of great self-importance. He is a rural doctor. That is where the difference ends between him and his brothers. You need to admire him and when you finish, you will need to celebrate him.
‘With no government assistance or external funding, Dr. Oluyombo Awojobi has built a clinic from scratch in the sleepy town of Eruwa (Oyo State), three hours drive inland from the city of Lagos.
Realizing his vision of basic but adequate rural healthcare for Nigeria, Dr. Awojobi relies on home-grown solutions (such as a distiller and autoclave made out of domestic cooking gas cylinders and powered by corn-cobs, a centrifuge fabricated from a bicycle wheel, and a solar-powered lad refrigerator run by a home-made inverter) that are tailored to local needs and utilize locally available resources to ensure sustainability.
Dr. Awojobi is simultaneously a physicist and a physician and has served over 100,000 Nigerians in an area where access to healthcare facilities and equipment is scarce.’
There is something to be said for the spirit of the Nigerian when he or she is determined, capable and qualified.
49 years of independence and the country is looking for modern day heroes. 49 years of independence and the country is still struggling with the provision of affordable healthcare in both the rural and urban areas. 49 years of independence and a nation of 150m is still wishing for the visits of Medicins sans Frontieres, an international medical and humanitarian aid organization, for rapid deployment of healthcare services for most of the population.
We have present day heroes like Dr. ‘Yombo Awojobi and many more medical practitioners in Nigeria who could constitute our own Medicins sans Frontieres. There are many unsung heroes of the medical profession and many other disciplines who have put themselves at the serviced of the people over above the potential luxuries that private practice could afford them.
Dr Awojobi’s successes have caught the attention of the same medical practitioners, who have come on numerous visits of discovery and learning, that we often prefer to handle our issues at great time and expense to us.
While we spend an inordinate amount of time and discussion on those who give no value to Nigeria, it is important to note that there is almost nothing Nigeria needs in terms of resources and human capacity, that is not available.
While we also homour the heroes past, let us also remember what their visions and hopes for Nigeria were.
It is time to recognize the Dr. Awojobis of today and support their work and share the same commitment to making things possible in Nigeria.
Communicating for Change’s (CFC’s) award for Innovating for Africa – Uncommon Service, in conjunction with the Hilda Ogunbanjo Film Award on Good Citizenship, given to Dr. Awojobi recently highlighted the plight of an honourable Nigerian professional in the quest to serve his or her community..
D&R hails the efforts of this wonderful multi-tasking multi-talented professional Nigerian and hope we as a nation shall provide the necessary support for objectives such as his.
Starting from a base group on Nigerian medical practitioners, supported by effective rural health provision programs, the larger population of Nigerians outside the urban areas have a better chance of receiving primary healthcare.
Dr. Awojobi has had to rely on his specialist skills and vast wealth of knowledge in other subjects to successfully act as Doctor, Engineer, Planner, Administrator and Inventor.
Nigeri should be thankful for the likes of the Awojobi family and the Dr. Awojobis strewn all over the country and who have little or no recognition.
At 49 and with a view to the future, it is the Dr Awojobis of Nigeria that will and should be moving the country forward.
D&R is proud of this and other Dr Awojobis and thank them immensely for giving hope to many and providing a shining light in an otherwise poorly lit room.
